Who is Melissa Ann Piavis?
Melissa Ann Piavis was born in Greece on 30 May 1966 – her zodiac sign is Gemini, and she holds both Greek and American nationality. She’s probably only known for being the former wife of Paul Donald Wight II, known better by his ring name Big Show, who’s a professional wrestler and an actor.
Early life and education
Melissa was raised in Greece by her mother and her father James Piavis; nothing is known about her parents, as she respects their privacy, and because Melissa hasn’t spoken of having any siblings, most people believe her to be an only child. Her paternal grandparents are Winnie and Dr. William Piavis.
The family moved to the US when she was around 10 years old, and eventually settled in Georgia.
Melissa became interested in sports while attending Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia – she was on the school’s gymnastics team, and also played volleyball and soccer; she was interested in various other activities, including acting with the school’s drama club, playing wrestling, and indulging in creative writing.
Melissa matriculated in 1984, and because she hasn’t spoken of her further education, most people believe that she hasn’t attended college.
Melissa’s career
Melissa hasn’t shared any details concerning her career with the public, but it’s said that she was a model for several years in the ‘90s, and that she also spent some time teaching physical education at a local high school in Marietta.
She was once quite popular on the internet, with her Instagram account numbering over a million followers, however, Melissa seems to have deleted it for unknown reasons.
Love life and marriage with Big Show
Melissa met Big Show in 1995, when they were introduced by a mutual friend at a house party; the two started dating a week later, and on 14 February 1997, they exchanged vows in a private ceremony attended by only the closest of their friends and family members.
Not long after the wedding, Melissa gave birth to their daughter Cierra Wight, and the trio were often seen spending time together in public.
In 2000, Melissa and Big Show separated for unknown reasons, and she filed for divorce in the following year; it was finalized on 6 February 2002.
Melissa hasn’t spoken of any other men whom she might have been with since her split from Big Show, however, there are rumors circulating the internet, claiming that she has been in several relationships, with both men and women, but these haven’t been confirmed.
As of December 2021, Melissa seems to be unattached, was once married to Big Show, and has a daughter with him.
Hobbies and other interests
Melissa was physically quite active in her 20s and 30s, as she had multiple training sessions at the gym every week, and was also active outdoors, often hiking, running and cycling.
She likes to travel, and during her marriage with Big Show, she visited various US states, mostly to watch him wrestle; she has apparently also been to several European countries, including England, Italy and Spain.
She’s a lover of animals, and Melissa has three pet cats; rumor has it that she has also donated money to a local animal shelter in Marietta.
She enjoys watching movies late at night, and her favorite actors and actresses are Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts and Emma Watson, while a couple of her favorite films include “The 5th Element”, “Pulp Fiction” and “The Runaway Bride”.
Melissa’s also into watching comedy series, and her two favorites are “Sex and the City” and “That ‘70s Show”.
Age, height and net worth
Melissa is 55 years old. She has long brown hair which she usually dyes blonde, her eyes are blue, her height is 5ft 2ins (1.6m), and she weighs around 110lbs (50kgs).
As of December 2021, her net worth has been estimated at over $2 million, most of which she received as divorce settlement, while her former husband Big Show’s net worth is reputedly more than $16 million.
Who is her former husband, Big Show?
Paul Donald Wight II was born in Aiken, South Carolina USA, on 8 February 1972 – his zodiac sign is Aquarius, and he holds American nationality.
He’s currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), working as a commentator on the wrestling streaming show “AEW Dark: Elevation”.
Big Show was raised in Aiken by his father Paul Wight Sr, and his mother who prefers to stay away from media; nothing is known about his parents, because he respects their privacy, and Big Show hasn’t mentioned having any siblings, making it appear that he’s an only child. He was born with the disease acromegaly, which was the cause of his accelerated growth; he was already 6ft 2ins (1.9m) tall by the time he turned 12. Upon matriculating from Wyman King Academy in 1990, Big Show enrolled at Wichita State University, and played basketball for its team; he switched to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1992, and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in the following year.
He worked various jobs upon graduation, including being a bounty hunter and a bouncer.
He was signed to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1995, and began using the ring name ‘The Giant’; Big Show won his first match against Hulk Hogan, becoming the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
He then joined the wrestling stable New World Order, but was thrown out on 30 December. On 9 February 1990, he signed a contract with World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and debuted at WrestleMania XV on 28 March 1999, using the ring name ‘Big Show’.
He became a US Champion after having defeated Eddie Guerrero at the 2003 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) US Championship.
Big Show’s contract expired on 8 February 2007, and he returned to WWE on 17 February 2008, becoming the World Heavyweight Champion on 18 December 2011, after having defeated Mark Henry. On 24 February 2021, Big Show signed with AEW.
On 11 February 2002, only five days after his divorce from Melissa, Big Show married the non-celebrity American woman Bess Katramados, and she has given birth to their two children.
Big Show’s acting career
Big Show is also an actor, and has appeared in more than 100 movies and TV series, while he’s perhaps still known best for his portrayal of Huge Santa, in the popular 1996 family comedy movie “Jingle All the Way”. It was directed by Brian Levant, starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad and Phil Hartman, and follows a father who has promised his son the action figure Turbo Man for Christmas, and now has to go all around the city to find one, as it’s been sold out; the movie won two of the six awards for which it was nominated.
Big Show made his debut film appearance in the 1996 sports drama movie “Reggie’s Prayer”, while he was then cast to appear in many WCW and WWE movies and TV series.
In 2004, he played a supporting character in the episode “Borderland” of the hit action adventure series “Star Trek: Enterprise”, while a couple of his following notable performances were in the 2009 family fantasy adventure movie “Little Hercules in 3-D”, the 2010 action comedy film “MacGruber” and the 2010 action comedy movie “Knucklehead”.
In 2013, Big Show played Big Ed Dixon in the episode “Lassie Jerky” of the critically acclaimed mystery crime comedy series “Psych”, created by Steve Franks, and which starred James Roday Rodriguez and Timothy Omundson. It follows a man who has convinced the police that he has psychic powers, and has thus been hired by them; the series aired from 2006 to 2014, and won five of the 37 awards for which it was nominated, including a Primetime Emmy nomination.
Big Show has been nominated for three awards, all for his performance in the 2020 drama movie “Marcus”, which was written and directed by J. R. Poli, and follows Marcus who has been given an opportunity to right his wrongs; the movie won 16 of the 24 awards for which it was nominated.
