Paul Wight was once told he might not live past 45 due to his medical condition.
Speaking on High Performance, the AEW star looked back on being diagnosed with acromegaly during his university years, a condition that ultimately led to major medical intervention early in his life.
“I was 19. I went my whole life, I thought I was just gifted because I had incredible endurance. I ate whatever I wanted. I could run all day, and strong and all that. Then, I went to Wichita State, and the doctor there had worked at the Mayo Clinic and was familiar with (it). He looked at my hands, and there’s different things. Like the roof of my mouth is very high, jawline, sinuses, and stuff like that,” Paul Wight said.
He explained that after the diagnosis, doctors at the Mayo Clinic quickly confirmed he needed pituitary surgery after discovering a tumor. Wight admitted the news was shocking at the time, as he had always assumed his size and strength were just natural advantages. He also noted that while he likely would have been large regardless due to family genetics, acromegaly brought additional complications that many others with the condition often face.
“He says, ‘I think you have acromegaly.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ Then, within a week, I was at the Mayo Clinic, and they’re telling me they got to do this pituitary surgery. What, I had a tumor? This is why I’m this way? I would have been big anyway. I would have been probably 6’7″, 6’8″, anyway, because my family’s big so I didn’t, I got the benefits of it, but I didn’t have a lot of the trauma that a lot of people that get acromegaly go through because they weren’t made to be bigger people. So they really got the bad end of the deal for the bone growth and other problems.” [F4Wonline.com]
Wight added that doctors warned him he could face serious health risks, including the possibility of not living beyond 45 if he didn’t undergo the surgery. He recalled initially struggling with the decision as a college athlete, even considering delaying treatment. However, he said his sister strongly insisted that he go through with the procedure, which ultimately proved to be a crucial turning point in his life.
ALSO READ: Paul Wight Reveals Prank Arnold Schwarzenegger Played On Him For 12 Years
