Bess Katramados is the wife of professional wrestler Paul Wight, known as Big Show. A former model turned personal trainer, she has kept a fully private life for over 24 years — no social media, no interviews, no public profile. Her role behind the scenes has been central to Big Show’s physical conditioning, post-surgery rehabilitation, and family stability across three decades of his career.
Table Of Content
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Bess Katramados |
| Date of Birth | July 13, 1973 |
| Age (2026) | 53 |
| Birthplace | Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Former Model, Personal Trainer |
| Spouse | Paul Wight (Big Show) — married February 11, 2002 |
| Children | 3 — Jett, Cash (biological sons), Cierra (stepdaughter) |
| Net Worth | Approximately $3 million |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Residence | Miami, Florida |
Early Life
Bess Katramados was born on July 13, 1973, in Illinois. Specific details about her parents, siblings, and hometown have never been made public — a pattern that would define her entire adult life.
She reportedly attended a Lutheran high school in Illinois, where she began exploring modeling during her senior year. After graduating, she moved to Chicago rather than pursuing college, choosing to build a career in the city’s fashion circuit.
Career
Modeling in Chicago
Bess worked with modeling agencies in Chicago through the late 1990s, doing fashion shows and commercial photoshoots. She built a working portfolio in the Midwest but never pursued national-level visibility. Her modeling work gave her financial independence and introduced her to the social circles where she met Paul Wight.
Personal Trainer for Big Show
After their 2002 marriage, Bess shifted from modeling to personal training, focusing on managing her husband’s physical conditioning. This was not a standard training role. Paul Wight stands 7 feet tall, has managed weight swings from under 400 lbs to over 500 lbs throughout his career, and has a medical history that includes acromegaly — a condition that caused his extreme growth and required pituitary surgery in the early 1990s.
Bess developed training and nutrition programs specific to his body type and medical needs. As of February 2026, Wight reported weighing 393 lbs, down significantly from his peak, with a goal of reaching 360 lbs — a weight he has not consistently held since his early twenties. His diet shifted from 13,000–16,000 calories per day to a structured high-protein plan. Bess has managed this regimen directly.
Caregiver Through Major Surgeries
Between 2017 and 2025, Paul Wight underwent bilateral knee replacements, a full hip replacement, and back surgery. He confirmed on social media in 2026: “Both knees both hips replaced. No pain!”
Each surgery required extended recovery periods, during which Bess handled his rehabilitation, physical therapy coordination, and day-to-day conditioning. For a patient of Wight’s size, this is a specialized and physically demanding caregiving role that goes well beyond typical spousal support.
Marriage to Big Show
How They Met
Bess and Paul Wight met at a party in New York in the late 1990s, during his time wrestling with WCW. They began dating and married on February 11, 2002.
The Wedding Timeline
Their marriage came just five days after Big Show’s divorce from his first wife, Melissa Piavis, was finalized on February 6, 2002. The timing drew media criticism and questions about the relationship’s origins.
Twenty-four years later, the marriage has outlasted the vast majority of relationships in professional wrestling — an industry where long travel schedules, physical injuries, and public pressure routinely break couples apart.
Family Life
Children
Bess and Paul Wight have two sons: Jett Wight (born June 19, 2007, now 19) and Cash Wight (born December 8, 2010, now 15). Bess is also stepmother to Cierra Wight (born November 28, 1998, now 27), Big Show’s daughter from his first marriage.
Life in Miami
The family lives in Miami, Florida. Bess has focused on building a stable, private household for the children — away from cameras and public attention.
No Social Media — A Deliberate Choice
Bess Katramados has no public social media accounts. No Instagram, no Twitter, no Facebook. This is intentional. While most celebrity spouses today maintain public profiles, brand partnerships, or media appearances, Bess has chosen complete absence from these platforms to protect her family’s privacy.
Big Show’s AEW Career and Retirement
Paul Wight left WWE in February 2021 after contract disagreements and joined AEW (All Elite Wrestling) the same month. His AEW contract was reportedly worth around $850,000 per year. He worked as both a wrestler and a commentator on AEW programming.
His last in-ring match was in November 2023. After minor back surgery in 2025, he returned to commentary. AEW then announced his retirement match at Dynamite: Beach Break, scheduled for July 8, 2026, in Clearwater, Florida — near his home — marking the end of a career that spanned over 30 years across WCW, WWE, and AEW.
Throughout every career transition — and now retirement — Bess has managed his physical preparation, recovery, and conditioning behind the scenes.
Net Worth
Bess Katramados’ personal net worth is estimated at approximately $3 million, built through her modeling career and fitness training work.
Paul Wight’s net worth is estimated at $16–20 million, accumulated across three decades in WCW, WWE, and AEW, plus acting roles in films like Jingle All the Way and The Waterboy, his Netflix series The Big Show Show, and endorsement deals.
Combined, the couple’s estimated net worth falls between $20 million and $23 million.
How Bess Differs From Other Wrestling Spouses
Most spouses of high-profile wrestlers today maintain some level of public presence — social media accounts, podcast appearances, reality TV, or personal brand deals. Bess has done none of this.
Other prominent wrestling spouses, such as Galina Becker (Roman Reigns) and Beth Phoenix (Edge), have careers or public visibility. Bess has deliberately avoided all of it, focusing entirely on family and her husband’s health.
This makes her an outlier not just in wrestling but in celebrity culture at large. She could easily monetize her connection to one of wrestling’s most recognizable names. She has chosen not to.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bess Katramados in 2026?
She is 53 years old. She was born on July 13, 1973, in Illinois.
How did Bess Katramados meet Big Show?
She met Paul Wight at a party in New York in the late 1990s while he was wrestling with WCW. They married on February 11, 2002.
Does Bess Katramados have social media?
No. She has no Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or any other public social media accounts. This is a deliberate choice to protect her family’s privacy.
How many children does Bess Katramados have?
She has two biological sons with Big Show — Jett (19) and Cash (15) — and is stepmother to Cierra (27) from Big Show’s first marriage.
What is Bess Katramados’ net worth?
Her estimated net worth is approximately $3 million, earned through modeling and fitness training.
Has Big Show retired from wrestling?
AEW announced his retirement match at Dynamite: Beach Break on July 8, 2026, in Clearwater, Florida, ending a career of more than 30 years across WCW, WWE, and AEW.
What surgeries has Big Show had?
Between 2017 and 2025, he underwent bilateral knee replacements, a full hip replacement, and back surgery. He confirmed in 2026 that he is pain-free.
Conclusion
Bess Katramados is not a public figure by choice. She has no social media, gives no interviews, and has built no personal brand around her husband’s fame. What she has done is model in Chicago, become a specialized trainer for one of the largest athletes in sports history, manage his recovery through multiple major surgeries, raise three children, and sustain a 24-year marriage in an industry that breaks most relationships.
As Big Show moves into retirement, Bess remains what she has been for over two decades — the person behind the scenes who made the rest of it work.
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