Melissa Ann Piavis is best known as the first wife of pro wrestler Paul Wight, famous as Big Show in WWE and as The Giant in WCW. The two were married from 1997 to 2002, during the years he rose to stardom. They share a daughter, widely reported as Cierra, who later moved in with her father as a teenager.
Big Show stands about seven feet tall and spent more than two decades as one of wrestling’s biggest stars. Fans know his current wife, Bess, who has introduced him in the ring. Fewer know about the woman he married first.
That woman is Melissa Ann Piavis. This article covers what is confirmed about her, the busy years of their marriage, the daughter they raised, and why she has stayed out of view.
Quick Facts: Melissa Ann Piavis
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Melissa Ann Piavis |
| Known as | Big Show’s first wife |
| Husband | Paul Wight (Big Show), married 1997 |
| Divorce | 2002 |
| Wedding date | February 14, 1997 (as reported) |
| Daughter | Cierra Wight (reported birth year 1998) |
| Custody change | Daughter moved to her father at age 15, per Wight |
| Birth date | Not confirmed by trusted sources |
| Birthplace | Not confirmed by trusted sources |
| Career | Not publicly confirmed |
| Current relationship | Not publicly confirmed |
| Net worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Who Is Melissa Ann Piavis?
Melissa Ann Piavis is the woman Paul Wight married before his WWE fame. Big Show’s Wikipedia page lists his first marriage as Melissa Piavis, from 1997 to 2002.
She has never been a wrestler, TV personality, or public figure. She gives no interviews and keeps no known public social media account.
Her public story is tied to two things: the years she spent married to a rising star and the daughter they share.
The Giant Melissa Ann Piavis Married
Paul Donald Wight II was born on February 8, 1972, in Aiken, South Carolina. He grew to an extraordinary size and played basketball at Wichita State University in 1991 and 1992.
Wrestling soon took over. He debuted in WCW on May 21, 1995, at Slamboree, billed as The Giant. WCW even introduced him at first as the “son of André the Giant,” a storyline twist that played on his size.
Reports say Melissa was already with him when he signed with WCW in 1995. She was there at the very start.
A Valentine’s Day Wedding
The couple married in 1997, according to Wikipedia. Several profiles say the wedding took place on February 14, 1997, Valentine’s Day.
By then, Paul was one of WCW’s top stars. He was part of the era when WCW’s Monday Nitro fought WWF’s Raw for TV ratings every week.
Being married to a wrestler meant long stretches apart. Wrestlers often spend more than 200 days a year on the road.
The Birth of Their Daughter
Melissa and Paul had a daughter, widely reported as Cierra. Several profiles give her birth date as November 28, 1998, though no trusted outlet has confirmed it.
Her birth came during one of the busiest periods of her father’s career. Within months, he would make a major move.
Cierra is Paul’s oldest child. She would later play a big part in a turning point in his family life.
Paul Wight’s Jump to WWE
In February 1999, Paul left WCW for the WWF, now WWE. He debuted on February 14, 1999, at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, almost exactly two years after his wedding to Melissa.
He soon became Big Show. Over the next two decades, he won the WWE Championship twice. Wikipedia notes that he is the only wrestler to have held all four of WWE’s main world titles in its history.
His fame grew fast. But at home, the marriage was coming apart.
The End of the Marriage
Reports say Melissa and Paul separated around 2000. Their divorce became final in 2002, according to Wikipedia.
Neither has publicly explained what went wrong. The demands of a wrestling schedule, with constant travel and little time at home, are a common strain on marriages in that business.
Paul married his second wife, Bess Katramados, in 2002, the same year his divorce from Melissa was finalized.
Melissa Ann Piavis as a Single Mother
After the divorce, Cierra lived with her mother. For more than a decade, Melissa was her main parent, while Paul toured the world as Big Show.
That’s not a small role. Raising a child largely on your own, while the other parent is on TV every week, comes with its own challenges.
Details of their life during those years have stayed private, and Melissa has never discussed them publicly.
The Custody Change at Age 15
In an April 2020 interview, reported by Express & Star, Paul talked about his own family while promoting his Netflix show. He said he got custody of his daughter from his first wife when she was 15.
That means the daughter he shared with Melissa moved in with him and Bess during her teen years. Some profiles say she was 14. Paul’s own words point to 15.
The reasons for the change have not been shared. It was a family decision that Paul has mentioned only briefly.
How That Story Inspired The Big Show Show
That custody change found its way into Paul’s later work. In April 2020, Netflix released The Big Show Show, a family sitcom starring Paul as a retired wrestler.
In the show, his character’s teenage daughter from a previous relationship comes to live with him and his new family. The Cinemaholic reports that Paul told IGN the writers were very close to the truth of his real life.
The TV daughter is fictional, but the idea behind her came from Paul’s real experience with the daughter he shares with Melissa.
Big Show’s Career Beyond the Ring
Paul also built a career in film and TV. He appeared in Jingle All the Way (1996) with Arnold Schwarzenegger and in Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy (1998), both during his marriage to Melissa.
He later starred in the WWE comedy Knucklehead and made a guest appearance on Star Trek: Enterprise.
In 2021, after more than 20 years with WWE, he signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). There he works under his real name, Paul Wight.
Paul Wight’s Second Family
Paul and Bess Katramados have two children together, according to secondary profiles. Bess is a former model and fitness trainer who has introduced Paul in the ring on special occasions.
That makes Cierra the older half-sister of Paul’s younger children. She grew up in two households: first mainly with Melissa, then with Paul and Bess.
Blended families like this are common, and they often work best when the adults keep things calm. No public conflict between Melissa and Bess has ever been reported.
Clearing Up the Confusion About Melissa Ann Piavis
Several websites share details about Melissa that are not well supported. Here is what to know.
Her birth details. One widely copied profile gives a 1966 birth date and a birthplace in Greece. No trusted outlet confirms either.
Separation and divorce dates. Some sites say they split in 2000, others say 2002. Both can be true: a separation around 2000 and a final divorce in 2002.
Custody age. Sites say 14 or 15. Paul himself said 15.
Her career and love life. Sites describe her as single or name jobs she held. None of this is confirmed.
Net worth. No reliable figure exists.
Why Melissa Ann Piavis Stays Out of the Spotlight
Melissa was married to a wrestler before the age of social media. When the marriage ended, she stepped away from that world.
Unlike Paul’s current wife, she never appeared in WWE storylines or on its programs. She has given no tell-all interviews about her marriage.
Her silence has protected her privacy and her daughter’s. That seems to be a deliberate and lasting choice.
Melissa Ann Piavis Today
As of 2026, Melissa keeps a private life. Where she lives, what she does, and whether she has remarried have not been confirmed.
Her daughter is now an adult in her late twenties. Paul continues to work with AEW and remains one of wrestling’s most recognizable figures.
Melissa’s role in that story is quiet but real. She was there when The Giant first stepped into the ring, and she raised his first child through her early years.
Final Thoughts
When we think of wrestling stars, we picture the entrance music, the spotlight, and the crowd. We rarely picture the person at home, keeping life steady while the star is in a different city every night.
Melissa Ann Piavis was that person during some of the busiest years of Paul Wight’s career. When the marriage ended, she carried on raising their daughter without any spotlight at all.
Her story raises a quiet question about how we measure someone’s place in a famous life. Is it the time spent on camera, or the years spent holding things together off it? For many families, it is the second that matters most.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Melissa Ann Piavis?
Melissa Ann Piavis is the first wife of wrestler Paul Wight, known as Big Show. They were married from 1997 to 2002.
Do Melissa Ann Piavis and Big Show have children?
Yes. They share a daughter, widely reported as Cierra Wight, who is Paul’s oldest child.
When did Melissa Ann Piavis and Big Show divorce?
Their divorce was finalized in 2002. Reports say they had separated around 2000.
Who has custody of Big Show’s daughter from his first marriage?
Paul Wight said in 2020 that he got custody of his daughter from his first wife when she was 15. She is now an adult.
Who is Big Show married to now?
Paul Wight is married to Bess Katramados. They married in 2002.
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