Paul Wight Named In Performance-Enhancing Drugs Probe

Paul Wight (FKA The Big Show in WWE) has been named as an athlete supplied with performance enhancing drugs as part of the United States Government's investigation into the Biogenesis Clinic in the 2010s.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration investigated Biogenesis and looked into the supply of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs within Major League Baseball. The scandal led to the conviction of mastermind Tony Bosch and seven of his associates. The likes of Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz, and Ryan Braun, alongside 18 other baseball players were suspended by Major League Baseball.

Other athletes surfaced during the investigation, though, which was made public today after ESPN obtained over 1,400 unredacted investigative documents. Among the athletes mentioned is Paul Wight of All Elite Wrestling.

The documents reveal that Bosch named Wight as an athlete he treated in a 2014 interview with authorities. Bosch alleged that he treated Wight in 2009 and 2010 when Bosch was working with his then-partner Jorge "Ugi" Velazquez. Bosch claimed that he once attended a Thanksgiving dinner at Wight's home and that Velazquez was supplying Wight with additional performance-enhancing drugs. It was also alleged that Wight told Bosch wrestlers wanted stronger substances like Winstrol and Deca-Durabolin.

Through his attorney, Edward Brennan, Wight confirmed Bosch and Velazquez were part of a large open house gathering at his home on Thanksgiving. Wight claimed he only met Bosch one other time, though. Wight's attorney also stated he "never failed a drug test and stressed that any involvement with performance-enhancing drugs would pose a serious risk because of his having suffered from an endocrine system disorder."

"Paul never treated with Bosch. Paul never took any PEDs from Ugi or anyone else. He is as clean as you can be. More importantly, he would never take any PEDs because of his underlying medical condition," Wight's attorney stated.

Velazquez, who served 30 months in prison, stated that Bosch was a snitch, telling ESPN: "What I believe it is, when you are doing a deal with the government, you need to bring stuff to the table to make yourself bigger so you can have more value. [Bosch] is trying to make himself bigger than he is, like always. He is a nobody."

Athletes were not targeted by federal authorities during the Biogenesis probe, only those who supplied the drugs.