Tag: captain insano

AEW files ‘Captain Insano’ trademark ahead of potential Paul Wight return

Posted on by Ian Carey

Paul Wight’s character from The Waterboy could be headed to AEW soon. 

According to documents on the US Patent & Trademark Office website, AEW filed to trademark “Captain Insano” for wrestling purposes on Friday, January 24, 2025. It’s the second trademark on the term AEW has sought. In 2021, AEW also filed to trademark the name, but for different purposes. 

In 2021, AEW filed for Captain Insano to trademark the term for video games and digital media. The purposes of the filing were listed as: “Video game cartridges and discs featuring wrestling games; Digital media, namely, pre-recorded DVDs, downloadable audio and video recordings, and CDs featuring and promoting wrestling; Downloadable video game software featuring wrestling games; Recorded video game software featuring wrestling games.”

Yesterday’s filing was to trademark the term for “performances by a professional wrestler,” suggesting the most recent application was made in advance of the character possibly performing in-ring. 

“CAPTAIN INSANO identifies Paul Wight, a living individual whose consent is made of record,” reads the filing.

Wight debuted as Captain Insano in the 1998 Adam Sandler film The Waterboy. He appeared under the gimmick again recently at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards in November. In full wrestling gear, Wight appeared on stage during Bailey Zimmerman’s performance of “New to Country.”

Wight hasn’t wrestled since the Jericho Cruise in January 2024. However, during an appearance on Downunder the Ring last September, Wight said he’s hoping to get back in the ring soon following partial reconstructive knee surgery last year. He wants to portray Captain Insano on the last run of his career. 

“Captain Insano was a pretty cool gift. Tony Khan worked it out, got the intellectual property rights for me. So we’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on that. Just to be honest, a lot of it’s been my fault. Having surgeries and stuff like that. So it’s about me getting in the gym, training, getting ready [to] where I feel comfortable. Because it’s basically a one-shot run.You know, I can’t pull the trigger on this half-assed and go out and fail. When I pull the trigger on Captain Insano, it’s gotto be 100 percent we run that until the wheels fall off and then we ride off into the sunset.”

Paul Wight appears as Captain Insano at CMA Awards

Posted on by Josh Nason

The Country Music Association (CMA) Awards was a “big show” indeed Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee, as AEW’s Paul Wight made a surprise appearance.

Dressed as his Captain Insano character from the 1998 Adam Sandler movie “The Waterboy,” Wight was on stage during Bailey Zimmerman’s performance of “New to Country.”

Wight was part of the set, standing near a beer pong table. Zimmerman got on his shoulders at the end of the song as the two walked around.

It’s unknown if there’s a connection between Wight and Zimmerman and what the impetus was for having him in his Insano outfit. He has wanted to bring the character into AEW and did appear once in character in a backstage segment.

Wight, who was last in action in January as part of the Jericho Cruise, said as recently as this past September, he hopes to return to the ring “real soon” after recovering from partial knee replacement surgery. The 52-year-old has targeted February’s Grand Slam in Brisbane, Australia, as a show he would like to compete at and said his next run will be the last of his long career.

Paul Wight hoping to be back in AEW ring ‘real soon’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul Wight is hoping to get back into the ring soon for one final run to close out his career.

It’s been eight months since the former Big Show has wrestled a match. He’s been recovering from a partial knee replacement surgery but is progressing in the gym and is not experiencing any pain. With the surgery, Wight has now had both of his knees and both of his hips replaced.

While doing media to promote next February’s AEW Grand Slam Australia event, Wight appeared on Downunder The Ring and was asked about returning to action.

“God I hope so, because Tony Khan paid me a sh*t ton of money to get in the ring and so far I haven’t done sh*t,” Wight responded.

The 52-year-old Wight said he’s hoping to be back “real soon” and wants to compete at Grand Slam Australia. The show, which will be AEW’s Australia debut, is taking place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on February 15, 2025.

There have been plans for Wight to portray Captain Insano — his character from “The Waterboy” — in AEW. Wight told Downunder The Ring that it will be the last run of his career before he rides off into the sunset.

“Captain Insano was a pretty cool gift. Tony Khan worked it out, got the intellectual property rights for me. So we’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on that,” Wight said. “Just to be honest, a lot of it’s been my fault. Having surgeries and stuff like that. So it’s about me getting in the gym, training, getting ready [to] where I feel comfortable. Because it’s basically a one-shot run. You know, I can’t pull the trigger on this half-assed and go out and fail. When I pull the trigger on Captain Insano, it’s got to be 100 percent we run that until the wheels fall off and then we ride off into the sunset.”

Wight said that, when he is ready for this run, he wants to be able to do anything Khan asks of him, whether that’s tag matches, singles matches, or wrestling multiple times per week. He’s aiming to end his career like Sting did, working with the young talent on the AEW roster.

“That’s why I really haven’t been doing a lot of things on AEW, because being the awesome boss that Tony Khan [is] he’s giving me the time to basically get my sh*t straight and get ready for it,” Wight said. “Believe me, there’s an unbelievable amount of pressure on myself to get this done and get this in a way where the fans are appreciative of seeing me compete again. And not like an, ‘Oh, that’s sad. Shoot him, put him out of his misery.’ Like Old Yeller, take me out back and put me down. I don’t want to get put down yet. I kind of want to go out like Sting did. Have a nice little run, have some great matches, work with some of this amazing young talent we have in AEW, and then slide out.”

A six-man tag match on the Chris Jericho Cruise this January was Wight’s last match before having knee surgery. In November 2023, he teamed with Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Chris Jericho in an AEW Dynamite street fight against Powerhouse Hobbs, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher & Brian Cage.

Wight signed with AEW in 2021 and has worked in a variety of roles including wrestling, commentary, and community outreach.