In retrospect, we all should have known Shaquille O’Neal would end up becoming a WWE superstar.
Okay, maybe not superstar, but it looks like his inclusion in WrestleMania and other WWE events is only just beginning. The soon-to-be NBA Hall-of-Famer has the kind of frame that Vince McMahon absolutely covets and even if he’s not as nimble as he used to be, his size combined with his star power makes O’Neal an imposing figure standing in a pro wrestling ring.
Shaq made a surprise appearance at WrestleMania 32 in April where he took part in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. There, he tangled with The Big Show and sowed the seeds for a rivalry of sorts between the two aging behemoths. Though, the two did work together at one point…
The rivalry was amped up on the ESPYs red carpet last month when Big Show confronted Shaq and challenged him to a match at next year’s WrestleMania 33. The WWE doesn’t do things this like idly and the assumption was that this match is something that would actually happen.
Now, in an interview with Shanghai Daily, Big Show (a.k.a. Paul Wight) all but confirmed the big man showdown.
At next year’s Wrestlemania in Orlando, Wight will also come face to face with former NBA basketball player Shaquille O’Neal, another sporting heavyweight, for a match that might just shake the foundations of pro wrestling.
“We’ll have one heck of a match and we’ll see what’s up. We’ll give the fans a treat.”
Show is no stranger to taking on non-wrestling stars at big events. He’s taken a punch from boxer Floyd Mayweather and faced off against him in a match. He lost that one and we’re going to assume that he loses here as well. Still, it will be the perfect kind of spectacle that WrestleMania is known for.
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