Oh, what could have been. Big Show and Shaquille O’Neal began teasing a one-on-one match way back at WrestleMania 32, and then continued to ramp up to that match at this year’s WrestleMania. Then in the home stretch, rumors began swirling that the match was off. There was some back-and-forth for weeks until Big Show was finally entered into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and that was that.
Shaq never ended up attending WrestleMania 33 (and perhaps not coincidentally, there was no celebrity inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame this year), and that match never went down. We figured that would be the end of the story, but now Shaq is spilling the beans, and apparently it is all WWE’s fault that everything fell apart.
On the latest episode of his podcast, Shaq discussed the situation with his co-host John Kinkade, his producer Rob Jenners, and stand-up comedian Craig Gass (probably no relation to Pete Gas).
O’Neal: “Because they kept playing. First, they said it was me and Big Show. Then, they said it was going to be 3 and 3. Then, they cancelled it so when they cancelled it, I made other arrangements. And then they tried to call back and tried to get it done, and I just said, ‘I’m not going to do it.’ They messed it up.”
Kinkade: “And my theory all along – this is not his commentary – I have a hard time believing that somebody would read a script where he would lose in anything.”
O’Neal: “So you’re saying I didn’t want to lose? It’s for the kids, John. I would have lost for the kids. For the kids.”
Kinkade: “You are competitive.”
Gass: “The man did Kazaam for God’s sake.”
O’Neal: “Exactly, yes. I would have lost.”
Never let it be said that Shaq would not lose for the children. The children are important, everyone, and all these children want Shaq to lose.
It’s still a bummer that the match never happened, especially since there will probably never be another chance to have that match, on that stage. Well, maybe in a few years Shaq can face Braun Strowman at WrestleMania. And if that ends up being the case, pray for Shaq.
