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Could we see NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal compete inside of an AEW ring in the near future?
It was announced on Monday by Turner Sports that Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal has re-signed with Turner Sports, agreeing to a multi-year extension.
Part of this new deal with WarnerMedia will see Shaq's responsibilities expand throughout the WarnerMedia portfolio. This could include All Elite Wrestling. AEW Dynamite airs every week on TNT.
The official press release announcing Shaq's new deal with Turner Sports teased that "Shaq Fu" could soon make an appearance with AEW:
"Shaq Fu Coming to AEW? Could Shaq return to the ring, making a cameo at a future All Elite Wrestling (AEW) event on TNT? We shall see…."
Shaq is currently one of the major presenters and faces of TNT/WarnerMedia's NBA coverage. AEW Dynamite airs every Wednesday night on TNT. Therefore, the possibilities for a Shaq crossover on a future episode of AEW Dynamite seem highly likely. In addition, AEW also has a relationship with WarnerMedia's B/R Live to distribute AEW pay-per-view events. So, should an agreement between Shaq and AEW be reached, a possible pay-per-view appearance may not entirely be off of the cards either.
Future AEW match against Cody?
In addition to the WarnerMedia press release, Shaq himself would comment on the rumors of a future AEW appearance during an interview with The Athletic. The Basketball Hall of Famer even called out former AEW TNT Champion and Executive Vice President Cody:
“I’d love to fight Cody. Write it. Print it. Text it to him. Call AEW up and tell them.”
Shaq's pro wrestling history
Shaquille O'Neal's love of professional wrestling has been well documented. Shaq has made numerous appearances for a variety of professional wrestling promotions.
Shaq famously appeared in an angle with WCW with Hulk Hogan prior to The Hulkster turning to the dark side and forming the nWo. Shaq has also made several appearances for WWE, too.
Shaquille O'Neal was a celebrity guest host of Monday Night RAW in 2009, coming face to face with Chris Jericho and The Big Show. Shaq would even have a physical confrontation with The Worlds Largest Athlete during the broadcast. This would be revisited at WrestleMania 32 when Shaq was a surprise entrant in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Shaq would once again confront The Big Show, and even eliminated WWE Superstar Damian Sandow during the match. Many members of the WWE Universe assumed this would lead to a match against The Big Show at WrestleMania 33 the following year. However, a deal could not be reached between Shaq and WWE.
Would you be interested in seeing Shaq compete inside of an AEW ring?
