WWE Superstar Big Show answers questions during INQUIRER’s 1on1 interview Tuesday. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Wrestling for almost two decades now, Big Show admits there’s not a lot he still hasn’t accomplished through his decorated career.
Except for one.
The 7-foot giant challenged NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal to a match when the two crossed paths in this year’s ESPY Awards.
“It was a good chance to get it done,” Show told INQUIRER.net on Tuesday in an exclusive one-on-one interview session.
The 20-year veteran is in the country for a one-day promotional activity to hype up WWE Live Manila on September 9 at Mall of Asia Arena. INQUIRER is the official media partner of the event.
“He’s been talking trash. Shaq and I have been talking trash back and forth for a few years now. So I figured why not?,” Show said.
It wouldn’t be the first time the two behemoths got into each others faces.
Show and O’Neal teased a fight back in July 2009, when the four-time NBA champion served as the guest host for Monday Night Raw.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star also made a surprise appearance in this year’s WrestleMania as he participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He and Show, however, were ganged up on by the other 18 men who tossed them both out of the ring.
“Shaq is a big fan and he’s excited. He got a little taste of WWE at WrestleMania this past year with the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal,” he said. “I don’t know how many more years I’m going to wrestle, but I might as well have a nice WrestleMania moment with Shaq in Orlando and go out with a bang.”
Show shared that the dream match has been in the works for a long time.
“I think part of it was he was still in the NBA when he first came around, we couldn’t get it happen obviously because the teams have insured him. He’s a very valuable and amazing player. Now that he’s a little bit on his own, he has a little bit more freedom to do some outside stuff. I think it will be the schedule and the coordination, the fact that it’s in Orlando, I think all the stars are relying for his team and they’re relying for my team so it should be a lot of fun,” he said.
It won’t also be Show’s first brush against a celebrity.
“Dennis Rodman, Floyd Mayweather, Akebono, Kevin Greene of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’ve had a chance to work with a lot of famous athletes and famous people,” he said. “Shaq is going to be different. We got to figure out what kind of match we’re going to have, what works for both of us, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Asked if he sees this battle as a retirement match of sorts, Show bared that he is open to the possibility but he still hasn’t thought that idea through.
“I don’t know, probably. I don’t see much else I have left to do in this business. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I haven’t sat down and have that conversation with (WWE Chairman) Vince (McMahon) yet. We’ll see,” he said.
“For me, I’m still having fun, but there’s so much new talent now that there’s so much TV time available with the brand split and stuff, and these guys deserve it. They’re the future. It’s the new era, so we’ll see.”
Regardless, Show made it clear that there’s only one WrestleMania moment he has in mind when he clashes against O’Neal next year.
“I look forward to chokeslamming Shaq through a table,” he said.