Well… did you see it? The appearance by NBA legendary big man Shaquille O’Neal was as big and as crazy as you could have imagined. And it ended with an even crazier – and more mysterious – storyline. Keep reading for details.
And for even more information and videos, check in with our friends at Sports Illustrated here: https://www.si.com/wrestling/2021/03/04/shaq-knocked-out-in-aew-dynamite-debut Additional thanks to www.AwfulAnnoucing.com and this post: https://awfulannouncing.com/turner/shaquille-oneal-goes-through-a-couple-tables-on-his-pro-wrestling-debut.html
First – spoiler alert: Shaq promised he would win – his quote was “100 percent guaranteed” – and he delivered. Paired with former WNBA player Jade Cargill, Shaq and Cargill defeated Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet in the mixed-doubles tag team match advertised as AEW Dynamite: The Crossroads.
Before the big event, there were worries if Shaq would take the contest seriously and be ready. Well, it seems the big man was indeed up to the challenge. Ringside commentators and fans alike said Shaq exceeded expectations as he and Jade Cargill pulled off the win.
For the first part of the match, Shaq and Cody locked up in a real battle of differing styles. Shaq showed off his strength from the opening bell. On the other hand, Cody had the professional wrestling chops, and they were very much on display.
Shaq threw Cody around like a ragdoll and chopped him in the chest with a blow that made a sound that fans in Jacksonville’s Daily’s Place heard in the back rows. Under attack by Cody, Shaq took a brutal chair shot to the back. The move ended in a cross-ring running attack by Cody that sent both men through the ropes and crashing big time into a couple of tables outside the ring. Really, check out the video… it’s epic.
Now for their part, the ladies put on a great show, too. Both top professionals in the wrestling business, they showed off some great moves. Velvet did well, but eventually Cargill was the one with the better moves… one of AEW’s real stars in the ladies division.
As the ladies match went on, doctors were taking a close look at Shaq after his towering fall out of the ring and onto the tables and the floor, with Rhodes on top of him.
It even came to O’Neal being loaded onto a medical stretcher, being wheeled out of the arena and being loaded into an ambulance outside of the amphitheater. However – and here’s the mystery – when TV announcer Tony Schiavone opened up the vehicle’s doors, Shaq was nowhere to be found.
What happened to our hero? Is he OK? Will there be a rematch? So many questions… so few answers… for now. Stay tuned to ShaqFu Radio for the latest breaking information as it becomes available.