WrestleMania 28: Shaq vs. Big Show reportedly a done deal
by Geno Mrosko on Jan 18, 2012 7:00 PM EST
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Oh yes indeedy, Cagesiders. The match you've undoubtedly been waiting your whole life for is reportedly going down at WrestleMania 28 on April 1, 2012, at SunLife Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Former NBA mega-star and future Hall of Famer, Shaquille O'Neal, is going to take on one of the only men in history to hold both the WCW and WWE championships, Big Show.
This according to Bryan Alvarez in his latest issue of Figure Four Weekly:
It appears to be a done deal that Shaquille O'Neal will have a match with Big Show at WrestleMania this year.
Show is no stranger to celebrity showcase matches at "The Granddaddy of Them All," as he was the guy chosen to work with Floyd Mayweather when he came in do an angle at WrestleMania 24 back in 2008.
Shaq has also done some dirty work in the ring, including getting physical with Show himself (pictured above) during a guest appearance on Raw that saw O'Neal execute a shoulder block. He didn't take a bump himself but if this match really happens, I can't wait to see how it looks when "The Daddy" gets put on the mat with a chokeslam.
Vince McMahon is obviously seeing dollar signs with Shaq able to do promotional tours that WWE would normally never get close to. Is there any doubt ESPN would be all over this when it comes time for Shaq to climb inside the ring? They'll probably cover this more than they do any UFC events.
Sorry, Dana White.
Everybody on board with Shaq vs. Show at WrestleMania 28? Or does anyone want to step up and play spoilsport?
Check out the video to see what happened the first time they met (in the above pic) after the jump.
See you at WrestleMania.
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Show/Mayweather was like a billion kinds of awesome
so I have few doubts that Show will find a way to put on a good match with Shaq.
I really respect how
Big Show was willing to take a legit punch to the face from Mayweather on a RAW to sell the match. Took the punch on his knees, got his nose broken, stood up and kept the storyline going instead of being unprofessional and doing something stupid.
by AverageJoeEveryman on Jan 19, 2012 8:08 AM EST up reply actions
and also
that match ended up being so much better than most celebrity matches much like LT’s match vs. Bam Bam.
by AverageJoeEveryman on Jan 19, 2012 8:09 AM EST up reply actions
Um…He agreed beforehand to take the punch and LT vs Bam Bam was way better than it had any right to be.
exactly that is what Im saying
I respect that he would agree to the punch and I love LT vs Bam Bam. Not sure my grammar was that poor to make you think the opposite. The Big Show vs Mayweather match was better than most celebrity matches MUCH LIKE LT vs BB. As in it was LIKE LT vs BB in that it was good. And just because he agreed to take a punch doesnt mean he couldnt have gone into bidness for himself once he got cracked in the face.
by AverageJoeEveryman on Jan 24, 2012 8:54 AM EST up reply actions
Can't they find some more meaningful program to have Big Show in?
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
Ryder or Riot #WWWYKI
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 18, 2012 7:03 PM EST reply actions
If only
Had it been, the sarcasm font would have been employed.
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
Ryder or Riot #WWWYKI
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 18, 2012 11:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
That sarcasm font is so fucking dumb.
Let’s not do that here.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
by Geno Mrosko on Jan 19, 2012 12:51 AM EST up reply actions
Do not insult the sarcasm font
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
Ryder or Riot #WWWYKI
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 19, 2012 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
Good to hear
Shaq is one of the few celebrities I would look forward to see them stepping into the ring.
by hfl2013 on Jan 18, 2012 7:17 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Good for attention.
It’s definitely going to grab them a lot of extra attention. I hope Shaq actually takes some bumps though and they just don’t have Big Show look like a jobber to put Shaq over.
He's going to have to take some bumps
Big Show is probably not going to have some major heel turn between now and Wrestlemania so its not likely going to be a match made where the payoff is Show getting embarassed.
I love it.
Wrestlemania 24 was the 2nd best ever Mania, behind X-Seven, IMO. And Show vs Mayweather was great. Mayweather was tremendous, and Show played his part well. I don’t know a lot about Shaq, but I assume after the Mayweather experience WWE will guide him well. Surely they can’t mess this one up…
Same goes for Wrestlemania in general… It should be the biggest money Mania yet, if WWE doesn’t screw it up…
Shaq is still fairly athletic and he's always been a big goon,
which means he’ll be selling like crazy. As a longtime pro wrestling fan, I imagine he’ll really get into it. Hell, look at the picture above. It’s going to be awesome watching him at Mania.
Forget it Donny, you're out of your element.
Someone here posted a great idea for a Shaq program
Get Shaq involved fairly early on, ala Mike Tyson. If it really is a done deal, have Shaq escort Show to face Daniel Bryan at the Rumble, only for Shaq to screw Show over. Have a few more confrontations, set the match up, boom.
I’m sure Shaq is one of the few celebrities who would enjoy being the heel in a feud and it would be a nice change of pace.
by Jonathan Loesche on Jan 18, 2012 8:43 PM EST reply actions
Love it
The Wrestling Blog - because screw you, that's why
Cageside Seats - Proof that I too write for an SB Nation property
by Thomas Holzerman on Jan 18, 2012 8:54 PM EST reply actions
Damn
Wrestlemania 28 was already getting over 1 million buys. WWE is clearly going for a record.
Madame de Staël once said, "One must choose in life between boredom and suffering." De Staël is dead but there is always an alternative.
This is where the cool is.
I highly doubt fans will turn on Shaq like they did on Floyd. Shaq is generally well-liked and very charismatic…So in order for this to work it’s best, Show should probably be the heel. Although Shaq is talented enough to work get the crowd against him, I’m sure. Either way, this has the potential to be awesome.
Sidenote: Remember Big show vs Akebono? lolz.
Big time get for WWE
Tie in this match with Rock/Cena and you have as much a must-see wrestlemania as there ever has been. Wrestlemania is a spectacle showcase and Vince is a genius at this. Jericho/Punk, HHH/Taker in support of those two matches is just brilliant.
Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitudes...
He can use his Shaq-Fu on Big Show
"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!" Gil Hodges IS a Hall of Famer.
Ryder or Riot #WWWYKI
AA Gamethread Embiggening Record Holder- 458 posts (08/24/11)
3rd Place- 2011 AAOP Contest | 1st place- 2012 AAOP Contest
by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Jan 18, 2012 11:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Speaking of fighter/ fake fighter pay...
Since ESPN will likley be covering this event because of Shaq’s involvement…I would like to hear about the sports entertainment payment model.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to find out that UFCs business model doesn’t resemble Boxing, NFL, NBA or MLB but is probably closely modeled after WWE.
With that said, one has to wonder after paying out John Cena, Randy Orton, Undertaker, Big Show, WWEs newest badboy shoot interview & current Champion CM Punk…as well as SHAQ? and Hollywood actor/Part time interview wrestler Dwayne…how much money does that leave the undercard who works full-time through injuries year around and will undoubtedly work harder to steal the show?
I think Dana White did a great job of over hyping the internet dirt sheets with news of negative news from ESPNs “Outside the Lines” as a promoter but the real spotlight should be on Linda & VKM and interviews with Jesse Ventura, Chavo, Masters, Morrison & Melina too name a few.
The latter names would probably decline to comment cause there really is a Monopoly in Pro Wrestling…put it this way…TNA & Bellator will stay around so that Dana & VKM can avoid those accusations…
Just my opinion though…what do you think Mr Socko?
by fallenidol2012 on Jan 19, 2012 1:55 AM EST via Android app reply actions
Dana white has said before that their business model is based on WWE and he has met with Vince before to discuss it
by Buckeye Brawler on Jan 19, 2012 2:10 AM EST up reply actions
So, how do you feel...
or what or how do you think all of this part time star power effects the mid card roster’s pay after factoring in PPV, live attendance gates, & merchandise sales? Probably, the same as UFC…its up to you too take full advantage of the spotlight but this is an uphill mud climb for WWE talent IMO.
I forgot to mention the other 40 year old on that WM28 card…Chris “The Troller” Jericho…
Good thing there’s not 8 Randy Couture aged people per MMA event…that shit would never sell.
by fallenidol2012 on Jan 19, 2012 3:19 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
They are compensated according to their performance level.
Age isnt that big of a factor if you’re performing at the level that some of the older wrestlers are still capable of. You can’t really compare pay based “star power” it to legit sport with WWE as it more closely resembles the Hollywood system. Pitt, Depp, Cruise, Washington, Penn are still as popular and more importantly profitable as ever despite the fact that they’re all near 50 years old. Should they take pay cuts and lesser roles to make room for ‘new’ movie stars? No. And neither should wrestlers, as long as they can still contribute at that level.
Hogan, Funk and Flair proved long ago that age is just a number in the wrestling world.
I’ve always found it quite generous of McMahon to go out of his way to include as many wrestlers as possible for Wresltemania so they can get that Mania pay. Lower tier wrestlers should be happy for the exposure and prestige that comes with performing on such a show. Nobody said that wrestling (or UFC for that matter) was an easy payday….You have to earn your keep in both places.
I believe this debate is
the reason J- Mo & Melina were jobbing after WM27. I believe they had a problem with Snooki & Stratus taking up a spot that others worked hard for year ‘round. They didn’t play politics, were to vocal & essentially taught a lesson.
There was also 2 guys that were pushed off the main card in favor of the above stated match…one is now the current Smackdown Champion & the other is kind of in a dominant baby face push…and then there is Mark Henry who wasn’t even on the card last year, who after 16yrs has finally had his best year in 2011.
My point is…with all the old stars and new stars, the event being centered in Miami, and a Main Event promoted almost a year ago…how do you pay all these guys fairly?
Do you think VKM gives out performance bonuses like Forenzo & Dana White?
Again if the Pro wrestling scene wasn’t monopoliesd, we would hear more shoot talk from workers (like the mid to late 90s) because there wouldn’t be a fear of sitting on the side lines like J-Mo & Melina or wrestling in India as are ( David Smith, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Masters & others).
Shaq and The Rock will be taking a big amount of funds from WM28s earnings…I believe that is also the reason we wont see Lesnar on this card…not too much star power but not enough money to distribute amongst the current roster & the side attractions.
If I were a performer on the card…yes, I would be greatful for the opportunity and yes I would be very vocal as was John Morrison.
I am not a Morrison fan by the way…just using him as a example of what happens when you don’t play ball with old performers & actors…you sit on the side lines this year…15 years ago he could have went to WCW or ECW and voiced his opinions and they would have matched his pay or might have even made more.
Damn, Corporate!!! The game has been monopolized in fighting & Sports Entertainment!
by fallenidol2012 on Jan 19, 2012 12:49 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
okay...
well the bottom line is that WWE tries to give the fans what they want (at least they claim that anyways)…At the same time they have to make the best business decisions for the company. So, regardless if someone like Melina thinks she had a spot or not, the right decision was made to have Trish in there because A) More fans wanted that and B) Promote Tough Enough.
“Working hard year ’round” doesn’t guarantee anything as, like you said, Mark Henry worked hard for 16 years and is now getting his chance (also other factors at play there, but you get my point).
If someone is “pushed off” the main card, then they’re clearly not worthy of being there. And being pushed off is not a matter of seniority, it’s about who puts asses in seats.
From everything I’ve read, the payoffs for Mania are usually 5-6 times that of a normal PPV, give or take, although a few have refuted those claims. And, by having a large number of wrestlers taking part (battle royals, lumberjack matches etc) it’s an act of kindness to those who didn’t earn a proper spot.. I’d say that’s pretty fair to lower tier players.
In reference to UFC pay bonuses and such, from what I understand, there’s no real system in giving bonuses (or the amounts). Just whomever Dana feels deserves some extra cash for whatever reason. I’d suspect that Vince and co. operate a little more professionally than that.
Like I said, you earn your keep in the WWE. If you’re not moving that bottom line, then you’re of little use and should ply your trade elsewhere. Job security isn’t a WWE wrestler-only concern.
Sure there is a monopoly, but that can’t be totally blamed on WWE. They’re in an ideal position. It sucks for some wrestlers, but thems the breaks.
And Morrison would have NEVER made it in the 90’s anywhere except maybe ECW or Japan. No charisma + much higher caliber of talent pool to compete with….lethal combo for J-Mo.
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