Shaquille O'Neal Sends Strong Message to AEW's Paul Wight Amid Match Rumors (Exclusive)
Shaquille O'Neal has a message to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Paul Wight. The two have teased getting into the ring for a match over the years, and with Wight moving from WWE to AEW, there's an easier chance of it happening sooner than later. PopCulture.com recently caught up with O'Neal and said he would take on Wight under one condition.
"It has to be done in Northern New Jersey," O'Neal told PopCulture, saying the match has to be in "my hometown, or not going to do it." He then added: "Because you saw what I did to Cody [Rhodes]. ...And see, I took it easy on Cody because he was a little guy, but big guys, I don't take it easy on big guys, Paul Wall, or whatever your name is."
This was in response to what Wight told PopCulture earlier this year. When talking about the dream match, Wight said, "Oh, big scaredy-cat. Shaquille O'Neal, big scaredy-cat." Wight also believes that the match can happen soon due to the obstacles they faced while competing in WWE.
"Things are a lot easier to happen at AEW," Wight explained. "I'm not a hard guy to find. He's not a hard guy to find. I think we've shot through personal friends and messages back and forth. If he wants to get a pair of boots and lace them up, I'm more than happy to show him what a real big guy in the ring is. Yeah, I'm excited. I think that's something that's long overdue. I think it needs to happen. I think we should put something on the line, either my career or if I beat him, he has to put me in a Papa John's, Dollar General, an Inkjet commercial and a Krispy Kreme commercial. I have to be in all of those, with royalties. Yeah, I think that's fair."
In March, O'Neal made his AEW Debut, teaming up with Jade Cargill to face Rhodes and Red Velvet. One of the big things that stood out in the match is Rhodes putting O'Neal through a table, leading to the NBA Hall of Famer being "sent to the hospital." Many people on social medial gave praised O'Neal for his performance in the match.