Shaquille O'Neal, Jade Cargill to Face Cody Rhodes, Red Velvet on AEW Dynamite
Shaquille O'Neal and Jade Cargill will wrestle Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet in a mixed tag team match on the Wednesday, March 3 episode of AEW Dynamite.
Shaq announced the news, and AEW confirmed it Wednesday:
Cargill, who made her on-screen AEW debut last November, announced her presence by telling Rhodes that Shaq wanted to face him in the ring:
Last week, O'Neal offered a direct challenge to Rhodes during the AEW Awards Show:
Rhodes and Red Velvet are up for the task. Red Velvet is in the fight at the recommendation of wrestling legend Arn Anderson, who suggested her as a replacement for Rhodes' wife, Brandi, who is pregnant with their first child:
After the match became official, Cody fired off this response on Twitter:
The match has been months in the making. Shaq previously expressed his desire to take on Rhodes, per an interview with Richard Deitsch of The Athletic on Aug. 24: "I'd love to fight Cody. Write it. Print it. Text it to him. Call AEW up and tell them."
O'Neal has wrestling experience, even if it is limited. He's wrestled co-panelist Charles Barkley in the NBA on TNT studios, for instance:
He also took part in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal during WrestleMania 32 in 2016:
Shaq eliminated Sandow but was taken out (alongside Big Show) by the rest of the field, who combined their powers to take out the two 7-footers.
O'Neal hasn't stepped foot in the squared circle ever since, but he'll be back after a five-year hiatus.
