Back In The Day NBA

Shaquille O'Neal Once Starred In Huge WWE Event With Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan

Shandel Richardson

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal remains one of the greatest entertainers in celebrity history.

What makes him special is he performs well in just about any arena. The basketball court. Movies. Rap Videos. Commercials.

It was no surprise O'Neal had zero problems making a splash in the world of pro wrestling. In the mid-1990s, he served as special guest for the match between legends Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.

O'Neal was in charge of awarding the championship belt to the winner.

It was known beforehand who O'Neal was aligned with. He made a promo before the match with Hogan and manager Jimmy Hart. O'Neal delivers Hogan's signature line, "What you gonna do when the Hulkamania runs wild on you."

Hogan won the event after delivering a "big boot" followed by his infamous "leg drop" finishing move. Hogan and Mr. T were then met by O'Neal in the ring to present the belt.

O'Neal was hardly the first NBA superstar to link with the world of pro wrestling. In the summer of 1998, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman faced off in a tag team match. Rodman teamed with Hogan while Malone's partner was Diamond Dallas Page.

The matchup was a huge draw because Rodman and Malone were already considered rivals after facing each other the previous two NBA Finals for the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.





Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com