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6’10″ Lakers Veteran and WWE Aspirant Openly Challenges Shaquille O’Neal to “King of LA” Wrestling Bout

Published 11/02/2022, 11:20 PM EDT

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Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal took down the greatest of opponents with his big-man abilities, winning four NBA championships in his 19-season-long career. Shaq was not shy of shutting down loud opponents with his massive body on the court and his love for wrestling is also well-known. Recently, 6’10” Lakers veteran center Dwight Howard challenged O’Neal to wrestle for the title of ‘King of LA’.

Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal‘s careers share a lot of similarities. Thus, critics often compare Howard with the Hall of Famer. However, Shaq has not been so kind about his views on the 2020 NBA champion. As a result, the two former Lakers players have been beefing for years.

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Recently, Dwight Howard recently appeared on NFL legend Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, ‘Clay Shay Shay’. The eight-time All-Star shared his fandom for wrestling and the WWE. Howard even admitted to auditioning for the WWE in Orlando.

Howard challenges Shaquille O’Neal to a WWE fight

While talking about their favorite wrestlers, Shannon Sharpe stated that Shaquille O’Neal is a big wrestling fan too. The three-time Super Bowl champ proposed a SummerSlam match in 2023 between Shaq and Howard for the ownership of the ‘Superman’ nickname.

Dwight Howard was impressed by Sharpe’s proposal but he had something bigger in mind. Howard said, “WrestleMania is in LA this year. Who the King of LA? Let’s go Shaq, let’s go.”

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Howard took another dig at the Lakers legend by doing his famous Shaq impression. He challenged the Big Diesel to step into the wrestling ring and hash it all out at the biggest WWE event of the year in LA. However, it is unlikely that the three-time Finals MVP will accept Howard’s invitation for a wrestling bout. Earlier this month, Dwight Howard challenged Shaq to a fight in the UFC ring as well.

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Shaq’s love for wrestling

The 7’1″ Shaq still likely has the skills to take down the biggest of opponents. He made a shocking entry in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at the 32nd WrestleMania in 2016. However, he did not survive for too long in the ring and the wrestlers eventually eliminated him and WWE legend Big Show. After the match, the 15-time All-Star challenged Big Show to a fight in the future.

WATCH THIS STORY: 3 Current NBA Stars Taller than Shaquille O’Neal 

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Thus, Shaq is known to be a big WWE enthusiast and Howard seemed to have tried to get the best of the Lakers legend with his recent wrestling challenge.

Who do you think would win between Shaq and Howard? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Rohit Kumawat

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Rohit Kumawat is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing an MBA in Media and Business Management, Rohit holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has been working as a Sports and Entertainment writer for over a year.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani