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Thanks to Triple H, Shaquille O’Neal’s Old Rival Might Feature in WWE, Becoming First Major NBA Star Since Dennis Rodman

Published 09/23/2022, 3:07 PM EDT

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The WWE is arguably the biggest wrestling organization in the world. Bringing the excitement to its fans, Hall of Fame wrestlers have walked through the doors. However, it has also been home to a few athletes and media stars. Among the names, Shaquille O’Neal, Logan Paul, and even Dennis Rodman have featured. Staying true to their tradition to pick up talents from the NBA, the World Wrestling Entertainment now has its eyes on three-time Defensive Player of The Year, Dwight Howard.

The beef between Shaq and Howard dates long back to his days with the Orlando Magic. Deemed the second coming of the Big Diesel, Howard was ruling the city of Orlando just like his predecessor. However, when given the title of Superman, Shaquille O’Neal took it personally. Constantly taking jabs at his counterpart, the four-time champion was relentless. Notably, even after Howard emotionally held the Larry O’Brien trophy, Shaq had some words for Howard.

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Dwight Howard might not have been able to replicate Shaq’s career in the NBA, but he has a chance to overshadow the Los Angeles Lakers legend in the ring. Playing into the feud, Triple H spoke about the possibility of signing the former Magic center to a WWE contract.

Dwight Howard’s chance to beat Shaquille O’Neal and Dennis Rodman?

In 2016, the biggest wrestling event, Wrestlemania hosted the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The largest wrestlers all came into the ring to battle it out. However, the shock was yet to hit. Shaq Attack came marching into the ring to enter the battle. With a beef to settle with the Big Show, his first move was a double chokeslam with his rival. He followed it up with a match in the AEW as he went flying into a table.

Every WWE Appearance Shaquille O’Neal made before going to AEW

But the NBA legend who started the trend was Dennis Rodman. Involved in a series of matches as a part of the NWO, ‘The Worm’ even fought NBA Finals rival Karl Malone once.

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And now, Howard has the chance to replicate his NBA peers, or perhaps even do better. As the vice-president of talent relations, HHH is open to the eight-time All-Star joining their ranks. He said:  “All he’s gotta do is call me, and we’ll see what can happen. If he’s willing to put in the grind and drive that guys like Logan Paul and Bad Bunny and Tyson Fury are willing to put in, then let’s go.” 

With no NBA contract yet, Howard might just become a pro wrestler with the largest corporation. This gives the great center a chance to compete with Dennis Rodman and Shaq for the crown as the best WWE wrestler. With the size and athleticism of the former Slam Dunk champion, Howard arguably has the skills to shine in the ring.

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With relatively short wrestling stints for Rodman and Shaq, do you think Dwight Howard can do better than the two Hall of Famers? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani