Did you know that Shaquille O’Neal’s first-ever WWE appearance was an unplanned one? Veteran WWE writer Vince Russo was on the Rewind Recap Relive talk show when he touched on Shaq’s first WWE appearance. It was a surprise, not just for the fans, but for the crew as well.
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“I’m backstage, I’m working – it’s during the show. I’m working. Who walks in to bullshit with the boys? Shaquille O’Neal… This is young Shaquille O’Neal, the biggest star on the planet,” recalled the 63-year-old writer.
In classic Big Diesel fashion, Shaq had somehow rolled backstage into the writers’ room during the show. However, his celebrity not only allowed him immunity but also opened up the opportunity for his first WWE appearance. Vince Russo decided to use real interaction to write a scene around.
He scripted a moment between Shaq and WWE’s former CEO, Vince McMahon. “Vince is gonna wheel up to you in his wheelchair, ask you to see your backstage pass and throw your ass out of here,” Russo explained to O’Neal.
This was likely in 1998 as Russo explains in the interview how McMahon had had his leg broken by Kane and the Undertaker not too long ago. By that account, Shaq in attendance was a Laker, right before he won his first championship and Finals MVP.
None of that stopped O’Neal from playing his part to perfection. Russo added, “And bro he didn’t ask for a dime, he said absolutely positively and we did the scene.”
This was a win-win situation. The writers got an unplanned celebrity moment during the show and Shaq got to be a part of the biggest wrestling event in the world. This reignited Shaq’s wrestling interest.
In 2009, four-time NBA champion, O’Neal returned to the WWE. This time he had approval from McMahon already as the Miami Heat was one of the hosts for Monday Night RAW. Written into the program was a rivalry that continues to gain momentum to this day.
Shaq was refereeing a match between the tag team Cryme Tyme and the duo of Jericho and Big Show. However, at some point, O’Neal got irked, pulled off his referee shirt, and stepped into the ring to support Cryme Tyme. This led to the iconic visual of Big Diesel staring down the Big Show.
It paid off in 2016 when Shaq entered the ring for the 3rd Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Diesel and Big Show teamed up and chucked several wrestlers out of the ring before they were eliminated themselves.
Over the last few years, there have been rumors of a potential contest between O’Neal and Big Show. However, nothing has materialized yet. Maybe the writers are waiting for Shaq to show up unannounced once again.
