Charlie Mack took to social media earlier this week to call Shaquille O’Neal out for a fight, and the Los Angeles Lakers legend agreed, which has set the stage for one of the most anticipated celebrity boxing events of all time. The NBA community is excited to watch the big fella throw hands at Mack, but his son has some concerns.
Advertisement
Mack, a veteran of the Philly music industry and a former bodyguard to Will Smith, is 6’6″ and weighs close to 300 pounds. Not that it’ll be worrisome for Shaq, who stands over 7-feet tall and weighs more than 325 pounds. It’s just that Shat is 53 years old and past his physical prime.
Myles O’Neal was stopped for an interview, where he was asked about his father’s upcoming bout. Firstly, he admitted that he didn’t even know what was happening. But when he was told that Mack is a former bodyguard, he immediately shared his fears.
“I didn’t know about this, but I mean, he’s old,” said Myles to TMZ Sports. “I don’t know, I gotta look more into this… Actually, I’ll be there. I’m gonna come.”
Shaq’s old, and that’s a fact, but Myles had a smile on his face throughout the conversation with the reporter and even went on to say that the four-time NBA champ is still pretty agile. But is he fit enough to box? Myles doesn’t know. “I worry about him every day,” he further admitted. “We do a lot of random stuff on the road, and I don’t know, a boxing match is kind of crazy.”
Myles added that he’s also going to help his father train for the heavyweight match against Mack, which shows that even though he may not agree with The Diesel’s decision to fight, he will be there for him.
Mack did not challenge Shaq out of the blue. Their beef goes back years, to a signing in Dallas where Shaq tried to cut the line and Mack responded by chopping him on the neck. Now, the former Miami Heat center will finally get his shot at revenge. No official date for the bout has been set yet.
Not Shaq’s first hint at love for combat sports
Retirement life has been anything but quiet for Shaq. He remains an active part of the NBA community through his role as a TV analyst, but he has also built a business empire, taken up DJing, become the head of basketball at Reebok, and occasionally flirted with the idea of throwing fists.
O’Neal’s fight with Mack only just materialized, but in the past, he’s expressed interest in both boxing and MMA. He’s a big fan of the UFC and has been spotted at multiple events over the years.
Shaq was also open to the idea of hosting a boxing tournament featuring NBA and NFL players, something he once discussed with Rob Gronkowski. In a 2024 interview, the two admitted they had talked about the possibility of stars from the two biggest American sports leagues squaring off in the ring.
View this post on Instagram
Just imagine a fight between Patrick Mahomes and Stephen Curry with Shaq as the referee. What could possibly go wrong?
