Shaq: WrestleMania match against Big Show ‘probably’ isn’t happening

One of WrestleMania 33’s planned matches seems to be in serious doubt.

While responding to rumors surrounding his scheduled WrestleMania match against Big Show, Shaquille O’Neal said on his podcast this week that the bout “probably” won’t be happening.

“It’s not going to happen?” Shaq asked. “That’s probably right. It’s not my fault, that’s all you need to know. It ain’t my fault. Oh, it ain’t my fault.”

Shaq went on to say that the plans likely falling through have nothing to do with him or his management. He said that it isn’t definitive that the match is off yet, though things aren’t looking good. He claimed that he’s still training like it’s going to take place and challenged Big Show to meet him wherever he wants to meet, leaving the door open for this to be part of a storyline if the match does occur.

Big Show vs. Shaq had long been penciled in for WrestleMania in Orlando. Shaq appeared at WrestleMania 32 last year as a surprise entrant in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, where he had a face off with Big Show. They also did an angle where Shaq accepted Big Show’s challenge at the ESPY Awards last summer.

Much of the build for the match had been done on social media and based around the two attempting to get in shape for WrestleMania. But speculation that the match could possibly be off began to increase over the last couple of weeks.

In a WWE.com article about his recent weight loss, Big Show said that Shaq not taking the match seriously was why it may not be happening.

“I mean, here’s the thing. We shot this off at the ESPY Awards, Shaq said he’s in, I thought this would be a good match for fans to see two giants go at it. And I see Shaq riding around, singing karaoke and stopping in at Krispy Kreme. I’m like, ‘Hey! If you’re not gonna take it serious, find something else to do.'”