Cody Rhodes has spoken on what it was like to take on Shaquille O’Neal in their recent AEW tag team showdown.
Cody Rhodes Praises Shaquille O’Neal Following His AEW Debut
In an interview on Action Sports Jax On ESPN690, Cody spoke on how similar Shaquille was in his style to another big hitter, Big Show. He said: “Those big hands and those overhead chops, the only comparison I would have is Paul Wight, formerly The Big Show, or even the Great Khali, but I’ve never seen hands like Shaq’s.
“I might have been planning on taking a few more, and then after I felt that first one, absolutely not.” So did Shaquille do enough to earn his praise? Yes, given that he had felt the power coming from the former basketball star. There had been some understandable doubts over Shaquille’s ability, given he was making his debut, but those were immediately dispelled.
And Cody went a step further by stating he would welcome him in the sport. He added: “Absolutely, and I know people were plenty sceptical. I understand why. I’m part of the hardcore audience myself. I love pure wrestling as it is, but I love doing things that have a hook to them and have a sizzle to them to help drive to the pure wrestling.”
The audience was very receptive, too, as the rating figures reflected the much-brewing anticipation at the time. So what does Shaquille think about his performance? According to Cody, we could see him back in the ring if there were a demand for it.
He continued: “He’s got the bug. We didn’t converse much, but I said, ‘I think you’re a wrestler now,’ and I really mean that. I’d love to have him back. There’s obviously matches that people want to see. He takes the training very seriously, and that’s all good for us.”
Added to that, Cody stated that Tony Khan gave his seal of approval: “Shaq at brings different eyes to our product, and perhaps those eyes stay and see some of the pure wrestling that our hardcore audience and that are owner and founder Tony Khan love so much himself.”
It will be interesting to see if Shaquille makes a return. Let us know what you think in the comment section down below. Please also remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit Gamestingr for great videos, news, and gameplay!
