WWE News: Big Show Now Blames ‘Fat’ Shaq For WrestleMania 33 Uncertainty

His much anticipated face-off against Shaquille O’Neal at WrestleMania 33 may now be in jeopardy thanks to the former NBA star’s weight issues, claims Big Show.

“He’s got to be what, 440, 450 pounds?” Big Show mocked his opponent during an ESPN interview. “He’s gotten pretty fat. Me on the other hand? I just weighed in this morning — 379 pounds.”

Last year, Big Show challenged Shaquille O’Neal to a fight at Orlando, the venue of WrestleMania 33.

The two giants had faced off two years ago at WrestleMania 32 when Shaq made a surprise appearance. Their bout was cut short when other players ganged up to eliminate them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHBDAzX7HIA

A year on, now leaner Big Show blamed his challenger for uncertainty around their fight during his ESPN interview.

“He has to figure things out in his own camp. Maybe he is just too scared to show up because he’s too busy riding around singing karaoke with John Cena and going to Krispy Kreme and getting fatter every week.”

Big Show rubbished O’Neal’s claims that delays in confirming the match was not the latter’s doing.

“It’s not my fault, that’s all you need to know,” the Orlando Magic star, had said according to Sky Sports. “It’s not totally off yet but it’s not looking good.” O’Neal maintained that he is training hard and is ready to face Big Show anytime, anywhere.

His opponent did not seem convinced. “Maybe he doesn’t want to put on spandex and show the entire world that Shaquille O’Neal, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, looks like Jabba the Hutt,” Big Show said during the interview.

“It’s on him. He has to weigh these consequences in his own mind. Does he want the world to know how fat and out of shape he is? Or does he want to sit back and talk s— into a podcast?”

This is not the first time Big Show took a dig at the basketball star. The 45-year-old wrestler posted an Instagram video last month teasing Shaquille O’Neal for his food choices. At the end of a video pumping some serious iron, Big Show asks the basketball legend where he is, teasing O’Neal about an image he took with John Cena outside a Krispy Kreme.

“Karaoke? Doughnuts? You better get serious. All roads lead to #WrestleMania. The only giant!” Big Show quipped.

During an interview for WWE, Big Show went beyond just talking weight.

“This could be my last WrestleMania. He needs to step up. I’m not trying to be mean, but my time’s valuable. I get it. I don’t have foot powder commercials, car commercials, insurance commercials. I get it. He’s a busy man. But if he’s gonna step in the ring, in my business, at our biggest event of the year? Show me you’re serious.”

After being recognized as the heaviest and tallest man in the ring, Big Show claimed to have dropped 70 pounds and attained the best shape of his career.

“You don’t make the transformation I’ve made without a serious commitment to changing 40 years of improper diet and improper training,” Big Show said during the WWE interview. “I wanted to make a change, and I was given the time and opportunity to make a change, so I took advantage of it.”

Some believe Big Show’s strife with O’Neal could be part of a bigger strategy to build up the hype in the run-up to WrestleMania scheduled on April 2.

[Featured Image by Brandon Wade/AP Images]