In less than three weeks, WWE will present is biggest pay-per-view of the year, and only recently, WrestleMania 33 lost one of its top matches. For the last year, Big Show was rumored to face Shaquille O’Neal in a match of giants, but it has all been called off within the last week and without explanation. Now, it appears as if that match was going to be the Big Show’s send off into retirement as it appears to be coming soon.
Ever since last year, the match between Big Show and Shaq has been teased by the two big men, WWE, ESPN, and countless other media outlets. As recently as last month, it was still something that the opponents were sparring back and forth about on social media.
This past week, it was quietly revealed by WWE that Big Show was going to be another participant in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 . With that news, it officially put an end to a year’s worth of speculation that seems like a giant waste of time for a lot of people involved in all of this.
Looking at it now, though, was that match against Shaq supposed to be Big Show’s final big hurrah in WWE?
Recently, the Inquisitr reported that Big Show revealed to WWE that this may very well be his final WrestleMania ever , and he was saying that to taunt Shaq. Now, with that match definitely not happening at all, the focus is back to this possibly being the last big PPV of his career.
As the WrestleMania 33 media rounds continue, Big Show spoke with Sports Illustrated on a number of topics, including the big event in a couple of weeks. He was asked about his match against Shaq falling through, and he’s not taking responsibility for it.
“I want to do this match. It certainly isn’t on me. I’m serious and dedicated. Whether Shaq has other obligations or business, that’s on him. As far as I know, we’re still trying to make Princess Shaq happy so we can move forward with the match at WrestleMania. I have a lot of respect for Shaq. He’s one of the greatest NBA centers of all time. But here’s the thing, and I say this with all humility, I’m one of the greatest big men ever in the WWE.
“I’m giving Shaq the opportunity to showcase himself at our biggest event of the year. He is an entertainer and he is an attraction, and he is a heck of an athlete. But he’s hemming and hawing saying it’s somebody else’s fault. If you want to do this, come do this. This is something where Shaq saw how great of shape I was in, and he decided to back out. That’s a personal thing on Shaq.”
Big Show is 45-years-old, and he has been wrestling for more than two decades across WCW and WWE, and he’s actually in the best shape of his life. Even though he’s looking better than ever and ready for whatever life throws at him in the ring, he may no be around for much longer.
As of right now, Big Show’s contract expires in February of 2018, and there is no talk yet of it being extended by WWE. If there ends up being no new deal put in place and it is finally time for him to retire from the ring, Big Show is ready.
“No last matches, no fanfare, just ride off into the sunset and disappear. That’s more my style. I’ll find something else to do that is inspiring—and let these new kids take the business and the reigns and let them build the future. I wish them all luck. Everything changes. We’ve got a great group of talent that deserves the spotlight.”
While speaking to Sports Illustrated , Big Show talked about possibly working in “some sort of an ambassador capacity” for WWE after he’s done in the ring. He would also like to do voiceover work in cartoons and even be a part of more films once wrestling is no longer his career, as he knows “everything comes to an end.”
WrestleMania 33 is not going to have any shortage of matches or content to fill up its entire card and the massive amount of time dedicated to it. Big Show was set to be in one of the headlining matches with Shaquille O’Neal, but that was just tossed to the side without much explanation. If this really is the last year that fans will see Big Show in a wrestling ring, it’s going to be the end of an era when his contract is up next year.
[Featured Image by WWE]