Shaq

[GeneChing]

vs. Liddell?! Oh man, that's going to be like Lee vs. Jabbar in Game of Death.

Phoenix Suns Shaquille 'Shaq' O'Neal might fight MMA standout Chuck Liddell
Submitted by admin on May 6, 2009 - 7:26pm

Shaq O’Neal as a basketball player is something that everyone knows, but Shaq as a mixed martial arts fighter is something that most aren’t aware of.

Shaq always seems to be the one popular athlete that isn’t afraid to be himself and people love him for that. He has been a rapper, a movie star and was one of the first to embrace Twitter so he can inform his fans about everything going on in his life. In addition, he also was one of the first mainstream athletes to embrace MMA and apparently actively participate in the training aspects as well.

For over 10 years now, Shaq has been training and perfecting his MMA skills at an elite training facility in Orlando, FL. The Jonathan Burke Gracie Orlando studio has taken the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighting style and has taught it to the masses creating one of the best gyms in the country. Along with Burke, instructors at the studio are some of the best in the world which includes the likes of Royce Gracie himself.

Burke was on ESPN’s FirstTake this morning to discuss his studio and Shaq. O’Neal has apparently been training with Burke to increase his cardio endurance but fighting in the octagon has become one of his favorite past times. Shaq loves to spar and just the other week sparred with an executive of Twitter that was invited to test his wares in the octagon with the seven footer.

According to Burke during his interview with ESPN’s Dana Jacobs, Shaq might just be planning a sparring match with none other than MMA veteran and legend Chuck Liddell. Shaq comes in over the weight limit of 285lbs but if it is not a sanctioned fight, then that is something he would not have to worry about.

Obviously Shaq would have Liddell over matched in the size department but Liddell has experienced it all inside the octagon and would likely dismantle the bigger O’Neal with his superior skills. Even if that is the case, this would be one of the more interesting things to witness, definitely more interesting than Jose Canseco’s upcoming venture into the octagon over seas in Japan.

Shaq just keeps getting better and better with age and will definitely become his generation’s Chuck Barkley with every single one of his peers knowing and liking the loveable giant. A fight with Liddell would just go that much further to making Shaq one of the most entertaining and loveable professional athletes in America today according to sports fans and his peers alike. Time will tell if this matchup will come to fruition but even the idea of it brings a smile to my face.

[gwa sow]

i cant see shaq doing anyhting but sitting around on the couch. i cant stand him. after we one the title here in miami, he stopped trying. he tried acting, rapping, law enforcment, and now this i think he is kinda lazy

[GeneChing]

Click for vid

ESPN Airs Silly Shaq MMA Infomercial
Posted May 07, 2009 7:39PM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed Under: MMA Media Watch, MMA Videos

Shaquille O'Neal incorporates some mixed martial arts into his off-season training, and ESPN decided that would be an interesting story. No complaints there. But the way ESPN went about reporting the story -- with Dana Jacobson interviewing Shaq's trainer -- turned it into a ridiculous infomercial for the gym where Shaq trains, with Shaq's trainer playing the role of corporate pitchman and Jacobson playing the role of MMA ignoramus.

The trainer, Jonathan Burke of Gracie Orlando, was incapable of answering a question without throwing in a hamhanded reference to his gym's web site. By about the fifth time he reminded us that his gym's web site is SixLevels.com, I was ready to punch my TV.

And then there's Jacobson's interview. I like Jacobson. I've written favorably about her interview with former NFL player Adam "Pacman" Jones, and I've defended her when she was criticized for comments she made at a celebrity roast. But she was completely unprepared and unprofessional in this interview. She mispronounced Chuck Liddell's name five times, referred to a rear-naked choke as a "bare-naked grab whatever," and generally came across like she was proud of her ignorance of MMA.

Increasing numbers of athletes are incorporating MMA into their training, and I hope ESPN does more stories on that fact. I just hope the next time, it doesn't turn into a SixLevels.com infomercial.

[Yung Apprentice]

Shaq isn't the first athlete or even basketball player to train in MMA and consider competing, if I remember correctly Kendal Gill had been training in MMA for quite some time, but of course he isn't the name Shaq is although Kendal was a pretty good player.

[GeneChing]

I'm hoping Hong Man Choi answers Shaq's call.

Shaq Pursuing Mixed Martial Arts
Updated: Wednesday, 17 Jun 2009, 10:38 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 17 Jun 2009, 9:39 PM MDT

PHOENIX - It's not something anyone can do -- but Suns star Shaquille O'Neal thinks he can. Shaq is spending the off-season training in mixed martial arts.

He's training to keep in shape, but Shaq may be looking at doing this for real. He's even calling out one of the biggest and fiercest men in MMA -- Hong Man Choi of South Korea.

Choi beat up former major league baseball player Jose Canseco, who thought he could take the man dubbed the Korean Giant.

Canseco only lasted 77 seconds.

[Lucas]

i dont think choi can turn him down. too good of on opportunity to make some great connections.

also, shaq seems to be taking a pretty smart route, in regards to finding a pro who is of a similar frame. he'll know better than most what shaq would have to deal with from his size stand point.

[Hebrew Hammer]

i cant see shaq doing anyhting but sitting around on the couch. i cant stand him. after we one the title here in miami, he stopped trying. he tried acting, rapping, law enforcment, and now this i think he is kinda lazy

How can a professional athlete with several championship rings be lazy? On top of trying to do all the other things you mentioned here... he's helped to produce comedy shows, been in movies, commercials...etc. Sorry, whether you like him or not, he's not lazy.

[GeneChing]

Don't tell me I have to move this thread back over to the MMA forum now...

UFC: Shaq the basketball legend to fight in mixed martial arts ?
By Gareth A Davies Boxing and MMA Last updated: June 11th, 2011

UFC president Dana White believes Shaquille O’Neal could either fight in MMA, or be involved as an ambasador of the sport after retiring from basketball. O’Neal helped the UFC to get the first season of The Ultimate Fighter off the ground.

The NBA star has been in MMA training for years. “Shaq loves [MMA], Shaq’s been training for a long time,” White said on ESPN’s FirstTake. “Actually, a week before he retired, Shaq called me and he wants to be involved in the UFC somehow. He’s always been a good friend to us and I’m sure you’re going to see Shaq around the UFC a lot.

“He said, ‘Listen, I’m gonna have a lot of free time on my hands. I love this sport, I want to get involved. I want to be a part of it.’

“He’s not just coming in [at the last-minute], he’s been a part of it for a long time,” White said. “Shaq helped us launch the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. He’s always supported us and has always been a good friend.

“So now that he wants to be involved, I’m more than happy to get him.”

[Olaf]

Would be an interesting one to watch! A bit like Gordeau vs the sumo wrestler in UFC 1

[GeneChing]

Slinging Harbin beer. A kung fu flick in his future?

Which one would be the sidekick?
Updated: 2012-03-11 08:01
(China Daily)

The world's biggest kung fu fan wants nothing more than to star in a movie with Chinese star Jackie Chan.

Former NBA MVP center Shaquille O'Neal had his 40-year-old birthday last Tuesday while touring Changsha in his new role as an ambassador for Harbin Beer.

"My dream that hasn't been fulfilled is to shoot a movie directed by John Woo with Jackie Chan at the Shaolin Temple," said O'Neal, who appeared in the Hollywood action film Steel in 1997.

O'Neal, currently an analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA, said he's going to work with comedian Adam Sandler on a movie this summer.

During his China tour in 2009, O'Neal visited Shaolin Temple, the cradle of Chinese traditional martial arts, and displayed what he learned by demonstrating some kung fu poses last week.

"It's my tenth time coming to China and my second visit to Changsha," O'Neal said. "I love China and the people here are always friendly to me. I always like to come back and hopefully I can visit every city in the country."

Despite retiring last year, the 2.16-meter giant's popularity in China remains strong. Fans packed the event venue and chanted "Shaq" fiercely everywhere he appeared despite the cold, rainy weather.

A group of media from 40 different outlets traveled across the country to cover the event and took turns interviewing him.

O'Neal said he will return China for another 10-city tour in June.

- Sun Xiaochen

[David Jamieson]

Worthy of mention is that Shaq has joined our ancient fraternity now as well.

[GeneChing]

Shaq-Fu - Tiger style

Mar 13, 2012
Tiger Woods embraces Shaq-Fu in new 'PGA Tour' video
By Brett Molina, USA TODAY
Updated 3m ago

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 - Duel of the Masters

To help promote his next video game, Tiger Woods is engaging in the art of Shaq-Fu.

Check out this hilarious new video posted above featuring Woods and former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal as they attempt to master their golf swings in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13, using the Xbox 360's Kinect motion sensor.

The two-minute spot spoofs classic kung fu films, right down to the not-so-accurate voice dubbing.

"I've been a fan of MMA since the '90s and even used it to train and stay in shape," O'Neal says of the shoot with Tiger. "Anytime I can do a little kung fu it's always a good time."

The ties between Shaq and kung fu are appropriate, considering the hoops giant released a fighting game called Shaq-Fu in the early '90s for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 launches March 27 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

[GeneChing]

Martial arts-Shaq tells Canseco he is ready to fight
Reuters
4:17 p.m. CDT, March 13, 2012
By Larry Fine

March 13 (Reuters) - Shaquille O'Neal won countless
battles under the basket in his brilliant NBA career but is
ready to get more physical, saying he is willing to face former
MLB All-Star Jose Canseco in a mixed martial arts bout.

Canseco, 47, whose baseball comeback bid with the Quintana
Roo Tigres of the Mexican League stalled last week when he was
banned for declining to take a doping test, has been calling out
the four-time NBA champion in messages on his Twitter account.

"I challenged him a long time ago. If he wants it done, he
knows where to find me," O'Neal, who was listed at 7-foot-1
(2.16 m) and 325 pounds (147 kilograms) in his playing career,
told Reuters on Tuesday in a telephone interview from Florida to
promote Dove Men + Care skin product.

"He can be high off whatever, and I'll be high off Frosted
Flakes," O'Neal, 40, said about the popular breakfast cereal.

O'Neal retired from the National Basketball Association
(NBA) last year and is due to receive his doctorate degree in
May from Barry University's School of Education in Miami.

More on Canseco here.

[GeneChing]

There are some teaser vids if you follow the link.

SHAQ FU / 7 DEC 2015
SHAQ SAYS SHAQ FU IS "LIKE A BAD DREAM YOU CAN'T FORGET"

1.2k Also, he uses a Pac-Man arcade cabinet as a game controller.

BY JARED PETTY IGN recently got a chance to ask Shaquielle O'Neal a few questions about the upcoming Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn, the crowdfunded sequel to 16-bit fighting game Shaq Fu. Check out the interview and Shaq's colorful responses.

IGN: If you could battle one real-life person in a real-life hand-to-hand match Shaq Fu style in a duel for glory and honor, who would you choose to face and why?

Shaq: I would fight myself because I’m the only man worthy of the challenge. I think the universe would collapse.

Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn Reveal Trailer
01:17

IGN: A lot of fighting games from the 16-bit era have been forgotten, but people still recognize Shaq Fu. To what do you attribute its continued notoriety?

Shaq: It’s like a bad dream you can’t forget. You wake up and say, ‘Get out my head!’



IGN: It's no secret you've studied the martial arts. How does your interest in real-world fighting disciplines influence what you're doing with Shaq Fu?

Shaq: You know I took all the team to China, to train with my master Ye-Ye, so that they could get inside my world of cosmic energy. No one understood it, some never came back, but everyone found a new appreciation of my abilities. Kung Fu is just two words, the reality is much, much more. That’s all I have to say about that.

Game Teaser
01:20

IGN: Fighting games sometimes struggle to balance accessibility for a broad audience with the degree of complexity necessary to satisfy fighting game fans. Specifically, how will Shaq Fu address this challenge?

Shaq: Shaq-Fu is a tribute to the golden days of beat ‘em ups. Back then you’d head over to the arcade on a Saturday morning with a pocket full of quarters and just hammer that machine. With Shaq-Fu, we want to return to that sense of satisfaction and enjoyment that’s been lost along the way. The idea is to include something for everyone. And we aren’t going to charge you 60 bucks to play it either, it’s going to be a fair price - I mean not everyone has celebrity cash.

IGN: When you're at home playing video games, what are you playing? What about your kids? What do they enjoy playing? Do you play games with them?

Shaq: I play everything I can get my hands on, but I love the fighting games the most. Although after playing Shaq-Fu I might be a bit spoiled for any other game. When you can play as me, why would you want to play as anyone else?

IGN: So obviously it's not Shaq Fu without Shaq...but what about the rest of the roster? Any other faces we're likely to recognize?

Shaq: Oh, you might be familiar with one or two of the faces in Shaq Fu. That’s all I’m saying.

IGN: You're a huge Superman fan. Any chance we'll see him in Shaq Fu?

Shaq: I’m not a fan, I am Superman, and it’s my game, so Superman is in the game. You seen those horrible movies? That’s because they didn’t get Superman to play Superman. I look pretty good in tights, even for a 43-year old.

IGN: You're a famously huge guy with big hands. What's your all-time favorite game controller in terms of features and comfort?

Shaq: You know, I like those arcade style controllers you get, the ones with six buttons and joystick and you can just mash them all day and they never break. Reminds me of being a kid at the arcade. Sometimes I just like to pick up an old Pac-Man machine and use it as controller. Feels just right in my hands.

IGN: What's the single best feature of the new Shaq Fu?

Shaq: Me. I got moves you never seen before. Just when you think you’ve seen all my moves, bam! Look out, there’s more. Size 22 stomping all over the world, baby. I’m as nimble as a cat and as powerful as a diesel truck.

IGN: You've starred in a lot of video games. What's it like putting a game into your Xbox or PlayStation and controlling a little digital version of yourself?

Shaq: My kids love it. They get to play their dad whooping lotsa ass. They all want to get their own video game characters but we’ll have to see about that.

Jared Petty is a Senior Editor at IGN. He is not good at sportsball. Chat with him on Twitter.

[GeneChing]