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Thread: Shaq

  1. #1
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    Shaq

    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.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  2. #2
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    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
    A BJJ player and notorious pimp, Da Big Deezy, in the Crenshaw district tried to "raise up" and "slap a ho" ..... I impaled him with my retractible naginata. I wish there were more groundfighters in the world. They make my arsenal that much more deadly. - john takeshi

    LIKE FROG IN WELL LOOKING UP AT SKY,THINKING SEE ALL WORLD. - truthman

  3. #3
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    It's about the publicity - I think Smith nailed it in his review.

    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.
    Gene Ching
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  4. #4
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    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.

  5. #5
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    More Shaq Fu

    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.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #6
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    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.
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  7. #7
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    Shaq at Shaolin

    He gave the abbot shoes. That's so Tamo

    I'm totally stealing this thread for the Shaolin forum for now.
    Keeping An Eye On Shaq
    July 14, 2009 By: Rick Category: Cleveland Cavaliers

    It’s still a bit strange thinking that Shaq is a Cavalier. The Big Witness is certainly not one to shy away from the spotlight, which of course makes following him easy to do. We haven’t really had this kind of star here before. LeBron tends to fade away in the off season, preferring to keep a little more private (aside from the occasional ESPY’s dance). Which may be for the best, we don’t want a repeat of this.

    Since signing his deal and posing for a new picture with Danny Ferry, Shaq has been on the move. Most notably, he is currently touring China for Li Ning sportswear. Shaq, a martial arts fan, couldn’t help but take a tour of the Shaolin temple while he was in Henan. Apparently, the experience was a moving one as Shaq tweeted- “Ive been alotta place but being at the shaolin temple n china has brouhht a tear to my eye buddha blessed”

    After exchanging gifts with the Monks, Shaq was treated to a demonstration of the martial arts styles that the Shaolin temple is known for. Shaq practices several styles of martial arts, and is a big fan of mixed martial arts matches. Shaq watched UFC 100 from his hotel in China, and may have a future in the sport-

    UFC president Dana White sent a Twitter tweet to the 7-foot-1, 325-pound NBA giant on Friday that read: “After u win another championship this year let’s talk.”

    O’Neal continues to lobby for a shot in the cage, White said Saturday during a break in the UFC 100 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Asked if he would rule out the possibility, White said, “I would sit down and talk to him.” Size wouldn’t matter, he said. “We’ve got a lot of little guys that wouldn’t be worried about a guy of that size.”

    If it happened, White has no doubt about one outcome. “It would do a lot of pay-per-views,” he said.

    Yes, let’s please wait until after the season is over shall we?

    The good news is that Shaq at least is saying the right things about the upcoming basketball season-

    “I’m now traveling around, but I keep working on my game and getting prepared for the Cleveland Cavaliers,” said the all-star center, who was invited to China by his sportswear sponsor, Li Ning. “The Cavaliers have one of the greatest players, LeBron James, and they did a pretty good job last season, almost making it to the finals (losing to Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference final). I think this year we have the opportunity to win the whole thing.I keep in pretty good shape and I think I can give a lot of help. Now we have two of the greatest players on the team and we gonna make the game harder for other teams,” said the still ambitious O’Neal, a 15-time NBA all-star and four-time NBA Champion.

    Here’s hoping LeBron and Shaq will both be busy doing the talk show circuit next summer after hoisting the gold.
    Shaq O'Neal wants to bring kung fu to NBA
    10 hours ago

    BEIJING (AFP) — NBA All-Star centre Shaquille O'Neal has said he hopes to bring his martial arts skills to the basketball court, during a visit to China's Shaolin Temple -- the birthplace of kung fu.

    "When I was a kid, I saw a lot of Shaolin kung fu performances," O'Neal told Titan Sports, China's top sports newspaper, as he toured the temple in central Henan province on Monday.

    "I always wanted to know if Shaolin kung fu was real or not. Now, at last I know -- the Chinese kung fu I saw on television, it was all real," the four-time NBA champion said in remarks translated into Chinese.

    "When I go home I will study this and hopefully even use it when I'm playing basketball."

    O'Neal -- who earlier this month signed a contract to play with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers -- has visited China numerous times and signed several endorsement deals here.

    Known to the Chinese as the "Big Shark," the 37-year-old O'Neal has practised martial arts in the off-season for years.

    On Monday, he met with the temple's top monks and watched a group of warrior monks performing martial arts exercises.

    "I am really interested in snake-style kung fu," Titan quoted O'Neal as saying.

    "When I retire, I hope to come back to the Shaolin Temple to study for a year. To come here just this one time is not enough."

    State television showed crowds surrounding O'Neal, as he mimicked the hand movements that give snake-style kung fu its name.

    When asked if he would be comfortable playing in Cleveland where the weather is colder than anywhere else he has played during his 17-year NBA career, the centre answered: "I think I can adjust to any kind of weather.

    "In China you call me the big shark -- now you can call me the polar bear. I will be like a polar bear when it comes to fighting the cold."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  8. #8
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    Shaq needs a beating.

    I hope he gets one.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  9. #9
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    lol i just watched this shaq vs this morning on my phones flo tv. yes im that cool. anyway he was boxing shane mosley, it was hillllllllarrrriiioouuuusssss

    mosley won. dont know if this belongs in shaolin section but i didnt want to start anew shaq thread in media

    shaq had to wear a pair of pink panties from one end of the ceasar to the other....lol
    Last edited by Lucas; 08-13-2010 at 10:42 AM.
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  10. #10
    My mother in law works for the local PD and is in charge of among other things, fingerprinting. When Shaq came to the Suns he got badged up for her PD. She said he wasnt all that friendly like he thought he was pretty cool but he did tell her "you are a very pretty lady". Oh "Shaq-Fu" (if anybody remembers him and the rap group Fu-Schnickens)!
    "Kung Fu is hard work" - my Sifu

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by gwa sow View Post
    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.
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

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  12. #12
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    awwwwwwwww

    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.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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  13. #13
    Would be an interesting one to watch! A bit like Gordeau vs the sumo wrestler in UFC 1

  14. #14
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    Shaq in China again

    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
    Gene Ching
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  15. #15
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    Worthy of mention is that Shaq has joined our ancient fraternity now as well.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

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