Shaq set to compete in AEW wrestling match in Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ One of the biggest names in sports is heading to Jacksonville to compete Wednesday in a professional wrestling match. Shaquille OโNeal is slated to compete in a match for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) at Dailyโs Place where the wrestling promotion tapes Dynamite, its weekly wrestling show that airs on TNT on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on TNT. OโNeal will be starring in whatโs called a mixed tag team match, or a match when thereโs a man and woman on each team. Jim Ross, the lead commentator for AEW, said the organization expects to see media from across the country descend on Dailyโs Place for Wednesdayโs match to watch Shaq wrestle. But sheโs a wrestling fan, which is great.โAnd OโNeal isnโt the only high-profile celebrity AEW has attracted to Jacksonville in recent months.
Shaq's historic Atlanta Krispy Kreme damaged by raging fire
Firefighters work at the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store in Atlanta on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)ATLANTA โ A historic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store in Atlanta owned by basketball star Shaquille O'Neal that dates back to the mid-1960s was engulfed in flames early Wednesday, heavily damaging the structure. In the meantime, our Ponce team members will continue to receive full pay while we identify and offer them roles at other area Krispy Kreme shops." The Midtown Krispy Kreme was one of the first locations established outside the company's main bases of operations in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee. After Martin Luther King Jr.โs funeral in April 1968, the Krispy Kreme fed mourners by donating 150 dozen donuts to Atlanta churches.
O'Neal hosting SHAQ Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)Fans looking for pregame entertainment before the Super Bowl will have another option this year. Shaquille O'Neal will be holding the virtual SHAQ Bowl on Feb. 7. It's one of the few events taking place in Tampa, Florida, since many parties that traditionally take place during Super Bowl week have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The SHAQ Bowl takes the place of Shaq's Fun House, which had been held the past two years in Atlanta and Miami. The SHAQ Bowl also has its own halftime show with Migos and DJ Diesel performing.
Shaquille O'Neal's sister dies of cancer; co-hosts pay tribute
(CNN) - Former NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal, 47, is in mourning after his sister, Ayesha Harrison-Jex, died after battling cancer. O'Neal, who is a host on TNT's "Inside the NBA," was absent from Thursday night's episode, and his co-hosts addressed O'Neal's absence. "We have to tell you why you're not seeing Shaquille O'Neal here on the set tonight," co-host Ernie Johnson said. He said his world revolves around his brother and two sisters, and he lost one of his sisters this morning." "Thanks for the condolences and the love," O'Neal wrote in response on Twitter.
Shaq donates a year's rent to a paralyzed Atlanta boy
ATLANTA - Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal has donated a year's rent in a new home to an Atlanta woman whose 12-year-old son was paralyzed in a shooting at a football game. O'Neal tells WXIA-TV that Isaiah Payton's family had been living in a one-bedroom apartment that wasn't accessible for people with disabilities. He says he's helping furnish the home and will pay its rent for the next year. Isaiah was shot through the spine in August after a football scrimmage between two high schools. Isaiah's mother, Allison Woods, has said relearning how to care for Isaiah meant she had to leave her job, adding financial stress to her emotional turmoil.