Shaquille O'Neal may have hung up his NBA jersey years ago, but he’s not done stepping into the ring—this time, a boxing ring.
The Hall of Famer has accepted a challenge from music industry veteran and Will Smith’s former bodyguard, Charlie Mack, after Mack suggested the two settle an old score with gloves on.
O’Neal, 53, posted a video to Instagram on August 18 confirming he was all in. “Hey celebrity boxing and Charlie Mack, I accept,” Shaq said. “You name the time and place, I’ll be there. Diesel don’t run from nobody.”
The backstory comes from an autograph signing in Dallas years ago, according to Mack. In a video posted to Instagram, he claimed the dispute started when O’Neal attempted to cut in line. “I chopped him in his neck so he could get back,” Mack said while recounting the moment to Celebrity Boxing CEO Damon Feldman.
Following Shaq’s acceptance, Mack doubled down with a fight poster and another post online. “So I call Big Fella @shaq out yesterday & he accepted as I knew he would!!!! We’ve been talking about it way too long, now we MUST get it ON!!!!!!!!” Mack wrote, teasing that official details would be announced soon.
If the fight happens, it won’t be the first time O’Neal has been drawn into public conflict outside basketball.
Just last year, he engaged in a heated back-and-forth with former ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe over Nikola Jokic’s MVP win. Shaq argued the award should have gone to Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, sparking accusations of jealousy from Sharpe.
O’Neal fired back with an Instagram post questioning Sharpe’s credibility, even releasing a diss track in May 2024 aimed at his rival.
It remains unclear, as of this writing, whether Shaq will record a diss track in honor of the upcoming bout with Mack, however.