AEW Dynamite: Shaquille O’Neal vs. Cody Rhodes not a big deal

Is Cody versus Shaq the battle we need to see in AEW right now?

According to Cody Rhodes, AEW superstar/Vice President extraordinaire, his upcoming match against Shaquille O’Neal on March 3 just “willed itself into existence”.  Ok, maybe it did, but the question is does this create any value for AEW Dynamite?

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Cody Rhodes is something to do.

I’m not trying to be disrespectful to an NBA great. This is a man I watched play in his prime, win multiple NBA Championships, rap with Fu-Schnickens! I bought his album, and who didn’t jam “(I Know I Got) Skillz”?

He’s a cornerstone of the 90’s, and has done great post-career work. But when people think of Shaq nowadays they see him as a great NBA Basketball analyst and that guy on the General Auto Insurance Commercials (which are hilarious by the way).  This second part of his life is relevant only in a passive way, but not in a way that makes you rush to the TV because it’s Shaquille O’Neal vs Cody Rhodes.

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Cody Rhodes: Does it help anyone??

I get it. It’s not about Cody or Shaq. This is about Red Velvet and Jade Cargill. This is about giving two very talented wrestlers an opportunity to be a part of something that is pretty cool, and I’ll admit that. From this match, the two could continue their feud with or without Shaq and Cody and the world wouldn’t stop turning.

But don’t think for a moment adding Shaq to the card is going to turn heads. You’re going to get three types of viewers: The grown-up 90’s kids who know who Shaq is beyond the suit, those who know retired Shaq, and the younger crowd who have googled Shaq’s name to understand why this is actually a thing.  Now, could that work in their favor? Maybe, but I really, really doubt it.