Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley Get into Wrestling Match with John Cena as Referee

Shaq brought Chuck down with a weak grapple and pinned him for the three count.

May 7, 2025

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley in suits on the left; John Cena holding a WWE Championship belt on the right.

Images via Bryan Bedder/Getty Images and Eric Johnson/WWE via Getty Images

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley had somewhat of an impromptu wrestling match with 17-time world champion John Cena and Kenny "The Jet" Smith acting as referees.

On the latest episode of Inside the NBA, the Hall of Fame crew welcomed Cena as a guest to promote the upcoming second season of The Peacemaker, and it didn't take long for the guys to incorporate Cena's professional wrestling background into the segment.

Cena asked Barkley if he liked wrestling, which he said he did, but Shaq came out of nowhere and caught his co-host with a shot across the chest before grappling him up.

Shaq eventually brought Barkley to the ground, which led Smith to make the three-count to give Shaq the victory.

Despite the match, Shaq and Barkley probably won't appear in a WWE ring anytime soon. Cena, however, is scheduled to fight Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the 2025 Backlash premium live event this Sunday from St. Louis.

The longtime rivals will face off one last time due to Cena's in-ring retirement at the end of the year.

Cena recently defeated Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 for the Undisputed WWE Championship and beat the record for the most title reigns with 17, passing Ric Flair's 16. Orton is not far behind, as he's tied in third place with Triple H at 14 total reigns.