Las Vegas Weekly

August 10, 2010 · 4:37 PM

Spotlight is on Las Vegas on tonight’s Shaq Vs on ABC

By Don Chareunsy

Shaquille O'Neal and Shane Mosley are interviewed following their exhibition boxing match at Caesars Palace for ABC's Shaq Vs on July 9, 2010.

Photo: Jana Cruder/ABC TV

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

Orlando Magic turned Los Angeles Lakers turned Miami Heat turned Phoenix Suns turned Cleveland Cavaliers turned Boston Celtics superstar Shaquille O’Neal faces two daunting challenges in his all-Las-Vegas Shaq Vs on ABC tonight.

The 7-foot-1, 325-pounder faces off against The Rio headliners Penn & Teller in a magic contest and enters the ring at Caesars Palace against “Sugar” Shane Mosley. As amazing as a magic feat itself, attendees were asked not to tweet or post the results of the bout, and the winner has been kept under wraps.

Season 2 of Shaq Vs kicked off last week with challenges against NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 14-year-old 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Kavya Shivashankar. O’Neal lost both challenges. Distinguo was his downfall in the spelling bee after two “free throws,” or passes, for pollyanna and canape(!).

Vegas DeLuxe posted stories and photo galleries, when they were allowed, about the Shaq Vs boxing and magic tapings when they were shot here last month. O’Neal competed in a hot dog-eating contest against competitive eater Joey Chestnut, also at Caesars Palace, and said that he would walk from one end of Caesars Palace to the other in a pink bikini if he lost to Mosley.

Let’s hope he won.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

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