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Shaq vs Charles part 156 could be settled in the Power Slap arena.

The NBA legends and beloved Inside the NBA co-hosts have a sibling-esque rivalry that has seen them go head-to-head in a number of hilarious TV challenges - including a weight lifting competition with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Shaq and Charles have a brotherly love
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Shaq and Charles have a brotherly loveCredit: Getty

The former MVPs are famous for getting into light-hearted arguments on live TV, which have even descended into joke wrestling brawls.

Fans are yet to see actual fisticuffs -- and hopefully never will - but that could be about to change courtesy of UFC President and Power Slap chief executive officer, Dana White.

The MMA mogul recently appeared on Shaq's podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq, where he teased a September 29 Power Slap event between O’Neal and Barkley.

The Big Aristotle quizzed White about his latest fighting promotion before offering his availability for a September 29 bout with Barkley.

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“September 19. Me vs You, Charles Barkley,” the four-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers icon said.

"I'mma smack the s*** out of your a**."

"I love it, I'm in," White responded, before smiling at the camera and seemingly confirming the date, "September 19."

Shaq laid down the gauntlet to Charles
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Shaq laid down the gauntlet to CharlesCredit: X@bigpodwithshaq
White says he's 'in' to see it go down on September 19
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White says he's 'in' to see it go down on September 19Credit: X@bigpodwithshaq

While it's fun to imagine, it's highly unlikely we'll ever actually see a legitimate Power Slap contest between Shaq and Chuck.

The controversial new sport, which involves two competitors either side of a podium taking turns to slap each other in the face with the aim of scoring a knockout blow, is notorious for its brutality and devastating viral KOs.

Power Slap star goes viral after blowing a kiss to her opponent after receiving a heavy hit

The Big Diesel and the Round Mound of Rebound have certainly had their fair share and back and forths over the years, but at the end of the day they share a brotherly relationship and probably don't want to dish out that much damage to one another.

With that said, this isn't the first time a Power Slap fight between the pair has been mentioned.

During the Lakers' 106-103 In-Season Tournament quarterfinal win against the Phoenix Suns last season, Shaq and Charles got into one of their classic Inside the NBA disagreements about the outcome of the game.

Barkley initially suggested a $15 million bet in favour of his Suns before Shaq upped the ante with a $30 million proposition.

Barkley balked at the idea before host Ernie Johnson suggested the pair have a slap fight instead.

Barkley appeared to love the suggestion, jokingly telling White to 'book' it.

Power Slap proven to be immensely popular thanks to its brutal KOs
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Power Slap proven to be immensely popular thanks to its brutal KOsCredit: Power Slap/Rumble
Barkley and Shaq discussed a possible Power Slap fight last NBA season
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Barkley and Shaq discussed a possible Power Slap fight last NBA seasonCredit: X@danawhite

“Dana White, me and Shaq in a Power Slap match…Book it. Pay-per-view….I get to go first? I’m gonna knock your a** out”, a confident Barkley warned O'Neal.

During another segment, Barkley once again brought up another potential Power Slap match with Shaq.

“As long as I get to go first, you’re soft, once I hit you, you’re going to drop like a sack of potatoes”, he said.

The wager eventually made its way to White, who humourously entertained the idea.

He even offered to stage it on Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas, but ultimately it didn't come to fruition.

Some fans are still eager to see it go down, although most think the 7-foot-1-inch Shaq would seriously hurt the 6-foot-4-inch Barkley.

"A slap from Shaq would put Chuck in the hospital," remarked one fan.

"Bro Shaq would have Barkley stumbling," joked another.

"Someone’s going home with CTE," added a third.

The smart money would definitely be on O'Neal in any potential fight, but Barkley does have his very own security in his fists, after all.

The future of Inside the NBA currently hangs in the balance after the Wall Street Journal reported last month that the NBA is closing in on a huge $76billion TV deal with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC.

According to the report, the league is closing in on multi-billion-dollar decade-long packages that would leave TNT on the outside looking in.

NBC is set to pay $2.5billion per year to broadcast the league's games, securing the rights that TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, previously owned.

With no NBA package, Inside the NBA would therefore become a thing of the past, at least in its current iteration.

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However, the show was offered a feint glimmer of hope recently when it emerged that the NBA are still open to negotiations with TNT.

"We're all still talking. Who knows how it's going to work out?" NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

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