If you’re able to, please take a journey back in time with me. All the way back to last fall, when AJ Styles and Seth Rollins were engaged in a battle to see who would fight Shawn Michaels in a hypothetical Royal Rumble match that never had a chance of taking place. That didn’t stop wrestling fans from getting all lathered up about the potential of a Styles/HBK instant classic.
During a recent appearance on the Sam Roberts podcast, Michaels dropped an absolute bombshell: he was actually offered a WrestleMania match against Styles … and he turned it down. (Transcript via Sports Illustrated.)
“I guess I’m breaking something with you and I don’t even know if I should, but I could have had that match,” Michaels said. “They didn’t have an opponent for AJ at WrestleMania. I said that I hadn’t been asked because I hadn’t — but then I was.
“I said, I wish that young man was here 10 years ago, man. I honestly do. I think he’s very talented.”
Huh, that’s weird. I thought I heard … hm. It sounded like a bunch of wrestling fans just wailed in agony all at once. Crazy!
Well, on one hand, this match being an actual possibility that Michaels shot down is a bummer, but on the other hand … leave the memories alone, you know? Shawn has said multiple times that he isn’t keen on the idea of coming back, and everything would have to sort of line up perfectly. It sounds like the offer to Shawn may have been sort of last-minute, which is completely counter to what Michaels has outlined before would be the right circumstances.
Regardless, I will leave you a moment of quiet time to deal with this news however you choose to. The Road to WrestleMania!
