Shawn Michaels Says He Turned Down WrestleMania Match Against AJ Styles
— On the latest episode of The Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, Shawn Michaels revealed that WWE approached him about the possibility of having a match at WrestleMania against AJ Styles, but that he turned it down.
“I guess I’m breaking something with you and I don’t even know if I should, but I could have had that match. 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.”
— We reported on this last year here and here but the match obviously didn’t happen and WWE was forced to go in a different direction with Styles and have him feud and wrestle with Shane McMahon at the event instead.
— For what it’s worth, Michaels had also turned down a match with Daniel Bryan a few years back so it wasn’t really a surprise that he’s decided to stay retired.