WWE News: AJ Styles Wants To Wrestle Shawn Michaels

Former TNA and IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles has already participated in one dream feud since coming to WWE, which was with Chris Jericho. Of course, the feud, which saw Jericho winning their final one-on-one match at WrestleMania 32, didn’t end the way most fans thought it should. But the result of Styles’ WrestleMania debut hasn’t hurt him one bit.

“The Phenomenal One” is currently chasing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, as he’s set to have his second match with Roman Reigns at WWE Extreme Rules later this month. Winning the WWE World Title would be a dream come true for Styles. But there’s something else that Styles wants almost as badly as he wants to be the WWE Champ, and that’s a one-on-one match with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

Earlier this week, Styles was interviewed on ESPN’s SportsCenter by former WWE commentator Jonathan Coachman, and he elaborated on why he wants to go one-on-one with the “Heartbreak Kid.”

“Shawn Michaels made everything mean something, whether it was a punch, a slam, a kick… Whatever he did, it meant something. Even if he didn’t do anything crazy, you always walked away thinking ‘wow, what a great match!’ It’s because he did all the little things that mattered, that made it a great match. That’s what I admire about Shawn Michaels – that’s someone I want to be like.”

Coachman then asked Styles if he thinks Michaels will ever come out of retirement to wrestle him, and “The Phenomenal One” said that he’s pretty sure that “HBK” will stay retired. But he knows that Michaels would still be incredible if he ever decided to step inside the ring again.

Styles isn’t the first current WWE star who wants to have a one-on-one showdown with Shawn Michaels, as guys like Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, and Dolph Ziggler have all named “The Showstopper” as their dream opponent.

During his one-year run in New Japan Pro Wrestling, AJ Styles drew a lot of comparisons to Shawn Michaels, as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle, and many other pro wrestling legends said that Styles reminded them of Michaels. So, if “Mr. WrestleMania” ever decided to come out of retirement, a match-up with “The Phenomenal One” would be a no-brainer.

Michaels seems content with staying retired, mostly because he feels like there’s no way that he can top what he did with The Undertaker in his final match.

Back in 2014, many believed that Michaels was going to come out of retirement to face his former student Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30. It seemed like the perfect time and place for that match, but it ultimately didn’t happen. So, if “HBK” didn’t want to come back to face his protégé, it’s unlikely that he’ll want to come back to face someone whom he has no connection with.

We’re a little under a year away from next year’s WrestleMania 33, so it’s impossible to tell what WWE’s plans are for AJ Styles at that event. But they’re probably planning something big for him.

Styles said before this year’s WrestleMania 32 that he would love to get in the ring with both John Cena and Randy Orton. So, one of those two men could end up being Styles’ opponent next year in Orlando.

“The Phenomenal One” also said that he’d like to get in the ring with Cesaro or Seth Rollins at some point. So, those are two more possible opponents for AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33.

For now, Styles is in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture, and there’s a chance that he could turn heel at Extreme Rules.

[Image via WWE]