Even though Shawn Michaels broke his vow to stay retired at last year’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia, it was a one-off situation. The WWE Hall of Famer doesn’t seem interested in reprising his role as an in-ring performer, no matter how much fans want to see him compete in one more match.
There are plenty of dream matches that fans have in mind for the Heartbreak Kid, should he ever decide to change his mind. Perhaps more than any other, however, the WWE Universe wants to see him go toe-to-toe with AJ Styles, who’s arguably the most talented in-ring performer in the company.
Styles is also very open to the idea, but it’s probably never going to happen. In a recent interview with WWE Now , he revealed that he pitched the idea to the Hall of Famer, only to be rejected.
“I asked Shawn [about a match] and he said ‘No.’ That’s on Shawn, guys. I can’t do anything about that. I would love the opportunity to do that [match]. But I get where he’s coming from too. It’s one of those things where, if you say you’re gonna retire — now, granted, he had a match after his retirement, one [match] — but I understand not really wanting to do it. When I retire, I want to [stay] retired too.”
In the interview, Styles also acknowledged the comparisons made by fans between him and Michaels throughout the years. The current United States Champion believes that the similarities lie in their ability to have great matches with anyone, as opposed to being copycats.
There’s no denying that their respective styles would complement each other, though. Both performers are high-flyers with a tendency to steal the show. If they ever faced off, chances are they’d put on a classic and find each other easy to work with.
AJ Styles Asked Shawn Michaels For A Match, But Michaels Turned Him Down https://t.co/5hTOYUx6a2
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) August 15, 2019
A match against Styles would also give the Showstopper a chance to wash the bad taste of the Crown Jewel match out of his mouth. The legend has voiced his displeasure about his performance in the bout on WWE television, so perhaps he’ll come around to the idea of another match down the line if it feels right.
If HBK does stay retired, though, he’ll still be remembered as one of the all-time greats. The fact that the WWE Universe still wants to see him in action is a testament to his ability and the strong impression he made on fans during his prime.