Shawn Michaels revealed that WWE pitched him return matches with The Undertaker and AJ Styles.
The WWE Hall of Fame retired in 2010 after an incredible career in wrestling. He hung up his boots after losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, intending to stay retired forever.
While rumors of a match with stars like Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles were floated around, Shawn Michaels remained retired. That was, until 2018 when he returned for a one-off DX vs Brothers of Destruction match in Saudi Arabia.
Shawn Michaels spoke with Inside The Ropes about his potential return to wrestling. He revealed that the WWE had pitched him the idea of a comeback match against The Undertaker in around 2013 or 2014.
“It was probably about four or five years ago. And honestly, I don’t get into too much detail about it because I’m never sure how much we’re supposed to say about that.”
“But yeah, it was The Undertaker. It was me taking a step back and thinking, ‘Wow.’ Of course, when you really think about it, it’s one of those moments where you go, ‘Holy cow, that’s a pretty nifty twist on everything.’”
“It was so interesting, you know? That was the moment when my wife said, ‘Wow, you really are doing it.’ Even from the beginning, I think she was skeptical. She thought there was only going to be one more match. But now? I think she’s just started to get on board with the whole thing.”
Shawn Michaels On WWE Pitching A Match With AJ Styles
Shawn Michaels continued, denying that a match with Daniel Bryan was planned in 2013. However, he revealed WWE did offer him the chance to wrestle AJ Styles, which he turned down.
“From a company standpoint, all the other ones—those have never been real options. There was never anyone, not Daniel Bryan or anybody else, in all the years I’ve been retired, that the company seriously considered putting in that position.”
“For the most part, the company has always known, and I think I’ve made it clear, that I’m done. They certainly know that. Every year, they’re aware of what’s being floated out there and sure, offers are always on the table. It’s like, ‘Do you want to do it?’”
“I can comfortably say there’s always been a place there for me, just in case I wanted to insert myself into the mix. But in reality, the only times the WWE has formally asked me to come back were for The Undertaker and last year for AJ Styles. Those were the only times anyone officially brought it up.”
