WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has explained why he was apprehensive about facing AJ Styles in his final match and what ultimately changed his mind.
WWE legend The Undertaker has discussed why he was skeptical about facing AJ Styles in his final match.
The Undertaker, in his conversation with Styles on "Six Feet Under," salivated at the thought of Styles going up against Shawn Michaels and called it a dream match, which led to Styles revealing that he tried to make that match become a reality. When he realized that "The Heartbreak Kid" wasn't keen on getting back in the ring, he then tried to convince 'Taker to face him, who initially wasn't interested in facing Styles. The Undertaker explained that the apprehension came from him not wanting to disappoint Styles or WWE with his performance in the ring.
"You [Styles] called me, and it's like, 'Hey, I was watching that. It sounded like maybe you're not done yet.' And that kind of led into a phone call from Vince. And it's just like, now it's starting to snowball. And I had to really think about it from where I was in my career. I really had to, because I didn't want be a disservice to you either, because you're in your prime. And I am at that point, I'm struggling from a match-to-match basis to be on and to be healthy. So that was the biggest thing that I — because I didn't wanna let you down. I didn't wanna let them down in a sense of, man, I don't wanna do this. And then, you know, I don't wanna sh*t the bed here and it'd be bad," said The Undertaker.
He took a few weeks to figure out whether he could get back in the ring and if he was physically capable of it.
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Why Undertaker changed his mind and faced Styles
The Undertaker said that he changed his mind and agreed to face AJ Styles after realizing how this was a rare opportunity to face someone he had admired for a long time.
"Ultimately, I just figured in my head like, 'Dude, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's somebody that I've always wanted to work.' Even back before we had met each other, when you were still with TNA, I was like, 'Man, this guy can go.' So it was just like, dude, it's one night. It's one match one night, what a way. If that's gonna be the last one, what a way to go out," recalled The Undertaker.
"The Phenom," though, didn't give Styles the good news right away, as he and Vince McMahon played a prank on him, informing him that he was going to wrestle at 'Mania, but that it wouldn't be against him. Eventually, the cat was out of the bag, and 'Taker began preparing for his last fight, comparing his preparation to a boxer going into camp ahead of a big bout. Undertaker's wife, Michelle McCool, also played a part in trying to convince him to have one final match, and that too against Styles, by telling him that there was nobody better for him to have his farewell match.
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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.
Category: General Sports
