There have been rumours about AJ Styles facing off against the legendary Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels this coming January in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas – the hometown of Mr. Wrestlemania.
Also read: WWE Rumours: AJ Styles vs Shawn Michaels rumour killer
Many consider it a dream match, but the fact of the matter is, HBK has been retired for over six and a half years and has kept his word on being retired since.
Jim Ross made some comments about the rumour and on whether the match could happen:
“The odds of Shawn Michaels wrestling at the Royal Rumble vs AJ Styles is a definite long shot as HBK has stressed to me on multiple occasions including the Ross Report podcast that he's done with in-ring activities in the wrestling biz.”
J.R., however, went on to point the possibility that Shawn would answer the call of duty if needed:
“Shawn is a 'company man' and if WWE really needed a main event that could move a large amount of tickets in San Antonio at the Alamo Dome, I think that HBK would consider the company's request. Without question, a Michaels vs Styles match in San Antonio at the Royal Rumble would be coveted by all involved if it were to occur.”
He then added his own view on the rumours:
“I'd realistically put the odds of this main event happening at less than 50-50 but I'd love to be wrong on this one.”
It is unsure how these rumours began, but they were fuelled substantially after AJ Styles retweeted the aforementioned poster with a cryptic message:
It is something people would definitely want to believe. The last time Shawn Michaels wrestled was in Wrestlemania XXVI against The Undertaker in the main event. Shawn Michaels, like fellow Texan Stone Cold Steve Austin, has kept his word on his retirement and has never returned to the ring since.
He did get a rightful Hall Of Fame place the next year after his retirement and has made a few on-screen appearances since. He most recently appeared with Stone Cold and now-Raw General Manager Mick Foley at Wrestlemania 32 in Dallas, where he and his two fellow Hall Of Famers took on The League Of Nations in a brawl.
There is no doubt, however, that an HBK return to the ring against AJ Styles, arguably the best in-ring performer in the world right now, would be a huge draw for the Royal Rumble in the Alamodome which is going to require over 66,000 seats to be filled.
It is quite likely that they will do something very special for the Rumble next year. Even if HBK does not wrestle, it is highly likely that he may appear in some form, whether it is in a non-wrestling role or in a Rumble match appearance. As Triple H said in a tweet - In the Royal Rumble match, you never know who may show up.
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