10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (July 28)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. AJ Styles Felt Money Would Convince Shawn Michaels To Return

shawn michaels aj styles
WWE.com

Wrestling fans worldwide started having palpitations when rumours circulated that Shawn Michaels might return to face AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble earlier this year. AJ was one of those fans; having grown up watching HBK, Styles dreamed of someday stepping foot inside the ring against his idol. It wasn't meant to be.

On the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, AJ admitted his surprise that Shawn would turn down the opportunity. It wasn't a case of Styles believing Michaels wanted to wrestle him specifically, the then-WWE Champion just thought money would talk in the end. Huge financial gain or not, the Hall Of Famer wasn't interested in wrestling again.

AJ's logic is sound. Turning millions down may have been difficult even for someone who has remained retired since 2010, but the negotiations never reached that point. Throughout, AJ maintained that WWE needed to press Shawn on how much money he could make more than who he'd be working with.

What other big wrestling facts did you learn this week? Let us know down in the comments section below!

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.