AJ Styles Claims He Didn't Know The Undertaker's WWE Retirement Plans
That's not why he made his pitch for WrestleMania 36...
AJ Styles has told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated that he didn't actually know The Undertaker planned to retire for good when he pitched working with him at WrestleMania 36.
That was only something AJ learned later on when he called 'Taker to discuss the chances of a program. In the final episode of 'Last Ride', Styles revealed that he elected against pitching the match to Vince first, pointing out that McMahon's thoughts wouldn't matter if Mark Calaway wasn't interested.
Obviously, AJ was aware that 'The Deadman' wasn't going to go on forever, and he knew time wasn't on his side if he wanted to work him, but he didn't have a clue that formal retirement was looming. Styles also didn't know that 'Taker had made peace with Extreme Rules 2019 possibly being his last match.
AJ just wanted to work with a legend he'd always admired, and was ballsy enough to make it happen.
He asked 'Taker to at least "have a think" about what magic they could produce at 'Mania. That got the icon motivated enough to start training again and put in one last performance.
If, indeed, it was the last.