Triple H Turned Down Massive WrestleMania 37 Match With Top Star

Triple H turned down the chance to face AJ Styles at this year's WrestleMania 37 PPV, according to the conference call the founder of NXT held for TakeOver: Stand and Deliver yesterday.

Revealing his reasons for side-stepping a match with 'The Phenomenal One' on the Grandest Stage of Them All, Triple H confessed that, even though he'd been repeatedly asked by the former WWE Champion, he simply didn't have the bandwidth to combine preparing for a 'Mania match with the rest of his current responsibilities. He also noted that getting into shape for this sort of match becomes harder with age:

“I’ve said this before, but getting ready for WrestleMania is a different thing, and the older you get, the harder it gets. Doing this once a year or once every couple of years, especially now, is not an easy task. You try to stay in the best shape you can, but that’s not ‘WrestleMania shape’ and it’s a different thing. When he first came to me, I said, ‘AJ, I’m not going to tell you no. Personally, I’d love to work with you and at this point, you can carry me to something.’ So, I’d love it.”

“The personal side of it, the performer side of it, I would love nothing more, but the reality is—I’m not going to have the bandwidth or availability schedule-wise to be able to pull that off. He would come to me every week or every other week when I would see him and say, ‘How’s that bandwidth coming? You going to be able to make this happen?’ I’d say I’m not, but I’m flattered by that—I really am—and I’m humbled by it. I wish I had the bandwidth to do it, and I’m not saying I won’t be able to do it in the coming year, if it’s right and everyone believes it should be done.”

'The Game' also noted how his old mentor Ric Flair constantly pesters him to dust off his wrestling boots and return for a 'retirement match' to get closure on his in-ring career.

Away from a potential match with Styles, Triple H also stated that the upcoming TakeOver: Stand and Deliver event was the biggest in NXT history, and how he was proud of what NXT achieved on Wednesday nights before their move to Tuesday, calling the entire a run a successful one.

Judging from 'The King of King's comments, it seemingly looks as though he has his eyes on a 'Phenomenal' last hurrah when it does come time to call it quits in-between the ropes.