Published 11:37 IST, June 23rd 2020
The Undertaker initially turned down AJ Styles for WrestleMania 36 curtain call
On The Last Ride, Undertaker revealed that he was initially against the idea of facing AJ Styles. He later changed his mind which led to the classic match.
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The Undertaker's decision to hang up his boots after an illustrious 30-year-career was a major shock that came with the final episode of The Last Ride. 'The Deadman' cited a lack of desire to get back in the ring as the primary reason behind his decision. While Taker had been past his best for the past few years, his final match in WWE at WrestleMania 36 was arguably one of his best showings in recent years. The Boneyard Match against 'The Phenomenal' AJ Styles largely defied expectations and was widely hailed as the best match of the grand show.
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Undertaker opens up on facing AJ Styles
On the final episode of The Last Ride, Undertaker revealed that he was initially against the idea of facing AJ Styles. The five-part documentary was a mix of several on-screen moments, backstage interviews and Taker's views on some of the key moments in his career. Chapter 5 featured footage of Taker talking to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the latter's podcast. The Undertaker discussed with Stone Cold how the seeds for his WrestleMania match against AJ Styles were sown.
'The Phenom' said it was AJ Styles who approached him with the idea of a match between the two. While Taker was contemplating retirement after the success of his Extreme Rules 2019 match, Styles pitched the idea of a match between The Phenom and The Phenomenal One, which was immediately shot down by Undertaker. Taker revealed he would have loved facing Styles if was 10-15 years ago when he was in his prime. "Bro, honestly I’d have loved to work with you 10-15 years ago. We could have torn the place down. I don’t have any aspiration to get back in the ring," Undertaker said in The Last Ride.
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Taker gradually changed his mind about working with AJ Styles. He then made a surprise appearance at this year's WWE Super ShowDown squashing AJ Styles and winning the Tuwaiq trophy. On the following episode of RAW, Styles challenged Undertaker for a match at WrestleMania 36. The build-up for the match saw AJ Styles take frequent shots at Taker's personal life and his wife Michelle McCool. Taker also momentarily brought back his 'Biker Taker' gimmick to squash Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.
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This led to their Boneyard Match on Day 1 of WrestleMania 36. Undertaker won the match by burying AJ Styles. The cinematic nature of the bout was widely appreciated by the fans. From the intense storytelling to perfectly set-up characters, the match is widely regarded as the best match of WrestleMania 36. WWE was also applauded by experts and fans for pushing the envelope and ditching the traditional in-ring action in favour of an unusual off-site clash. With Taker's decision to retire from pro-wrestling, the match against Styles is arguably the perfect send-off for The Deadman.
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(Image Credits: WWE Official Website)
11:37 IST, June 23rd 2020