WWE: Shawn Michaels Reveals His Surprising Dream Opponent

01/20/2017 12:31 am EST

Shawn Michaels is regarded as one of the best to ever set foot in a WWE ring, so if the Heartbreak Kid pegs someone as a dream opponent, it's worthy of attention.

Some might think current superstars like Seth Rollins, The Miz, Finn Balor, or AJ Styles would be in that stellar company, but Michaels has someone different in mind, and they're not even on the main roster yet. In an interview with ESPN (via IWNerd), Michaels mentioned a current NXT standout, one he holds in high regard.

"I look at Samoa Joe and I've told him a number of times that I see his stuff at NXT and think to myself, 'Man, I could have a great deal of fun with you'. He's a guy I have sort of enjoyed, and one of those sleeper guys that no one talks about"

Samoa Joe and Shawn Michaels might not seem like the most cohesive fit to you styles wise, but that's part of what Michaels likes about the matchup. "We have contrasting styles. I get that everybody wants to see me and AJ or Seth or Dolph [Ziggler]. From my standpoint, I think really telling a great story out there [is most important]. I could do it with a guy like Samoa Joe. His stuff looks really good, and sometimes he just looks like he's beating the tar out of somebody"

As for Joe, he's already responded to Michaels comments, and he's all in.

MORE WWE: Chris Jericho Savagely Burns Rusev On Twitter Again / Kurt Angle Headed To The Hall Of Fame /If WWE Stars Came Out To Real Songs / Get Ready To See A Lot More Of Brock Lesnar / Eric Bischoff Explains Why Goldberg's WCW Streak Came To An End /New Wrestlemania Opponent For AJ Styles / What Happened To The Brahma Bull Belt? / Is Thuganomics John Cena Making A Comeback? / Roman Reigns Is Winning The Universal Championship / Randy Orton Throws A Jab At UFC's Conor McGregor / Enzo Amore Posts Childhood Photo With Shawn Michaels / Top 5 Wrestlemania Opponents For The Undertaker / Why Dolph Ziggler Hates John Cena ... For Real

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.