AJ Styles Explains How He Tried to Get Undertaker to Wrestle One More Match

The Undertaker announced his retirement from pro wrestling during the Summer of 2020 at the end of his documentary series The Last Ride, meaning that his cinematic Boneyard Match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 was the last bout of his legendary career. Undertaker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last Friday, while Styles took on Edge on Sunday night at WrestleMania 38. It turns out that Styles tried and failed to get “The Deadman” to compete in one more match against him, as he explained in an interview with Wrestling Inc. over the weekend. 

“I think we all knew that once the Boneyard match got the reaction that it did, that might be it,” Styles said. “I called, and he didn’t return my calls. Because he knew, ‘hey, he’s going to convince me to have another match.’”

Styles also admitted that he wishes the last match was in a proper ring in front of a crowd — “Of course, of course, I do. I mean, I had all these ideas and stuff that we never got to do, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Undertaker has stated in numerous interviews since his retirement that he feels he could wrestle again from a mental standpoint. However, he admits that his body can’t physically keep up with the level fans would be expecting out of a match from him. 

“I think it’s always in my head and in my heart, especially getting ready for WrestleMania here at AT&T Stadium it’s just like … man,” he explained in an interview with Dallas Morning News last November. “But it’s just at a point where physically, I can’t perform at a level,” Undertaker said. “I mean, I could go out and walk through something and I could get through a match. But I can’t give people what they expect at this point. When you see Undertaker, you pay money to see that guy wrestle. I can’t deliver physically on what people’s expectations are. … The passion is obviously still there. I think that will always be there. It’s just the physical side of it. … My time has come, my time has gone. This is the WWE and things happen, you never know. But I know that my time has passed and it’s time for these young guys to step up and take over and lead us to where we’re going.”