With WWE's The Last Ride revealing what haunted the Undertaker as he tried to find the right match to retire on, it became clear he wanted the perfect opponent to go out with. It's why he was jealous of Shawn Michaels, someone he retired in brilliant back-to-back matches, and this search -- or his "chasing the dragon," as Triple H calls it -- kept him going back against guys like Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt.

This all changed when Undertaker caught A.J. Styles' eyes and Styles relentlessly pursued a match with the legend. But as the Phenomenal One set up a match against the Phenom, the nature of the bout had to be changed due to COVID-19. As Styles pushed for an epic finale, it became clear to the Dead Man that if this was to be his swan song, he'd need the Unholy Trinity to make the Boneyard Match something to remember.

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Styles listened to Undertaker on Stone Cold's Broken Skull Sessions, where he said he wanted to go out on his own terms despite some bad matches. It didn't matter if it was a botched affair against Reigns or if he almost got his neck broken against Goldberg, 'Taker wanted to be able to dictate his own exit. Styles called him up, as they're both fans of each other, and planted the seeds of the match. He even got their wives involved as they're close friends, all so Styles could be in Undertaker's potentially final match.

'Taker agreed after Michelle McCool egged on her husband, because they all knew Styles is one of the best working today and because he reminded 'Taker of HBK. But as Styles began cutting promos, he made sure his words cut deep, reminding 'Taker he was old, washed-up and his wife was the one running the show. Styles said he'd ensure Undertaker would rest in peace because the Dead Man was no more; all that was left was the shell of Mark Calaway.

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The mic work was so good that even Michelle got angry, texting Styles' wife about how much she hated his words -- in other words, Styles was selling the fight brilliantly. When COVID-19 changed things and the Boneyard Match was conceptualized, Undertaker knew he needed to bring different elements to this cinematic production. He wanted the theatrical fight to have not just one or two dimensions -- it needed the man (Calaway), the myth (American Badass) and the legend (Undertaker) to make it unique and classic match.

Undertaker said that because Styles crossed those personal lines, he had to bring this Unholy Trinity out in the brawl because he was fighting for his family. He knew it'd add intrigue to the brawl, giving us the Badass we haven't seen in years, while also ensuring the match wouldn't be stale and would provide a unique response after all these insults.

'Taker simply wanted to show fans he could still evolve while honoring the nostalgic characters WWE crafted. He'd merge these three characters to create the ultimate Undertaker -- one who didn't just punish the O.C., but buried Styles and raised his fist with the Phenom's symbol lit. As the flames emerged and he rode off on his bike, it was clear Styles brought out the best in him: the devil, the judge, the jury and of course, the executioner.

Undertaker also wanted to pay homage to Styles as well, so that their scrap would feel nostalgic but also fresh. The Phenomenal One deserved something that exceeded his usual highlight reel, and the Undertaker wanted to put over an opponent he respected even as he was (literally) burying him. And based on the reception, fans clearly saw the amazing storytelling and realized that Styles played a major part in inviting this new form of hell to emerge from Calaway's demonic arsenal.

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