For the first time ever, signs of Sting were popping up everywhere in WWE. Unfortunately, it came at a time when the then newly inducted WWE Hall of Famer, the Ultimate Warrior had passed away.
Steve Borden paid tribute to him in a WWE DVD that chronicled Warrior’s life. He also appeared in vignettes for WWE 2K15, WWE’s annual video game. On WWEshop.com, Sting t-shirts were sold out. Most telling of all, Sting gave a feature interview to WWE.com.
Undoubtedly, the Icon had arrived. Who would challenge Sting first? Would Sting go after WWE Champion John Cena, Chris Jericho, Triple H, or Bray Wyatt?
Would fans finally get the match everyone wanted 15 years ago, Undertaker vs Sting at Wrestlemania? The rumors circulated as to who would get stung first.
All questions were answered on November 23, 2014, at Survivor Series. Triple H and the authority had been ruling WWE with an iron fist. Triple H was a bully. He and the Authority fired Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and Luke Harper.
Sting did not like bullies. In the main event, the Icon appeared, and the scorpion deathdropped the Game.
Sting vs Triple H
As revenge for Survivor Series, The Authority put John Cena in a handicapped match against the Authority. If Cena won, Triple H would give them their jobs back.
Sting caused enough of a distraction that Cena pinned Seth Rollins, thus getting Ziggler and company rehired. Triple H was angry and demanded a confrontation with Sting. Sting accepted but sent a look-alike to play mind games with The Game.
Even more angry Triple H demanded Sting show up at WWE Fastlane on February 22 for a real face-to-face confrontation. At Fastlane, the real Sting did show. As he stared down the Cerebral Assassin, Sting pointed to the WrestleMania sign with his baseball bat.
It was official Triple H vs Sting at WrestleMania 31. The match was a nostalgic fans dream. Both stars gave their all.
In the end, both DX and the nWo attempted to get involved. When the smoke cleared, Triple H surprisingly defeated Sting. The two legends shook hands as both factions celebrated
Night of Champions
On August 24, 2015, Sting returned to RAW and challenged Seth Rollins for the Championship at Night of Champions. That same night, Sting defeated Big Show.
After the match, Rollins attacked Sting. Night of Champions would be the last time Sting would wrestle in a WWE ring. After a bucklebomb by Rollins, Sting was injured.
Unfortunately, as far as the WWE is concerned, Sting was done. We never got the classics we should have. We never got Sting holding a WWE Championship. We never got Undertaker vs Sting at WrestleMania.
In 2016 Sting went into the WWE Hall of Fame. He was on Legends with JBL on the WWE Network. He said he felt completely normal and was not having spinal issues. Sting made a few more appearances for WWE.
He talked about his match with Undertaker as unfinished business. He also made an appearance at the RAW celebration for Ric Flairs’ 70th Birthday.
After May 2020, Sting was no longer under a WWE Contract. In an interview with Chris Van Vilet, Sting explained why he left WWE.
“I was very clear publicly, and I was very clear with WWE, as well. I wanted my last hurrah against Taker. For whatever reason, it just never materialized.
To this day, I don’t know why. Maybe Taker never wanted to work with me. I have no idea. I mean, I’ve had good conversations with Taker, and we’ve always got along.
I don’t know why the match never happened, but it should have happened.
Because it wasn’t going to happen, and I knew it, and that wasn’t the only reason why I left WWE, but it’s one of the reasons why I left. I wanted that one last match…
– Sting
Sting is All Elite
In 2019 a new company under the leadership of Tony Kahn was emerging, and All Elite Wrestling began to look like a threat to the WWE.
WWE had missed the mark so many times fans ran away from sports entertainment and back to wrestling.
On Dec 2, 2020, Sting arrived in AEW. Unlike WWE, AEW seemed like a better fit for Sting as several WCW colleagues were there. Right away, he received a hero’s welcome.
AEW was also broadcast on TNT which was where Nitro was always on. At AEW Winter is Coming telecast, The Icon made his presence felt.
He saved Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin from a beatdown. Cody was, of course, the son of Sting’s mentor, the late Dusty Rhodes.
Darby Allin idolized Sting since he was a kid. Now, he was living his dream in the ring with the stinger himself.
“Honestly, with him, what I like the most is what you don’t see on the cameras. The fact that he’s the most humble, chill, giving, caring guy there is” ….
– Darby Alin
Teaming with Darby Alin
Sting’s first match in AEW was teaming with Darby Alin vs Team Taz in a street fight. This was Sting’s first match since Night of Champions. Sting and Allin won.
Sting continued teaming with Alin. At first, he only wanted to do cinematic matches, but Darby convinced him to do live matches.
On May 30, 2021, The duo defeated Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page at Aews Double or Nothing. They also went on to victories over the Acclaimed and 2-point.
When CM Punk arrived at AEW, Sting teamed with Punk and Alin against the Pinnacle. Crowds everywhere were letting Sting know that at 64 years old, he still had it.
He was the king of tag teams and 6-man tag matches. When Edge arrived in AEW it was Sting, Edge, and Darby Alin as an unstoppable team.
Edge even had his face painted to pay homage to Sting. When the House of Black attacked Sting, The Great Muta shockingly made the save.
In the summer of 2023, Sting and Allin feuded with the Mongol Embassy. AR Fox, Darby Allin’s best friend, attacked him and joined Alin’s arch-enemy, Swerve Strickland.
Strickland was planning on attacking Fox. Allin and Sting saved Fox from that attack. After that, Allin and Fox reconciled.
Sting also wrestled as his Joker Persona in AEW against Christian Cage and Strickland. Sting and Allin began a feud with Christian and Luchasaurus.
During a match, the two tried to injure Sting but were stopped by the debut of Christian’s brother from another mother, Adam Copeland.
THANK YOU STING
On October 18, 2023, Sting announced his retirement permanently from professional wrestling. Ric Flair made a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite to let Sting know that he will be in his corner at his last match.
On February 7, 2024, Sting and Darby Alin became AEW Tag Team Champions by defeating Ricky Starks and Big Bill. This is Sting’s first championship since 2011. After winning the titles, the Young Bucks attacked Sting and Alin.
They were now the official opponents for Sting’s last match. On March 3, 2024, at AEW Revolution Sting and Darby Alin will defend the titles against the Young Bucks.
In Greenville, South Carolina, the spotlight on Sting shines one last time. The Man, The Icon, The Legend. This is Sting. Showtime is officially over, folks. Thank you, Sting.
