Just keep in mind, to access the lower price, you’ll need to use a VPN, use a country like the UK or Australia - sign up to AEW+. Then while your region is changed, go to the PPV and order.
Actually, you can check the price without signing up to AEW+ in one of those regions and see if it’s still cheaper.
And then, on the same account, login on your TV (without the VPN), and it will show up as purchased, and you can watch it.
If you want access to weekly TV, then the VPN and AEW+ are needed. Not for the PPVs.
As someone who a) has no Sting nostalgia from his youth and b) has been lukewarm on the builds to a lot of AEW PPVs (even if the shows themselves effectively always deliver), this has been a great build to what should be a fantastic send off.
Sting is the NWA/WCW star that highlights the difference between WCW and WWF before the Monday Night Wars. Both were national wrestling companies who were barely even competitors in the US wrestling landscape. But WWF was so far ahead of everybody else in the national mainstream. Has nothing to do with the quality of product or anything like that, but it was the business philosophy that clearly made better sense as far as the company is longevity.
There is no good reason* why Sting wasn’t as big as Hulk Hogan, except that Sting was marketed like a professional wrestler and Hulk Hogan was marketed like a superhero. Sting wasn’t even the most famous celebrity named Sting, for that matter.
(Are we far enough off the rails yet? Hope everybody enjoys the pay-per-view on Sunday.)
**** Edit: I shouldn’t have said “as big” here, Hogan was a lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon.***
Kind of have to disagree here. both Bret and Shawn are huge influences in terms of their style on modern talent. Look at FTR and Adam Cole for instance
Sting is like the ultimate warrior – he’s got a cool look but he’s a bodybuilder without really a ton of enduring talent. He was definitely over, especially as the crow, but that mean event run dwindle that he went to TNA, which barely counts as a company. At least, in terms of someone being a main eventer.
He’s definitely got longevity. AEW run has been good.
It’s like saying can you Omega is on the level of Roman reigns. It’s not really ever going to happen because like it or not unless you have someone in the biggest company in the world it’s hard to call yourself on the same level as those people in terms of star power .
I think while stylistically he didn’t have the impact as Bret or Shawn - its undeniable - he still had a sustained run at the top of NWA / WCW.
I think the Warrior comparison is more comparable to a Goldberg.
Okay how about this - taking away the giant machine behind him that is WWE - but what about this comparison. Sting from 1987 to 2001, I would say us comparable to Cena’s run from 2002 through the end of his full-timer status of 2018/2019 ish.
I think style and look there are obvious comparisons between the two. I’d also say that in terms of consistent near the top of the card runs, and main event mix, they’re fair comparisons. Much like Cena mixed it up with all sorts of talent and all shapes and sizes, Sting did the same. Flair, Vader, Foley, Hogan, Lugar, Steiner Bros, Jarrett, Savage, Sid, Hall, Nash, Arn Anderson, Giant, etc.
Box office is hard to argue due to the eras they were a part of - but Sting was a part of his fair share of big shows and huge ratings.
And all this is throwing out TNA and AEW runs for him.
I think the Cena example is fair –at points he was a huge star.
But for instance, Sting isn’t even in the wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. And he may get in someday but he’s not in right now which is I guess a bit surprising if you think he’s on the same level as Bret or Shawn, who probably got in the second they were able to.
In terms of star power and closest comparison to me, it’s probably on the par of someone like Undertaker (without the same level of popularity bc of the WWE machine). But like you don’t hear people talk about the undertaker in terms of influencing their style. Like I think his impact is more as a character than as an in real talent, and I think Sting is exactly the same.
I thought Sting was cool as a kid but I don’t really have a match or moment that sticks out to me.
I unfortunately came to greatly dislike Sting in his late TNA days, I thought joker Sting was just too much, and his matches weren’t really hitting me like I figured a main eventer should.
I was definitely hard on him when he was starting to make some noise for an Undertaker match when his TNA time was winding down, thinking, dude, Undertaker’s having these all time classics while you’re huffing and puffing for 9 minutes at a time, where do you think you fit into his schedule?
In AEW, Sting has really turned me around, and made me wish I’d been easier on him throughout the years and appreciate him more as a vibe than as a wrestler. Here’s a completely unselfish dude who had a great storied ride in wrestling with such minimal bullshit throughout. He could have at any time rode the money train in WWE for little work and would have gotten on just fine but despite my opinion of his wrestling quality he really gave TNA everything with a smile on his face.
I’m super excited for this PPV even without factoring in the retirement match. One of the best built shows they’ve had. I’m ready to cry for Sting.
I always thought the Sting/Taker comparison was a bit forced. Yes, there are parallels as far as being the guy who never(ish) worked for the other side, plus the mysterious/supernatural stuff. But nothing that makes me think a match between the two would’ve been anything special.
I was saying the same thing when Sting finally hit WWE. I actually thought Triple H was the perfect choice of opponent for him; as a guy who could tell a story with Sting without much physical demand. They obviously got weird with it and the whole thing just proved Sting’s apprehension about WWE correct.
I remember feeling so bad for Sting standing there at Wrestlemania while Triple H had his eternity long million dollar entrance complete with endorsement from Arnold Schwarzenegger…
It was always such a weird idea that this was some big dream match.
Yes, Sting had some darker-ish character traits in his later years - but I never thought of them as similar characters at all.
The idea we were “robbed” of this match or something is very silly. It would have likely been terrible, unless it was pure smoke and mirrors.
While I hated the Triple H match, and don’t know what would have been better - I really never thought a Taker match was anything besides misplaced nostalgia.
I cant remember if you were a LAW listener or not, but Jason Agnew (former host of the Law) would talk about that match ALL the time as his dream match.
People, at some point in the mid to late 2000’s decided that was the match.
Never during their prime runs in the 90’s. I remember it frequently being Sting vs. Bret being the big dream match. I recall one of the Apter mags doing a big article about the match and how it would go, etc.
I agree. Its similar to movie stars, if you take someone who stars in straight to DVD releases (if thats even still a thing lol) but is an amazing actor, they are never going to have the influence or impact on the industry like a Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Leo, etc. Not that WCW is equal to straight to DVD, but I’m sure everyone gets my point.
Now while I admit I am bias with Shawn/Bret being my #1 and #2 wrestlers of all time, at the end of the day, them wrestling for the machine that is/was WWF(E) is going to have more of an influence on the industry and fans then someone like Sting, and thats no disrespect towards Sting as the guy is a legend.
Ill be honest, I wanted to see it more then Sting vs Hunter and I did want to see that match, but I get your point. I think it was as simple as both characters had a “darkness” to them and were main eventers. At that time there were other acts that were “dark” but all the rest were mid carders for the most part.
When you break it down its a bit weak, but I think thats the reason.
It was the number 2 promotion for a long time and when there were rumours of them moving to the UK when is was red hot over here they could have also had some big crowds.
Sting has always been great in my opinion. Could I name 5 amazing matches….maybe not but his character work has been second to none.
I’m an 80s kid so characters in wrestling has also been my thing. They’re all so forced today but the Sting character has always stood out and even if he was just sitting in the rafters watching, I was invested.
