Following Cody Rhodes and TNT Champion Darby Allin defeating Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks in a tag team match, a brawl took place that saw Team Taz (Brian Cage, Taz, Starks & Hobbs) beating down Arn Anderson, Cody and Darby. As the beatdown continued, the lights went out in Daily’s Place and coming from the backstage area was WWE Hall Of Famer and former 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting.
Sting ran off Team Taz and then approached Arn, Cody and Darby and stared each of them down before he exited camera’s view. Following Sting’s appearance, it was announced that he has signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling and he’ll be appearing on next week’s Dynamite as well.
Back in May of this year, it was reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet that Sting was no longer under contract to WWE. Sting last appeared on WWE programming in February of 2019 for Ric Flair’s birthday celebration.
Several months ago, WWE stopped selling Sting’s merchandise and fast-forward to present day, the Hall Of Famer is signed to All Elite Wrestling.
I think so far, AEW has done a very good job of utilizing legends. I could see him getting in the ring in a tag match, or something, like DDP did last year. The last thing I’m sure we will see is a singles Sting run.
I agree with the first part. As for a tag match, I don’t really want to see it. After what happened vs Rollins, I just dont want to see him get hurt (same way I feel about Taker). Now, if they have him just do a hot tag and that its, no bumps, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.
Not sure what Sting can offer right now to be honest. Obviously he has name value but he’s not gonna offer much in the ring and his gimmick doesn’t really work as a manager in my opinion. He’ll interest people for a few weeks because of nostalgia but he won’t do much that pays off in my opinion.
Bring in a bit of star power (name value as you say), try to put over at least one or two young guys (like he tried to do for AJ & Abyss in Impact, & Seth to some extent in The Fed), and be a team player,
No downside to this move at all…Now if he were someone with the reputation of a Hogan or a Bischoff or a Russo, THEN I think there would be a problem, but Sting can only help your locker room.
All I can say is that I popped HUGE, scared my cats and alerted my neighbors. A really, really pleasant surprise and a historical moment for AEW for sure.
He’ll pay enough for the holidays.
Edit: Forgot to mention - with all this snow and icicles on the screen, my initial thought was “Are they bringing back Glacier???”
Felt so happy for Tony! He seemed genuinely nostalgic and excited, and sounded as though he as tearing up at one point. I’m sure it’s quite a feeling for some of these guys to have their entire lives and careers come full circle like this.
Hey Nate…I agree with most of what you are saying, except the “no down side” part. After the Matt Hardy situation, AEW letting talent unfit to wrestle continue to wrestle is something that is hanging over them right now.
If Sting gets hurt in the ring and seriously injures himself (something related to the Rollins injury) I think they would look horrible. Even this board couldn’t justify their treatment of Matt Hardy during that match.
It’s okay. They already aligned him with Cody, so that should prevent a repeat.
While I’ve been a little non-plussed about some of the safety care AEW has had, I think the Hardy situation and the Sting situation are two different things. They just came up with a stupid stunt and an even stupider response to an injury. I doubt either one, though, would ever have an opportunity to occur in a Sting match.
I’m pretty worried about his neck as well and I think it’ll help if they do some media explaining why they think he can withstand a few matches. It seems like they’ve set up a Rhodes/Allin/Sting vs. Cage/Starks/Hobbs match, which with enough wrestlers involved should have enough smoke and mirrors where Sting barely has to be on the defensive at all in it and won’t take much bumps.
I also see no great reason why they shouldn’t treat him exactly how WWE treats Goldberg at this point - have him go up against some good, young talkers in a build up, but ultimately let Sting beat them quickly and with ease to prevent him from looking old. These guys will get just as much out of being in the same ring as Sting as they would having another 20-minute match. And at the end of the day, it’s easy to transfer that potential energy over to one burgeoning star you can have beat him in similar fashion.
It’s not ideal when they’re getting him, but this is perhaps the most mainstream American wrestling star they’ve brought in outside of Jericho and there’s very little downside in treating him as such. They’ve built up enough of an identity with everyone else that no one is going to see this as WCW or TNA bringing in aging stars, but when you do this just once, it definitely gives AEW a different kind of buzz that any young company could use.
I hear you, & the Matt situation was definitely scary, but there is a difference between an aging but still active performer maybe doing too much & the company failing to protect him, and a legend coming in with pre-existing conditions. I think they’re going to go out of their way to protect Sting.
He might get physical in some angles & do 1 or 2 tag matches year, but I see them viewing Sting as almost like an ambassador for AEW . I could also see him being used as their Jack Tunney…Like the authority figure that only shows up for big announcements.
