This week’s episode of AEW Rampage has come to a close and there was something extra for fans in attendance.
The June 17 Road Rager edition of Rampage was held inside the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The show featured Darby Allin vs. Bobby Fish, a TBS Championship match, Jon Moxley vs. Dante Martin, and more.
Once the show went off the air, Tony Khan made his way out and he introduced HOOK and Danhausen. Sting grabbed the mic and called himself “Stinghausen.”
Sting was still in the ring as he had made his return to close the show. He helped Darby Allin even the odds as Kyle O’Reilly tried helping Bobby Fish put Darby out of action.
Commentator Tony Schiavone was also in the ring and Sting had some fun with his good friend.
In the end, Tony Khan thanked the fans of St. Louis for attending Dynamite and Rampage.
The show, which is set to air on June 17, featured Jon Moxley vs. Dante Martin, Max Caster and The Gunn Club in action, a TBS Title match between champion Jade Cargill and Willow Nightingale, and Darby Allin vs. Bobby Fish.
It’s Sting!
(AEW)
Of course, Bobby Fish wasn’t alone on Rampage. He tried to get Kyle O’Reilly in on the action but a familiar face put a stop to that.
Sting made his return to even the odds for Darby. O’Reilly had put “The Icon” out of commission after placing his ankle through a chair and crushing it with a diving knee drop last month.
It’s clear that Sting is back for revenge.
I WAS SO CLOSE TO STING TONIGHT I COULDN’T STOP SCREAMING WHAT AN AMAZING NIGHT pic.twitter.com/81y1jr4sDO
Sting has been pulled from a scheduled meet and greet appearance in Las Vegas ahead of the Double Or Nothing PPV this Sunday.
The announcement was made by the company’s Twitter account. They noted that The Icon will miss the scheduled appearance because he ‘has not been cleared to travel’
“Due to injury last week, @Sting has not been cleared to travel & will unfortunately not be at this Saturday’s #AEWDoN Fan Fest Meet & Greets. For fans who purchased tickets to see #TheIcon, Watch your inbox for information on refunds”
Due to injury last week, @Sting has not been cleared to travel & will unfortunately not be at this Saturday’s #AEWDoN Fan Fest Meet & Greets. For fans who purchased tickets to see #TheIcon, Watch your inbox for information on refunds
Last week’s episode of Dynamite saw Sting receiving a beatdown from The Undisputed Elite. After a superkick from The Young Bucks, Kyle O’Reilly also smashed his ankle.
There is no word on the severity of the wrestling veteran’s injury. It’s unknown if the angle on Dynamite was designed to write him off of AEW programming for some time.
Sting made his AEW debut in December 2020. He aligned himself with Darby Allin and the two have been partners ever since.
The 63-year-old has since returned to the ring. He has wrestled 9 matches in 2 years, all of which he has won. Though neither Allin nor the former WCW champion is booked for a match at Double or Nothing this year.
Posted May 26th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
Sting has been on the top of the wrestling business for over 30 years. His advice is priceless for any young star who is looking to make it big into the industry. According to the Icon himself, what he tells young talents is to put effort into learning the ropes and spend time understanding the craft.
The wrestling veteran was asked what advice he would give to a young talent during the post Revolution media scrum. Replying to it, he mentioned how he has seen many loose cannons over the years, and his advice is to be quick to listen and slow to speak:
“Really, because I’ve seen so many loose cannons over the years, so many people that believe that they can break into the wrestling business easy if they just dye their hair or come up with some kind of crazy gimmick. I’ll tell them all pretty much the same thing [be] quick to listen, slow to speak.” said Sting, “You know, learn first. Keep your mouth shut. Just learn how to respect the business and everyone who came before you.
He continued, “Don’t ever dog it out there. Wrestling fans will look right through that. They know when someone’s just kind of going through the motions versus somebody who’s thinking about how their wrestling gear looks. What their physique looks like and they’re giving it their all in the ring and they’re putting it out there. They’re taking risks. Fans see that and they appreciate it.”
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Sting had a wild table spot during his match at AEW Revolution and he’s amped up.
Before the main event title match between champion “Hangman” Adam Page and Adam Cole took center stage, Sting teamed with Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara to take on Andrade El Idolo, Matt Hardy, and Isiah Kassidy.
Sting Takes Leap Of Faith
The six-man tag team match had some gnarly spots. One of them involved Sting, who dove off a mezzanine onto Andrade through three tables.
During the AEW Revolution post-event media conference, Sting described the rush he felt during the spot.
“Ah man, what was it like? That was probably the highest one I’ve ever done through tables like that. So, my heart was pumping pretty good but at the same time, the adrenaline was pumping. The crowd was going crazy and it becomes a little easier at that point. So, exciting. Exciting stuff.”
When asked if he would like to have more matches of that magnitude going forward, “The Icon” said he wouldn’t hesitate.
“That would be pretty awesome to me. I love to do something different from your standard wrestling match. So, I tend to like those types of matches.”
Sting, Darby, and Guevara ended up winning the match after Darby hit the Coffin Drop on Hardy.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
AEW broadcaster Jim Ross shared his thoughts on Sting’s relationship with Darby Allin.
Wrestling fans didn’t know what they would see from the WCW legend when he arrived in AEW on Dec. 2, 2020. At 61 years old, he signed a multi-year deal after initially retiring from wrestling due to a neck injury. His new employers decided to pair him with Darby Allin on Jan. 20, 2021, and make him an on-screen mentor.
Teaming with Allin, Sting has had a resurgence in his wrestling career. He made his in-ring debut for AEW with Allin defeating Team Taz’s Brian Cage and Ricky Starks at AEW Revolution on Mar. 8, 2021.
Since his in-ring debut, the company has had Sting and Allin team up against other groups like FTR and the Acclaimed. Ross on Grilling Jr. shared that Sting is also helping Allin and others behind the scenes.
“… He’s taken Darby under his wing. If nothing else on traveling and planning a match or whatever it may be, said Ross. He continued, “… He’s really a good mentor to the entire roster. He also added that AEW is blessed to have Sting on the roster.
The legend spoke to Sports Illustrated Justin Barrasso on Dec. 22, 2021, about rewriting the end of his wrestling career.
“Not many people get to rewrite their final chapter, not at this level,” Sting says. “I had great matches at the Greensboro Coliseum with Lex Luger, and now I get to do it with Darby and CM Punk against MJF and FTR. It’s a great way to end my career. The crowd their appreciation makes me want to tear up. It’s almost as if they don’t want to say goodbye.” (h/t Justin Barrasso)
Sting doesn’t seem ready to end his career anytime soon. Based on Ross’ comments, the company also wants the legend to continue helping mentor younger talent.
This week’s special Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite saw Sting team up with Darby Allin and CM Punk in the main event. They defeated the team of Maxwell Jacob Friedman and FTR of the Pinnacle.
Sting and Punk paid homage to one another with their face-paint and ring gear.
Ahead of this memorable bout, Sting spoke to Sports Illustrated and had glowing things to say about Punk.
“CM Punk, he’s truly amazing to me,” he began. “Hearing the crowd respond to him, it’s made me turn back the clock and think of all the different memorable reactions over the years to different wrestlers. I’ve especially been thinking about The Road Warriors. Animal was really big on that. He would say, ‘This guy got a huge pop, but it wasn’t a Road Warrior pop.’ That’s what Punk gets.”
Sting and CM Punk
Sting has wrestled alongside some of the biggest names in pro wrestling history. He’s worked with them all, yet still credits Punk for being a “remarkable” and “electrifying” performer.
“I had an idea of CM Punk’s greatness, but now I have experienced it,” Sting continued. “His appearances are so electrifying. He is remarkable, and I am grateful to have this opportunity to be in the ring with him and Darby as their tag team partner.”
Sting Retiring on His Terms
Sting also spoke about how fortunate he is to write this final chapter of his career on his terms.
“Not many people get to rewrite their final chapter, not at this level. I had great matches at the Greensboro Coliseum with Lex Luger, and now I get to do it with Darby and CM Punk against MJF and FTR. It’s a great way to end my career. The crowd, their appreciation makes me want to tear up. It’s almost as if they don’t want to say goodbye.”
Sting has a lot of great memories wrestling at the Greensboro Coliseum. Back in 1988, he wrestled NWA Champion Ric Flair to a 45-minute time-limit draw at the first-ever Clash of the Champions. That show went head-to-head with WWE’s WrestleMania IV.
AEW founder Tony Khan has reflected on the time he first pitched teaming up with Darby Allin to Sting.
Sting and Darby have been aligned since late 2020. Many believe the two are a perfect pairing and that Sting’s wealth of knowledge has been a great asset to Darby.
Speaking to Z100 New York, Khan looked back at the time he first told Sting about the idea of pairing him with Darby Allin.
“When he first talked to me, I said, ‘There’s a young kid, please look at him because I think you’d be so great together and it’d be such a great pairing.’ And now, in real life, they’re such close friends, and they’re such a big part of each other’s life. They have so much in common. They’re both these straightedge, gray-hearted people who do all this great work, charitable stuff for kids. Neither of them does drugs, drink, nothing, and they’re both completely straightedge, and they’re both just so cool and have so much in common. But they had never met, and bringing them together and now seeing what it’s become to people around the world, it’s one of my favorite things about wrestling.”
Since making his AEW debut, many have been surprised by Sting’s performances in the ring. After all, he suffered a scary injury in a match against Seth Rollins back in 2015 and it appeared his in-ring career was over. Sting has since had a few matches in AEW and most agree he’s looked better than he has in years.
Not bad for a 62-year-old.
As for Darby, he’s one of the bright young stars of AEW. He’s currently involved in a feud with another young star in MJF. The two are expected to clash at the Full Gear PPV on Nov. 13.
Former world champion Matt Hardy is getting to interact with a lot of new people in AEW and one of them is none other than the legendary Sting. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Post Wrestling. He talked about things such as Edge being cleared to compete by WWE and more.
During the talk, Hardy also detailed his first conversation with the Icon. Matt revealed that Sting praised their Stadium Stampede match and expressed the desire to work some cinematic matches himself:
“One of the first things Sting said after he was at AEW was, ‘I gotta tell you, they showed me the match you guys had, the Stadium Stampede. You know, when you went in the water and came out, you were a different gimmick. Like oh my God.’
He said that stuff was so great and he was just going into the whole thing.” recalled Matt Hardy, “He said, ‘You know, I’m think I’m gonna do some of those while I’m here’ but he said, ‘You know, I feel pretty good. I think I can do a couple regular ones too’ and I said, ‘Really?’”
Sting got his wish of participating in a cinematic match when he made his in-ring debut for AEW. He teamed up with Darby Allin to face Team Taz in a street fight at Revolution. He has since wrestled in a few live matches as well.
Apart from this, Hardy also discussed the difference between Tony Khan and Vince McMahon. He detailed an incident where Khan told the commentary team to use the word belt for a title, something which Mr. McMahon notoriously hates.
Sting will wrestle on TNT tonight for the first time in over 20 years. He’ll team with Darby Allin to take on the newly signed team of 2.0. During a recent interview with Metro UK, however, Allin was asked about a possible dream match pitting him and Sting against Andrade and Ric Flair.
“Yeah, that’d be fun! Anything is possible, I feel,” Allin said about the possible dream match. “You’ve just gotta be patient and see what goes down, and where the wind takes you.”
Flair accompanied Andrade El Idolo to the ring for his match against Kenny Omega at TripleMania. Not only that, Flair got physically involved in the match. He delivered chops to both Omega and Konnan. Flair and Andrade also gave Omega and Konnan figure four leglocks simultaneously.
Allin also spoke about his relationship with Sting during the interview. The former TNT Champion noted that they spend a lot of time together backstage and have quite a bit in common.
“He’s the guy I really hang out with backstage,” Allin said of Sting. “His dressing room, he’s got his own little private dressing room and he says it’s mine.”
“So, it’s just me and him chilling and talking about a bunch of stuff. He’s cool, we’ve got a lot more common than people think – goes beyond the face paint!”
Sting Returns To In-Ring Action On TNT
Sting was quoted in an AEW press release regarding his return to in-ring action on TNT tonight.
“My relationship with TNT goes back more than 25 years, so having the opportunity to wrestle on the network that housed some of my most important moments is pretty surreal,” said Sting. “The return of crowds has already been electric enough over the past month and a half, but there’s going to be an extra surge of adrenaline in Houston knowing that we’re live on TNT on Wednesday night.”
Wrestling legend Sting is set to compete on TNT for the first time in 20 years.
Sting will be teaming with Darby Allin to take on 2point0 in a Texas Tornado Tag Team Match on the Aug. 18 edition of AEW Dynamite. While Sting has been a regular character on AEW since his promotional debut back in Dec. 2020, this will be his first match on TNT since March 26, 2001.
In a press release, Sting discussed making his in-ring return to TNT.
“My relationship with TNT goes back more than 25 years, so having the opportunity to wrestle on the network that housed some of my most important moments is pretty surreal. The return of crowds has already been electric enough over the past month and a half, but there’s going to be an extra surge of adrenaline in Houston knowing that we’re live on TNT on Wednesday night.”
AEW head honcho, Tony Khan, also chimed in.
“When we first launched AEW, I was ecstatic to bring professional wrestling back to TNT after such a long absence. So many wrestling fans, myself included, watched Sting defeat the legendary Ric Flair 20 years ago in that last match on TNT, and now it’s such a thrill that Sting will finally return to the ring on Wednesday Night Dynamite to team with Darby Allin against 2point0 in a Texas Tornado Tag Team Match. This historic match on Wednesday in Houston is just another example of AEW’s commitment to bring wrestling fans the great moments that they deserve.”
Sting has played a vital role in AEW since debuting for the company. He has aligned himself with Darby Allin. Sting is often seen at ringside during Darby’s matches. Sting has only had two matches with AEW, both tag team matches that resulted in victory.
What are you expecting for Sting’s in-ring TNT return?
Posted August 16th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
Wrestling veteran Sting competed in his first live match since 2015 at the Double or Nothing PPV and after the bout, he not only received praise from fans but his fellow wrestlers as well.
According to reports from PWinsider, the Icon received a ‘huge pop’ from the wrestlers backstage after he returned to the locker room following his bout.
The people within AEW were said to be impressed with the 62-year-old Sting’s performance during his tag team match at the big show.
The wrestling icon made his AEW debut in December 2020, marking his first appearance on TNT since the final episode of WCW Nitro in 2001.
Sting aligned himself with Darby Allin. The former WCW star wrestled his first match for the promotion when he teamed with Allin to face Team Taz in a cinematic street fight at Revolution in March earlier this year.
The duo then started a feud with the team of Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page which led a match between the two on the company’s latest PPV this past Sunday.
Sting won this match for his team after hitting the Scorpion Death Drop on Sky. He received praise from fans for his performance in the match despite his age.
Posted June 2nd, 2021 in WWE, News. Tagged: Sting.
Fans got to see Sting work a live in-ring match for the first time in six years at the AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view event when he teamed up with Darby Allin against Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky.
Sky hit a suplex to Sting on the entrance ramp, but Sting no sold it and shoved Sky off the stage before performing a dive off the top of the stage. At one point, Sting did a code red spot. Sting looked good and quick in the ring. Sting hit the Scorpion Death Drop on Sky for the win.
Sky and Page had set their sights on Allin and Sting in recent weeks. After Allin confronted them during a promo, Sky and Page attacked Allin, throwing him down a flight of stairs. Eventually, Sting came to Allin’s side.
Sting’s previous live in-ring match came in the way of a loss to then-WWE World Champion Seth Rollins at the Night of Champions pay-per-view in 2015. He took a buckle bomb and suffered a neck injury.
Sting did work a cinematic match alongside Allin against Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a Street Fight at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida this past March. It was taped in advance and there was a ring set up in an abandoned warehouse.
The icon, Sting has had a career resurgence since signing with AEW. Finding himself back home on TNT, the place he owned for so many years working with WCW.
However, in a recent interview speaking about his time with WWE, Sting claimed that he would have stayed retired had WWE given him one match in particular. A match the entire wrestling world would have loved to see. Two locker room icons squaring off for the very first time.
All Sting wanted was a match against The Undertaker. The biggest first time, last time, only time since Lawrence Taylor beat Bam Bam Bigelow.
In an interview with SI.com, Sting claims he would not have felt the need to come back had he gotten that one match.
“I wanted that to happen. 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.”
We may never know why Sting versus The Undertaker never happened. It would have been a great match twenty years ago, and it would have been a great match for two phenoms to end their respective careers with.
Wither way, AEW fans win, because Sting is back, and he still has a point to prove.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPV3g-cgxOg/
Posted May 30th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
Tonight at AEW Double or Nothing, Sting will wrestle in his 2nd official match with the company. It will also be just Sting’s 2nd match since suffering what many thought at the time was a career-ending injury in 2015. Sting recently spoke to SI.com about the injury he suffered at Night of Champions against Seth Rollins and his determination to finish the match.
“I knew something was really, really wrong when my legs would not work,” said Sting. “They just wouldn’t function. They felt like rubber bands, which is when I went on all fours.”
Seth Rollins defeated him that night in Sting’s 4th and final WWE match. Sting continued to discuss how determined he was to finish the match.
“It made me think of when I first started in the business,” he continued. “Eddie Gilbert, who managed Rick Steiner and me and Jim Hellwig, he’d always talk to us about the finish. ‘The finish, the finish, you’ve got to get to the finish.’ That’s stuck with me all these years. So that night I was thinking, ‘I can’t not finish the match.’ I had to finish. I remember thinking, ‘Please God, let me get back on my feet. Don’t let me end my career in a catastrophe.’ I remember my legs coming back to me, and I wanted to finish the match.”
He continued to say that it was the response from the fans that made him keep going.
“The fans knew something wasn’t right,” said Sting. “They started chanting, and they started chanting some more. I’ll always remember the way that made me feel. That made up my mind–I needed to find a way to finish.”
Why didn’t a match between Sting and The Undertaker ever happen?
“To this day, I don’t know why,” said Sting. “Maybe Taker never wanted to work with me. I have no idea… but it should have happened.”https://t.co/q2io5qFsz0
‘The Icon’ Sting spoke to Paste Magazine ahead of his return to in-ring action at AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV event. The former WCW Champion will be teaming with Darby Allin to take on ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky.
This will be Sting’s first in-ring match back since he was injured against Seth Rollins at WWE’s Night of Champions 2015 event. At AEW Revolution, Sting and Darby Allin teamed for a cinematic styled match against Team Taz, however it has been confirmed that this bout will be inside the ring, and Sting revealed to Paste how he’s preparing for the return to the squared circle.
“I’m trying to work a lot on mobility, that’s for sure,” Sting began. “I don’t recover as quick as I used to, either, so I have to really watch how I train, so I don’t overtrain. Because, I’m telling you, you just don’t recover the same.”
Sting Talks Training for Double or Nothing 2021
“I’m still feeling the effects of the powerbomb that I took from Brian Cage [in February 2021]. There are a few kinks I still have from that one” Sting continued. “Otherwise, I’m preparing the same,” he said. “It’s the same kind of stuff, I just have to think about when I do it and what intensity levels and all that.”
“I’m trying to get the heart rate up as much as I possibly can” Sting added, “so the stamina’s there to go with these young guys. Yeah, I’m getting ready — I am ready.”
Are you looking forward to the tag team match on tonight’s PPV event? Let us know in the comments
Posted May 30th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
AEW star Scorpio Sky recently appeared on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast. Sky discussed a number of topics on the show, including his Double or Nothing PPV match.
Scorpio Sky will be teaming up with Ethan Page to take on Darby Allin and ‘The Icon’ Sting at the event in a tag team match. This match will Sting’s first in-ring bout as part of the All Elite roster.
“Everyone in my generation grew up watching Sting,” Sky began on the podcast, discussing his match including the WCW legend. “I had a buddy of mine text me, he actually works for the other company (WWE), and he’s like, ‘Bro, Sting was my favorite wrestler growing up, don’t hurt him.’”
“I just laughed about that” Scorpio Sky continued, referring to the talk surrounding the previously retired Sting. “And you know, Sting was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up too. He can still go he still has that magic, when he all he has to do is walk out and there’s just something special about him.”
Scorpio Sky on Sting
Sting of course had to retire originally following a match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015. The Icon took two Bucklebomb moves that would essentially end his career, until he was confirmed as an AEW star back in December 2020.
“He has that IT factor. And he brings a lot to the table still even this late in his career” Sky noted, praising The Icon. “Again, I’m honored to be a part of it, and I think it’s gonna be a great match.”
“I have no hesitations about it” Sky revealed, talking about the match. “I think he is a professional. He’s an intelligent person and he wouldn’t be stepping into the ring if he wasn’t ready.”
“If he wasn’t medically cleared, emotionally cleared, mentally ready, I think he wouldn’t put himself in that position” Sky concluded.
AEW star and TNT Champion Darby Allin recently discussed the taping of the AEW Revolution match. Allin teamed with Sting at the PPV in a cinematic match against Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.
Darby Allin was reportedly extremely involved in the creation of the match; as Allin has an extensive history in filmmaking and independent releases.
“I was writing storyboards for months before the PPV” Darby Allin began, speaking on Drinks with Johnny. “When I saw the location where we were filming, I took all these photos and was plotting everything in my brain.”
“[I was] sitting in the boiler room, just coming up with all the shots” Allin noted. “We had an awesome crew and Steve Yu, who helped direct it. When we’re shooting it, I was running around and doing everything possible. ‘I wanna shoot it like this.’”
Darby Allin on Sting
“When we got done with the cut, I’d run through a pane of glass, and go, ‘alright, get the next shot.’ I was doing everything and I felt on autopilot” Allin stated. “I had an adrenaline rush and felt we could go all night and was on fire with it.”
“The only thing that stopped me was when I had to throw the bat to Sting” Darby Allin said. “I was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to throw this down.’ Tony [Khan] put it best, ‘You know how the laws of physics work, right? That bat is going to come down and we don’t know if it’s going to break Sting’s face.’”
Darby Allin finished by revealing that Sting was able to do the shot in the very first take. “First time in the whole shoot I started thinking like, ‘what if I do break Sting’s face and he can’t finish the match?’ He’s the one who was like, ‘I’m catching that bat.’ Perfect catch, first try, beat the f*ck out of everyone. I was on cloud nine.”
It was probably the right choice for the 62 year old Sting to make his in ring return in a cinematic match during the Revolution PPV earlier this month.
However, this in-ring return did not come without consequences. Even though the match was pre-taped, it left its toll on the body of the wrestling veteran.
Sting opened up about the aftermath of the bout during his recent interview with Bleacher Report and The Icon claimed that he ‘came out of it in shambles’:
“The cinematic was fun. I would like to do more of those for sure, but I came out of it in shambles. It took its toll on me. It was two nights of filming and that was pretty tough. It can be taxing on the body especially at my age.
It was 12 hours instead of being in the ring for 30-40 minutes.” said Sting, “I love filming. I have done movies and TV, and I always have fun with that stuff. The tough part was all of the hours and the recovery time.”
Though continuing on the topic, the former world champion revealed that while the AEW president Tony Khan had originally brought him in for cinematic matches, he has talked to him about potentially wrestling matches on Dynamite.
Sting teamed up with the TNT champion Darby Allin to defeat Brian Cage and Ricky Starks of Team Taz in a cinematic Street Fight at the Revolution PPV.
Sting signed with AEW in December and as soon as the ink had dried on the contract, he started looking at the possibility of a return to the ring at some point.
It happened when he worked his first match since 2015 where he teamed with Darby Allin to battle Ricky Starks & Brian Cage in a cinematic street fight at AEW Revolution.
Speaking to The Doctor Chris Mueller of Bleacher Report, Sting looked back on his comeback. He noted that after being away from the ring for five years, he had to knock the dust off.
“Tony Khan asked me if I wanted a ring sent to my house and thankfully, I have a barn that is insulated with climate control. We put the ring in there, and I had to get used to running the ropes again, and it was an eye-opener for me. It was a challenge. I didn’t recover as quick as I used to. It was grueling. I had a lot of work to get my cardio ready to go and get into good physical condition. It was tougher than it’s ever been but I got there.”
He noted that it’s hard for him to not plug himself in creatively on certain aspects as he would speak up and give his take, but praised Allin for having a mind for the wrestling business and cinematography.
Sting also talked about the experience of filming a cinematic match.
“The cinematic was fun. I would like to do more of those for sure, but I came out of it in shambles. It took its toll on me. It was two nights of filming and that was pretty tough. It can be taxing on the body especially at my age. It was 12 hours instead of being in the ring for 30-40 minutes. I love filming. I have done movies and TV, and I always have fun with that stuff. The tough part was all of the hours and the recovery time.”
There’s no word yet on when Sting plans to work another match under the AEW banner.
Posted March 24th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
Tonight at AEW Revolution, fans will get to witness a street fight between Darby Allin & Sting vs Team Taz’s Ricky Starks and Brian Cage. The match will not take place in front of the live crowd, however, as the cinematic match has already been taped.
SI.com’s Justin Barrasso confirmed recently that the match has been filmed ahead of time. Not only that, it evidently exceeded expectations.
“AEW Revolution note: The Team Taz-Darby Allin/Sting street fight was filmed ahead of time and is said to be a massive success,” Barrasso Tweeted.
“The match highlights Sting while ensuring he worked in as safe of an environment as possible; allowed Ricky Starks and Brian Cage to have some star-making moments; and gave Darby Allin – who had a chance to apply his film school background – more chances to be a daredevil,” he added.
“In this case, there is no denying that WWE’s loss is AEW’s gain. The failure to use the legendary Sting in a similar role, especially after proving in 2014 and ‘15 that he was still a legitimate attraction, is a considerable blunder for Vince McMahon,” Barrasso concluded.
This will be Sting’s first match since Night of Champions 2015. He was defeated by Seth Rollins on that night.
Chris Jericho believes that wrestling legends are treated with more respect in AEW than they are WWE. The former AEW World Champion spoke to Digital Spy about how Sting and “Big Show” Paul Wight were treated in their final runs with WWE.
“These are guys that were kind of almost insulted in their WWE runs,” Jericho said. “[Sting and Wight were] definitely not treated with too much respect over the last few years.”
Jericho continued to say that WWE often treats legends as something of a joke. He listed off a series of examples which included himself.
“We treat our legends with respect,” Jericho continued. “We don’t make jokes out of them and WWE is notorious for that, whether it’s Sting, Paul Wight, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Jake Roberts, Dustin Rhodes, throw in Chris Jericho.”
Jericho continued to say AEW knows how to treat legends with respect.
“We know how to treat our legendary performers with respect and make them all look great and make them all worthy of being in AEW because if they aren’t worthy of being in AEW why would they be there?”
Chris Jericho On Paul Wight’s Value To AEW
Jericho would continue to say that Wight has more value than simply being a legend, however. He’s someone who can help mentor some of AEW’s larger guys as well.
“I also know that he’s a great mentor for some of our bigger guys that we have, Lance Archer and Luchasaurus, those types of guys,” Jericho continued. “Most importantly I know how dangerous a motivated Big Show can be.”
Jericho will team with MJF to challenge the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Revolution. On Dynamite this week, Jericho spoke about his multiple tag-team title wins. These include a run with Big Show as Jeri-Show. Wight and Jericho are 2x tag-team champions in WWE and won the Slammy Award for Best WWE tag-team in 2009.
Sting was recently fully cleared for physical activity ahead of his first match in several years.
Sting had to retire from wrestling due to him having spinal stenosis in 2015. He joined AEW and is slated to do a cinematic street fight when he teams up with Darby Allin against Brian Cage and Ricky Starks at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event.
Last week on Dynamite, Sting took his first bump in nearly six years as he took a powerbomb by Cage. AEW President Tony Khan spoke about the spot during an interview with Mike Johnson of PWinsider.com.
“He’s been cleared, he’s been fully cleared,” Khan said of Sting. “He’s been training with Darby and sparring partners and he’s been fully cleared to wrestle. In his training, one thing he’s done to get ready with his sparring partners is a powerbomb. In terms of getting ready for this, I was more than fine with it and in fact called it.”
Khan mentioned that Sting has been taking them in training and it was time to do it in front of a live crowd. He noted that Sting has been completely cleared to do it and wanted to do it and he wanted to get out there and wrestle.
“Sting’s cleared to wrestle and he wants to wrestle and this is how he wanted to end his wrestling career in-ring was in AEW and come in and go out the way he always wanted to go out with great matches.”
Khan stated that he expects Sting to have a great performance at Revolution and Sting has high expectations for it. He added that the spot got people talking in a positive way.
Posted February 24th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: Sting.
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently spoke to New York Post. The former TNT Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including a potential ‘cinematic’ match against Sting.
‘The Icon’ Sting signed for AEW and debuted back on December 2nd at the ‘Winter Is Coming’ episode of AEW Dynamite. With Sting’s advanced age (for pro wrestling) and history of spinal issues? At 61 years old, he will be somewhat limited as to what he can do in the ring.
Cody Rhodes on Cinematic Matches
Cody Rhodes discussed this and the possibility that he may be able to face the former WCW legend in a match.
“To me, the cinematic matches, they really don’t have a current definition” Cody began. “I’ve seen the Stadium Stampede and I’ve seen the [WWE] Boneyard [match]. I’ve seen various different ways to present cinematic. And really cinematic just means with different camera cuts.”
“It can mean a lot of things” Cody Rhodes continued. “But ask me that question again in a few months; because I want the opportunity to stand across from the Stinger and I think he knows that. It’s almost kind of itching at me under my skin that if there is somebody I wanted to beat? It’s the face of TNT’s hottest period and run.”
Sting will be teaming with Darby Allin to take on Team Taz at AEW Revolution in March.
AEW has confirmed that ‘The Icon’ Sting will be appearing on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The former WCW and WWE Superstar has made sporadic appearances for the promotion ever since the ‘Winter Is Coming’ episode of Dynamite back on December 2nd 2020.
Sting’s appearances thus far have mainly seen The Icon confront Team Taz and stand alongside TNT Champion Darby Allin. It was confirmed recently that Sting will be taking part in a Streetfight at the AEW Revolution PPV. That show will be taking place on March 7, 2021 at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
All Elite sent out a tweet to reveal that Sting will be speaking to Tony Schiavone this Wednesday on Dynamite. “We are on the road to #AEWRevolution and this Wednesday on #AEWDynamite, @tonyschiavone24 interviews @sting! Watch Dynamite at 8/7c on @TNTDrama.”
It is unknown at this point what the interview will entail, although it may be time for AEW to shed some light on why Sting has chosen to align himself with the aforementioned Darby Allin; perhaps the fact that the mysterious characters have a common enemy in Team Taz? Or could it be more?
