The thrilling modesty of Sting's final chapter
When one of wrestling's last remaining touchstones says goodbye this Sunday, he refreshingly will do so on his terms and by helping lift others in the process.
Hello again. A quick thank you to everyone who checked out the previous edition despite it not being basketball-related. As I explained there, the contents of this newsletter will greatly be diversified going forward.
There will still be the occasional hoops thing, but those will mostly take a backseat to some of my other interests. Like this one.
What follows are some thoughts on a man called Sting, and why his last run has been an anomaly in the world of professional wrestling.
There was understandable skepticism when Steve “Sting” Borden arrived at All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Long-time fans have seen this story and its ending before. For as long as the professional wrestling business has existed, there have been inflection points for every promotion. A recurring cycle of decisions that have shaped or sunk territories across the globe. The majority have fallen in the latter category.
Among these choices is determining whether or not to bring a legend in if the opportunity arises.
The pros are obvious, especially for a young company. More name value means more tickets. And added exposure creates the potential for a more lucrative television rights deal.
The cons are a little more nuanced. Historically, older and more established wrestlers and the upstart companies who employ them have mixed like water and oil.
Like in any job setting, egos loom large in the wrestling world. It’s not unusual and it’s often even expected for stars to throw their weight around. This could be seen by individuals politicking their way up the card, refusing to lose, or being given a belt to solidify their importance to the audience.
So when the 61-year-old wrestling legend signed with AEW in 2020, fans of the exciting new company naturally became nervous.
The promotion was hot and presented the most competition to the WWE since World Championship Wrestling (WCW).1
Hardcore fans swarmed toward AEW because of the onus it gave the in-ring product, the fresh roster, and how little ties it had to the “world leader.”
Although Sting only had a brief stint in WWE, he still represented a symbol of the past that AEW and its fans were actively trying to differentiate itself from. And with his arrival came fear he would overshadow the younger talent, get pushed to the main event, and do long-term damage in exchange for short-term juice.
Four years later, this has not been the case in the slightest.
Despite being given total autonomy to write his final chapter, Sting has instead handed the pen over and has embraced the modesty of being a supporting character.
Now 64, Sting is set to wrestle his final match this Sunday at AEW’s “Revolution” pay-per-view. The event will not only put a bow on one of the most illustrious careers in the history of wrestling but also, on one of the most exciting and expertly crafted last runs in recent memory.
Backstage, Surfer Sting applies one of the various face paint styles he’s donned over the years.
As you’d expect, there has been a lot of careful planning and execution that has had to take place to get Sting to the finish line without crowd backlash or physical injury.
Before his debut with AEW, Sting was nearly paralyzed2 in the ring in one of his only few bouts in WWE. Given his age and how noticeably slow he looked during that run, many assumed that would be the final time we’d see the man who has taken bumps for nearly 40 years.
For his sake and his new employer’s reputation, Sting’s safety had to come first. But at the same time, he had to somehow also live up to extremely high standards that AEW fans have come to expect in terms of match quality.
One of the smartest ways they’ve accomplished this has been by giving him a partner.
It only takes a few seconds of watching Darby Allin to see why he was given the nod. Not only does the 31-year-old sport similar face paint that Sting made iconic, but he shares a similar innate connection to the crowd and is also one of wrestling’s most fearless daredevils in years.
For context, Allin has been thrown down several flights of stairs, dragged away in a body bag by a car, and currently has plans to climb Mount Everest.3
Beyond the obvious brooding depictions in their characters, Allin’s superhuman pain threshold has allowed him to take the brunt of the punishment during his tag-team matches with Sting. The pairing was magic nearly from the get-go.
Between Allin’s death-defying stunts and the oozing charisma Sting still possesses, the packaged act became one of AEW’s most popular in their short history.
Sting, 64, heading to the ring. Photo courtesy of AEW.
Because of the nature of tag matches compared to singles, there has been a level of smoke and mirrors that has helped hide some of Sting’s limitations at this stage of his career. That said, Sting has never once appeared to do just the bare minimum during this final run. Even though many would understand him doing so.
Instead, as if inspired by his young partner’s boldness, Sting has provided some of the most exciting moments of his career during the past four years. Most of which have involved him jumping off high places.
From the top rope, balcony, and even a ladder, Sting has flung his 64-year-old body onto various enemies and tables during his AEW tenure.
Even more impressive than the physicality showcased is that these leaps of faith never once felt like he was trying to steal the spotlight. Instead, they were endearing attempts to prove to the audience, his young partner, and even himself, that he was still worth believing in.
One of the most refreshing components of Sting’s last rodeo is how much he ultimately gave back.
He didn’t bat an eye at the idea of sharing the attention as a full-time tag-team wrestler. He adamantly pushed against winning a championship during his tenure in AEW, including the tag titles that he and Allin recently won. And despite being undefeated during this run, he continuously made it a point to propel others up. He often can be found on camera whispering in his opponent’s ears post-pin, likely offering careful words of thanks.
Even in his most violent spills to the floor, those too were him giving back to all the fans who have spent the majority of their lives watching him through their screens.
“Wrestling fans, they’re in my heart,” Sting recently told Sports Illustrated. “The Little Stingers aren’t little anymore. They’re adults now. We’ve all grown together. We’ve been through all of this together.”
If there is one lasting memory of Sting’s final hours as one of his profession’s few remaining touchstones, it’s how he approached his time in AEW.
In every match, every entrance, and every promo, Sting only displayed enthusiasm and gratitude for being given a spot. It showed in his work. And it’s why his peers and audiences alike continue to support him while so many other legends of his era have become outcasts.
He is the rare exception to the rule in a business that has shown can be filled with bitterness, corruption, and poisoned with ego.
“AEW gave me the ability to write a proper final chapter, not just for me but for my family,” Sting wrote for the Players’ Tribune last year. “And so I want to be a little bit of a beacon for the young men and the women in this dressing room, if I can be. If they want me to be. I don’t go around preaching. But I’ve seen my share of darkness, so anything I can do to be a light for the next generation of wrestlers, I’m happy to do it.”
After a career that has spanned decades in promotions like the Continental Wrestling Association, Universal Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling, TNA, WWE, and AEW, the curtain is finally about to close on the man called Sting.
When he steps through the ropes in Greensboro — the city where he famously wrestled Ric Flair to a 45-minute draw 36 years ago — it will be for the last time.
Even though professional wrestling has taught us to be skeptical about anything deemed as a last time, in Sting’s case, the timing just feels right.
In what will likely be the shining example of a final run and the handling of a veteran in the twilight of their career maybe ever, Sting should feel safe knowing this was as good as it was going to get. If not better.
All that’s left to do now is to sit back and watch what he does for his finale.
That final “It’s Stiiiiiing” is going to hurt like a bitch, isn’t it?
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this or any other post in the archive, you can buy me a coffee via my Venmo. See you next time.
Sting is arguably the most associated wrestler with WCW. It is also where he debuted the legendary “Crow” iteration of his character, which was heavily inspired by the 1994 film.
The injury occurred after a “buckle bomb” in the corner during his match with current WWE wrestler, Seth Rollins.
Allin has said that only an “avalanche or a yeti” will prevent him from reaching the top.