The legendary Sting has looked back fondly on the final chapter of his career, which took place in AEW.
During his induction at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, The Icon made the announcement that his time in the ring had come to an end. Given the former World Champion suffered a major back injury in his match against Seth Rollins along with his age, many assumed that Sting had wrestled in his final match.
However, fast forward to AEW Winter Is Coming 2020 and The Icon became All Elite. Wrestling alongside Darby Allin throughout his final run, the Hall of Famer first competed in a cinematic match before being a part of bouts in front of a live crowd that saw him dive off balconies and through tables despite being in his 60s. The final run culminated at Revolution 2024 when Sting and Darby Allin defeated The Young Bucks to retain their Tag Team Championships in what was considered by many to be one of the best retirement matches in wrestling.
Speaking with Adam Bernard of ScreenRant, The Icon admitted that he wanted to go out with a bang and spoke very fondly of his time in the promotion:
“It was just a highlight, the last three years. I didn’t want wrestling fans to say, ‘Yeah, he’s just coasting along because he can.’ I didn’t want fans to say that. I wanted them to go, ‘Oh, man, he’s pulling out all stops all the way through to the end.’ It was fun! It was fun going through tables. It was fun jumping off a balcony. It was just great, man, and surrounded by all these great young guys, young talent. An amazing run, and I’m so grateful for it.”
Sting Remaining All Elite Until Further Notice
Aside from a one-off appearance at All In 2024 to save Darby Allin from an attack by The Young Bucks and Jack Perry, the former World Champion has remained offscreen since his retirement back at Revolution. However, in a 2024 interview, Sting stated that he signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling while also outlining his new role.