Tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite included a few surprising twists, including the reappearance of a wrestling legend: Sting.
As MJF was going on a tirade about how Darby Allin will never be on the same level as “The Devil,” Sting’s music pierced through the arena and set the fans into a frenzy. He then walked down to the ring, painted his face and all, and delivered a comical segment about being a cheerleader for Darby Allin. What brought an audible gasp from the audience is when Sting pointed out that MJF also had a cheerleader once, and his name was Cody Rhodes.
Similar to how MJF had Cody, Sting has Darby, and similar to both rising stars’ situations, Sting once had mentoring from the legendary Ric Flair. Because of this, Sting is convinced that it’s only a matter of time until Darby also captures the AEW World Championship.
This obviously isn’t the first time WWE stars have been name-dropped during an AEW show. However, this one differs from a scenario like Eddie Kingston mentioning Paul “Triple H” Levesque in a promo. Cody has a longstanding history with AEW, even being recognized as one of the founding Executive Vice Presidents of the company.
It's STIIIIIIINNNG!!!!@Sting has made his way to the ring to confront #AEW World Champion @The_MJF!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/WdbPZviAo4
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 13, 2023
Sting also has a history in WWE
Cody’s current home is a place Sting is well familiar with. Not only is he a WWE Hall of Famer, but Sting also had a brief run as an active competitor, facing stars like Seth Rollins and Triple H along the way. He first appeared in AEW on December 2, 2020, during the “Winter is Coming” edition of AEW Dynamite.