The date: March 3, 2024. The day the bat was put down for the last time in professional wrestling. The one and only Steve Borden himself, Sting, OFFICIALLY retired from AEW and from professional wrestling. We stress OFFICIAL because of the miscarriage that was he "retirement" in WWE, which we will get into a little bit later. Sting's retirement marks the end of a nearly forty-year career that saw him debuting in wrestling in 1985. From that point on, the vibrant, energetic star catapulted himself into one of the true legends of the sport with the nearly unheard-of reputation of being a truly nice and considerate guy among his peers. As we say farewell to one of the most recognized and respected veterans in wrestling history, let's take a look at this career retrospective.
As was aforementioned, Borden broke into the business in 1985 under the training of legendary grappler, Red Bastien. From there, he was known as Flash, and he teamed up with another widely recognizable figure in The Ultimate Warrior (then known as Rock) to become The Blade Runners. They immediately impacted the UWF, the promotion formerly known as Mid-South Wrestling ran and operated by wrestling legend, "Cowboy" Bill Watts. They were the muscle of "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert's heel group. Watts had to sell his promotion to the Crocketts due to bankruptcy, and with that, talents such as Rick Steiner, Eddie Gilbert, Mike Rotundo, and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams had to join the Crockett-led portion of the NWA, Jim Crockett Promotions. The Blade Runners broke up not very long before the JCP move, with him teaming up with the likes of Gilbert and Steiner and becoming a tag champion with both men., With Sting headed to JCP, and Rock (or Warrior) appearing in World Class Championship Wrestling to become the Dingo Warrior, many saw Sting's potential as something big in the sport. Sting's spiked blonde hair and lively face paint became synonymous with him, as was his trademark yell to the fans. An instant babyface, he possessed charisma, decent microphone ability, and athleticism that was impressive and showed he had a very bright future. His career hit a whole new high when he challenged Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title at the very first Clash of The Champions from Greensboro, NC (remember this town later). The event, in itself, was a fairly good night of action, especially the barbed wire six-man tag match and the great Tag Team Title match between Luger & Windham vs. Anderson & Blanchard of The Horsemen, but it was the main event that had fans, insiders, and critics alike buzzing, as Sting fought Flair to a forty-five-minute time limit draw, and nearly came several times to becoming World Heavyweight Champion. It was this moment Sting was officially put on the map to become the next big superstar for JCP. From there, Arn, Tully, JJ, and even Windham all left to go to WWE, leaving Flair to defend the championship against all comers, most notably his most revered rival, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Their trilogy of televised matches was the measuring stick of the sport, and Flair was embroiled in a very heated feud with fellow icon, Terry Funk, once the Steamboat rivalry was over. During this time, Sting was in a feud with then-Japanese phenom, Keiji Mutoh, otherwise known by his alter ego, The Great Muta. Muta was aligned with famed manager, Gary Hart, and he also aligned himself with Funk to form a group to combat Sting and Flair in what was an unholy alliance at the time. Muta was starting to attack Flair and Funk brutally assaulted Sting with his trusty branding iron after a Sting match, which resulted in Sting being badly lacerated and it was too violent for the executives at Turner at the time, so they put the big 'CENSORED' sign over the visual. This all led to the Halloween Havoc Thunderdome (yes there was a ThunderDome before WWE took a hold of it) cage between the four. Was it a five-star classic? Not even close, but it was what it was.
We then move past this rivalry, and his dealings with Muta, and now Sting is on the radar of the seemingly reunited Horsemen, as Arn and Ole Anderson returned to JCP/NWA only without Tully, who had his opportunity to returned flushed away as he tested positive for drug usage. Sting stuck out like a sore thumb with this group of traditional heels and bad guys. The same people that had previously brutalized the likes of Magnum T.A., Dusty Rhodes, The Road Warriors, Rock N Roll Express, and several others. The young and naive Sting made the number one cardinal mistake: don't challenge Flair for the Title. When word got back around to his newfound allies, they turned on him, thus setting up the long-awaited feud between he and the once again heel Flair. However, an unfortunate situation would occur, as Sting would severely injure his knee just as we were going into this program. He would be out for a year but was still being used on television in angles concerning Lex Luger and The Horsemen. Once cleared, he resumed his rivalry with Flair and finally faced Flair at The Great American Bash '90 in Baltimore, MD for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. While not quite the revered match he had against him at the first Clash, it was still a great match, especially with this being his first in-ring televised match since his return. Sting defeated Flair to win his first World Title in a fantastic win, that saw him celebrate with the likes of JYD, The Steiners and Paul Orndorff (together these men, along with the nearly eight-foot El Gigante, would be known as The Dudes with Attitudes and would be the baby-faced faction to oppose The Horsemen, who at this point included the returning Barry Windham). His reign wasn't superbly long but he did have a few programs with Flair and new Horseman, the colossal 6'9" Sid Vicious. of course, there was the whole Black Scorpion angle, in which there was a mysterious stalker calling himself "The Black Scorpion", and he was going after Sting's title. Hokey and almost comical, the Sting/Scorpion angle wasn't a long, drawn out one, and ended when Sting faced The Scorpion in a cage at Starrcade, and the masked man turned out to be a bloodied Flair.
Flair would eventually win back the title at a house show in the beginning of the next year, but that didn't stop Sting from further success. In '91, JCP would sell to multimedia mogul, Ted Turner, and it would become World Championship Wrestling (or WCW). He would become U.S. Champion by defeating Stunning Steve Austin (yes, THAT Steve Austin) and would later lose it to Ravishing Rick Rude at a Clash event. He would start a feud with on and off partner and friend, Lex Luger, at SuperBrawl II, in which he would win the (now) WCW World Heavyweight Title from Luger. While champion, he would get entangled in a couple different feuds at the same time. One was with the enormous, yet widely regarded, Big Van Vader, and continuing his feud with Rick Rude, only with their respective groups. Rude was a part of Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance group, which consisted of Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Lary Zybysko, and Austin, with Heyman and former Women's Champion, Madusa (Alundra Blayze in WWE) serving as managers. Sting would have a group of his own called Sting's Squadron, which consisted of Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, a babyface Barry Windham, and a babyface Nikita Koloff, who had a big-time feud with Sting just a year before in '91. These groups faced each other at WrestleWar '92 in a War Games match that still ranks as quite possibly the best War Games match of all-time. It certainly is among the most violent and bloodiest. Throughout the next several years, Sting would be embroiled with several adversaries such as Vader, Cactus Jack, Meng, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts, which all had mixed acclaim.
Although he was the "face" of WCW, the tide would shift dramatically, as Hulk Hogan left WWE to join WCW. Hogan's impact was felt immediately as one would expect, just as Randy Savage's impact was felt instantly when he joined around the same time. Sting was still very much looked at as the flagbearer and conscience of the company, but understandably, Hogan's shadow was over the entire promotion, and everyone was seemingly a distant second to Hogan's star power. Once '96 came around, the climate changed and changed in historic fashion. Enter Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, who had just left WWE, and were imposing on WCW television. Who was the first to step up to them? The Stinger, of course. The wheels were in motion for a monster matchup at the now landmark Bash at The Beach PPV of '96. The match was Savage, Sting, and Luger to face Hall, Nash, and whomever their third partner was. No sign of the third partner so it was basically three-on-two until Luger (kayfabe) knocked himself unconscious and had to be stretchered out of the arena. It became Hall & Nash vs. Sting and Savage, in what was a hotly contested battle. Near the end of the matchup, Hogan walked down to ringside (he had been gone for months to shoot a movie and a TV show) and...well...you know what happened next. The formation of the NWO. As this blockbuster situation was unfolding, nobody knew who to trust. Unfortunately, that included Sting, as he was accused by Luger, Flair, and Anderson before a War Games match at Fall Brawl '96 of attacking them because of a guy that had the same haircut (long gone was the spiked blonde hair at this time in favor of mid-level dark brown hair) and the same makeup as Sting. Once it was proven the real Sting was not behind those attacks, Sting was hurt by this betrayal, and thus the beginning of one of the most dramatic storylines in Sting's career, and maybe even his most important.
Sting became an island to himself, shutting off everyone as he felt hurt and betrayed by the company that he carried on his back for nearly a decade straight. His appearance drastically changed too, as his hair was getting longer, and his makeup was similar to Brandon Lee's "Crow" character from the movie of the same name. Decked out in all black and white and carrying a bat with him, Sting was the center of the recruitment for both WCW and NWO. He was also silent the entire time. He never spoke a syllable while all this was going on. At Uncensored '97, the NWO were celebrating a win in the main event, when Sting dropped down from the ceiling in dramatic fashion, and finally turned on the NWO in one of the most anticipated moments during the peak NWO run. As the Charleston, SC crowd EXPLODED, Sting soon pointed out Hogan and eventually laid him out with his new finisher, The Scorpion Death Drop. Week by week, Sting would stalk the NWO until new commissioner, J.J. Dillon (who had returned to WCW after leaving an executive position with WWE) put together Sting vs. Hogan at Starrcade in D.C. of that year. One of the biggest match build ups in WCW history culminated in Sting's return to the ring after sixteen months. Sting had never been more popular, which is saying a lot considering his unwavering popularity as the company's lead babyface for so many years was profound already. The match itself was nothing to write home about, but it was also a clunkered mess towards the end. Depending upon who you believe, the story is that the referee, Nick Patrick (who was ironically also was a former NWO member) was supposed to count fast to three and have Hogan win, but Patrick counted at regular speed and looked like a very clear win. However, Bret hart came out there (who had not only just signed with WCW after the now infamous "Montreal Screwjob" the prior month but was also special referee in the prior match with Larry Zybysko facing Scott Hall) and protested to get the match restarted. A previously methodical Sting during the match was replaced by the lively, energetic Sting we all knew, including his patented Stinger yell. He defeated Hogan with his Scorpion Deathlock and became once again WCW World Heavyweight Champion to the delight of not just the fans but the WCW locker room.
From there, Sting would later the join the divided NWO, siding with Kevin Nash and his Wolfpack collective of the NWO. This was met with very mixed reaction, as Sting was siding with a heel group, although they were the babyface half of the NWO (if that makes sense). As time went along, he would win and lose the World Title a few more times before taking part in the final Monday Nitro in WCW in 2001, as he faced the same man he faced at the very first Nitro in the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN, Ric Flair. Not the most inspired of matches between the two, it was a low moment for the Stinger, as the company he held on to his back for almost a decade and a half was no more, being sold to Vince McMahon. Rumors were circulating that he would join WWE, but instead joined the European promotion, WWA for a year, before signing on to TNA in '03. This run was definitely different for him here, and once again, it was with mixed acclaim. This stint lasted for about eleven years with the company, and it was here where he had feuds with the likes of company head, Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Abyss. He won his first World Title with them in '06 defeating Jeff Jarrett to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title for the second time. This run saw him have critically acclaimed feuds, but others such as him joining the heel group, Main event Mafia, were somewhat questioned. Also, matches such as his match against Abyss that was relatively a Casket Match. Physical and definitely bloody, as Sting was a crimson mask which was rare at all for Sting, the match was highly panned by critics and fans alike. Also, on March 13, 2011, at Victory Road, he was scheduled to face Jeff Hardy for the World Title in a No DQ match, but the match was just over a minute long, as Jeff Hardy was real-life visibly intoxicated and in no condition to wrestle. A disgusted Sting won but was he clearly was not happy with Hardy or the situation in general.
As more years would go by, he would involve himself in a feud with Hogan and his Immortal group, which included at some points a virtual who's who of talent, including a newly signed Flair, Styles, Eric Bischoff (who was legit a part of management at this time as well), Abyss, Jarrett, Mr. Anderson, Bobby Roode, and Scott Steiner. As that rivalry subsided, we saw the emergence of Sting portraying a maniacal, almost unhinged version of himself that played more into "The Joker" character from the movie, The Dark Knight. The fans referred to him as "Joker Sting", as his actions and interviews were that of an unhinged, somewhat deranged, star who more or less had started to lose it. Weird, yet at times entertaining, Sting leaned into this character switch-up until the last year or so with his run in the company. His final match would happen at Genesis of 2014, as he lost a Title vs. Career match to the Impact (renamed from TNA) World Champion, Magnus (now known as Nick Aldis), in which that was his last time with the company.
For months, we wouldn't see Sting on television, however, WWE was starting to promote him and his likeness in WWE 2K14, thus signaling some sort of working relationship with Sting, who had never been with the company in his entire career. This changed at Survivor Series 2014, when he showed up to confront and eventually attack Triple H during the main event of the event to a thunderous pop. The only guy Vince was never able to sign finally signed to the biggest promotion in the world. How was his run? Quite frankly, underwhelming to awful. While the wrestling world was shocked at the newfound working relationship between Sting and Vince, the sour taste in our mouths was realized at WrestleMania 31. He faced Triple H in a match that nobody ever thought they would ever see, but it was more of a sizzle than an actual steak. During the match, the newly inducted Hall of Famers, Hogan, Hall, & Nash as the NWO collective came out to try and interfere, but the DX collective of HBK, Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn came out to thwart those efforts. In the ring, Hunter nailed Sting with his trusty sledgehammer and Pedigreed Sting for a win which many felt was unnecessary for Hunter. Afterwards, in what was arguably a pretty awkward moment, the two men shook hands in the ring (keep in mind Hunter just nailed him with a sledgehammer). Sting, then, embroiled in a feud for the WWE Title and then-champion, Seth Rollins. It was this feud that ultimately led to his undoing at Night of Champions, as Seth executed a botched buckle bomb twice, and Sting suffered a (no pun intended) stinger from a neck injury from the offensive move. Although it turned out to be not as serious of a situation as was feared, WWE felt there was nothing more for Sting to accomplish in his career, in spite of telling them he had suffered no visible or prolonged effects of any type of cervical spinal stenosis aggravated by the buckle bomb at NOC. Regardless, this was the end of Sting's run in WWE.
He was put in their HOF in 2016 during Wrestlemania 32 weekend. Although he did get to take part in WrestleMania, which was something he had said in previous interviews he had wanted to say he performed at, this was considered by many as a failed run not by his own fault. It was becoming clear this was another ego move of Vince and many longtime fans of Sting were enraged with the company. Before long, his Legends contract was up, and his merch was no longer sold. He never got to hold the WWE Title, nor did he get the opportunity to face The Undertaker, a star many in the business and fans alike wanted to see him face in a dream encounter. However, it wasn't terribly long before we saw Sting return to our television screens.
Enter All Elite Wrestling. The new kid on the block was making seismic moves in the industry and was instantly seen as the legit competition/alternative to WWE, and for good reason. When it emerged in 2019, there was a legit feeling throughout the industry and from fans that this was the era fans had been waiting for since the downfall of WCW. In 2020, during a special episode of AEW Dynamite, entitled "Winter Is Coming", in front of a limited crowd due to the pandemic that had virtually crippled the world, Sting debuted in quite the awesome fashion with a new signature and music. With the ever-legendary broadcaster, Tony Schiavone, screamed his signature "IT'S STIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!" Borden was back in his black and white attire, with his patented bat in hand ready to dish damage to Team Taz in order to protect Cody Rhodes, Dustin Rhodes, and former rival Arn Anderson. This began the run of his career. Instead of wanting to have a solo career, he instead put his enegrgy to giving AEW pillar, Darby Allen the rub and decided to form a team with him, and subsequently a bond that was very much big brother-little brother in nature. As a team, they would feud with various teams and groups, including the aforementioned Team Taz, which consisted of Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, Will Hobbs, and of course their leader and mentor, Taz. At 61 at the time, he was clearly the oldest active wrestler in the AEW locker room but was also arguably the most respected. Sting was treated like the leader and legend he was and was seen as an inspiration to virtually everyone in the locker room. Reuniting with old colleagues and friends such as Jim Ross, Schiavone, Chris Jericho, Paul Wight, and Dustin Rhodes was a moving moment for Sting, but being able to mentor and be that elder statesman for the likes of younger talent such as Darby, Jack Perry, Wardlow, and The Elite meant just as much. In terms of in-ring performance, he hadn't looked that youthful since his twenties. We saw Sting diving off balconies, going through tables, and doing his trademark no-sell spot in every match. The fans didn't have to chant, "YOU STILL GOT IT" in order for him to know, he still had it indeed.
We all knew that time was ticking on his career, and it certainly had. On the 10/18/23 edition of Dynamite, Sting officially announced that he would be retiring at the Revolution PPV in March. While the wrestling world was saddened by this statement, it made us appreciate this two-time HOFer even more. In what had been the run of his career, Sting was still putting up numbers on the board with Darby. He hit one last big achievement, as he and Darby defeated then-AEW World Tag Team Champions, Ricky Starks & Big Bill (you might remember him as Big Cass from WWE and W. Morrisey in Impact) for the titles in an incredible moment in the short but awesome history of AEW. In front of his grown kids of Steven Jr, Garrett, and daughter Gracie, these two stars were Tag Team Champions, thus making Sting obtain his eighth Tag Team title. This was Darby's first. The mood darkened not too much longer afterwards, as former Tag Team Champions, and real-life EVPs of the company, The Young Bucks (now kayfabe going by their "birth" names, Nicholas & Matthew Jackson) brutally ambushed them, as well as Sting's sons who were celebrating with them in their win. With their own bats in hand, they assaulted all four men, leaving Darby bleeding profusely, and all were fallen. To make the match even more personal, Sting's father had passed away the following week, thus likely explaining his absence that week. His promo going into the match was among his most riveting and personal ever and gave the match the extra boost it deserved.
The match was stated as the main event for Revolution, which took place in Greensboro, NC at the Coliseum. The same city and arena Sting's career was essentially made would also be where it ended with one final match, and what a match it was. Part spectacle, part athleticism, all storytelling, a heavy-hearted yet prideful, Sting looked as good as he ever looked in the ring facing one of the industry's most talented tag teams this century. Before the match even began, the stars were out. Appearances in the crowd by the likes of Magnum T.A., Luger, Koloff, DDP, and good friend, Scotty Riggs were noticed, and Jim Ross, who has been recovering from hip surgery brought on by cancer, was able to make an appearance at the broadcast t able with Schiavone to call one last match of their friend and colleague. Ross & Schiavone were there during his rookie year and flourishing years within JCP and WCW so it was only appropriate to have them call this final match of Sting. Also, the opening video saw Sting in a theater looking over some of the highlights of his career (although there was a big kickback from fans that pointed out there was no WCW, WWE, UWF, or even TNA/Impact footage of him). With tears in his eyes, he looked into the camera and said "It's showtime, for the last time." The entrance was just as epic, as his oldest son, Garrett, came out dressed as "Surfer Sting" when he was dressed in the same attire as his father from Bash '90 when he won his first World Title, and Steven came out with a long brown hair wig and dressed up as "Wolfpack Sting." Then the real Sting came out and came out to an old theme song of his, Metallica's "Seek & Destroy" to an emotional ovation. With the crowd singing along with the chorus to "Seek & Destroy", the action began quickly as Darby dove right into the arrogant Jackson brothers. As the action was commencing, goodies started coming out. Items such as tables, ladders, chairs, and plates of glass were shown, and we immediately knew that this would be THAT type of match. Although spots such as both Darby and Sting going through tables from the stage were impressive, it was Darby who would, once again, be the talk of a match in the damnedest of ways. Allen pulled out a monstrous ladder, and with a plate of glass on top of upstanding chairs, Darby attempted to dive onto The Bucks, but missed and his body went through the glass in a moment that will be a part of AEW's highlight reel for years to come. As Allen lay near dead with his back shredded from the glass, Sting had to fight two against one, but never backed down an ounce. For the majority of the match, Sting had the odds against him, but if you've followed his career (trust me, this has been a BRIEF retrospective), you know he thrives in odds like these, even at his current age. Even Flair, who has had a notorious history of turning on Sting at any given opportunity got invited to The Bucks' "Superkick Party", with both Jackson brothers simultaneously superkicking the legend's head. From there, Steamboat got involved, and he got invited to the "Superkick Party" as well. With three all-timers laid out, Darby struggled to get back into action, but he did. Battered with a badly and deeply lacerated back from the horrendous glass spot, Darby fought as hard as we had ever seen him, and it was enough for Sting to get right back in it. Darby eventually delivered his patented Coffin Drop finisher to Matt Jackson, and Sting, one final time, placed the elder Jackson in the Scorpion Deathlock, to which Jackson tapped out. The fans went ape shit, as the live Greensboro crowd, and the world over witnessed one of the craziest matches in Revolution history, but the final win for Sting in a Herculean effort from both him and Darby. Sting retired as a World Tag Team Champion in one of the most thrilling endings Sting has ever been involved with.
This could've been a tearful, overly emotional moment, but it was not. Sting winning felt right in every sense, and it was instead a monstrous celebration for a man that has more than earned the run he had within AEW. While we typically see wrestlers lose in their final match, Sting was victorious, as well as retaining his Tag championship with Darby. Sting soon after grabbed the mic and thanked everyone for their love and respect over the years, and with pride across his face, he said goodbye. He called out Tony Khan to personally thank him as well. It was clear TK had an emotional moment before hitting the ring, but in that moment, we were all TK, emotional for having to say goodbye to a true icon in Sting, but beaming with pride over the career he's had, the influence he's had, and that once and for all, he still had it. The locker room came out on the stage, together briefly eliminating the dressing room wall as both heels and babyfaces came together to say goodbye and to congratulate and thank Sting for all he's contributed to them personally and professionally. Even Schiavone gave us one last "STIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!" before Sting went up the ramp to celebrate with his peers. Pay Per View watchers were understandably livid over the feed being cut as Sting was just into his farewell speech, but TK uploaded the speech in its entirety on the AEW YouTube channel and across its social media.
In a business where there are a lot of selfish pricks that think the business is all about them, Sting was a team player of team players. One would state he was never THE draw for the sport, but he definitely was A draw, and rightfully so. One of very few men (or women) nobody had a bad word about, on both a professional and personal level. So many of us "little Stingers" have grown up into full-fledged adults, but Sting was one that helped define our youthful fandom. No crazy public scandals or controversies, always putting his best foot forward on and off camera, and a mentor to the younger talent behind him, Sting has to be remembered as a true class act and a real role model for the youth. Even when the business sometimes treated him less than what he was worth, he never was bitter or presented hatred to the business. Disappointed at times, as anyone would be, but never a hatred. With him gracefully bowing out on top, and as high of a note as anyone could ask for, Steve Borden not only has his faith (he became a born-again Christian in 1999 and has been actively involved in his church in Dallas since), his family (he remarried in the early thousands to whom he has been with since), plenty of friends both in and out the business, and a legion of fans both younger and older, Sting can finally take peace in knowing he made an enormous difference and impact within the business. At nearly 65 years young, Sting has been, is, and will remain "showtime." Thank you Sting!
Check out this tribute to "The Icon" Sting
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