Sting will team with Darby Allin to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks in a Tornado Tag Team match this Sunday at AEW Revolution 2024 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On meeting Sting: “I have no idea who came up with the saying “don’t meet your heroes,” but they probably spent time in the wrestling business. For whatever reason, this business has a way of bringing out the worst in certain people — especially on their way out. When some wrestlers get to the end, that’s when you see a lot of bitterness and selfishness and just all-around piece-of-s**t behavior. And really those guys are products of an environment. They saw the guys before them take instead of give, so they feel entitled to pass that down. It’s a sh**ty cycle. When I got paired with Sting, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s funny — for weeks they had me up in the rafters, and I wasn’t sure why. You’d think I would’ve put two and two together, but I didn’t. I was just like, “Sit in the rafters? OK cool.” But then at some point someone said, “Yo….. you know why we’re doing this, right? Sting’s coming.” And I just remember thinking how crazy that sounded. Like, I couldn’t process it. STING? And in his first show back…. he’s going to have a staredown with ME? Haha what the f**k.
An hour before the show, Cody pulled me aside. He was like, “Alright. Sting’s here. I want you to meet him before you go out there.” Then he walked me over to Sting’s trailer. It happened so fast, I barely had time to remember how nervous I was. But there was nothing to be nervous about. We started talking through the segment, and it was actually wild: there was no ego from him, no big-timing, no This is how it’s gonna happen, kid. None of that. If anything, it was the other way around. He was asking me how it’s gonna happen, and if I was OK with this, this and this, and if everything was cool. We’re talking about a guy who’s headlined some of the biggest shows ever, made s**tloads of money, been on top longer than I’ve been alive. He’s showing up for this massive return. And his main concern is that I’m feeling comfortable. A 27-year-old nobody who he’s probably thinking jacked half his look. I was just like, WHAT IS HAPPENING. THIS IS INSANE. HOW IS STING SO NICE.”
On Sting’s AEW run: “And now that the ride’s almost over, I can tell you for sure: Sting really is that dude. For the last three years, no matter what situation we were in, he’s always been the same person I met in that trailer. And I think that’s part of why he’s done so well here. He could have easily come to AEW and just said, F**k off I’m Sting, hit a Scorpion Death Drop or two and gone home. People still would’ve loved it. The checks would’ve cleared. Seriously, Sting had nothing to prove to f**king anyone. But he worked his a** off and he proved something anyway. To the fans, to the locker room, to the business, and I’m guessing most of all to himself. Not in some bulls**t “you’ve still got it” way. But in this much more powerful way of like…. taking back what was stolen from him. Which is the right to retire on his own terms.”
On Sting’s legacy: “Sting’s dad passed away recently, which you probably know — only a couple of weeks before his final match. You probably also know that Sting’s sons have been a part of this story we’ve been telling over the last month and a half. And I’ve been thinking a lot about that as the match has gotten closer. I’ve been thinking about what a legacy is, and what a career is, and even what a life amounts to. For someone like Sting, it’s impossible to wrap your head around. The guy has been loved by literally millions of people, across five decades. He’s wrestled Ric Flair, who was born in 1949…. and Nick Wayne, who was born in 2005. There’s this hugeness to it that’s so insane. But what’s special about Sting I think is how he hasn’t let that hugeness define him. Moment to moment, person to person — he’s just lived his life, decided what’s important to him, and cared. He’s cared about what it’s meant to be a man of faith. And his father’s son. And his kids’ father. And a co-worker to each wrestler he’s worked with. And “The Icon” to each fan who’s bought a ticket to a show. And for the last three years? He’s cared about what it’s meant to be my mentor, my partner, my friend. He’s cared about what it’s meant to be all of that — deeply. And with some f**king integrity. That’s Sting’s legacy to me. And that’s what we’re celebrating on Sunday.”
On Sting’s last match: “But we’re also celebrating Sunday on Sunday. Man, I know it’s such a small part of Sting’s career in the big picture, this one match, but I’m so glad it’s happening. And I’m so glad Tony Khan paired us together, and that he’s giving Sting this incredible sendoff. So many guys end their careers on the worst possible note. Either the business embarrasses them, or they embarrass it, or both. It’s depressing. Like I said — wrestling can be a sh**ty cycle. And if there’s one last chapter of Sting’s legacy that gets written, I hope it’s this: Cycles can be broken. The wrestling business, it actually can treat older wrestlers with respect, and not spit on them on their way out. And older wrestlers, they actually can give instead of take. They can go out with grace and not like a b**ch.”
Sting, the legendary professional wrestler, is set to team up with Darby Allin to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships against The Young Bucks in a Tornado Tag Team match at AEW Revolution 2024. This highly anticipated event will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina.
In a guest article for The Players Tribune, Darby Allin expressed his admiration and respect for Sting ahead of his retirement match. He shared his initial thoughts upon learning that he would be working with the wrestling icon. Allin admitted that he was initially unaware of the significance of being positioned in the rafters, but when he found out that Sting would be making his return and having a staredown with him, he was in awe.
Allin went on to describe his first meeting with Sting before their segment. He was pleasantly surprised by Sting’s humility and lack of ego. Despite being a wrestling legend with numerous accomplishments, Sting showed genuine concern for Allin’s comfort and well-being. This interaction left Allin amazed and grateful for the opportunity to work with such a respected figure in the industry.
Reflecting on Sting’s tenure in AEW, Allin praised the wrestler for consistently being the same person he met in that trailer. He commended Sting for not resting on his laurels and simply relying on his established reputation. Instead, Sting worked hard and proved himself to the fans, the locker room, and even to himself. Allin emphasized that Sting’s dedication to reclaiming what was taken from him, namely the ability to retire on his own terms, is what sets him apart.
Allin also touched upon Sting’s legacy, highlighting the impact he has had on millions of fans over five decades. He emphasized that Sting has never allowed his fame and success to define him. Instead, Sting has focused on living his life with integrity and caring deeply about his faith, family, colleagues, and fans. Allin expressed his gratitude for Sting’s mentorship, partnership, and friendship over the past three years.
In anticipation of Sting’s final match, Allin expressed his joy and gratitude for being a part of this significant moment in Sting’s career. He acknowledged that while this match may seem small in the grand scheme of Sting’s legacy, it is an important opportunity to give him a memorable sendoff. Allin expressed his hope that this chapter of Sting’s career will serve as a reminder that the wrestling business can treat older wrestlers with respect and dignity, and that they can retire with grace and integrity.
As fans eagerly await AEW Revolution 2024, the Tornado Tag Team match featuring Sting and Darby Allin against The Young Bucks promises to be a thrilling and emotional event. It will not only mark the end of Sting’s in-ring career but also celebrate his lasting impact on the world of professional wrestling.