For so long as I can keep in mind, I’ve been watching wrestling. Most lifelong wrestling followers have the second they’ll level to and say, “That’s what hooked me”. I don’t have that. I’ve obscure recollections of very late-stage WCW, however no particular place to begin. What I’ll at all times keep in mind is my first favourite wrestler: Sting.
Although I used to be 4 years previous when WCW closed its doorways, Sting at all times caught with me. I rented WCW pay-per-view on VHS for years after the final Nitro, eagerly anticipating Sting’s match and hoping that he would present up once more on my TV each week. I watched the acquainted faces from these WCW tapes present up one after the other. Hogan, Corridor, Nash, Mysterio, Goldberg, however Sting by no means got here.
In 2005, after years of solely watching WWE, I began watching TNA when it debuted on Spike. Simply months later, the Stinger was again on my tv weekly. I used to be a brand new wrestling fan another time. Similar to the WCW pay-per-views, I used to be being launched to a roster of latest wrestlers, names like AJ Kinds, Samoa Joe, and Jay Deadly. Wrestlers who opened my eyes to the broader world of wrestling. Wrestlers who made me conscious of the idea of unbiased wrestling promotions.
I bought to look at Sting work with all of them.
After spending the mid to late 2010s watching independents and New Japan, AEW reignited my curiosity in American tv wrestling. A roster full of people that I had been watching, a batch of latest favorites, and a 12 months later who walks by the door however Sting.
Even crazier, he went on the best run of his profession.
I watched my first favourite wrestler dive off balconies 20 years after I first noticed him. I bought to look at him no-sell desk bumps and superkicks. I bought to see him staff with Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito. And tonight, I noticed him come down from the rafters one final time.
Sting is, for lack of a greater time period, an icon for wrestling followers who don’t consider WWE is the be-all and end-all of wrestling. He was the soul of WCW, the elder statesman of TNA, and now he’s the legend of AEW. I’ve been a wrestling fan for over 20 years, and I can hint all of it again to Sting.
I’ll proceed being a wrestling fan after Sunday, however there’ll at all times be somewhat piece lacking going ahead.
For one final time, it’s showtime.
Our professional wrestling trivia podcast, 5 Star Match Recreation, devoted a complete episode to Sting! Hear under or wherever you get your podcasts.
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