Where does Sting fit in WWE today?

[The Chief]

I posted this in the Kane/Bryan thread and thought it deserved it's own topic:

 

 

I'm not saying he's not in good shape. I'm just saying I think he's too old. He could probably do it physically, but I still think he's too old to be in the ring. When people talk about the interest that would be there, I just sadly don't believe them. Maybe he could do an annual Rumble spot like Kevin Nash, but I don't see it beyond that. I can be convinced but I'm skeptical that his name even means more than that of someone like Kevin Nash.

 

In all fairness, is Sting at the same level as a guy like Booker T? Meaning it's cool when he shows up, but it's not going to be treated as a major deal? Booker had a WWE run where he was pretty over in the public eye for close to a decade. The last time Sting was higher than that level with the general public was what, 1998? His last two years in WCW he was just another guy on the roster. And spending a decade in TNA pretty much means he's spent the last decade in obscurity.

 

Would people be petitioning for a Booker T/Undertaker WrestleMania match at this stage? No, nobody would. And I am 100% confident that Booker would pull a better match out of Taker at this stage. I get it that once upon a time Sting was a big deal, but that ship sailed years ago. I fail to see how lapsed WCW fans would all of the sudden decide to watch WWE just for Sting.

 

 

 

This seems to be quite the hot topic everytime Sting's TNA status is uncertain. Well, it looks like he's finally done with TNA, so Sting/WWE rumors have started up again. I don't think he has a place on-air. I do not want to see him wrestle anyone on the roster and he's not a strong enough talker to be placed in other roles. Showing up on documentaries and doing the eventual Hall Of Fame is exactly what I would do with Sting in 2014.

 

What are your thoughts on Sting's place in current WWE?

[flyonthewall2983]

You said it. Maybe he gets a job hosting WCW specials for the Network, but definitely he gets a spot in the HoF.

[shoe]

He'll do a retirement match, and then shift over to good will ambassador.

[cm funk]

I actually think Sting became a very good talker in TNA. He's basically cooked in the ring, but when I was still watching TNA I thought he was a good promo in the Main Event Mafia, with Hogan and Bischoff and with the "Joker Sting" character. I know that gets knocked by a lot of people, but I thought it was great.

 

In WWE the only real dream matches I'd want to see are with Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, neither of which is likely to happen. Two contemporary 90's counterparts who he never really crossed paths with.

 

If he was used to put a young guy over, I'd go with Bray Wyatt. Bryan-Sting isn't a natural matchup to me. Cena-Sting works as Cena was always compared to Sting when he was young, but I don't think Sting can go at that level.

 

HOF and contributing to the Network are no brainers. I wouldn't be opposed to him being on TV in an authority type role as has been rumoured, but I wonder how much shelf life it would have.

[goodhelmet]

Sting belongs on the WWE Network doing commentary on Warrior documentaries. He isn't needed.

[sek69]

HOF and Network/DVD Talkiing Head gigs are pretty much a certainty, I wouldn't be opposed to him being an authority figure at some point. As much as I think the role is done to death, it's clear WWE will never get rid of it as a booking crutch so might as well have someone who can do it well.

 

I'm curious to see how he gets placed in the official WWE version of history. He was pretty much the only guy Vince could never get, so I'd wager his dislike of offering superlatives to guys he didn't create might be tempered by finally getting the one that always eluded him.

[Exposer]

I expect Sting will be involved in some capacity on TV. I doubt he'll wrestle.

[MikeCampbell]

Sting belongs on the WWE Network doing commentary on Warrior documentaries. He isn't needed.

 

This. He'd be a great addition to the legends round table, if they decide to resurrect them, and he's perfect for things like documentaries, and have him and Flair do commentary on their first Clash of Champions match or something.

[Death From Above]

I could see him winding up in a GM role or something.

 

But I agree at this point, he isn't needed, and this feels too late for me to be that excited about it.

[DMJ]

With rumours of a possible War Games match down the line, I'd actually be willing to see him come back and be involved in that one match.

 

It's more spotlight than just having him in a Rumble, but its not so demanding that he's going to be exposed as unable to compete. Plus, I think the only part of Sting that fans really want to see is the "mysterious" part, the guy that stands in the rafters for a few weeks, the guy that starts out by not saying anything but eventually joins the side of good with a gesture as small as handing the babyface a baseball bat. The Shield, Bryan, and Sting vs. The Authority (HHH, Kane, Lesnar, Orton, and whoever else) sounds like a big time match to me.

 

Will it be a great match? Personally, for all the flak that WWE gets for its watered down, "no blood" Elimination Chamber and HIAC matches, I think they've also booked a few good ones and believe that, with this cast of characters, a War Games match could be executed well even with Sting in there.

[Sidebottom]

Sting in 2014 WWE TV is a hard one.

 

I envisioned him hanging in the rafters at Post Mania Raw coming down to save DB on a crusade against injustice leading to a match with HHH. That's a match and a role I'd like. Then he could position himself as an authority figure down the line.

[rovert]

Would love to monitor the reaction in the arena he gets when he pops up on the Titantron,

 

Apparently there's a Sting DVD due out in September too. That's another gauge of his worth to WWE fans.

[Sidebottom]

Would love to monitor the reaction in the arena he gets when he pops up on the Titantron,

 

There's a strong chance it will be shit. Bret, Warrior, Foley, Flair and others have proved that if you're out of the WWE eye for too long, the reactions are not going to be great in your average audience.

[Matt D]

He's not going to pop a buyrate but he can generate interest over 2 generations of lapsed fans in the network. They need to tap every source they can there, to the point where, like I said, I don't think they should put him on PPV, but they should make a network exclusive event around his last match. (I think the right pairing is probably Cena, not Wyatt or Daniel).

 

It's WWE, if they present something as important, it will be looked at by the fanbase as important. That's how it works 9 times out of 10. They're just sort of bad at presenting anything as important because they have the announcers shit on almost everything.

 

Look at what they did, on extremely short notice with Warrior. They give Sting that sort of push on the network coming in, build it to one big event, and I think it'd generate interest.

 

You tap into 20% of the lapsed fans who watched Nitro at its height and stopped either in 01 or well before it and that's more than worth spending a week making some exclusive content with Sting and one live event that you could make money off of anyway.

 

If they present him as important, then whoever beats him gets a rub.

 

It's all artificial and it's all cost/benefit. As he's fresh and has a lot of history behind him, I think it'd be easier to heat him up over a short period of time to put someone over, draw lapsed eyes to the network (and really, the entire point of the network is to tap into nostalgia. If their younger fanbase hasn't bought in for Mania, when are they going to?), and sell some merchandise than it would be for most of the talents they have on the roster now.

[The Chief]

The Warrior push was never meant to lead to anything in ring though, just the Hall of Fame with the Raw appearance as an extra. Nobody wanted to see fifty year old Warrior in the ring and I don't think there's anything they can do to get people interested in actually seeing Sting wrestle. His crow character doesn't really lend itself to an authority type role either.

[Matt D]

Warrior couldn't walk. They wanted to use Hogan somehow, but apparently the idea of someone even running into his fist was hard to get approved (they eventually did). Warrior doesn't look like Warrior. Sting sort of looks like Sting (though he looks more like an old heavy in a gangster movie), and the make-up covers up some of it.

 

I think the end product wouldn't be ultimately satisfying but that you could raise interest in it because for a lot of the people they're trying to draw (and have to draw with the network, out of sight is out of mind and...

 

I know how we can solve this. Kris needs to tell us what all of his casual wrestling fan buddies think.

[efrim]

I feel like I've had a pretty reasonable track record over the years of predicting how guys returning/debuting will do initially with the WWE crowd - but Sting as a WWE attraction in 2014 is something I have absolutely no feel for.

[Matt D]

I think that's because the Network puts us in a whole new world. The amazing thing is sometimes they actually look like they realize how they can leverage it too.

[WingedEagle]

Sting belongs on the WWE Network doing commentary on Warrior documentaries. He isn't needed.

 

This is true and accurate. But I'd also like one opportunity to pop for Sting having a moment on WWE TV. Depending when Batista returns and how long the Evolution reboot lasts, it could be as simple as having Flair return as manager to help lay out a babyface heading into another big tag match. Bryan says they're not showing up empty handed, and if Evolution has Flair in the fold there's only one way to counter that. And then send him off to the network.

[goc]

I just don't buy the idea that there is a significant amount of people who are going to shell out $60 to see a Sting match. The mythical "lapsed WCW fan" hasn't watched wrestling since 2001. I don't think he's coming back.

[Matt D]

They won't shell out 60 dollars to see a Sting match.

 

They'll perk their ears up at the idea that Sting is having a match in WWE finally and take a look at what else is there. The match itself is just an attraction to get people to the door. Everything else will pull them in.

 

A Sting match would just be a doorbuster.

[goc]

I just don't think someone who hasn't watched wrestling since WCW died is going to really get all that excited about the Network. I could be wrong, but people just move on. They already did move on. Over a decade ago.

[Matt D]

We live in a nostalgia-driven culture.

 

Maybe that doesn't work in the south? How did the Dukes of Hazzard movie do? EDIT: Eh, it made more than its budget, and hey, that was ten years ago.

[The Chief]

I fail to see how Sting could bring in lapsed fans. I feel the only fans who would be excited for Sting are small groups of the fans who already watch. This isn't Rock or Austin coming back.

[bradhindsight]

I don't think he will (nor should) wrestle at all. What feud or match-up is there for him that would interest the crowd, especially given his limitations?

 

Release the DVD, put him in the Hall of Fame and if necessary, bring him out to a live crowd when they're in the South (and hype it in advance). After that, WWE Network pieces like roundtables are a good fit.