Sting in WWE

[flyonthewall2983]

Okay, now what?

[Coffey]

I wouldn't be surprised if Vince McMahon makes him the GM tomorrow on RAW & it leads to a Sting Vs. Triple H match at Wrestlemania.

 

Of course, that's not what I want to see at all.

[hammerva]

I think the plan is still Taker vs Sting at WM but since they have no idea whether Taker will be able to walk down the aisle at WM much wrestle until January they are doing a plan B.

 

Of course if Taker can wrestle then hopefully they can figure out a way to have Sting not wrestle until WM. Having him work a Royal Rumble or whatever replaces the Elimination chamber would be terrible buzzkill for a debut

[Strummer]

Yeah there was a report from PWI that the plan was Sting v Taker. Much more interested in that

[The Chief]

Taker should never wrestle again, let alone wrestle Sting.

[fakeplastictrees]

After last year's performance, I don't know how people can want to see Taker wrestle. The guy has 1 FULL YEAR to recover from any injuires, etc. and he still came in looking/moving like an old man. Taker should just fade out.

[Kil]

Sting vs Taker would be a horrible idea. Who wants to see Taker lose two years in a row? And he would have to lose, because you're not going to bring Sting in for Wrestlemania for the first and likely only time and not have him go over.

[fxnj]

I seriously think Undertaker was working the sad old man in the Brock match as an intentional role to add to the statement he was making about how far wrestling had gone from its sportive roots that people thought a UFC champ had no chance against a beat up 49 year old. I think if you watch the match and you view it as him simply doing an amazing job working as a guy who stuck around too long rather than as him legit having stuck around for too long it goes from something sad to a piece of dramatic brilliance.

[cm funk]

Agreed. A couple years ago I was really interested in Taker-Sting, but not now.

 

I'm a Sting fan but the debut fell flat with me. Maybe it's because I don't have a lot of interest in a feud with HHH, though I acknowledge that given the makeup of the roster he's probably the best choice for a Mania match where Sting is going to go over. Can also do some interesting things in the buildup with Flair, Michaels and others. It's also possible we could see a tag match, something like Cena/Sting vs. HHH/Rollins

 

I also think part of the debut falling flat it is it would have been cooler if the lights went out and Sting is in the ring pointing the bat at HHH, rather than the titantron entrance and the long staredown. Also, WWE spoiled the surprise themselves, so it was a bit anti-climactic. I would have rather seen Orton.

[anarchistxx]

Don’t really see how this benefits anyone, except maybe financially. WWE gets Sting when he is washed up and broken down - he looked what he was last night i.e. an old man in face paint. His hair was lank and the lycra does him no favours at this stage. And Sting himself loses the aura of being about the only major US star of the last three decades not to end up in WWE. Sure, the pop was huge but after a few weeks he won’t be getting much of a reaction.

 

Sting v Undertaker would have to be one smartly laid out match. The visual would be cool and it might add a few buys onto Wrestlemania, but as an actual match it could be an abomination, especially as you couldn’t really paper over the cracks with a lot of run ins and creative booking. Making it a retirement match for Undertaker would give the fans enough good will to let the poor quality slide, and he could go out on a high. No way he should be jobbing to Sting.

[The Chief]

How is Sting losing his aura by working for the biggest wrestling company in the world? What exactly is he losing?

[El-P]

The aura of being the only major star left who had never set a foot in the WWE. Granted, that aura was purely fictitious. Instead, he gains a fat paycheck (I guess). Easy choice indeed.

[anarchistxx]

How is Sting losing his aura by working for the biggest wrestling company in the world? What exactly is he losing?

 

Why didn't he just go and work for them ten years ago then? He would have made more money and been in a much better position to have interesting feuds and matches. Him staying in a horror show promotion like TNA for years added to this aura of a guy who was staying out of WWE because of some sort of principle or misguided loyalty to the company he loved that they had put out of business. He had an aura of the one person who hadn't sold his soul to WWE for the paycheck. Whether that was a stupid or romanticized or entirely fictitious viewpoint is besides the point.

 

It is like the musicians and bands who are way past their best but carry on trotting out on reunion tours to play the old hits and milk the cow for all it is worth. That is Ric Flair. There is more dignity in those who want to leave it all in the past and not tarnish the memories by selling out and touring just for the money. Sting was like Morrissey, offered huge money several times to reform The Smiths but kept turning it down out of principle. The Clash could reform and make mountains of money but they don't want to ruin the legacy. Sting was Mick Jones, plugging away playing small gigs at shit venues but still with an aura of respect because he could have sold out and made more money but for whatever reason chose not to, and chose to do his own thing on his own terms and lose out on all the money and exposure.

 

What has Sting for to gain as a performer by going to WWE when he is clearly broken down, and looks old and can't really work anymore.

[Matt D]

He becomes relevant to an entire new generation?

 

I promise you that them making such a big deal about him being in the video game has made him matter more to people under 20 than he could have managed in any other way. I point to the pop Vader got a year or two ago almost solely because he had been in the video game. It's not something to be underestimated and Sting is going to be presented as a much bigger legend, including put into the Hall of Fame.

[El-P]

He becomes relevant to an entire new generation?

 

Sting won't become relevant. And if I understood Meltz well, the core TV audience of the WWE is above 40 years old at this point. There's a reason why Mania is built on nostalgia each year.

[Matt D]

They're going to market him like they did Warrior earlier this year. So long as they do that, he'll be relevant. Unless Vince wants to be really petty, they'll market him as something really special and weave him into their brand of wrestling history, which, for people under the age of 25, is basically the only brand.

[Loss]

Hopefully, they have lots of Sting specials lined up and will use the WWE Network as a promotional vehicle to get him as over as possible with this audience in a way that it can be sustained.

[anarchistxx]

 

 

He becomes relevant to an entire new generation?

 

He won't even be relevant in three weeks. Certainly not with WWE booking. He looks lank and pasty and out of shape - he doesn't look like star, he looks washed up. Added to that he isn't exactly known for cutting incredible promos or being particularly compelling on the mic, so he isn't going to be over as a face authority figure for longer than a few weeks before the novelty wears off.

 

 

 

I point to the pop Vader got a year or two ago almost solely because he had been in the video game.

 

There is a difference between a one time pop and managing to stay over when you are on TV every week and any sense of freshness wears off. Look at Vince: he gets a reception like a megastar when he comes out now after being gone for months, but when he was on television every week nobody gave a fuck.

[Matt D]

I think he would have been better of debuting closer to the Rumble and being done with anything active by Mania. He's going to get inserted into the pantheon though and that's more than worth it for him to do this. WWE controls history.

[bradhindsight]

"What does Sting have to gain as a performer by going to WWE well past his prime?"

 

I'll go with: perform in front of 50,000+ people versus 500, be a part of the industry's biggest event, go into the HoF and in general be made out to be a big star. I'm sure there are numerous personal and professional goals he's checking off.

[anarchistxx]

I'll go with: perform in front of 50,000+ people versus 500, be a part of the industry's biggest event, go into the HoF and in general be made out to be a big star. I'm sure there are numerous personal and professional goals he's checking off.

 

If he was bothered about any of those things why didn't he just got to WWE years ago? Why spend over a decade in mediocrity performing to nobody when he had offers to perform in front of 50,000 people and be treated like a star?

[bradhindsight]

Isn't the story that he hated the product due to conflicting with his religious beliefs, until they changed to PG?

 

He seems like a loyal guy, which I'm sure played into his work with TNA over the years.

[Matt D]

He had a schedule he liked in TNA. He was comfortable being there. I think it's very telling that they've been negotiating for months and months. Whatever deal he ended up getting from WWE was one that he had to be very satisfied with.

[TRMD]

He got a pop and a "this is awesome" chant last night from pretty much 20,000 people. When is the last time he had that? 99?

 

That alone is reason enough to sign with WWE. I'm surprised he didn't start crying.

[goc]

Sting came before the time when everyone started crying in the ring. A better, simpler time.