AEW Legend Almost Appeared In WWE In 2025

If it were not for contractual obligations, an AEW legend could have appeared in WWE in 2025.

Sting competed in his final wrestling match at Revolution 2024, teaming up with Darby Allin to face The Young Bucks duo of Matt & Nick Jackson.

He made his debut in the Florida promotion in late 2020 after signing a multi-year contract. While appearing on Dynamite: Winter Is Coming, he aligned with Allin, with whom he would also form a tag team going forward.

Sting even won the AEW World Tag Team Championship once with Allin, when the duo defeated Big Bill and Ricky Starks on the February 7, 2024, episode of Dynamite.

Before joining All Elite Wrestling, he had a six-year run with WWE. He made his shock debut at the 2014 Survivor Series, attacking Triple H and starting a feud with The Authority.

During a match with Seth Rollins at the 2015 Night of Champions, Sting suffered a legitimate neck injury after taking a turnbuckle powerbomb.

The following year, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, where he also announced his first retirement from wrestling. He made sporadic appearances in the company until his contract expired in 2020.

WWE Tried To Bring Sting For One Night While He Was Signed To AEW

After retiring in 2024, Sting continued his association with AEW through a Legends contract and even became its ambassador.

WWE announced Lex Luger as one of the members into that year’s Hall of Fame, hoping The Icon could induct him on the special night.

Unfortunately, due to his contractual obligations to All Elite Wrestling, the moment did not come to pass.

During a recent appearance in Chris Van Vliet’s Insight, Diamond Dallas Page, who ultimately inducted Luger, revealed the details, expressing displeasure about Sting’s absence at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame event.

It should have been Sting. That’s the real brotherhood. The bottom line is, we tried to make it so we both could do, you know? I do a bit with him, and let — because Sting is Sting.

While all three wrestlers were signed to WCW at the same time, Sting often teamed up with Lex Luger. The pair first competed together in 1988 when WCW went by the name Jim Crockett Promotions.