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Why Sting Was Concerned About Joining AEW

By Lyle Kilbane • Published May 12, 2025 11:50 EDT
TJR Wrestling

Sting has revealed the worries he had before the spectacular final act of his wrestling career in AEW took place.

Sting spent the vast majority of his legendary career outside of WWE, but it was his short stint with that company that looked set to mark his final outing in a ring. The former WCW World Champion was hurt in the ring with Seth Rollins in 2015, and that looked to be the ignominious end of his career.

Speaking to Screen Rant, Sting explained why he’d made peace with his WWE exit despite it not being the way he wanted to bring his career to an end:

It seems like there’s been a reoccurring theme that’s happened to me a couple of times over the years, always tied to WWE, and it has to do with disappearing with my tail between my legs, so to speak, and just not wanting, after all the years, not wanting it to end the way it was ending. Although I had made amends with it and had a resolve about it and I was fine.

Tony Khan & Cody Rhodes Convinced Sting To Get Back In The Ring

However, phone calls from Tony Khan and Cody Rhodes changed all that as he started to be tempted back into the pro wrestling world:

But I got a phone call from Tony Khan and also Cody. Cody Rhodes called me as well and just said, hey, and Tony’s words were, ‘Hey, would you like to come back and play for a little while?’

Sting noted that he had fears about his age and whether or not wrestling fans would want to see him again, but The Icon was talked into returning to the ring by Tony Khan:

Tony was convinced that the fans would be bonkers over it. He built my confidence. I had great conversations with him. I started to look and pay attention to some of the talent there. Darby Allin, for example. It just seemed like as I watched their show, it felt like WCW way back in the day.

Sting teamed with Darby Allin throughout his time in AEW and captured the AEW Tag Team Championship together. The unlikely duo remained undefeated for the gold as the title was vacated following Sting’s final match at Revolution in 2024.