Sting: “Why I rejected Vince McMahon’s offer and signed with AEW’s Tony Khan”

Sting’s AEW debut on the ‘Winter is Coming’ episode of Dynamite will go down in history as a truly iconic moment in pro wrestling history. The former WCW Champion’s WWE contract reportedly expired in May, and several rumors were circulating about a possible move to AEW.

The speculation turned out to be accurate as Sting not only made his AEW debut, but he was also confirmed to have inked a multi-year deal with Tony Khan’s promotion.

Dave Meltzer revealed more details on Sting’s AEW signing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s latest edition.

It’s being reported that Tony Khan wants Sting to be a regular television character, something that WWE was not keen on doing during the veteran’s time in the company.

Sting will, however, be protected, and he is not expected to take any bumps. Sting was forced to retire from in-ring competition following his WWE title match against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions in 2015. Sting’s spinal stenosis and recurring neck issues effectively ended his in-ring career; however, he was still interested in one WWE match.

Sting Character Transformation

Dave Meltzer noted that Sting wanted to have a cinematic match against The Undertaker in the WWE. The fans have also wanted to see the two legends share the same ring for years, but the showdown apparently never appealed to Vince McMahon.

Here’s what Meltzer stated in the Newsletter:

WWE had no interest in him as a television character. Khan wants to make him a regular television character, although he very clearly has to be protected when it comes to not taking bumps.

Still, it is known Sting wanted to do a Cinematic match with Undertaker, and for whatever reason, while fans have clamored for Undertaker vs. Sting for years, it has never been a match that appealed to McMahon.

Sting and Undertaker Wwe legends

What’s next for Sting in AEW?

As explained above, Sting will be regularly featured on AEW TV as Tony Khan wants him to be an on-screen character. The WWE Hall of Famer has been brought in to get back the lapsed WCW viewers, and it would be interesting to see the numbers he draws for the promotion.

Sting was considered the face of TNT wrestling during WCW’s peak, and his return should help Dynamite get a new set of viewers.

The Undertaker vs Sting WWE WrestleMania Rumors

The backstage reactions to Sting’s arrival in AEW have been overwhelmingly positive, and there is a genuine hype surrounding the Icon’s AEW stint.