04/03/2024
There are few truly mythical characters in wrestling anymore...
Growing up watching wrestling with my dad, I fell in love with the larger than Life characters; the characters that rarely made sense outside of the ropes.
These characters were superheroes and villains, monsters and legends that embodied their characters. Precious few of those characters attain longevity in their career, but the two that hold a very special place in my heart... Were the Dead Man and the Icon.
Where WWE had The Undertaker, who I'm not shy about saying is an all time favorite of mine; WCW had Sting.
Sting is one of the first wrestlers I remember vividly growing up. Hiding in the rafters, dropping into the ring, baseball bat in hand painted like Eric Draven. Wearing his face paint on a mask to blend in with fans.
"One thing's for sure about Sting, and that's NOTHING'S for sure about Sting..."
That statement hasn't exactly been accurate.
A for sure thing about Sting is that he was ALWAYS the highlight of every event he's been in, and every company not named WWE was better for his involvement in them.
A for sure thing about Sting is that he's universally loved in wrestling promotions globally.
A for sure thing is that he's always been one of my childhood heroes. Hell, I remember stressing up as him for Halloween when I was 10 years old.
Another for sure thing about him is that he's officially retiring tonight.
He's earned that. Almost 40 years in the ring, in his 60's doing more than most should be doing at that age, and STILL more over with fans than most of the WWE roster.
He deserves to ride off into the sunset. And he deserves his flowers.
This year marks my last in my 20's, and it feels a bit bittersweet to say goodbye to another huge part of my childhood watching Sting retire.
Despite that sadness, I'm still extremely ecstatic and excited to see what the future brings. I hope there's a few more Icons, Phenoms and legends. I hope the future generations get these moments the way I did.
Everyone needs superheroes to look up to.
for being one of mine...
