Sting finished his AEW career undefeated as he and Darby Allin upended the Young Bucks in the main event of Sunday’s Revolution to retain the AEW Tag Team titles in Sting’s retirement match.
Sting got Matt Jackson to tap out to the Scorpion Death Lock, ending what was a hellacious bout that featured ladders, table bumps and panes of real glass.
The 64-year-old will now retire as a champion with the future of the titles up in the air as of now.
Much like in previous matches, it was held under tornado rules which meant anything goes. At one point, Sting and Allin brought out the aforementioned glass from under the ring with Sting’s two sons helping to set one up on chairs next to the ring.
And has been the case in those anything goes bouts, Sting took his share of punishment including a suplex from Matt Jackson off the stage through two side-by-side tables that took him out of the action for a bit.
Later, Allin took a bump through the aforementioned glass that has to be seen to be believed:
With Allin out of action, Sting made his way back into action, only to be thrown through a table off a ladder in the ring and then later hip-tossed into another pane of glass set up in the corner:
Ricky Steamboat, a guest timekeeper, was taken out by the Bucks after trying to prevent them from using a title belt. Ric Flair then got in the ring and shielded Sting, only to get superkicked. Steamboat also then got superkicked as he made his way up to the apron.
With Allin injured, Sting fought back up several times, kicking out at one after a second EVP trigger. He then took a double superkick and was about to take a TK Driver before Allin returned to toss Nick Jackson through a ringside table. Sting hit a Scorpion Death Drop to Matt Jackson, followed by an Allin coffin drop and a Scorpion Death Lock to end it.
Going into the match, Sting was 27-0 since making his debut at March 2021’s Revolution — all in traditional tag team, trios and eight-man matches. He and Allin defeated Ricky Starks and Big Bill for the titles in early-February with this being their first defense.
The post-match
Afterward, Allin got on the mic and said there was three minutes left in the PPV and wanted the fans to show their appreciation. Sting then thanked the fans as he said he has done since 1988 and also Flair. He wanted to give fans a night they would never forget as it was a night he would never forget.
Sting then put over Allin, wondering how many stitches Allin would require tonight, then saying he saw a risk-taker in Allin and that he himself was still a risk-taker which the fans responded to.
However, the rest of Sting’s promo didn’t air on PPV as the feed cut out after he said he was getting cued for time. AEW eventually posted some of the missing promo on X afterward as seen below:
THANK YOU STING! – From the entire wrestling world.
Eventually, after Sting was done, the entire locker room came out onto the stage to applaud him which also wasn’t seen on air.
The intro
Flair and Steamboat came out before the introductions, joining several other wrestlers from the past that were already at ringside including Nikita Koloff, Scotty Riggs, Magnum TA and Arn Anderson.
After Allin’s introduction, a montage of Sting’s career aired with still photos from his WCW days and footage from his matches in NJPW along with AEW. No TNA or WWE-owned footage was shown. Sting was shown watching it while in an empty movie theatre, eventually doing his “It’s showtime” catchphrase and his traditional yell.
His two sons then came out with one dressed in Sting’s Great American Bash-inspired gear with the other in his WCW Wolfpack gear before Sting entered to Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy.” The sons eventually got into the action, delivering Stinger splashes to both Bucks as retribution for being attacked several weeks ago.
Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone were on commentary with Excalibur, notable as Ross and Schiavone called Sting’s famed March 1988 Clash of the Champions bout against Ric Flair in the same building.
Sting’s retirement match headlines AEW Revolution.
In the main event, the 64-year-old Sting teams with Darby Allin in defending the AEW Tag Team titles against The Young Bucks in a tornado match.
The AEW World Championship is on the line in a triple threat match as Samoa Joe defends the title against Swerve Strickland & Hangman Adam Page.
Women’s World Champion Toni Storm puts her title on the line against Deonna Purrazzo.
Continental Crown Champion Eddie Kingston defends against Blackpool Combat Club’s Bryan Danielson.
International Champion Orange Cassidy defends his title against Roderick Strong of The Undisputed Kingdom.
TNT Champion Christian Cage defends his belt against Daniel Garcia.
BCC’s Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli take on FTR.
Will Ospreay has his first match as a full-time AEW wrestler against Konosuke Takeshita.
An eight-man All Star Scramble match for a future AEW World title shot features Chris Jericho vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer vs. Brian Cage vs. Hook vs. CMLL’s Magnus vs. Dante Martin.
Zero Hour
The WrestleAunts, Renee Paquette & RJ City welcome us to Zero Hour, talk about Stingās historic final match and run down the card for this evening. They then throw it to Tony Schiavone & David Crockett ringside and say tonight itās about family on Stingās final night. Schiavone reminds us itās also about revenge for what The Young Bucks did to Stingās sons a few weeks ago. They talk about Sting vs. Ric Flair in this arena back in 1988 before throwing it back to Paquette & RJ.
Despite the word online of Stingās final match closing the show, Paquette mentioned multiple times that the AEW World Title Three Way is the main event. I personally think that’s a huge mistake and Sting should end the PPV.
Excalibur & Nigel McGuinness are on commentary for the opening contest of the evening.
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster), Daddy Ass, Switchblade Jay White, Austin & Colten Gunn defeated Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) & Willie Mack (w/Karen Jarrett & Sonjay Dutt)
(Your standard pre-show party match to get the crowd going, as there were multiple hot tags for the babyface team, which ultimately led to White swooping in and getting the win, after only doing pretty much one move, his finisher. Thankfully post match, White seemed to call his shot for Big Business, so hopefully heās back to being in the main event picture soon. Iāve said this before, but Iāve found this Bang Bang Scissor Gang storyline to be very underwhelming for everyone involved.)
Caster flubbed his opening rap as Jarrett & crew got a hearty laugh in the ring. Both Austin & Kassidy showed off their speed in the early going, mocking one another with taunts in the process. Quick double team from the Gunns before Quen jumps in to take control. Colten connected on a dropkick, which led to Scissor Me Timbers from The Acclaimed. Colten was caught with a blindside from Lethal, allowing for a seven way Fargo Strut in Greensboro, with Dutt getting involved. Austin played cheerleader to the crowd to cheer on his brother, as Colten made the hot tag to Bowens, who ran wild on everyone until Lethal connected on a Lethal Combination. Singh briefly tagged in and bealed Bowens before Lethal jumped back in for a delayed suplex. Garvin Stomp by Jarrett, who crotched himself in the ropes, allowing Bowens to hit a Blockbuster.
Daddy Ass made the hot tag and it led to Lethal & Mack connecting on two cutters, Kassidy with a Swanton, Quen with a 450 Splash, but Daddy Ass kicked out. Mack missed a follow up Frog Splash and finally tagged in White, who didnāt do a thing before The Gunns hit 3:10 to Yuma, The Acclaimed hit The Arrival and Mic Check leaving White alone with Singh. Daddy Ass made the save and led to an assisted Fame Asser as White then laid out Mack with a Blade Runner for the win.
Post match, White took the mic, got the crowd going and made fun of Caster, saying it wasnāt that hard. White ran down some of the card and said theyāre the greatest faction in the greatest wrestling company. White said theyāre led by one of the greatest of all time, the catalyst of pro wrestling and said March 13th maybe heāll handle some Big Business of his own before hitting the signature go home line.
-Lexy Nair is backstage with Orange Cassidy & Best Friends with the doctor, who said he needs to tape his back and ribs up or else he wonāt clear Cassidy tonight. Beretta said they have Cassidyās back tonight, but Cassidy said heās tired of his friends getting hurt because of him, so wants them to stay in the back. Chuck Taylor said heāll make sure everyone keeps out of it, as Beretta didnāt seem to like the idea, but ultimately put his hand in for the Best Friends handshake, as did Nair and the doctor.
-A vignette for The Bastard PAC is shown saying Tony Khan will never get rid of him, heās like a cockroach. PAC will be back very soon and take this festering scrotum of a company into a new age. PAC asks doesnāt it feel good to be alive?
Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale (w/Stokely Hathaway) defeated TBS Champion Julia Hart & Skye Blue
(Aside from a clunky little moment in the middle of the match, the crowd were loudly behind Statlander & Nightingale for this one and I definitely see this leading to a TBS Title shot for Nightingale.)
Hathaway joins commentary for this one, as Blue tried to attack at the bell, but was lit up by Nightingale & Statlander in the process. Blue escaped a bodyslam and tagged Hart, who was met with the same fate and picked apart with a bodyslam and running low cross body from Nightingale. Hart chop blocked a knee out, allowing for Blue to hit a step up knee to the neck. Nightingale tried to fight back with a wildly loud chop on Hart, but ultimately remained isolated until kicking free and diving for the hot tag. Statlander was a house of fire, hitting a really impressive leg sweep Flatliner combo for a near fall.
Statlander hit Chaos Theory on Blue, but never saw the blind tag to Hart, who clobbered Statlander from behind, but failed to lock in Hartless. Blue tried a cross body onto both Statlander & Nightingale, who caught her and hit a double fall away slam. Hart dodged, but Blue was wiped out with a somersault corner cannonball. I think Hart was supposed to counter an Oklahoma Stampede into a DDT, but didnāt get any of it, as Nightingale hit a Death Valley Driver for two. Hart countered a Doctor Bomb into a sunset flip, as Blue made the blind tag and caught Nightingale with a thrust kick.
A shotgun dropkick off the middle rope by Nightingale, as Hart & Statlander jumped in and slugged it out. Hart hit a double stomp in the corner and followed with her moonsault press for two, as Nightingale made the save. Nightingale just stared down Hart, which allowed Blue to hit a running dropkick off the apron. Statlander ran through a double team with a discus lariat, as Nightingale avoided Code Blue and launched Blue out of the ring with a Pounce. Statlander threw her back in and Nightingale hit a Doctor Bomb for the win.
Renee Paquette & RJ City run down the card one final time and inform us Christian Cage vs. Daniel Garcia will be starting the show.
AEW Revolution
āItās Showtime, you know what that means!ā Excalibur welcomed us alongside Nigel McGuinness & Tony Schiavone, as weāre ready for our opening contest of the evening.
Christian Cage (w/The Patriarchy) defeated Daniel Garcia to retain the TNT Title
(A very good opener, with the numbers proving to be too much for Garcia, who put up one hell of a fight, it just wasnāt meant to be. The crowd bit at the near falls, but ultimately the distractions helped Cage retain once again.)
Garcia came to the ring with a Sting inspired leather jacket weāre told was given to him by rapper Westside Gunn. Both men took turns raising the TNT Title before locking up and Cage getting the early takedown, but Garcia responded with a shoulder tackle and Cage regrouped outside. Cage tried a leap over back inside and crumbled, holding his leg and for some reason, Garcia believed him, as Cage suckered him with a cheap shot. Garcia tried fighting back with corner punches, but Cage dumped him to the floor and followed with a dive outside. McGuinness called Cage a fighting champion by not taking a countout and throwing Garcia back in for more punishment. Garcia avoided a Killswitch and chopped out the leg, zoning in on the left ankle. Cage rolled out of an ankle lock and continuously sent Garcia to the floor, trying for a countout, which of course, McGuinness supported. Garcia dodged a charging Nick Wayne, sending him into the ring announcers table before fighting off Cage to get back in the ring.
Garcia connected on a flying clothesline before pulling Cageās shirt over his head and delivering ten corner punches with his signature dance to cap it off. A dragon screw out of the corner led to a series of Garcia near falls. Cage got in a body shot, tried his slingshot right hand, but his leg gave way from being worked on and Garcia loudly smashed Cage into the steps. Cage begged off back in the ring, but managed to hit a reverse DDT for two. Garcia avoided a Frog Splash and turned it into an Ankle Lock, as Cage again rolled out, but was planted with a stalling back suplex. Cage answered by violently slingshotting Garcia into the corner, as Cage took the ref and Killswitch hit a Choke Slam. Cage connected on a Frog Splash, but Garcia kicked out.
Killswitch took off his armor, frustrated, as Daddy Magic Matt Menard attacked from behind. Shayna Wayne tried to slap him, but Menard cut her off and brawled with Killswitch to the back. Cage meanwhile, tried a Spear on Garcia, but the leg gave way and Garcia hit a snap Piledriver for a close two. Garcia hit a Jackknife pin, but Cage got a rope break. Shayna took ref Aubrey, as Nick Wayne flew in with a cutter, as Cage hit the Killswitch and got the victory.
-Lexy Nair is backstage with Bryan Danielson warming up talking about how Danielson knows Eddie Kingstonās weaknesses and will make him tap out tonight. Danielsonās music hits and heās so focused he doesnāt even want to talk before the match. Renee Paquette is back with Eddie Kingston, getting in his last minute preparations, as he dedicates this match to Jun Akiyama.
Eddie Kingston defeated Bryan Danielson to retain the Continental Crown Title
(A phenomenal hard hitting war, as the fans were split throughout, but were really behind Kingston towards the finish. The story of Kingstonās arm being taken out early led to his storytelling specialty of coming from behind and triumphing when all was said and done. Iām still somewhat shocked Danielson hasnāt won a title in his AEW run. Some could say he doesnāt need it, but Iād love at least one before he stops competing full time.)
Loud dueling chants from the crowd, as Danielson threw an early kick to the knee that buckled Kingston. Both traded loud chops, with Kingston firing off machine gun chops leading to a Saito Suplex and Tope to the outside. More chops on the apron, as Danielson lured Kingston to the corner, ducked a chop and Kingston chopped the post. Danielson hit a suplex off the apron to the floor for a loud thud. Danielson wrenched at the right hand back inside, stomping on the wrist to follow. Danielson dove off the top, but was caught with an Exploder Suplex for the reset, allowing Kingston to recover.
Kingston drove Danielson down with a DDT before locking in the Stretch Plum. With Kingstonās arm weakened, Danielson escaped easily, but Kingston was there with anvil elbows. Danielson avoided the half and half suplex, connecting with a series of corner dropkicks. Kingston side stepped the third, so Danielson planted him with a Dragon Suplex for two. Kingston constantly fought out of the corner until Danielson hit a corner dropkick and Avalanche Butterfly Suplex into a submission, but Kingston got the ropes. Anvil elbows from Danielson, as Kingston fought out of a Regal Plex, hit a Spinning Back Fist and Northern Lights Bomb for a close near fall. Kingston hit another back fist with his bad arm, so Danielson absorbed it, punted out the bad arm and hit the Busaiku Knee for two and Danielson couldnāt believe it.
Danielson hammered down boots and locked in the triangle, the same way Kingston went to sleep last Wednesday on Dynamite. Kingston faded, but raised his hand up and got the ropes. Kingston started absorbing kicks, so Danielson switched to kicking the bad arm. Both men had an incredible sequence of trading half and half suplexes before both collapsing to a loud ovation. Both rose to their feet and swung wildly with slaps until Danielson backdropped out of a powerbomb, tried Busaiku Knee, but Kingston hit a lariat and high stack powerbomb for the win. Post match, Danielson kept faking a handshake, but ultimately showed Kingston respect, shaking his hand and giving him the ring for the ovation of the crowd.
Wardlow (w/The Undisputed Kingdom) defeated Powerhouse Hobbs, Chris Jericho, Lance Archer (w/Jake Roberts), HOOK, Brian Cage (w/Prince Nana), Magnus & Dante Martin in an All Star Scramble to win a shot at the AEW World Title
(A whole bunch happened here, as expected, with everyone getting in a lot of offense. The crowd got their meat chants, while each man involved got to show their strength in one way or another. With this win, Wardlow gets an AEW World Title shot, but weāre not told when or where.)
Taz tagged in and McGuiness tagged out for the upcoming match, as itās only right considering HOOK is involved, as well as three other former Team Taz members in Hobbs, Cage and even Martin, who had a cup of coffee with the group.
We got the previously promised Meat Madness immediately, as Archer, Wardlow, Cage & Hobbs wiped everyone else out to have a four way pose down. Every shoulder tackle and clothesline resulted in meat chants from the crowd until it was just Archer & Wardlow standing. Archer walked the top rope into a moonsault, tried to do the same to Hobbs, who caught him with a spinebuster. Cage flew in with a Death Valley Driver before Wardlow hit a step up hurricanrana. Jericho jumped in with a Code Breaker out of nowhere, as HOOK broke up the pin. With the meat men out, Jericho, HOOK, Martin & Magnus jumped in for what Taz called a Mini-Meat battle. Jericho opted to leap off the top to the outside on Hobbs, Martin wiped out Wardlow, Magnus took out Archer, leaving HOOK all alone to go up top and hit a double sledge on Cage.
Everyone slowly got back into the ring and we got four superplexes capped off with Cage hitting one from the apron back in on HOOK. Martin flew in with a Frog Splash, leaving all 8 men down. Martin ran wild with dives, clipping his foot on one of them, but recovered and took out Jericho with a cross body for two. Magnus came in with a Tiger Feint Kick and Butterfly underhook back breaker on Martin, leading to a corner double knee. Archer came in with a step up knee in the ropes, massive hip toss and choke slam for two of his own. Archer wanted Black Out, but Jericho made the save and hit a double suplex with Magnus before both hit stereo Lionsaults on Archer.
Hobbs leapt into the ring, mowed people down and dropped Archer with a running powerslam and Martin with a snap variety. Cage took out Hobbs, leaving himself & HOOK to square off and Cage deliver a short arm lariat. Wardlow took turns hitting German suplexes on everyone, looked for a powerbomb on Cage, but HOOK sank in REDRUM. With Wardlow fading, Jericho applied a Liontamer at the same time, but Cage broke it up. HOOK hit a Northern Lights on Jericho for two, before being pulled outside by Hobbs, who hit a Worldās Strongest Slam. Hobbs charged at Jericho, who looked to spray what I think was a smoke machine to blind Hobbs.
Back inside, Cage spun out of a powerbomb, but was leveled by a Wardlow wind up lariat. Wardlow hit the powerbomb, but Martin nearly stole it with a roll up. Martin hit the Nose Dive on Archer, but was clobbered in mid air by Wardlow, who fought off HOOK with a wind up lariat before dropping Martin with a Last Ride powerbomb to win it.
Roderick Strong defeated Orange Cassidy to win the AEW International Title
(Strong more than lived up to the Messiah of the Backbreaker moniker, as he hit more backbreakers than ever to capitalize on the injuries that have piled up for Cassidy. A surprise return post match brings the returning Kyle OāReilly into the picture and we donāt know where his intentions lie.)
Super quick start, as Strong missed a Sick Kick and End of Heartache, with a taped up Cassidy getting multiple near falls. Strong wasnāt messing around with the hands in the pockets from Cassidy and hit a pendulum backbreaker before going outside and hitting one on the barricade. Cassidy fought back with a Tope and cross body off the top back inside, but with the bad ribs, a delay allowed Strong to regain the advantage. Multiple backbreakers and chops led to Strong hitting a gut wrench backbreaker on the top turnbuckle in an incredible spot. Strong mocked the little kicks before unleashing chops that buckled Cassidy. Strong connected on a rib breaker, but Cassidy hit a desperation Stundog Millionaire, unable to follow up. Strong locked on the Strong Hold, but Cassidy got the ropes.
Strong caught a boot and planted Cassidy with another backbreaker before getting the Strong Hold applied again. Cassidy kicked out and hit the round the World DDT before going up top and hit the diving DDT for two. Cassidy ramped up the intensity of kicks before connecting with a Panama Sunrise for a close near fall. Strong countered Orange Punch into another backbreaker, hit a rising knee, but Cassidy exploded out with an Orange Punch and Beach Break, but Strong got the ropes. Cassidy took too long to go for another Orange Punch, as Strong fired up with a knee strike, hit End of Heartache and won the title.
Post match, Mike Bennett & Matt Taven hit the ring to celebrate and hoist up Strong on their shoulders when a returning Kyle OāReilly appeared from behind. He hugged Strong, as Bennett gave him his Undisputed Kingdom shirt, but OāReilly refused and whispered something to Strong before leaving alone.
(Once Harwood started bleeding, this match hit another gear and didnāt let off the gas. All four of these men knocked it out of the park in this one, as it couldāve gone either way; you were just waiting for how things would end. With this win, commentary put over how Moxley & Castagnoli won it in FTRās backyard. Neither Harwood or Wheeler tapped, but passed out, so perhaps another round could happen down the line.)
Moxley & Castagnoli came from the crowd wearing spiked shoulder pads to pay tribute to the Road Warriors in Greensboro. Castagnoli & Harwood traded pin attempts in the early going, but that quickly switched to a slap battle, which rocked Harwood. A stiff uppercut and chop exchange led to both collapsing and tagging their respective partners. I loved the exchange between Tony Schiavone & Taz with Schiavone comparing Moxley to Dean Martin and Taz pointing out Martin was drunk half the time. Neither team was really in control for a long period until Castagnoli dumped Wheeler to the floor and the ribs hit hard on the edge of the ring. This allowed Moxley to attack, spilling into the front row.
Wheeler remained isolated until finally Harwood made the hot tag and ran wild with chops and lariats. An OāConnor Roll into a leaping cross body off the second got a near fall, as did an inside cradle. Wheeler made the tag, as Harwood was posted by Castagnoli and leveled Wheeler with a lariat for two. Harwood came up bleeding, but still made a blind tag, as Castagnoli was up in a powerbomb position, but hit a Steiner-esque powerslam in mid air on Harwood. Castagnoli & Moxley hit an assisted Air Raid Crash for two as Harwood, wearing the crimson mask, rose to his feet for a slug fest with Moxley, who ran into a pop up powerbomb. FTR connected with a Spike Piledriver, as Wheeler wiped out Castagnoli with a dive, while Moxley kicked out at two.
Castagnoli put a stop to the Power-Plex, as he & Moxley connected on an Uppercut Doomsday Device for a wild two count. All four men slugged it out until Moxley was sent outside leaving Castagnoli to block Shatter Machine into a Giant Swing, with Moxley hitting the dropkick mid revolution for two. Moxley bit at the head of Harwood, who spat in Moxleyās face, leading to a powerbomb diving clothesline combo for two. Wasting no time, Moxley was dropped with Shatter Machine, but Castagnoli pulled Harwood out at two. Wheeler tried a dive, but Castagnoli hit an uppercut in mid air and Neutralizer on the floor. Harwood was there to lay out Castagnoli with a piledriver. Back inside, Harwood & Moxley traded countered until Moxley hit Death Rider, but Harwood kicked out and got a crucifix pin for two as well. Moxley applied the Bulldog Choke, as Castagnoli got the Rear Naked Choke and FTR passed out simultaneously.
Timeless Toni Storm (w/Luther & Mariah May) defeated Deonna Purrazzo for the AEW Womenās Title
(Much like Daniel Garcia in the opening contest, the numbers game was just too much for Purrazzo to overcome. For a feud that seemed to be pretty personal, I was surprised at the mat based action we got early. Storm hands Purrazzo her first loss as an official AEW roster member.)
Mariah May came out dressed in Stormās old gear, with the old music and video. Commentary thought it was Storm at first, but quickly put it together it wasnāt the AEW Womenās Champion. Storm made her grand entrance and traded takedowns in the early going. Purrazzo baited Storm in and locked in the Fujiwara Armbar, but Storm quickly scurried to the ropes. Both ladies traded forearm shots before a short arm lariat sent Storm outside to regroup with Luther. Purrazzo had enough and hit a baseball slide. Back in the ring, Storm ran into ref Aubrey and hit a low blow kick on Purrazzo, which Taz questioned if it even works and Excalibur mentioned the Lady Yam Bag. Storm kept Purrazzo grounded until Purrazzo absolutely leveled Storm with a shot and series of clotheslines. A running kitchen sink and leg sweep led to the Fujiwara Armbar, but Storm rolled out, but right into a kick to the mush.
Purrazzo connected on the Flatliner for two, but Storm swept the leg into the corner leading to Sweet Cheek Music and spinning DDT for a close near fall. Storm applied the Break a Leg ankle lock submission, as Purrazzo fought free and sent Storm into the arms of Luther. Purrazzo got two for one, hitting a cross body from the ring to the floor, wiping everyone out. Back inside, Purrazzo again got the Fujiwara Armbar, but Luther took the ref, with Storm tapping. The ref didnāt see it, as Mariah May appeared and distracted Purrazzo long enough for Storm to hit Storm Zero for the win. Post match, Storm celebrated with May and handed her the AEW Womenās Title, something May stared at ever so briefly, as Storm got out of the ring.
Will Ospreay defeated Konosuke Takeshita
(When you have two of the best wrestlers on the planet, thereās lofty expectations on whether it can deliver. Needless to say this delivered and then some, as this was one of the best AEW matches in recent memory, as the crowd went crazy for almost the entire thing. This was simply unbelievable stuff, to say Ospreayās official All Elite run started successfully is a massive understatement.)
Excalibur wondered why the booth was getting pelted with trash and itās because Don Callis joined commentary. The crowd is loudly behind Ospreay from the jump, as he hit a lighting quick hurricanrana to start. Takeshita responded with a just a fast Takeshita-line. Takeshita cut off Ospreay in the ropes and hit a delayed superplex for one. A leaping senton off the second by Takeshita got another one count, as multiple violent hammer elbows flattened Ospreay. Stiff chops from Ospreay led to Pip, Pip Cheerio and corkscrew kick, as Takeshita rolled to the floor, where Ospreay met him with a slingshot dive. Back inside, Kawada kicks from Ospreay, but Takeshita fought back, hit a running boot and somersault dive of his own to the floor.
Returning to the ring, Takeshita wanted a top rope senton, but Ospreay got the knees up, allowing Ospreay to try Leap of Faith, but rolled out and was dropped on his head with a German suplex for two. Ospreay hit a wall walk enzugiri, Takeshita answered with another German, charged, but ran right into a Spanish Fly for the double down. Both traded forearms until Ospreay hit a Hook Kick that crumbled Takeshita. Ospreay connected on a rolling elbow and the ref checked on Takeshita, who rose to his feet and absolutely leveled Osperay with multiple forearms. Ospreay tried more Kawada kicks, but Takeshita swung for the fences and Ospreay collapsed. A wild series of counters and brutal hook kicks led to a Tiger Suplex for two. Ospreay signaled for the Oscutter, but Takeshita countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb in mid air in an amazing visual that brought the crowd to their feet.
Ospreay fought off Chaos Theory, hit more hook kicks, finally hitting an Oscutter for two. Ospreay signaled for Hidden Blade, but Takeshita struck first with a forearm and Ospreay barely got a shoulder up from the count. Ospreay managed to hit the Cheeky Nandos kick, but Takeshita held on to avoid a corner hurricanrana. Instead, Takeshita pulled Ospreay up from the mat into a violent Avalanche Brainbuster that destroyed Ospreayās back. Takeshita hit the charging knee, but Ospreay managed a kick out. Takeshita took too long for another knee, which Ospreay blocked into Stundog Millionaire and Poison Rana. Takeshita spun out of Storm Breaker into a Crunchy and wheelbarrow German, but Ospreay exploded up and hit Hidden Blade, only for Takeshita to kick out at one in one of the best sequences youāll see.
Both men hit dueling rolling elbows, but Takeshita ran through Ospreay with a lariat. Ospreay blocked a jumping knee into a Styles Clash for two. Ospreay broke out the scary Storm Driver 93 and Hidden Blade flush to win this classic. Post match, Don Callis celebrated with Ospreay before checking on Takeshita as Kyle Fletcher made his way to the ring. Ospreay & Takeshita showed respect to each other as Ospreay & Fletcher had a face off before hugging. Excalibur told us heās been informed Ospreay vs. Fletcher will be happening on Dynamite.
Samoa Joe defeated Hangman Adam Page & Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) to retain the AEW World Title
(I loved the story told in this one, as Joe was obviously the panicked champion, worried about not being involved in the finish, while Page & Stricklandās hatred kept them from potentially winning the title at certain points. The finish will bring some serious debate, as you could question whether Page couldāve tapped or did he simply tap to cost Strickland the title, which was his ultimate goal.)
Jim Ross has joined commentary, as Strickland was announced first and Nana did the Swerve dance with backup dancers. Joe ran wild out the gate and even did his signature side step, dodging a Strickland diving uppercut out of the corner. Joe followed by laying out Strickland with a Tope and cutting Page off from doing a follow up dive of his own. Joe was low bridged to the floor, as Page hit a fall away slam on Strickland, but both men kipped up. Strickland connected on a head scissors and follow up uppercut before turning his attention to Joe and delivering an uppercut off the apron.
Joe broke up the Page & Strickland scuffle with running corner boots to Page and high stack powerbomb into STF and Crossface transition. Strickland broke it up and started a forearm battle with Joe, proving to be a terrible idea, as Joe won that exchange. Strickland avoided a Muscle Buster and superplex before a headbutt crumbled Strickland to the floor. Joe took far too long to follow up, leading to an unintentional double team powerbomb from Strickland & Page, who had an intense follow up face off before slugging it out. Page hit a violent lariat to the neck, but right hands only woke Strickland up. Strickland, now bleeding slightly under his eye, booted Joe to the floor, as Page moonsaulted out of the corner into a Tombstone on Strickland for two, broke up by Joe. Page avoided a STO and cracked Joe with a big boot, as Strickland countered Dead Eye into a powerbomb stack and vertical suplex.
Strickland let Joe connect with a Muscle Buster on Page, giving him time to hit a Swerve Stomp and House Call on Joe. Instead of covering Joe, Strickland set his sights on Page, hit a House Call, but Page kicked out. Joe up with Kawada kicks on Strickland, went to the corner, but was hung up and Strickland hit a DDT. The 450 Splash to the back hit, as Strickland followed with Swerve Stomp, but Page pulled the leg of the ref and decked him in the process. Page grabbed the AEW Title and leveled Strickland multiple times. Page connected on multiple Buckshot Lariats on Joe, but there was no ref, which was all Pageās fault. Finally, referee Bryce hit the ring to make a two count, as Page went for a third Buckshot, but Joe slapped on the Coquina Clutch. Strickland flew in with a Sky Twister Press with everyone down.
Prince Nana threw his crown to Strickland, who tossed it back and said he didnāt need it, as Joe sank in the Coquina Clutch. Strickland countered into a roll up, but Page broke it up by beating the hell out of referee Bryce. Everyone took turns delivering lariats, as Page laid out Joe with a Buckshot, but Strickland hit one of his own on Page before hitting a JML Driver. Joe popped back in and hit a brutal half and half suplex on Strickland before reapplying the Coquina Clutch on Hangman, who tapped out before Strickland could break it up. Commentary debated if Page tapped so he could keep Strickland from winning the title.
-Weāre told Sunday, April 21st in St. Louis will be the next PPV, AEW Dynasty.
Before the main event, Ric Flair was introduced, as well as the Guest Time Keeper, Ricky āThe Dragonā Steamboat. We see Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff & Scotty Riggs in the crowd as well.
Sting & Darby Allin defeated The Young Bucks (Matthew & Nicholas Jackson) in a Tornado Tag Match to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles in Stingās Retirement Match
(What a match, what a story, what a storybook ending to one of the greatest careers in pro wrestling. I canāt imagine Sting ever thought heād step back in the ring again following what happened in WWE, let alone a 4 year run, one of the best of his career. The respect shown to Sting throughout his time in AEW was wonderful and Iām glad he got to go out on his terms and with a win. This was an absolute battle and The Bucks did a fantastic job being the villains who could potentially steal this moment away from everyone in Greensboro. I know this just happened, but this was my favorite send off of a wrestler of all time. I loved this main event of a fantastic PPV from AEW.)
The Bucks entrance saw them rising up from the floor, wearing black and white robes, as EVP business cards rained down on the stage. We cut to an old movie theater and Sting taking a seat before watching some of his greatest moments and achievements throughout his career with a smile on his face. From old photos, PWI magazine covers and awards to days in NJPW and his AEW run. The curtains closed, as Sting said āItās Showtime, for the last time. Letās do this.ā This was a fantastic video package, one everyone needs to check out. Both of Stingās sons came out dressed as surfer Sting and Wolfpack Sting before Metallicaās āSeek & Destroyā rang through the Greensboro Coliseum for the final time.
Allin wasted no time with a dive on both Bucks before both he & Sting delivered stereo Stinger and Coffin Splashes. Stingās sons got retribution for their attack, delivering Stinger Splashes of their own with their father. Sting sank in a double Scorpion Death Lock on both Jacksonās, who were able to get free and the match spilled to the outside. Stingās sons helped set up tables as Sting launched Nicholas & Matthew into the crowd. Back ringside, Allin flew off the top with a Coffin Drop to the floor, as a ladder has now been thrown into the ring. Sting pulled a pane of glass from under the ring, as his sons set it up on a stack of chairs ringside.
Sting swung a bat at Nicholas, who dodged and Sting broke another pane of glass leaning against the ring. The Bucks ran for their lives, as the match spilled to the stage, where Nicholas hit a jawbreaker on Allin hit a Falcon Arrow off the stage through tables. Matthew raked the eyes of Sting to avoid a Scorpion Death Drop and suplexed Sting off the stage through tables as well. Back to the ring, The Bucks powerbombed Allin into a corner ladder, but Allin answered with an over the top stunner on Nicholas and Code Red on Matthew. Allin set up a huge ladder in the ring, slammed Nicholas into the steps, climbed and wanted a dive onto The Bucks, who side stepped and Allin crashed through the glass, as blood is pouring out of Allinās back.
Sting was brought back to the ring, as Nicholas, who is bleeding now as well, set up a table. The Bucks mocked the Sting howl, but did friendly fire by missing a corner kick. Sting beat down Matthew, setting him up on the table and climbing the ladder. Matthew cut him off, as Nicholas set up another pane of glass in the corner. Matthew powerbombed Sting off the ladder through a table, but Sting got right up and no sold. The Bucks sent Sting through the glass, as Matthew hit a low blow and Scorpion Death Drop, but Sting kicked out. Nicholas went to grab the Tag Title belt when Ricky Steamboat put a stop to it, only to get decked by Matthew. Ric Flair went to the ring to cover Sting from any more damage, but ate a double superkick for his troubles, as did Steamboat. Matthew leveled Sting with the title belt, but again Sting kicked out.
The Bucks hit a double superkick on Sting, who no sold and rose from the dead, delivering a double lariat and Scorpion Death Drop on Matthew for two. Sting went for another, but Matthew rolled through and The Bucks hit an EVP Trigger, but Sting kicked out again. The Bucks shook Stingās hand and said it was a pleasure doing business with him before hitting another EVP Trigger, but Sting kicked out at one. Sting told them to bring it as he ate a superkick and The Bucks wanted a TK Driver, but Allin flew back in and shoved Nicholas off the top through a table. Sting hit a Scorpion Death Drop to Matthew for two, as Allin leapt off the top with a bloody back Coffin Drop before Sting sank in the Scorpion Death Lock on Matthew, who tapped out. The crowd absolutely exploded for the finish, this was absolutely incredible.
Stingās family is shown celebrating ringside as confetti poured down on Sting & Allin, who said they have three minutes left on the show, so everyone show love to the Stinger. Sting took the mic and said heās been thanking the crowd since March of 88 when he wrestled Ric Flair to a draw. Sting said he wanted tonight to be a night wrestling fans would never forget and this will indeed be a night heāll never forget. Sting thanked Allin, who he knew was a risk taker the first time he saw him. As Sting was continuing his speech, the B/R feed went to black and that was sadly it, we never got to hear the rest of his farewell.
After nearly four decades in the ring, Sting’s legendary career only has one match left.
Sting’s retirement match headlines AEW Revolution in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday (March 3). It will be Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks in a tornado tag match for the AEW Tag Team titles.
The New York Post published a story on Saturday about Sting and his upcoming Revolution farewell. In the article, Sting responded to a question about how he wants his career to be remembered:
Iād like to be remembered as Sting the guy who brought it every night. Sting the guy who never really changed. He was just rock solid through and through all the years and he was a man of God.
The 64-year-old Sting also addressed what he hopes fans get out of his retirement match:
I just want wrestling fans to be entertained. I want it to be a night to remember, a night where no one would say, āAh man, it was just kind of sad. You can tell it just kind of passed him by. Well, good thing heās done now.ā
I donāt want that. I want them to go, āOh my god, how does he do that?ā I want them to say, the Bucks, Darby, Sting all of them, that was so entertaining. Thatās a night to remember. Thatās all I ever cared about.
The Revolution main card airs live starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. Before the pay-per-view begins, there will be a Zero Hour pre-show airing for free on social media and YouTube. The pre-show starts at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
Steven Borden Jr. has never had more respect and admiration for his father.
Ahead of Sting’s retirement match, Steven wrote a post on Instagram sharing some thoughts about his father and the career that he’s had. Steven wrote that, through nearly four decades, Sting laid it all on the line and stayed electric the whole way. And Sting managed to do that while teaching and showing his children what it means to be a person of character.
Steven said he isn’t ready for this ride to be over, but he’s ready for Sting to enjoy the sunset.
“Until then, I can’t wait to watch you go do Sting things one last time,” Steven wrote. “I love you Dad. Icon Forever.”
The full post can be read below:
You were Sting before I was born.
I’ve never known a life where the possibility of you rappelling from the rafters, diving off high objects, and Scorpion death dropping people doesn’t exist.
But now that day has nearly come, and I’ve never had more respect and admiration for you than I do today.
There’s too many things I could say – I don’t know how to encapsulate it all.
For now I’ll just say this.
You did it, Dad.
You found a way – through nearly four decades, you laid it all on the line. You stayed electric the whole way.
You did that while also teaching me what it means to be a man of character, integrity, and grit.
More importantly, you showed me – and you’re showing me now.
Garrett, Gracie, and I have you to thank for more good than you’ll ever know.
I know you remember what my answer was that day as a kid in Central Park when I was asked who my hero was.
The answer is still the same.
I’m still convinced you’re the coolest dude to walk the planet.
Now it’s time for one last ride. I’m not ready for it to be over, but I’m ready for you to enjoy the sunset.
Until then, I can’t wait to watch you go do Sting things one last time. I love you Dad.
Icon Forever.
Sting responded to Steven’s post:
Steven James Borden- youāve always had a way with words. Teary eyedā¦
Sting will compete in the ring for the final time at AEW Revolution this Sunday (March 3). In the headlining match of the pay-per-view, Sting & Darby Allin are defending their AEW Tag Team titles against The Young Bucks.
Sting’s sons Steven and Garrett played a role on AEW television during the final weeks of their father’s in-ring career. When Sting & Allin won the AEW Tag Team titles on the February 7 episode of Dynamite, Steven and Garrett celebrated the victory with them. There was then an angle where The Young Bucks attacked Sting, Allin, Steven, and Garrett with baseball bats.
Despite their Dynamite appearance, Allin told Digital Spy that Steven and Garrett have no interest in becoming pro wrestlers. Both Borden sons are former college football players.
Allin said:
They’re not interested at all. I’ve asked [Sting] I was like, ‘I’m just curious, I really want to know have your sons ever tried this?’ And he said, ‘No, they’re not interested.’
It just wasn’t a thing that they wanted to do, but I was curious because they’re pretty big dudes. They should get together, become a tag team ā that would be cool.
The Players’ Tribune published a piece on Saturday where they collected voicemails from Sting’s family and members of the AEW locker room sharing memories of Sting and reflecting on his career.
AEWās first pay-per-view of 2024 is loaded. Momentum is building around both this card and the future of the company. By honoring a retiring legend 10 days before debuting two S-tier wrestlers (Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Mone), AEW is positioning itself for a tremendous year. That doesnāt even consider a likely increase in media rights (money is good) or the return of big-name wrestlers currently out injured – Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Britt Baker, and MJF to name a few. The last time the stars seemed to align like this was around The First Dance. We all know how that ended, but for a brief period, nothing was hotter. Hereās hoping this year is more of that without the heartbreak.
These PPVs always deliver. Even if they are plagued with questionable builds and hastily booked matches, the in-ring quality tends to be top-notch. This card promises more of the same in terms of match quality, but this time the builds and stories are strong. This is the most cohesive build a major AEW event has hadā¦ever? They booked a major tentpole match months ago – Stingās last match – and worked backward to fill in the rest of it. It gave the show structure and stability to work around. More of this!
Others on the internet, and this site, will offer far more eloquent and thoughtful reflections on Stingās career and his impact on the business than I ever could. This piece from 2022 by Cameron Hawkins at The Ringer is my personal favorite. My job is to preview the matches. Letās do it.
Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli vs. FTR
Just a good, solid pro wrestling build to this one. Nothing sexy, nothing fancy, just four dudes who want to beat the crap out of each other. Sometimes itās just that simple. The first tag match was a delicious appetizer, and the six-man tag this past Wednesday only made me hungrier for something more on a PPV stage. Give this 15 minutes to open the show and let it rip.
This program just started to heat up and should keep going. FTR rarely loses standard tag team matches, but I get the feeling that changes on Sunday. Mox and Claudio stay hot leading into their feud with the entirety of CMLL, and hopefully more with FTR.
Prediction: Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli
All-Star scramble: Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer vs. Chris Jericho vs. Hook vs. Brian Cage vs. Magnus vs. Dante Martin
My reaction to the sadly postponed Meat Madness match was “hell yeah dudes rock.” Now itās a more tepid “heck yeah some of these dudes rock.” To be clear, Lance Archer and Powerhouse Hobbs still get a full-throated hell yeah, but the rest of the dudes are kind of just there. Lord knows, Wardlow went out and tried his absolute best a couple of weeks ago on Dynamite. Itās the best promo heās cut in AEW, but it still wasnāt enough. The bloom is all the way off that rose. It doesnāt look like itās ever fully coming back, either.
Whoever wins this has no shot against Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, or Adam Page, so itās all about figuring out who can give them the best match. Thatās probably Lance Archer – which means oh my god Chris Jericho is winning this, isnāt he?
Prediction: Sigh, Chris Jericho
Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Rarely has a wrestler this talented been so divisive. By any objective measure, Will Ospreay is almost unimaginably talented. There is truly nothing he canāt do physically. But thereās still a bit of a disconnect for me. My main criticism of Ospreay is that he tries to be everything in the same match. Iāll rip off the great Dr. Ian Malcolm and say that young William is so preoccupied with whether he could, that he doesnāt stop to think if he should. He does not need to always go out and try and have the best match of the week/month/year/all time. Not every match demands that level of performance. If everything is the greatest or the best, isnāt it all the same?
Itās clear that Ospreay loves wrestling, but too often it feels like heās trying to break an arbitrary rating scale for a particular website. A website you happen to be reading right now. If his matches were a bit less self-indulgent and more purposeful, they would resonate so much more. They would stay with you.
The sooner our beautiful, massive, adult son Konosuke Takeshita disentangles himself from the Don Callis Family the better. Diamond Don had his moments earlier in AEW, but now itās more of the same, tired stuff. This grouping does not serve Takeshita at all. This is someone the crowd wants to get behind because of what he can do in the ring. He is a special, special talent.
I hope that the fallout from this match leads to Takeshita splitting from the Callis Family and doing his own thing, and a loss to Ospreay sets that up. Sometimes you have to go back to move forward.
Prediction: Will Ospreay
Orange Cassidy vs. Roderick Strong for the AEW International Championship
To avoid turning the Undisputed Kingdom boys into even bigger geeks, they need some non-Ring of Honor gold. ROH titles do not count unless they are held by Eddie Kingston or Athena. Those are champions giving the titles meaning, not the other way around. The gold they seek must be legitimate. Thatās what Orange Cassidy has spent more than a year doing; making the International title a meaningful secondary title. No one has worked harder or more often than the guy who doesnāt want to work at all. But the time has come for a change. Would it be nice if the change didnāt involve a dead-on-arrival faction? Certainly, but Strong can continue making this title the workhorse title Cassidy turned it into.
Few are better at wrestling similar-sized or smaller wrestlers than Rod Strong – the best wrestler in the Undisputed Kingdom, Adam Cole included – and Iām already wincing at what Strong is going to do to OCās chest and back. This should be a whole bunch of fun.
Prediction: Roderick Strong
Christian Cage vs. Daniel Garcia for the TNT Championship
Pull the trigger, and make the guy. If any of you are selling your Daniel Garcia stock let me know, because Iāll buy it all. Finally, mercifully, free from the Chris Jericho vortex, Garcia can fully show what heās capable of in the ring and on the microphone. The dancing has become a nice complement to his act rather than the sole focus. That focus is now sharply on what he can do in the ring and on the microphone. Itās clear to anyone whoās watched AEW that Daniel Garcia is already a star. Sunday is the time to etch that in stone by giving him his signature moment.
This version of Christian Cage is an asset to any company. Itās almost impossible to properly value him. His segments remain must-see. His war on Dads continues, unceasing like the ocean waves. He constantly elevates his competitors and is hated enough that when someone finally gets to pay him his comeuppance, they are a made guy. Who better to deliver that comeuppance than Garcia? Itās his time.
Prediction: Daniel Garcia
Eddie Kingston vs. Bryan Danielson for the Continental Crown Championship
Claudio may be Kingstonās forever rival, but Bryan Danielson is his one true person. Much like the far ends of the political spectrum are closer than each side would realize or admit, so are Danielson and Kingston. They both live for this, and they LOVE this with every cell in their body. The two approaches, while different, both come from similar places. They come from a deep love of the history and art of the sport. Borrowing from the past and paying tribute to it is foundational to their essence as performers. Both wrestle with such passion – Kingstonās born from a seething desire to prove that yes, he can do this, and Bryan with a passion only the purest love can evoke. Thatās why Kingstonās wasted potential infuriates him. He sees someone that could have been one of the all-time greats. One of the people who is paid tribute to by future generations. Instead, heās “just” Eddie Kingston, which isnāt enough for Danielson.
Beating Danielson in a major PPV match is the last BCC infinity stone for Kingston to collect. Winning the ROH title from Claudio Castagnoli and beating Jon Moxley in the finals of the Continental Classic were tremendous accomplishments. Beating the greatest wrestler of all time on a major show? Thatās something else entirely.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston
“Timeless” Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo for the AEW Women’s World Championship
The Timeless Toni character is on its last legs. This was a fairly ambitious gimmick, and they did some interesting things with it. The slow descent into madness and the black-and-white camera both worked well. It might be generous to call it a success, but it was ambitious and different, and things like this are worth trying out. Absurd gimmicks like this have a definite shelf life, and itās hard to see this having much more.
This program with Deonna Purrazzo has been clear and made sense. Drawing on their shared history was great, the tattoos were a nice reference, and Toni covering hers up was a unique story beat. We love it all! Normally this is where a title change makes perfect sense – a fresh debuting star beating a champion thatās been at the top for a while – but there is another debut looming that hangs over the result of this match.
Mercedes Mone is coming, and she will immediately be the top star in the womenās division by orders of magnitude. There is, frankly, no one else like her. A one-of-one. A star with so much presence that she can block the light from anyone else. Thatās what happens with a star of that caliber, sometimes. How much purpose would it serve for Purrazzo to have a major win on her first AEW PPV and then immediately be overshadowed 10 days later? Purrazzo is in the right place, sheās just showing up at the wrong time. This makes me think Toni keeps the title for just a bit longer.
Prediction: Toni Storm
Samoa Joe vs. Swerve Strickland vs. “Hangman” Adam Page for the AEW World Championship
Wrestling Samoa Joe is like getting into a knife fight in a phone booth. There is no path for retreat. Youāre in there with him until he decides you arenāt. If someone is going to get past, over, or even through him, they will have earned it. They will be fully deserving of the gold and accolades that go with it. The physical toll will linger – their bodies aching at even a mention of him. He is Samoa Joe, the rightful king of AEW and a real-ass world champion.
His opponents in this match have built a literal blood feud in under four months. It took exactly two matches for people to begin salivating at what could be the beginning of a years-long rivalry. All it took was drinking blood. Happy marriages are built on far less. The alignment between Swerve and Page is fascinating. The guy who broke into the otherās house and implicitly threatened an infant is somehow the good guy here. And it works! Swerve has so much charisma, so much presence, and so, so much talent, that we are willing to overlook legitimate psycho behavior. It also speaks to Pageās versatility that the audience bought into him as a heel. The guy just wanted to protect his family! For years he has been one of the most loved wrestlers on the roster. Now heās doing fake injury angles and rocking a devastating mustache.
These three should put together something special on Sunday, but Iām a bit puzzled as to where things end up when the show goes off the air. Rarely does AEW do transitional champions with the big belts, and Samoa Joe is only a few months into his reign. But Swerve remains hotter than a Middle Eastern climate. No one would second-guess a title change here. Thereās just something in the back of my mind that says it wonāt happen. I canāt shake the notion that Page will do whatever it takes to prevent Swerve from winning, even at his own cost. I can see Page willingly sacrificing his own success just to prevent someone else from achieving their dreams. We love a petty king.
Prediction: Samoa Joe
Sting’s retirement match: Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team titles
Surfer, Crow, Joker, Icon. However you know him, this is Sting. Sting’s significance transcends athleticism or what he can do in the ring. His magnetic presence – the face paint, the black baseball bat – became symbols of resilience and defiance in the 90s. Crow Sting had the wrestling world in a chokehold from 1996-1997. It was the first time I knew something was cool even though I couldnāt explain it. I donāt even think I knew what cool was back then – surely it was not me – but I knew enough to beg my parents to let me stay up and watch Nitro just so I could see what I called “the guy on the roof.” He captivated the world in different decades, in different promotions, and different ways. His journey from the vibrant arenas of WCW, to an injury-shortened stint in WWE, and now to AEW is appropriate for someone who epitomized evolution in wrestling. Flowery prose aside, Sting has always been the dude.
His retirement, like the last chord of your favorite song, rings bittersweet. Beginnings are fun, but the end always comes, and the end is always hard. We always want more; a selfishness born out of love. How wonderful for Sting to be able to go out fully on his terms; something sadly few wrestlers get to do. How wonderful to do it in historic Greensboro. And how wonderful to have it be a celebration of what he is, and what he meant to an entire industry, rather than a sad reminder of what he couldnāt do. The outcome of this match is secondary, even tertiary, to the larger spectacle that this will be. This is the rare occasion in this silly sport where who wins doesnāt matter. All that matters are the feelings and the moment. And what a moment on Wednesday when Sting descended from the rafters one last time. The child in my heart was bursting with a happiness I did not expect. A legend like Sting getting to experience a fulfilling final chapter is something that should bring a smile to all wrestling fans, regardless of which company they support.
In the new edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer explained how The Young Bucks were chosen for Sting’s final match.
This week’s episode of Dynamite ended with it being revealed that The Young Bucks will be part of Sting’s retirement match. It was set up that Sting & Darby Allin will be facing Matt & Nick Jackson at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view this March.
The Young Bucks made their return to AEW television for Wednesday’s angle. Meltzer notes that The Young Bucks were originally supposed to have more time off, but Sting asked them to be his retirement match opponents. Part of the reason for that choice is because Sting loved working with The Young Bucks in the trios match they had at Forbidden Door 2022.
Tony Khan was going to give Sting the option to pick whoever he wanted to face, and that would include pretty much anyone on the AEW roster or most other rosters besides WWE since Khan would have given him any match he wanted that involved talent he could have access to. When he was asked who he wanted to face, they were his choice, as he loved doing the Forbidden Door 2022 match in Chicago (Sting & Allin & Shingo Takagi vs. Bucks & El Phantasmo).
The Young Bucks were originally going to take more time off before returning but Sting asked them and they werenāt about to turn that down.
The Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina is hosting Revolution on Sunday, March 3. Sting’s retirement match is the main focus of the PPV.
