Now i know nobody really watches impact but i happened to catch it this week. And i know how awful that company is with booking and character development..but really..Sting? Turning down WWE for understandable reasons..but to stay with TNA to do a lame cheap rip off version of the Joker from Batman?? How desperate and ridiculous could they get. He used to be my all time favorite wrestler and now they stuck him with this stupid ass gimmick which i read Dixie is high on so no luck in it stopping any time soon. Just find it sad that Sting could of ended his career on a high note with WWE but now this is going to be our last memory of him. Given he still has alot in him in the ring and no word on retirement..but still..ripping off movies now? Could just be sour grapes from me being a fan of Sting and Batman..turned into a joke..but just wanted to get the point across.
An Icon Turned into a Joke
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TWJC: The Beginning
Royal Rumble Winner
He has the power that if he thought he was being turned into a joke that he could have probably said no and been able to do it.
Pro wrestling has ALWAYS ripped movies either in a subtle way or not so subtle (Magnum TA?).
Sting is more entertaining as this joker (I see more beatlejuice honestly minus the smile makeup) than he has been in years.
He's still in the ring because he likely needs the money. In the Flair/Piper shoot, Flair said even though he loves wrestling, he has to do it because he pays 20K/month in alomony to 3 ex wives. Maybe Sting has his own reasons.
Pro wrestling has ALWAYS ripped movies either in a subtle way or not so subtle (Magnum TA?).
Sting is more entertaining as this joker (I see more beatlejuice honestly minus the smile makeup) than he has been in years.
He's still in the ring because he likely needs the money. In the Flair/Piper shoot, Flair said even though he loves wrestling, he has to do it because he pays 20K/month in alomony to 3 ex wives. Maybe Sting has his own reasons.
FutureShocked
The Best In The World At What I Do.
Ummm.... Crow gimmick? That was ripped off from the Brandon Lee film The Crow. I like his new gimmick. Its more entertaining than the Crow/Blonde Sting we saw when he returned to face Jeff Hardy and it gives him a chance to show how diverse he can be with his promos. While I would have preffered him to have gone to WWE, I'm glad he's not still doing the same old same old in TNA.
I don't see what your problem is with the Joker gimmick. It is perfect. Sting has always been able to portray a wide variety of characters. From the short blonde spiked hair to the long dark haired, to "back in black", to Joker. Everything he does is very well done. So he is imitating the Joker. It WORKS for him. He can pull it off. I am in no way shape or form a fan of TNA. Matter of fact most of my replies about TNA are very PRO- Mark Madden, BUT when it comes to this subject I feel TNA is doing something good. Sting is off the grid hilarious at times and at the same time is a loose cannon. If Sting didn't want to do this he could very easily go to the bookers/powers that be and have the angle ended without question. The man is an ICON and if he is ok with doing this then we should sit back, and enjoy! Sting won't be around forever so let's enjoy this entertaining gimmick while it lasts! And stop complaining about every little thing.
Movies have been ripped off MANY a time in pro wrestling.
After working as Oz, Nash was repackaged in 1992 under this wise-cracking mobster gimmick based off Steven Martin's character in the 1990 crime comedy movie, My Blue Heaven
and many others. Get over it my friend. It's been done and it will continue to happen. It draws ratings when done properly.
Movies have been ripped off MANY a time in pro wrestling.
After working as Oz, Nash was repackaged in 1992 under this wise-cracking mobster gimmick based off Steven Martin's character in the 1990 crime comedy movie, My Blue Heaven
and many others. Get over it my friend. It's been done and it will continue to happen. It draws ratings when done properly.
Sting's Joker persona is embarrassingly bad. The Dark Knight is one of the highest grossing and most popular movies of all time, everyone's seen it and everyone that watches Sting knows that he's ripping it off. The fact that TNA would attempt to take the Joker character from that film and try to pass it off as their own creation just shows how out of touch the people running that company are, they should be ashamed of themselves.
Sting being okay with the character does not make it acceptable, someone from TNA could have stepped in to save him from public humiliation.
The Crow was nowhere near as popular as The Dark Knight so ripping that film off wasn't quite as bad, but it was still bad. Sting took the visual appearance of The Crow and used to it create his own character, his own body language, his own expressions. He didn't rip The Crow off wholesale like the way he's doing Joker.
Sting being okay with the character does not make it acceptable, someone from TNA could have stepped in to save him from public humiliation.
The Crow was nowhere near as popular as The Dark Knight so ripping that film off wasn't quite as bad, but it was still bad. Sting took the visual appearance of The Crow and used to it create his own character, his own body language, his own expressions. He didn't rip The Crow off wholesale like the way he's doing Joker.
Sting does not need the money. It's known that Sting is quite well off and doesn't need to wrestle another day in his life. He is well off financially from his days in WCW and from doing some real estate in California for some time. He's in TNA for the love of the business and to try to help them out so guys coming up can have another avenue besides WWE. If he was in it for the money, he would have went to WWE a long time ago and would have taken the big WWE paycheck of millions of dollars which he has refused from them time and time again.
Now that is out of the way, I don't have a problem with Joker Sting. Like others have said, if Sting didn't like it, he could have easily turned it down. With time, I believe he will make the gimmick into his own. Right now, the gimmick is in it's fresh stages. It will take some time to warm up to it because Sting is drastically so different now than what we are used to seeing from him. I believe Sting will make it work in the end. Sting makes everything work so I'll go along for the ride.
TWJC: The Beginning
Royal Rumble Winner
No he doesn't "need" the money in the sense that I can't work minimum wage part time during school because I literally can't eat if I do that. What I mean by "needs" the money is that for the standard of living he wants to uphold, he feels he needs the money. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm sure the lighter TNA schedule and everything means he can get his fix of the live audience adrenaline in a much healthier way.
I still don't get why people compare his joker to the dark knight. He's really nothing like Ledger's joker, he's more like nicholson's. Not only that but, as I said, he's really more like Beatlejuice. The face paint just draws your mind to joker.
Also, why is this not in the TNA section? I know there is the "I wish he would go to the WWE" part but isn't this more of a TNA thread?
To be honest, I don't care either way if he's ripping off the Dark Knight joker. I think he's making a fool of himself by coming out & falling down on the ramp, repeatedly! He looked like a bloody idiot! People always say Ric Flair is making a fool of himself but just Stings entrance was embarrassing. Yeah he's ripping off the joker but imo he looks like an idiot.
haha a Joke. Is that a pun?
To me his current gimmick is his most entertaining, every other one was bland
could also be seen as a ripoff of someone else that had contacted TNA and sent them tapes of his character and then a few weeks later Sting started doing a very similar thing and Crimson name was taken by the freak brother of Amazing Red
as for Stings reason for not going to WWE, well he's an idiot
He didn't go there back in the day because it went against his beliefs the way they were potraying the product yet he stayed in WCW for years running a very similar controversial product and went to TNA which also was racey. I think it's more to the point that he knew he was nothing but a name and his flaws would shine through going up against the likes of Undertaker.
To me his current gimmick is his most entertaining, every other one was bland
could also be seen as a ripoff of someone else that had contacted TNA and sent them tapes of his character and then a few weeks later Sting started doing a very similar thing and Crimson name was taken by the freak brother of Amazing Red
as for Stings reason for not going to WWE, well he's an idiot
He didn't go there back in the day because it went against his beliefs the way they were potraying the product yet he stayed in WCW for years running a very similar controversial product and went to TNA which also was racey. I think it's more to the point that he knew he was nothing but a name and his flaws would shine through going up against the likes of Undertaker.
enviousdominous
Behold my diction
Remember Mad Max 2, The Road Warrior? The movie that spawned The Road Warriors and Sid Eudy as Lord Humongous? It probably inspired more that I just can't name off-hand. I think Sting's first movie gimmick was when he was in "The Blade Runners" with the Warrior.
Just saying, for me the blatant and gratuitous portrayal of a movie icon by a pro-wrestler is nothing new. I usually suspend my standards of intelligent entertainment when I tune into TNA or WWE, so I found Sting going through a Joker phase pretty entertaining.
Just saying, for me the blatant and gratuitous portrayal of a movie icon by a pro-wrestler is nothing new. I usually suspend my standards of intelligent entertainment when I tune into TNA or WWE, so I found Sting going through a Joker phase pretty entertaining.
I think sting is doing a good job as the joker right now!! IMO i think one of the reasons why people dont like sting as the joker is because Heath Ledger died unfortunately and maybe people think its a tad disrespectful maybe??? Now thats out of the way his gimmick he could have said no to this easily!! Hes being sting right now acting like a crazed lunatic,harrasing Eazy E and Hulk!! he will never go to the WWE and yes its a shame but the E has survived without him!! Why sting is still in TNA?? I think its to help out the younger guys i do he and angle might be the only ones to do that!! Nash sure as hell didnt do that when he was there Steiner isnt Hogan we all knwo his story!! Who else would help them out???
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Only a foolish Tna fanboy could like what sting is doing right now. The faces he makes are so ridiculously over the top. Last night when he was tripping on entrance way in the opening segment, he looked like he was having stroke and seizure at the same time.
"Are you nervous"????? Really???. Icon my arse. More like A'con who keeps ripping off movie characters made famous by dead people.
"Are you nervous"????? Really???. Icon my arse. More like A'con who keeps ripping off movie characters made famous by dead people.
Corpse_Machine
"Vintage Since 1989"
If he was your all time favourtite wrestler then surely nothing can deter you from watching him perform, if this was true you would be standing by the man through thick and thin and not shooting him down for switching up his gimmieck a little bit.
And im sure it wasnt stings idea to use this apparent stupid gimmick, he would have been pitched the idea of a joker character and with sting being the professional that he is he took the idea and ran with it.
Dowdsy McDowds
Sally was here
Their ratings aren't as high as WWE, but they still get over a million viewers a week in the USA and higher ratings in the UK than WWE, but carry on.
Whenever a character changes gimmick, some people will like it and some people will hate it. He's refreshed his character by paying homage to a character who stands for chaos, anarchy and upsetting the status quo and it fits his stance against the ruling powers of Hogan/Bischoff quite well.
Erm...
Why's it such a problem for wrestlers to have gimmicks based on characters who are within the public consciousness? With this gimmick, Sting has re-invented himself and had an interesting couple of months despite the fact he could have remained the same old Sting and just cruised to his retirement date (whenever that may be.) The fact he's doing something new at this stage in his career shows his passion for the business so again I don't see a big issue here.
IMO I don't think people have a problem with ripping off a movie character, whether they are alive or dead. Everyone loved the Crow gimmick. When Crocodille Dundee was a huge movie the WWF had a character from Australia soon after, we've seen pirates, dead men, vampires, pretty much you name it but with Sting, he's an icon, a legend & he's going out there & acting like a fool. Tripping & rolling down the entrance ramp? He should be above stupid, short term gimmicks. He goes out, falls down & makes stupid faces! It's embarrassing to watch!
The Dragon Saga
Whale in a Teardrop
Yeah nobody really watches IW, that 1.2 rating released every week just appears for no reason, right? And forty of us weren't in the Impact Wrestling Live Discussion on Thursday night, were we? But nobody actually watches TNA.
Now onto your point, Dowds got there ahead of me but Sting's whole character is a rip-off of The Crow. The moment he arrived on Nitro dressed in the white and black face paint everyone instantly compared him with Brandon Lee from The Crow. So therefore you're now a hypocrite, well done, because you don't mind Sting when he's ripping off one movie but when he adds another dimension to his character e.g. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker from The Dark Knight, he's instantaneously a joke, huh?
You're not anti-TNA at ALL! Sting can do it because he's in the twilight of his career and the simple fact is you're only bagging on it because its happening in TNA and not because you dislike it. He ripped off one movie and he was your, "favorite wrestler" and now that he's ripping off another Steve Borden is now a joke.
Also, he can do it because he fucking wants to. There isn't an age in professional wrestling where they're automatically told that they can't do it anymore. Sting may not go like he did back in the '90's or even the mid 00's but he can still contribute, bit like hes been doing lately, bit like he was doing two years ago with the AJ Styles story line and bit like hes done since he originally came to TNA.
He doesn't need the money, he doesn't need the support of his supposed "fans", like you. He just needs the self-confidence to do what he loves and keep doing it. Sure he could have gone to the WWE and went out on a WrestleMania, be a huge name for one last night, but he didn't so there ain't no point moaning about it now.
Now onto your point, Dowds got there ahead of me but Sting's whole character is a rip-off of The Crow. The moment he arrived on Nitro dressed in the white and black face paint everyone instantly compared him with Brandon Lee from The Crow. So therefore you're now a hypocrite, well done, because you don't mind Sting when he's ripping off one movie but when he adds another dimension to his character e.g. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker from The Dark Knight, he's instantaneously a joke, huh?
You're not anti-TNA at ALL! Sting can do it because he's in the twilight of his career and the simple fact is you're only bagging on it because its happening in TNA and not because you dislike it. He ripped off one movie and he was your, "favorite wrestler" and now that he's ripping off another Steve Borden is now a joke.
Also, he can do it because he fucking wants to. There isn't an age in professional wrestling where they're automatically told that they can't do it anymore. Sting may not go like he did back in the '90's or even the mid 00's but he can still contribute, bit like hes been doing lately, bit like he was doing two years ago with the AJ Styles story line and bit like hes done since he originally came to TNA.
He doesn't need the money, he doesn't need the support of his supposed "fans", like you. He just needs the self-confidence to do what he loves and keep doing it. Sure he could have gone to the WWE and went out on a WrestleMania, be a huge name for one last night, but he didn't so there ain't no point moaning about it now.
JaylisJayP
Getting Noticed By Management
This. I don't care who he is or isn't ripping off...the gimmick is AWFUL. Embarrassing doesn't even begin to describe it.
ECW Sandman
Getting Noticed By Management
I have seen Sting in his Surfer Gimmick Crow Gimmick and now this Gimmick I actually like all three Gimmicks and I will tell you why Surfer Sting was back in the 80's til 96 he had different color face paint and short hair it worked back then, then the whole nWo thing went down in the summer of 96 times in the Wrestling Biz was changing just like with Hogan he wore the Red and Yellow for a very long time and he need to turn heel he was getting stale just like Sting he needed a different look and image and it fit him perfectly with the black and white face paint and the full body suit no one knew if he was WCW or nWo because he did not speak until James J. Dillion stripped him from the WCW World Heavyweight Title on Thunder and the title became vacant and he FINALLY Spoke telling Dillion he has no guts and telling Hogan he's a dead man, Then Sting finally joined the nWo Wolf Pack but now wearing Red and Black for a while then the whole Millionaires Club VS New Blood thing happen he was wearing the black and white gear again he turned heel and attacked hogan he was a heel for a while then March 26th happen everyone knows what happens WWF Buys WCW Sting Joins TNA back in 2005- 06 still dawning the ''Crow '' look leaves TNA for a bit comes back wearing a some what new look Old Surfer Sting along with Crow Sting turns heel and joins Kurt Angle Kevin Nash Booker T and Scott Steiner along with Booker's Wife Sharmel they were know as The Main Event Mafia MEM, MEM break up Sting turns face again Hogan and Company come in Sting don't trust Hogan so he turns on Hogan Joins Nash and trying to get rid of Hogan and Bischoff Sting turns face once more Hogan turns heel along with Jeff Hardy Jeff Jarrett Abyss Eric Bischoff Sting trying to get the TNA World title from Jeff Hardy it made him go nuts after everything Immortal has done to him thus making him in to '' Crazy Sting '' and it's working for him right now he had to reinvent him self again it's all about reinventing his image and I for one like it.
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I don't see why tna fans called this reinventing. Blatantly copying someone is not called reinventing its called plagiarism, copyright infringement or being a copycat.
Nobody has a problem in sting copying the joker, the problem is he is doing a very shitty job and stupid tna fanboys are endorsing this stupidity.
Nobody has a problem in sting copying the joker, the problem is he is doing a very shitty job and stupid tna fanboys are endorsing this stupidity.
It's not a rip off of the Joker. It's a rip off of Jim Carry from In Living Color. Seriously, those God awful faces and exagerations he makes are the same as Ace Ventura or Fire Marshal Bill.
It's almost insulting to imply that he's doing "Heath Ledger". That character was amazing. Sting's "Joker" gimmick is fucking terrible. It's like you told a five year old to "act crazy". That's how bad his acting is. It just fucking sucks. Sting has been the most unoriginal character in wrestling for about 15 years now. He waits for someone young and talented to die, then he steals their gimmick and tries to use it in wrestling. First it was Brandon Lee, then Heath Ledger. Now that Amy Winehouse is dead, maybe he can come to the ring with a beehive hairdo?
Aside from the thievery of it, it just sucks. How can anyone see him cackling and think that was a great performance. He's a 50 plus year old man going "woop woop woop", rolling around on the floor, and having a fucking sesiure every time he cuts a promo. Sorry, I didn't realize that smearing your lipstick made you a badass these days. I'd rather watch Hornswoggle than "crazy" Sting.
It's almost insulting to imply that he's doing "Heath Ledger". That character was amazing. Sting's "Joker" gimmick is fucking terrible. It's like you told a five year old to "act crazy". That's how bad his acting is. It just fucking sucks. Sting has been the most unoriginal character in wrestling for about 15 years now. He waits for someone young and talented to die, then he steals their gimmick and tries to use it in wrestling. First it was Brandon Lee, then Heath Ledger. Now that Amy Winehouse is dead, maybe he can come to the ring with a beehive hairdo?
Aside from the thievery of it, it just sucks. How can anyone see him cackling and think that was a great performance. He's a 50 plus year old man going "woop woop woop", rolling around on the floor, and having a fucking sesiure every time he cuts a promo. Sorry, I didn't realize that smearing your lipstick made you a badass these days. I'd rather watch Hornswoggle than "crazy" Sting.
Why don't you go be ignorant somewhere else? Your point looks like it could use a good pencil sharpener. ".but still..ripping off movies now?" Are you stupid? This is the same man who re-invented himself by imitating Brandon Lee. This is the same man who buddied up with Robocop to beat The Four Horsemen. This is The Icon. This is Sting. No one gives a shit about him imitating The Joker except the whiny people who come in here under the moronic belief that TNA is dying. Apparently it's been that way for ages, but whatever. Sting's The Joker, Jack Swagger is a bad 2000-esque Kurt Angle spoof, The Undertaker is a fucking Zombie, Zack Ryder is... Zack Ryder. Sadly. And the only thing people can pick on is that Sting is ripping off The Joker. As if spoofing a successful movie character was the worst offense to grace pro wrestling. Get over yourself.
This Is My Name Thank You
Is a horrible poster.
I always enjoy reading your post and you have good things to say!!!
On to the subject I like Sting and this gimmick is rough but I am getting used to it. Have we really seen Sting with this much energy before? Specially at the age of what 50? No we haven't and all people do is bash him for everything he does. WTF
WHY? I mean Sting should go to the WWE and Sting is a Rip Off and all this shit. His job is to entertain an honestly thats what he has been doing. Maybe not to you, but he has for me and he has to others an the IMPACT ZONE tends to dig new Sting too.People are just critics not fans And as someone else has said he is more Beetlejuice then Joker or a combination of the two. But yeah still a rip off right? Nothing in this damn world is original. EVERYTHING HAS A SPIN OR A VARIATION ON SOMETHING!!!!! Thats called life but people can't seem to realize that. Just think of how many ripoff or spins are out there? Lets see Burger King is a Rip off of Mickey Ds right???? Yes, and Pepsi is a rip off of Coke?? Yes, just they have there own spin on it and different variation.
We don't see Sting quoeting movie line after movie line after movie damn line from Batman do we?? NO not at all so its not gimmick infrindgment at all. He just took something an he is making his on. Just like the rest of life.
So i see no problem with Sting now as I never will for he is an amazing person who bust his ass for we the people, but we the people don't accept it. Keep it going Sting as I like what your doing.
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@The Killjoy : You are what the people refer to as fanboy.
Undertaker is a zombie. Yes he is, but does he look like a fucking zombie to you? As far as I can remember zombies are supposed to have rotten skin, torn clothes and have craving for a fresh brain. I don't remember Undertaker ever having rotten skin, wearing torn clothes, or wanting to eat people's brain. He could have gone a similar route of copying a zombie look but decided to "reinvent" the zombie character.
I don't see how Vince Mcmahon would ever want to put his top guy like the Undertaker against an overrated "A con" Sting.
I think we can finally say that Undertaker vs Sting will now officially never ever happen.
Undertaker is a zombie. Yes he is, but does he look like a fucking zombie to you? As far as I can remember zombies are supposed to have rotten skin, torn clothes and have craving for a fresh brain. I don't remember Undertaker ever having rotten skin, wearing torn clothes, or wanting to eat people's brain. He could have gone a similar route of copying a zombie look but decided to "reinvent" the zombie character.
I don't see how Vince Mcmahon would ever want to put his top guy like the Undertaker against an overrated "A con" Sting.
I think we can finally say that Undertaker vs Sting will now officially never ever happen.
jaceynightheat
Pre-Show Stalwart
Sting is only copying the look of the Heath Ledger Joker. He acts more like The Cesar Romero version, especially with the facial expressions.
Pro Wrestling has long taken ideas from popular culture.
John Cena had a rap gimmick because he looks like Mark Wahlberg. Marc Mero was Johnny B. Badd because he looked like Little Richard.
Pro Wrestling has long taken ideas from popular culture.
John Cena had a rap gimmick because he looks like Mark Wahlberg. Marc Mero was Johnny B. Badd because he looked like Little Richard.