Can We Knock Sting for Not Going to the WWE?

[FlairFan2003]

No. Sting has had a legendary career. His feuds with Flair & Hogan are the stuff of legend, his work with Rick Rude, Vader, The NwO, all enough that when added together merrit a HOF Career.

There is some truth to the argument that WCW guys werent always treated well coming into WWE. I tink Dusty Rhodes was a special case due to his age and a not very good relationship with Vince McMahon. I think DDP would have had a much better run had he not been injured and forced to retire. Steiner caused his own problems, he was initially pushed to the moon when he returned (with a very bad reputation in the industry and a prior bad relationship with WWE). Booker T was essentially a second tier talent, not a bona fide main eventer but more popular and established than a typical mid card guy. Various attempts to elevate him in fans view failed until his King Booker Heel Turn. He did get the title on SmackDown and challenged HHH for the Raw brand title at WrestleMania at the height of Evolution's heel run. Harley Race actually was fairly successful in his run which included a lengthy fued with Hogan over The World Title but age and injuries abrubtly ended his tenure.

Flair was the first performer in many years that didnt have to alter his look or gimmick when he entered in 1991. Established stars like Piper, Valentine, & Steamboat & Savage made almost no change in their gimmicks when arriving in WWE but by 1986 Vince was set on "re-do" the gimmicks of top guys signed from elsewhere like Curt Henning & Ted Dibiase. Other than Flair's Four Horsemen co horts Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson and The Road Warriors it was pretty common in the late 80s WWE to sign an established star from another promotion and completely make them over. Vince & WWE broke away from that with Flair, who was the first major signing of the Vince Jr era where WWE actually admitted they had a wrestling career outside WWE (never mentioning WCW or Japan by name but referencing Flair as an "International Champion" around the World coming to WWE to win the biggest title in wrestling, a clever way to give Flair massive cred while still putting over WWE, as if Flair had travelled the world winning everywhere and the cherry would be taking down Hogan and winning the belt becuase WWE was the biggest in the world).

I do not think Sting would have been poorly treated. In fact, as a guy with a reputtion with following stories and matches even when he disagreed and winning and losing when asked without much difficulty, I think Vince would have treated him fairly well, on par with his appreciation for Flair. Vince has a history of showing loyalty to guys who are "Team Players" like Undertaker. He always had tremendous respect for Flair and I think that would have carried over to Sting as well.

That said, Sting doesnt need WWE to burnish his career. He's a legend. If he wants a reduced work schedule and limited travel, which he gets in TNA, then good for him. I dont begrudge him that. The only thing missing is the oligatory best of DVD which alongside the terrific Savage, Flair, HBK, etccollections of recent years would be a must for any wrestling fan. I asume when Sting is finally done wrestling he will agree to a "Legends" deal with WWE which will include a HOF induction and obligatory one or two DVD set.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

We could have knocked him for not going there 10 years ago. Back then WWE was still hot, it was still good, it was still relevant. It would've been a logical decision and instead Sting sat home for half a decade and did nothing. That can be knocked.

However now? He shouldn't be knocked for it, he should be respected and complimented for it. Sting not going to the WWE thus far has proven to be quite a wise decision. The WWE is a shit hole now and has been for years. They don't know what the fuck they're doing. The product stinks. Even when they bring back someone great, they blow it with him. Rock, Lesnar - you name it, it all sucked far more than it should have. Then think of all the WCW stars who came to the WWE. The only one who made something of himself is Booker and his whole King Booker bullshit certainly wasn't his highest point.

Now, some may argue that going to TNA is even worse since it's so much smaller and I can understand that. However, Sting did a lot of good in TNA and continues to do it. Sting has helped a lot of young guys along the way and Sting's had a lot of opportunities that he wouldn't have had in the WWE, one of which is to remain as the Sting we know and call the shots of where he goes as a performer.

In the end, I think helping the business by aiding a smaller and growing company is a much better venture than collecting a paycheck from McMahon and allowing him to fuck with what you've worked your entire life to create - your persona. Contrary to what fans believe, not all wrestlers are money hungry ****es and for some of them wrestling in front of a dead 80.000 crowd at WrestleMania is not as important as you think.

Vince has twisted and WWE'd every WCW guy he ever signed, regardless of how great they were. He would've done the same with Sting.

Sting is the living, breathing proof that you don't need the WWE to be a legend. I pray this never changes because if anything he's a symbol for guys in TNA like Roode, Aries, Styles and the like.

Any hate toward him is coming from butt hurt WWE fans who think the WWE is the end all be all of pro wrestling, if you've never been there you've never been a star and they just can't process how someone can deny that opportunity.

Most of all, however, it pisses them off that Sting has chosen the shitty little TNA over the amazing WWE time and time again. If you think he's a fool for not going there, you're in that bunch I just mentioned. No other reason to dislike this. If you really cared about Sting's talents you'd watch TNA and shut up about it. Some people just want to see him, but not in TNA. In that case, you're not a Sting fan, you're just a braindead WWE fan who'll cheer for anyone as long as they jump ship.

Personally, I love CM Punk, Ziggler, Ryback, Bourne (when he's not crippled), Triple H and I don't need them to be in TNA to enjoy them. I just watch the WWE and that's all I need. They're on my TV ain't they? Why does Sting have to be in the WWE for people to truly acknowledge him then?

Sting's a legend despite all of that. Going to the WWE won't make him more of a legend. He's laid his mark on the business. Him in WWE now would just be *********ion material for McMahon and the crappy fans he's trying to keep from running away.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I could never knock him for not going to WWE. I would have loved to see Sting be in the WWE, if I knew for a fact he was going to be used in a way that I could support. He wouldn't be horribly misused with stupid gimmicks or horrible booking. WWE (or Vince) can't guarantee me that, so I applaud Sting for having the guts to say no thanks. With WWE's track record of using former WCW stars, he is right to do so.

Vader, Luger, Booker T, The Steiners, RVD (not WCW, but ECW) were performers under utilized by WWE for the most part. In some cases the performers had a lot of responsibility in the failed push in most cases it was WWE. Booker could have been a WWE champion but he was blocked by H and had to settle for being King Booker. Vader was a monster only to lose to HBk and jobbing all the way to leaving the company. There have been some successes who came from WCW, Triple H, Austin, etc. but the number they've failed to push or dropped the ball on is disappointing.

The fact he became a star without ever going to WWE, speaks volumes about him as a performer. Very few performers can say that.

 

[Makaveli31]

OK...I was a huge WCW fan mostly because my parents wouldnt allow me to watch WWF because of DX even though I would sneak and watch it anyway. Sting was never EVER the top guy in WCW. Sometimes I wonder if people on here ever watched wrestling lol. Hogan was the top guy from 1994-1998 after that it was either Goldberg or Nash than after them it was Jeff Jarrett, after him I guess you could say Booker T. When the hell was Sting ever the top guy? All he ever was was one of the 4000 members of the NWO, sure he got some title runs but so did everybody else. Every time he got the belt he would lose it in like a month. I watched every Nitro and WCW ppv from WCW from 1994-2000 and I never considered or saw the WCW consider Sting their top guy.

When was Sting ever the top guy?!? Are you serious?!? Sting has been THE MAN in WCW since he fought Ric Flair to a 45 time-limit draw at the first Clash of Champions. WCW was around before 1994.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

There might have been other reasons for Sting not to go.

1) The schedule might not be to his liking. Too many dates for him to work.

2) Vince has a lousy track record (depending who you ask) with regards to how he treats his workers. Even
those who were his champions have had bad breakups with Vince. Now Sting isn't looking to marry some
one, while he works for Vince, he does need to know that there is some kind of reasonable treatment while
working for an employer.

I would have loved to have seen Sting at one WrestleMania against a great performer, Taker, Rock, Austin, HBK, to name a few, but I can live with fact we didn't.

 

[Owen 3:16 says I just stole your Slammy!!]

I would love to see the Sting going to the WWE. I would be great to see him feud with guys like Undertaker, Punk, Cena etc. But I respect that Sting does not want to go to the WWE. He was a WCW guy, and he feels that he don't belong there and it would not feel right. I respect the Icon on whether what he does.

 

[LascoX]

For me the answer is no, we can't knock Sting for never going to WWE and for good reasons. Just as Vince told Bret that WCW wouldn't know what to do with him I think the same applies to Sting and the WWE. I could be wrong but in the long run but I sort of think it would have tarnished Stings legacy from mishandling the character and bad booking. For a while it seemed like Vince was intent on tearing down everything WCW and rebuilding it in his own image of the old school approach of the winner writes the history. With Sting being the face of WCW I am not sure how he would have been treated and he could have possibly been thrown under the bus by Vince just because he could. At the time Vince seemed to want to portray the WCW starts as inferior to his roster and Sting deserved better than to have his legs and legacy kicked out from under him just to boost Vince's ego. Vince might have done right by him but he might not have as well. As it stands Sting cemented his legacy in wrestling history without wrestling for WWE and few in this age can say that. In TNA he isn't a former WWE talent that is there because he got cut by WWE , he is the icon... Sting.
I would have liked to see him make a go of it in WWE and lead the invasion angle but since it was doomed from the start you can't blame Sting for choosing the path he did.

 

[Jesus]

The only answer is who cares!!!! Sting had a nice little career, then wcw closed and he decided to go fool around in the minor leagues. He was a big fish in a pretty big pond then he became a big fish in a fish bowl. He has since destroyed all of his legacy but since he doesn't care why should anyone else. He's about as influential now as Mike Awesome. RIP stinger

 

[sTyLnK]

A wrestler doesn't need the WWE to have an amazing career. It can help, but TNA has been good to Sting. And at his age, it is the best thing for him. I know he thought about going to WWE over the years, but never did. Things fell through. I'm not going to knock someone because they chose to make their living in a different company. That is just asinine. But people do, people have and people will continue to. I think it is pretty childish. Don't get me wrong criticism is fine, but it has to be constructive criticism, (not TNA sucks etc) else I'm not even going to take a post seriously.

Some people are saying his legacy is tarnished. I don't considered it tarnished in any way. He's wrestled a long successful career, he stays out of trouble and he's a good guy. Now playing the 'what if' card is a whole new ball game, but that doesn't mean his legacy is tarnished in any way. It doesn't make much sense. There has to be reasons as to why and going to another company is not a cause to.

If you want to talk about a tarnished legacy, it's Hulk Hogan. That guy still walks around in his 60's dressed up in a Halloween costume saying the same stupid lines over and over, made ridiculous decisions outside of the ring, trying to and continues to try and be in the spotlight and of course, now the whole sex tape disaster. He did a lot for wrestling back in the day, but his actions (inside and outside of the ring) have caused him to step on a lot of toes over the years, he's lied countless times in interviews and he's still trying to feed his ego. He's still a good guy, but has made way too many stupid decisions over the years and hurt a lot of people. Sorry for getting off topic a bit.

Lastly, this is JMO and I stand by it.

 

[Aquaman6686]

WCW was eqaully as big as WWF/WWE and beat WWF in ratings for consecutive 84 weeks.. WCW was the No.1 Wrestling company from 1996-1998.

Sting HAS worked for the biggest wrestling company.

WCW was #1 for a year and a half, out of over a decade. That doesn't make it the #1 company, that makes it a #2 company that had a good run of success for a short time.

 

[SpecialFNK]

I think that WCW was able to overtake a much more established company like WWF/WWE even for a short time period was pretty remarkable.

even if WWF/WWE was perceived as the #1 company, I don't think reflects the quality.
from what I remember WWF/WWE had a lengthy history of being on TV and being a well established wrestling company. you didn't even need to be a wrestling fan to know what the WWF was. NWA/WCW had a lengthy history as a wrestling company, but I don't think they started appearing on TV until they became WCW and Hulk Hogan went to join them. from then on they were still relatively unknown.


even if Sting wasn't the #1 guy in WCW I don't think that matters. he was one of the top guys for a long period. there were numerous top guys in WWF/WWE at the time.. Steve Austin? Triple H? Shawn Michaels? Rock? Bret Hart? Undertaker? am I missing anyone? IMO Sting as a legend is right there with any of them, except maybe Austin.

 

[Papa Pillman]

The only answer is who cares!!!! Sting had a nice little career, then wcw closed and he decided to go fool around in the minor leagues.

How cute. We never hear this rhetoric on the TNA board.

He was a big fish in a pretty big pond then he became a big fish in a fish bowl.

That "fish bowl" has spent roughly a decade on national television and has more than a couple million worldwide viewers.

He has since destroyed all of his legacy but since he doesn't care why should anyone else.

I 'd love to know how his legacy has become "destroyed".

He's about as influential now as Mike Awesome. RIP stinger

This is just offensive and disrepscectful, you are an unaldulterated idiot.


Now that I have wasted my time on the troll, I'll keep my response on topic...

Sure you can "knock Sting" for whatever you want. This is an internet forum and that is what people do. Hell, last week people were criticizing Austin Aries for basically nothing more than climbing a turnbuckle(which apparently in Mark Madden's world are used to attach the corners of office cubicles).

But just because the criticism exists, doesn't make it valid or hold any water. Sting didn't want his legacy to be put in the hands of Vince McMahon, he preferred to maintain control himself over how his career was viewed and that was his right. And if he ever is to sign a legend's contract with the WWE at any time in the future he has basically painted himself into a position to be shown nothing but respect by that company upon his arrival, that respect was far less assured 10-12 years ago when he was still a full time performer.

 

[KoC417]

It's hard to say but if WCW was still going or if TNA was actually competition for the WWE, I would say no.

His accomplishments speak for themselves, but not being in the WWE does hurt his legacy.

How does it hurt his legacy? I'm not trying to rip on you I just don't see how him avoiding going to the WWE has hurt any legacy he has built. The fact that he is as huge as he is without the WWE spotlight actually helps make his legacy THAT much GREATER.

For comparisons sake, Doug Flutie was an awesome college quarterback and dominated in the Canadian Football League. But since his success never carried into the NFL, Doug Flutie does not belong in the same tier as Joe Montana, Tom Brady, or other elite quarterbacks.

Yes but pro wrestling is pro wrestling. There is no CFL Pro wrestling group. It's all "NFL". Just some sucks more than others.

That being said, I do need to mention that the "surfer" Sting was great. The "crow" Sting vs the NWO is one of the best angles in wrestling history. But his new "insane icon" Sting in TNA is a waste.

It's not quite a waste it's actually pretty entertaining most of the time which is more than most of WWE & TNA can say

I do think that for legacy's sake, if he were to join the WWE now. He should at least get a quick run as the Smackdown Champion, like Hulk Hogan's short run as the Undisputed Champion. This way he isn't just fed to the Undertaker's streak and can go out with some dignity

For Sting's legacy sake he would be ill advised to ever step foot in the WWE because you know Vince would immediately bury him and feed him to the Undertaker. No way in hell Vince lets a WCW/TNA guy beat Taker no matter how big he is. Can't really give Sting the belt either because he isn't battle tested with WWE guys. Sting going to WWE at this point would be the worst career move he could make

And if he never joins the WWE, the WWE needs to cut a deal and induct him into the Hall of Fame. Sting is more deserving than Abdullah the Butcher, even if they both never wrestled for the WWE. Then we can get DVD for his career and a Rivals DVD with Ric Flair. And having him be officially in WWE video games would be awesome.

Agreed 100%. Having Sting with his rafters entrance and such along with his Crow & Surfer theme would be legendary. There is no doubt that Sting will be in the WWE Hall of Fame one day. Vince is no moron he realizes he could make tens of MILLIONS of dollars on DVD sales if a best of Sting 6-8 disc set came out with matches that some fans never got to see. People would buy that DVD box set just for the nostalgia.

Now as for the OP question: whoever knocks Sting for not going to WWE is a clear WWE fanboy/moron who has no idea about the many accomplishments that Sting has obtained and worked for. Sting has no reason to go to the WWE other than to help people relive his amazing career in a WWE made DVD box set & Hall of Fame induction as the WWE Hall of Fame is something that TNA wishes they could have.

 

[jrush1978]

Wow. Gotta admit I didnt expect some of the real heat towards Sting in here. I dont think we can. There's some of us that have forgotten, others who never knew (werent wrestling fans at the time or werent old enough) and still others who wont admit just how big WCW was in the mid, late 90s. For a time it was as big or bigger than the WWE, Nitro was as big or bigger than Raw, and for a time being I think Sting truly was the most popular wrestler on this planet, bar none. I'll admit ive never been a huge WWE guy, during the attitude era I did mostly watch WCW (though did switch channels to watch Foley), even now other than WrestleMania i usually watch TNA or ROH over WWE so i am a little bias. But I have a feeling those that are so hate filled that he is tarnished by going to WWE are most likely really hardcore pro WWE guys. Of course I dont have any first hand knowledge but ive gotta believe at leasta few times in the past 30 years Sting had a legit chance to go to WWE, the fact that he didnt to me doesnt ruin anything. Yes it could have led to some great fueds and matches im sure. And i as much as the next guy would have loved to have seen Sting-Taker, Sting-Rock, Sting-HBK etc but I think he honestly is an icon and one of the biggest wrestling stars ever without having gone to Hartford.

 

[Obliteration13]

At one time Sting said something like, "I wouldn't want me kids watching their (WWE's) programming (back before the "cleaner" PG era). Sting is likely very aware of his place within wrestling history without the WWE. In addition, as a religious man he would always have to be concerned that him coming to the WWE might be the catalyst for them veering from the PG era by having him do something like having simulated sex with a corpse ... wait, that's been done. How about insinuating he and a tag team partner are gay and ... wait, been done. Here we go, Sting supposedly impregnates an aging diva only to be mortified when she gives birth to ... wait ... no ... yes ... how about he feuds with Kane only to have Kane tie him to the ring post and electrocute his Stinger testicles with battery cables. Yes? No? Maybe so?

Gee, in addition to how several other WCW stars were booked, and in light of these remembrances above, I would have no idea why Sting might not want to go to the WWE.?.?

 

[IT Factor]

If you have ever watched any video interview where Sting talks about not jumping to WWF[E], you notice his reasons are very intelligent. He didn't want to go where he'd be treated like a second class citizen so to speak and not be used correctly. That is not without merit. Big names like Scott Steiner, Booker T, Goldberg, and other top tier WCW guys were either misused beyond all credibility or simply not used at all. As a fan, I feel like Sting may have missed out on possible big money matches and potential WrestleMania moments, sure. Sting seems to be loyal to TNA and any real fan has to understand his viewpoint and respect him for standing up for what he believes in. Sting will be remembered as one of the all time greats alongside the biggest names in WCW or WWF[E] history. He doesn't need to go to WWE now to solidify his legacy. It would be interesting to see how that would unfold, but I doubt it'll ever happen. Besides, Sting has more value in TNA helping to establish new stars because we all know WWE would lose interest in his character once the whole dream match with him and Taker is outta the way. He'd be doing nothing and become irrelevant like every other WCW star before him.

 

[Kidpolean]

When was Sting ever the top guy?!? Are you serious?!? Sting has been THE MAN in WCW since he fought Ric Flair to a 45 time-limit draw at the first Clash of Champions. WCW was around before 1994.

WCW wasnt even a huge company in 1994 so who cares if he was the top guy? Nitro didnt come til 1995. Ok so let me rephrase what I said. Sting was never the man on Nitro which was WCW's biggest show.

 

[oogieboogie]

WCW was #1 for a year and a half, out of over a decade. That doesn't make it the #1 company, that makes it a #2 company that had a good run of success for a short time.

It does not matter if most of the decade they were #2. The fact of the matter is for 84 or so weeks they WERE the #1 company.

So if a boxer wins a world title and is the champion for a few months, he is #1 guy, regardless of whether he then disappears. He will always been known as a champion.

 

[HBsam31]

How can we knock him for standing by his convictions? He felt that WCW guys were not being used right when they all signed with WWF. Whether he was right or wrong that is how he felt and he acted accordingly. I would have liked to see him come in for a short run later on and possibly face Taker, but maybe Sting wanted more than to be a notch on the Wrestlemania streak. He has done well for himself in TNA, and I am sure when it is all said and done Sting will be very happy looking back on his career. I really do hope when Sting retires he comes to an agreement with Vince to go into the Hall of Fame though. Other than that I would knock Sting for any of his choices.

 

[Rellim]

Not at all. Look at all the WCW guys who got screwed after the merge. The only to win the title were Booker and Goldberg. And Goldberg ended up just giving it straight to Triple H. And Booker was pretty much a transition champion for Batista to take it from him. It would've been great to see Sting in WWE, but he made the right decision for himself.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I don't think anyone should knock Sting for not going to WWE. It's his life, his career, his reputation, his legacy, his decision. We can all speculate on the rationale behind his failure to make the jump, but at the end of the day, I'm sure he did what he felt was in the best interests of himself and his family. I have my own personal viewpoint on why he failed to head on over to WWE, but my thoughts on that are irrelevant. No one should really criticize him for the decisions he made, rightly or wrongly, especially when they are not in a position to be affected by his decisions themselves.

Having said this, I feel it is a perfectly valid viewpoint to question the legacy he will leave behind having not jumped ship. This can be argued to death in either direction (and has been here on these forums, multiple times over the years). While some will feel otherwise, I feel the argument can definitely be made that the legacy he leaves behind is somewhat limited and somewhat tarnished by the fact that none of his accolades and accomplishments were made in the WWE at a point anywhere near the height of his career. You can talk all you want about the NWA, WCW, TNA, etc., but there's a prevalent school of thought that suggests that the WWE, especially over the last couple of decades, is the pinnacle of the professional wrestling business and not having logged any time there or having amassed any success or accolades there is a huge void in an otherwise masterful career. I know many of you will disagree with this grain of thought, but it's definitely a plausible argument to make.

But hey, maybe his legacy is not of paramount importance to him. Maybe he feels his legacy is complete without the WWE, of maybe he feels other aspects in his life supersede his legacy anyway. And who am I or anyone else to question him on this point or criticize him for it. His life. His legacy. His decision.

 

[IT Factor]

I don't think anyone should knock Sting for not going to WWE. It's his life, his career, his reputation, his legacy, his decision. We can all speculate on the rationale behind his failure to make the jump, but at the end of the day, I'm sure he did what he felt was in the best interests of himself and his family. I have my own personal viewpoint on why he failed to head on over to WWE, but my thoughts on that are irrelevant. No one should really criticize him for the decisions he made, rightly or wrongly, especially when they are not in a position to be affected by his decisions themselves.

Having said this, I feel it is a perfectly valid viewpoint to question the legacy he will leave behind having not jumped ship. This can be argued to death in either direction (and has been here on these forums, multiple times over the years). While some will feel otherwise, I feel the argument can definitely be made that the legacy he leaves behind is somewhat limited and somewhat tarnished by the fact that none of his accolades and accomplishments were made in the WWE at a point anywhere near the height of his career. You can talk all you want about the NWA, WCW, TNA, etc., but there's a prevalent school of thought that suggests that the WWE, especially over the last couple of decades, is the pinnacle of the professional wrestling business and not having logged any time there or having amassed any success or accolades there is a huge void in an otherwise masterful career. I know many of you will disagree with this grain of thought, but it's definitely a plausible argument to make.

But hey, maybe his legacy is not of paramount importance to him. Maybe he feels his legacy is complete without the WWE, of maybe he feels other aspects in his life supersede his legacy anyway. And who am I or anyone else to question him on this point or criticize him for it. His life. His legacy. His decision.

I pretty much agree with everything you just said. Fans always act as if they have some right or say so in what a wrestler does or does not do. If Steve Borden is happy with the mark he has made on wrestling in both WCW & TNA, we should be happy for him. He has made a lot of money, had good matches, and left a lot of memories for us that will guarantee his legacy within wrestling & entertainment. Would I like to see dream matches with Sting in WWE? Sure, what fan wouldn't. I would respect him whatever the case may turn out to be though, simply because he stands up for what he believes in.

 

[#TheSkipper]

I've respected Sting's decision not to sell out his principles for some of Vinnie Mac's dollars. But I'm starting to think that Sting's resolve is on the wane. Think about it, last year - by Sting's own admission - they were "close" to making a deal. Sting even said that his first feud was going to be with 'Taker had he signed. I think the problem was that WWE wanted Sting to do more than Sting was willing to do. I'm not talking about doing jobs, it's more a shedule thing. Let's be honest, Sting finally going to WWE would be HUGE and there's no way that Vince would have not milked it for all it's worth. Seeing as Sting has never worked for Vince before, Vince wouldn't have afforded Sting a Legend's deal that someone like Nash is on. Vince would have wanted him doing some House Shows and European tours - at least for his first year at WWE.

I do think that had Vince offered him a one-shot deal that would basically be a HOF Induction & a 'Mania payday against 'Taker, he'd probably of taken it. After 'Mania, he and Vince could have come to either a deal that suited them both or just shook hands say "thanks very much" and, if he wanted, gone back to TNA.

But, overall, I don't knock Sting for not going to WWE.

 

[scottyshowman82]

I don't want to knock him. I respect him. Does anyone really not like Sting? Actually maybe a few folks in this thread from what I seen. Fans love him, his peers respect him and from what I gather, it even seems like Vince likes him from the flattering light he's seen WWE DVDs as he should. He seems like a good guy. I think if he was gonna go as mentioned already it would have been in the early 90's, in 2001 during the invasion or a few years back with those excellent rainy house teases at Mania time.

I'm a wrestling fan, I have been for a long time how could I not say I wouldn't want to see him fight Michaels and Austin and during the in the late 90's? How could a part of me not have been marking out at the thought of him showing up on Raw to point the bat at Taker at Wrestlemania season a few years back?

In the end, I think helping the business by aiding a smaller and growing company is a much better venture than collecting a paycheck from McMahon and allowing him to fuck with what you've worked your entire life to create - your persona.

I think this an excellent point. And you know those young guys are so grateful for having him around and they'll be better for it.


Another thought, It's funny I'm watching TNA and they're building up Slammiversary and Sting is going to give it his best shot against Big Bad Bully Ray. And Sting is talking about all his past accomplishments, when he beat Ric Flair at the Great American Bash in 1990, when he returned after over a year of silence to save WCW at Starrcade '97 from the clutches of Hollywood Hogan and the nWo and so forth. I was thinking it just sucks that TNA has to resort to old shots from PWI magazine and doesn't have the video packages to hit this home. It's a small thing, but it's something that I thought. (Btw, this a bit off topic but if you are a WCW or Sting fan and you haven't already, get the Best of Starrcade DVD. The menu video screen alone gives me goosebumps the size dinosaur eggs.)

The Stinger is one of the most popular stars ever! In my eyes he was #1 man in the business when he beat Hogan at WCW's premier event when WCW was beating the WWF so bad they almost went out of business. I'm saying that and I'm a WWF guy. He does have the distinction of being the most famous wrestler never to have set foot in WWE ring. And when he finally retires I'm sure he'll be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Ric Flair, and we'll see the commerical "Finally one of the most anticipated Collections of all time is out this Tuesday" and we'll all mark out and he'll be in the videogame. It'll be great you'll see.

 

[Stiner82]

I would agree with everyone who has stated that it's not fair to criticize a wrestler's decision to switch companies, unless, of course, they do so in an unprofessional way. Sting made what seems to be a wise decision to avoid the WWE at the time of the buyout. Several strong WCW members left to the WWE earlier and had tremendous success, such as Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, Vader, and Mysterio. Truthfully, they achieved greater success by doing so. But, as it's been stated, when the WCW was absorbed, many great talents were abandoned or dismissed. Sting was my favorite wrestler for most of my childhood, and despite that, I'm also glad that he didn't sign a contract then because I felt/feel that he was moving past his prime, and that he should have retired awhile ago. He has a great deal of value for any wrestling company in terms of wisdom, insight, etc. He shows his age in the ring, and relies heavily upon cheap, and even ripped-off gimmicks to continue getting over. We watched Hogan embarrass himself a few times during a brief comeback in the WWE, and I would've hated to see that from Sting. He's a legend, and worthy of respect, but his legacy may be stronger left exclusively in the NWA/WCW.