Sting on WWE Offer: "I turned it down for the same reasons I always have,"

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Look, folks, I don't have the patience to sit here and point-by-point this with you all back-and-forth individually, so I'm just going to say this one more time so my point is clear.

Listen, I don't have the time to gripe with every single twat that seems to be on the forums these days, so I'll just pick one who has, for some unfathomable reason, a bolded name.

1. Sting built his name in WCW, not WWE. The idea of him coming to WWE to wrestle is iconic as he's the only major name left who's yet to step into their ring. That said, I can't think of a worse scenario (OK, I can, but I'm trying to make a statement here) than him debuting on the grandest stage of them all only to lose like so many WCW guys before him did. You may disagree, but that doesn't make me wrong — it means we don't agree. We're discussing opinion here, not fact.

Walking straight into the biggest wrestling show of all time, with more exposure to fans old and new than any wrestler could dream of, into what no doubt would have been a main event with a fellow legend. Having an awesome dream match and probably earning one of those nifty standing ovations in front of 70 000 people in the heart of WCW territory. Yeah, that would be awful. No I'm joking, it'd be the best. Most professional wrestlers won't ever come close to having that opportunity. Having to wrestle a man on drugs in front of 500 people might make them feel a bit ashamed of themselves though.

2. As I noted, Sting built his name in WCW, which means the "WWE" Hall-of-Fame is irrelevant to him regardless of whether Daddy Warbucks just so happened to buy the library of the company where he grew into the superstar he is. The fact that the HOF inductions are "WCW themed" is just as irrelevant, as it's still the WWE Hall-of-Fame, not the wrestling Hall-of-Fame, so it's still marginalizing the impact he had in WCW IMO, period. Again, opinion, not fact.

Well yes, it's the called the WWE Hall of Fame, because they own most of the footage of his matches. It's a nice award and a way to have your say in front of your peers. I'm sure the 'Wrestling' Hall of Fame would be way "legit" with less marginalization, but it would also be gymnasium full of 17 year olds watching Sting click through slides of his early backyard wrestling days.

3. Whether you choose to agree with our decisions or not, there are a number of us who grew up watching WCW and not WWE/F, and to us a guy like Sting is a legend regardless of whether he's stepped foot in a WWE ring. One day you'll realize that just because you didn't wrestle for the biggest company in the world does not mean your career was worth nothing, and a wrestler can (and has, as Sting has now proven) still be a world-wide SUPERSTAR despite never having been cut a check with the WWE logo in the corner.

Eventually, you guys will have to start realising that WCW is long gone, and that there is so so so little point in keeping grudges about two different companies you had absolutely nothing to do with, besides watching their television programs. Yeah, I'm sure you will feel well hard, knowing that you stuck it to "man", but I am sure that Sting is strongly regretting his decision, and as Sunday rolls around, will possibly cry himself to sleep.

Which sucks. He'll get his facepaint all messed up.

 

[Lancer]

Wow I haven't posted on here in a while.

Well I didn't read through the whole thread, but there is a discussion over WCW/WWE/TNA and burials or something like that....I think it may be a lot simpler than everyone thinks.

When the screens came up in Fayetteville, NC on Impact to reveal Sting as Jeff Hardy's mystery opponent on March 3rd...and Sting slowly turned around to a huge pop from the crowd, I thought to myself, "This is a true legend in the business." He carries himself like an icon, a moniker he earned not by drawing huge numbers of buys and performing in front of 70,000+ people in some dome consistently - but by being who he is. The fact of the matter is, Sting is STING. He can do whatever the fuck he wants.

Perhaps he feels a better sense of accomplishment to perform in TNA and help the company grow, to bring some pride to the World Title, to show the young guns in the back a thing or two, and to "save" the company from a drug-addicted troubled champion (who has had some comparisons drawn with Sting)....than he does performing at 'Mania against the Undertaker.

No doubt it would sell a shitload of tickets, buys, etc. The targeted audience (including myself) would pop HUGE for that showdown. That is all a given. Perhaps Sting decided it's better to earn the respect, and to earn his cash, than it is to walk into a surefire pageant of respect accompanied by a huge check.

Perhaps he wasn't afraid of getting "buried" by Vince and the WWE machine...maybe he felt he would be "burying" himself internally.

 

[xcoN]

Sting has earned everything he has so to me I can't see how people can bash him for not going to WWE. Hes at the end of is career so I feel whichever decision he made would have been good for him. Taker vs Sting will always and I think is better off being a "dream match." I mean i'd much rather see them wrestle in their primes then now.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I also can't see how Sting would be "buried" if he decided to come to the WWE. Wresting Taker at Wrestlemania would've been a HUGE deal. Sting would have received an enormous pop at the biggest wrestling show of the year, and I'm sure the match with Taker would've been something to remember. Sting is a legend in pro wrestling, and I don't think Vince will destroy him now. Sure, McMahon was probably still bitter about the Monday Night Wars during the Invasion angle, but WCW has been dead for quite some time. I'm sure Vince has enough respect for Sting, so I don't think we would've seen him jobbing to some of WWE's young and rising stars.

Sting obliviously feels comfortable in TNA, but I do think he is being kind of stubborn. WCW no longer exists, and I'm sure other former WCW wrestlers have moved on from the Invasion angle, so I really can't understand why Sting hasn't put the past behind him. Refusing the WWE's offer could be looked at as a moral victory for Sting, but how long will he continue to hold on to this grudge?

 

[Shocky]

If the article is true, then I say bullshit on Sting. What is Sting? Is Sting the ultra conservative Christian whose turned his life around and has a high moral code? Or is Sting the last holdout that will never go to the WWE because he disliked what went on with WCW after it died?

There are faults with both of those lines of thinking. If Sting supposedly went to TNA because of his moral code, then the company lines have flip flopped. TNA is trash TV. It's a crappy shell of a dead Era. It's glorified trash TV. Terrible language, tasteless storylines, scantily clad ****es. Yes, this is the company you want to be in if you're trying to convince everyone it's for your Christian beliefs.

On the second part, what the WWE would do with him. I'm sorry IDR, but Sting going to the WWE, and being put in the mainevent of Wrestle-fucking-mania is being buried? In what universe is getting top billing on the biggest show in the industry, with 70,000 people, with guys like Rock, and Stone Cold on the card, and with a goal of 1,000,000 buys being buried. He loses to the Undertaker, so fucking what. Everyone loses to the Undertaker at Mania. It's not a slap of disrespect, it's the ultimate sign of respect that this outsider to the WWE still has enough of a cult following that Vince McMahon would be willing to put him up against his top Wrestlemania Star, in an angle that most see bigger then the two world titles (the Streak).

The burial of WCW is just a joke. For fuck's sake, go back to the attitude era and look at the stars of the WWF.

Steve Austin: WCW wrestler
Triple H: WCW Wrestler
The Undertaker: WCW Wrestler
Mick Foley: WCW Wrestler

Four of the biggest names, four guys established in WCW at some point in their careers. That's not even getting into guys like Ron Simmons, Dustin Rhodes, Arn Anderson, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Paul Wight..etc.

Sting is a hypocrite to a certain extent. If he wants to be known as the guy that was the last holdout, fine, say it. Any other reason at this point is bullshit. Being "buried" in front of 70,000 fans at Wrestlemania is by far better then beating a fucking junky in under 2 minutes in front of 1,000 people in an arena WCW Worldwide would laugh at.

 

[theBusiness]

Yeah right — I'm sure his "Five time! Five time! Five time! Five time! Five time WCW World Champion" moniker was all about his WWE success, right?

Him having climbed out past that hole is irrelevant — he was still buried.

Got some answers for DDP? How about Scott Steiner?

DDP and Scott Steiner did not have the talent to hang in the WWE main event scene. They can't hang when there is guys like Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H, and the Undertaker.

Sting CAN hang. This just makes me hate Sting to a certain extent. Why is he so scared? I never want to hear that man suck up to the people in any way in the future. Anything along the lines of "I do this for you guys...blah blah" If he truly cared about the fans of wrestling, he would go to WWE. THE FANS want to see him there. He is definitely past his prime, but that doesn't mean he can go a 1-2 year program with Vince.

Bottom line: If your goal in this business isn't to make it to the WWE, then something is wrong with you. Sting needs to man the fack up. All the guys who supposedly got "buried" by Vince were not at Sting's level.

 

[SpecialFNK]

Sting is already an icon. he doesn't need to go to the WWE.
Sting wasn't just an icon because of WCW, but also NWA.
if fans want to watch Sting they can still watch him, in TNA.

IMO this is an easy decision for Sting. go to the WWE and lose a match against Undertaker, or go to TNA where you can be world heavy weight champion. hmmmm.

the only people I see this effecting is WWE fans who wanted to see Sting, but don't want to watch TNA. your loss, not Sting's loss.

 

[Rasha]

...but in 40 years time he'll be nothing but a footnote in wrestling history because casual wrestling fans below the age of 16 probably don't know him or know much about him, but god damn, fight the good fight Stinger!

That will be true of plenty of WWE legends too, buddy. There are plenty running around right now that couldn't tell you about the Iron Sheik, Andre the Giant, or even Randy Savage. Maybe Sting going to the WWE would have given him some exposure to younger fans, but the actual impact to his being remembered would have been minimal. Weak point.

 

[Rasha]

Bottom line: If your goal in this business isn't to make it to the WWE, then something is wrong with you. Sting needs to man the fack up. All the guys who supposedly got "buried" by Vince were not at Sting's level.

Sting didn't have to make it to the fucking WWE! He was the biggest star in WCW when they were ON TOP OF WRESTLING! One of the reasons this topic is so hot is because of his existing star power. You think he needs the WWE for some sort of career validation?

This is why people get sick of WWE fanboys; the arrogance.

 

[Rasha]

Truth be told, I think we all know why Sting is continuing to duck WWE, especially in the twilight of his career.

Duck? What would he be ducking? If you're implying that he's worried about his age and being able to go in the ring, then he'd be better off in the WWE! You think Cena, Miz, or Undertaker are tougher to keep pace with than the likes of Styles, Angle, and RVD?

I don't get what you're hinting at by that remark, so correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I know its crazy for people to believe someone would stay loyal to a company, like Sting with WCW or TNA. There have been many people that were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that never even wrestled a match for WWE. There are even celebrities that have never wrestled a match that are in the WWE HOF. So I can't believe that Sting is unworhty of the HOF just because he never wrestled a match there.

Guys like Triple H, Undertaker, HBK, and even Jericho have stated they would never leave WWE. So its not hard to understand someone like Sting would ever leave TNA. Never say never since anything can happen. I can't blame the guy for wanting to stay with TNA and if its true, I can't fault WWE for wanting Sting to come to WreslteMania or even induct him in the HOF.

I do wonder if Sting is having second thoughts after the Jeff Hardy incident, but that is between him and TNA. The man has done so much in his career, I can't fault him for not going to WWE or even if he chooses to end his career in TNA or WWE. He is still one of the all time greats no matter who he wrestles for.

 

[theBusiness]

He was the biggest star in WCW when they were ON TOP OF WRESTLING!

I respectfully disagree.

He may have been the biggest babyface in the company, but how would he be the biggest star if he SPORADICALLY made appearances during that 97 year for WCW?

When WCW was on top of the wrestling world (96-97), the nWo was the biggest reference to that company. Not Sting.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

I respectfully disagree.

He may have been the biggest babyface in the company, but how would he be the biggest star if he SPORADICALLY made appearances during that 97 year for WCW?

When WCW was on top of the wrestling world (96-97), the nWo was the biggest reference to that company. Not Sting.

Exactly. It wasn't until Hogan gave Sting the rub that he took off. There were at least five to ten guys who were bigger stars than Sting at that time.

Sting doesn't want to leave because he wants to stay somewhere where he's comfortable. He doesn't want to have to put any effort into his matches anymore. He's lazy and it shows in his matches.

His reasoning for not wanting to go to WWE is bullshit. The WWE has put over just as many WCW guys as they have WWE guys. Sure some guys failed, it happens. Just look at the list of guys in the past 15 years and that will tell you that Sting has no clue what he's talking about.

Another thing, the word Icon is thrown around way too freely in wrestling. What has Sting done to be known as an Icon? Triple H? Undertaker? Guys like Hogan, Flair, Austin and Rock transcended the "sport". They are the true Icons.

 

[MrHashasheen]

Steve Austin: WCW wrestler
Triple H: WCW Wrestler
The Undertaker: WCW Wrestler
Mick Foley: WCW Wrestler

Four of the biggest names, four guys established in WCW at some point in their careers. That's not even getting into guys like Ron Simmons, Dustin Rhodes, Arn Anderson, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Paul Wight..etc.

All four of those guys were made or remade in the WWF after their time in WCW. They took years to make the main-event, and did so at a time when WCW raided a large chunk of the WWF's upper card and when McMahon needed the next generation of stars to step up. That WCW was active and competitive at this time also helped.

Ron Simmons was a tag-team champion for the WWF. Rhodes was little better. Anderson is better known for his time in the NWA and WCW. As for Benoit, Jericho and Wight, both got inconsistent pushes throughout their WWF careers. As for Booker T, he was one of the best stars gained from WCW, already a world champion with some level of credibility, and proceeded to spend years in the mid-card only to break through using the King Booka gimmick.

As for DDP and Steiner, Steiner came in as a steroid-ridden freak with a bad foot and was generally an egotistical prick since the final full year of WCW. DDP was too old for a serious long-term push, but still had the popularity to hold his place there for a year and one world title run before gate-keeping and sliding down the card.

 

[Rasha]

When WCW was on top of the wrestling world (96-97), the nWo was the biggest reference to that company. Not Sting.

Fair point, but Sting as an individual was still a bigger star at that point than everyone outside of Hogan and Flair. Those "sporadic" appearances only prove the point as, despite such limited involvement and complete silence, he was still getting the biggest pops of the night just by showing up in the rafters. Just watch some of the clips on YouTube from those segments with JJ Dillion and Mean Gene where they kept offering Sting contracts to fight various NWO members but Sting kept turning it down until he got Hogan. The crowd was going apeshit!

 

[Rasha]

Exactly. It wasn't until Hogan gave Sting the rub that he took off. There were at least five to ten guys who were bigger stars than Sting at that time.

Five to ten guys? My ass! If you can name them and actually defend that statement, I'll green rep every post you make for the next year.

I have to ask, did you only start watching WCW after the NWO started? Seems like you have no appreciation or even understanding of what his status was in the company prior to 1996. He'd already held the World Title three times and established himself as "The Franchise." His rivalry with Ric Flair was the single biggest story in WCW before the NWO showed up.

 

[MancMark]

There were most certainly not 10 stars bigger than Sting in that company at that time. Do people forget his career before the "Crow" gimmick? Turn it in for fuck's sake.

 

[s3mach]

I think its a cop out on the part of Sting to keep using the same ol tired excuse for not jumping ship. No way in hell McMahon would job String to anyone.. I think its more or less Sting who is afraid of this happening than a chance of it actually being true. As for WCW guys coming over and being buried? What about Guerrero, Benoit, Flair, Jericho, Goldberg, Big Show... Im sure I am even missing a few.. they sure as hell didnt get buried.. and even Booker T who was the victim of the Rock's ridicule went on to be World Champion and he still gets a huge pop to this day every time he comes out..

That's why I dont buy Sting's claims... I think the truth is he himself is afraid of not being able to live up to the expectations of the WWE universe... Loyalty is one thing.. and its great and all... it really is.. but that man owes it to himself.. Sting owes it to himself to just get a taste of what it would be like to have 70,000 fans screaming their mouths off while he does the Stinger splash...

..it would be a damn shame if Sting never got a chance to perform in a WWE ring...but it wouldn't be anyone's fault but his own.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

I think its a cop out on the part of Sting to keep using the same ol tired excuse for not jumping ship. No way in hell McMahon would job String to anyone.. I think its more or less Sting who is afraid of this happening than a chance of it actually being true. As for WCW guys coming over and being buried? What about Guerrero, Benoit, Flair, Jericho, Goldberg, Big Show... Im sure I am even missing a few.. they sure as hell didnt get buried.. and even Booker T who was the victim of the Rock's ridicule went on to be World Champion and he still gets a huge pop to this day every time he comes out..

I think Sting was referring to the WCW guys who went to WWE after the company went out of business. Because out of all of those guys, Booker was the only one who was used. I didn't say used "right". King Booker anyone?

And please, no one popped for Booker at Mania. The crowd was dead.

Look, Sting is 52 years old, he's got a year left to wrestle (tops). If he didn't go to the WWE in the last 10 years, why would he now? To give "the fans" the match they always wanted? BS.

Why do people want Sting vs Undertaker in the first place? Sting is NOTHING like The Undertaker aside from a black trenchcoat. The characters have nothing in common. They're just two creepy dudes. Why? Just because it has never happened before?

What happens after Sting loses to 'Taker? Okay, Sting gave the WWE marks a boner, good. Whoo-pe-doo. What now? Will Sting get a World Title - doubtful. So if he doesn't, he'll be treated like just another old legend, not the ICON that he is.

Going to the WWE will not do anything to his career. Anything at all. McMahon loves to change people's characters. I don't care who you are, he'll turn you into his WWE version and that's something that should NEVER happen to Sting.

Sting became as big and as legendary as he is today without stepping foot in the WWE. If anything, he's an amazing example for every single Indy, TNA or ROH wrestler out there. You don't need to go there to make it.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Why cause the rock said that to booker t, who was a wcw copy of the rock with his bookend move, and also remember booker t won the world title after and became a mainevent player in wwe after.. he didnt get buried probably more known for his wwe action than his wcw shit

His WCW SHIT??????

Booker is more well known to the younger fans for his WWE career, as they werent fans when he was in WCW.

But any serious wrestling fan knows Booker's legacy in WCW, his multiple World Title reigns, his US title reigns and his excellent Harlem Heat tag team with his brother.

Also, Booker took years to win his one and only WWE world title. He was over as hell for years but they never gave him the belt. There is no way he would have had to wait so long for a title run being as over as he was had he been a McMahon creation and not remembered as a WCW star.

 

[Kitten Cutter]

But any serious wrestling fan knows Booker's legacy in WCW, his multiple World Title reigns, his US title reigns and his excellent Harlem Heat tag team with his brother.

Also, Booker took years to win his one and only WWE world title. He was over as hell for years but they never gave him the belt. There is no way he would have had to wait so long for a title run being as over as he was had he been a McMahon creation and not remembered as a WCW star.

Booker T had a great career with the WWE. He's a multiple time Intercontinental champion, a multiple time Tag Team Champion, and won King of the Ring. Just because he only won one World Title doesn't mean he's a failure. Mr. Perfect and Ted Dibiase Sr. weren't failures and they never won top gold in either company. Everyone knows who he is and the guy may be the next great commentator, which was his dream in the first place.

Why do people want Sting vs Undertaker in the first place? Sting is NOTHING like The Undertaker aside from a black trenchcoat. The characters have nothing in common. They're just two creepy dudes. Why? Just because it has never happened before?

To me, it'd be the two darkest, macabre, never-say-die faces against each other. I don't know why Sting and The Rock doesn't have the same appeal, but Sting and The Undertaker, a match that's never happened, would represent two of the most iconic images of their eras. Opposing forces that come out of the darkness to avenge the wrongs despite not looking like the usual good guys.

What happens after Sting loses to 'Taker? Okay, Sting gave the WWE marks a boner, good. Whoo-pe-doo. What now? Will Sting get a World Title - doubtful. So if he doesn't, he'll be treated like just another old legend, not the ICON that he is.

Going to the WWE will not do anything to his career. Anything at all. McMahon loves to change people's characters. I don't care who you are, he'll turn you into his WWE version and that's something that should NEVER happen to Sting.

I don't know if you watched Wrestlemania, Zevon, but at the end of the HHH\Undertaker match, HHH got 5 times the offense Taker had, used every weapon he could find, got locked in a submission hold, and finally had to tap out due to sheer weakness. Afterwards, Taker couldn't even walk out of the ring, while HHH walked out dazed but with his head held high. It was a brutal and breath-taking match that made every move seem like a bonecrusher. Had Sting done every move HHH had and the match was planned the exact same way, Sting would have definitely earned the respect of the WWE crowd, especially in Atlanta. I know you say losing to Taker would be sad on Sting's part but the match, had it gone on the same way, would definitely have not killed Sting's legacy. It was arguably and probably the best match of the night.

Sting became as big and as legendary as he is today without stepping foot in the WWE. If anything, he's an amazing example for every single Indy, TNA or ROH wrestler out there. You don't need to go there to make it.

I wish it were true, but Sting made his legacy in WCW\NWA when it was a very big deal. He was the Hogan of WCW\NWA in the late 80's to early 90's and has been an icon for years already. There are some very talented indy wrestlers like Austin Aries, Tyler Black, and a litany of others working in ROH (all of whom I've never even seen wrestle but heard the names a lot on here), and of course our beloved A.J. Styles, who's the biggest homegrown TNA guy, that I'm sorry to say will never get to Sting's level staying where they are. It's just not mainstream enough. If TNA started really going even with the WWE in terms of advertising and promotion, Styles would come the closest, and even his legacy is getting diminished by the obvious lack of use throughout the past year plus.

I REALLY hate to say it, but The Miz right now is bigger than A.J. Styles. NOT BETTER BY ANY MEANS...but bigger in wrestling than Styles is right now.

 

[Cena's #1 Fan]

Get off the loyalty shit. WCW is dead. Been dead a long time. And get off the christian views boat, watch the beautiful people or whoever pointing at their ass and the camera getting all up in their dump trucks(now don't get me wrong i rewind that everytime) but with ric flair talking about anabolic freak rob terry destroying girls in the audience, jeff hardy snorting so much blow he can't remember a spot or do a decent promo, ric flair calling himself "God"(that's not wrestling god, he's calling him self god for the love of God).
Yep. Sting's keepin' it christian alright.

Don't let him fool you. People in this thread have it right. He can't keep up with the schedule and younger talent that wwe possess.

He's not afraid of vince or what vince will do with his character, why would you be afraid to walk out in front of 70,000 people as the greatest wcw wrestler of all time and be put over as the man.

Get over this "jobbing" shit. So let's see, I guess Hogan jobbed when he lost the belt to taker. I guess hhh and hbk jobbed twice. so did kane. big show lost a handicap match. edge jobbed too huh. so did batista? bullshit and you all know it. Losing to Undertaker at mania would be the best thing to ever happen to sting seeing as that bullshit of a dream match we got at starrcade 97. F*ck all this noise. Sting must not care about his fans. He just cares about himself. He is a scared little puss. That's all he is. The only good thing about tna is they have andersen, rob van dam, and beer money, and they don't even know what to do with them. tna is a joke and so is sting. he's been a damn joke since 2001. The need to take out ting from his name and incorporate cared and leave the S. cause he is SCARED. Nuff said

 

[sting4life]

Wow, the arguements that some people are making on why sting didn't go to the WWE are funny. First off, when was the last time Sting has said anything about his values are the reason he is still in TNA? Maybe I missed something but the last time I heard anything about it was when he first joined the company.

Lets see here, Sting basically makes 500,000 a year to work about 9 months. So he has to show up 4 or 5 days out of the month for tv tapings, the ppv's and doesn't have to do house shows. If he went to the WWE he probably would make more,but it isn't like it was in the 90's when wrestlers were making huge money, then has to show up ever Monday, the ppv's and do some house shows.

Sting, unlike a lot of wrestlers actually saved up a lot of money form the 90's so it's not like he needs the cash. So tell me, if you were in Stings shoes which option would you choose? For me it's a no brainer, give me the 500,000 and the easy schedule.

 

[dr.greenthumb]

the wcw guys getting buried arguement - i don't buy it.

as stated by other posters, mysterio, big show, jericho all seemed to do pretty well in the evil wwe and although it wasn't in the wcw take over angle, flair did ok as well.

and of course, austin seemed to do alright.

the guys that didn't work out in the wwe just weren't going to cut it anyways. lance storm (no charisma), ddp (was like a cheap mix of raven & stone cold - with the cutter and he got a bad angle), booker t (i loved his best of 7 with benoit, but wanting to be wcw's rock was weak, with his bookend move, come on), dean malenko?? (god damn it, surprized he even made in wcw, probably wouldn't have except they had 100 wrestlers on the payroll at one time).

with a lack of wrestlers and some pretty boring storylines going on, i'd love to see sting come to the wwe and i'm sure he'll do alright.

i'd rather see sting go out with a bang. it would have been alot nicer for me personally to see it happen 10 years ago as i'm only a casual observer these days, but rather late than never.

ps. does anyone know stings contract status, when it expires etc? sting did said there was negotiations, so that's not an outright "no" and that it won't ever happen.