Behold the King: The Only Logical Opponent for Sting
It takes a long time for an event in history to be truly evaluated. This year has had many iconic moments in WWE. The rise of NXT. The end of The Streak. Daniel Bryan's incredible WrestleMania. Brock Lesnar's mauling of John Cena at Summerslam. CM Punk's dismissal from WWE. Seth Rollins turning on The Shield at the height of the group's popularity. All these moments will resonate with the WWE Universe for a long time. Most of them will have implications for the future, and all will eventually lead to the rise of new stars. Each of those above moments has opened a door for someone to grab Vince McMahon's "brass ring." But perhaps one the biggest moments, not only of 2014, but in wrestling history, will have add no value to the future- the arrival of Sting in WWE.
Professional wrestling is always building towards the future. It is one long narrative, with no end game. Unlike almost all other forms of entertainment that have a rising action followed by a downfall and final conclusion, professional wrestling functions as a living breathing organism. As soon as one storyline is complete another begins and the cycle continues. The Cena Era will eventually lead into another era (The Reign of Reigns?). Stars on their way out usually put over new up and comers or those who can benefit from a big win. This is how it has always been, and how it will always be. Except with Sting.
The long overdue arrival of Sting to WWE television was an AWESOME moment. Even as someone who isn't a huge Sting fan, and was nothing more than a casual WCW viewer, this was a cool moment. A moment that we will probably never experience again. There will be shocking returns, or big WWE signings, but somehow even a CM Punk return, or AJ Styles signing with WWE will never compare to that Sting moment. Here is a superstar who turned into an icon without ever receiving a paycheck from Vince McMahon. If you were to rank the top 25 biggest stars of all time- Sting would be the only one who never stepped foot in a WWE ring. An indie darling or TNA star will never have that appeal. Sting is a carryover, the last carryover from the greatest age of wrestling. And he finally made his first ever appearance in WWE.
When something of that magnitude and rarity occurs it has to be handled with extreme care and delicacy. If you were to say a year ago that Sting was going to debut at Survivor Series 2014 to help Dolph Ziggler defeat Seth Rollins that would have sounded crazy. But it worked! And it was a terrific moment. One that will be remembered for a long time to come, no matter what happens next in Sting's WWE career. So let's talk about what that career should look like.
Sting is that unique talent that has made an iconic career in wrestling outside of the WWE. But unlike like a Kevin Steen or AJ Styles who are still relatively young and in their prime, Sting's best days are behind him. I am vaguely familiar with his work in TNA, and while what I have seen isn't offensive or terrible (like most late career Ric Flair matches were), his days of one hour broadways are certainly behind him. I do not expect Sting to be wrestling on every Raw, Smackdown and house show in 2015. I think the most effective way for Sting to be used is in a one off attraction match. That's it. Sting has built the second part of his career mostly on mystique. And what is more attractive that just one single Sting match.
For the longest time I never thought I would see Sting in WWE. This was something I was ok with. Not that I don't want to see Sting around. I generally enjoy Sting. I was a pre-teen during the nWo era, and Sting was the coolest thing going on in wrestling not named Steve Austin. WI casually tuned into WCW (being a die-hard WWF fan) but it was mostly to see Sting drop from the rafters, beat people up and leave. I did not stick around for much more than that. That iconic mystery and slow burn build was so well executed. I think this day the Sting-Hogan yearlong build was one of the best builds of all time. Sting did not need to say much, and I am not sure he even had another match during that build up. That is how you create hype for a match.
WWE should take the same approach when booking Sting. Due to his advanced age, and probably sweet contract he signed, Sting will have a very limited in ring role in WWE. This is probably for the better. They can echo the mystique and aura Sting had in the late 90s, before he started speaking again and joined the WolfPac. Talk about a really silly booking decision. Sting joining the nWo, in any form, was the first sign that things weren't going well in WCW. Just have Sting show up for a few Raw appearances, hang out in the rafters, save a face, beat down a heel, and set up his first match. WWE fans are going to shower Sting with adulation. You will never hear complaints about how he is only a part timer. We are not used to having Sting around, so we will be excited anytime he is. Unlike Lesnar or Rock who often get grief for limited appearances, the less we see Sting-the better.
So if Sting's appearances are going to be limited, he needs to have a foil who will be the opposite- very visible. That is why his feud with HHH makes perfect sense. Just like how Sting was an institution, a company man for WCW, the same can be said (and arguably more so) with Triple H. The former COO is always lurking around (kayfabe wise) looking for his opportunity to take back control. He obviously is going to want revenge on the man who cost him that control. I think it's obvious this is the direction we are headed- a Triple H vs Sting WrestleMania encounter.
But not only is this the only logical match for Sting storyline wise right now in WWE, it is the only match he can possibly have in WWE. And that really doesn't even have much to do with the man himself. Sting can probably pick his opponent, and I am sure he would be willing to wrestle an up and comer and put them over- Sting has never had an issue there- but he also wants someone he can feel safe in the ring with who will make him look as good as possible. Even though most of his career is readily accessible via the Network, this is likely the first Sting match that many younger/newer WWE fans will see. He will need to look like a million bucks, and who better than Helmsley to do so.
Now I must preface the coming paragraphs by saying that I am a HUGE HHH fan. I generally ignore the bad chatter that circles around Triple H. I think he has a great mind for the business. I am excited at the work he is doing in NXT. I don't think he "buries" people as much as selectively puts people over. You can't have your main villain losing all the time to everyone, that won't make it special when he does finally lose. So yes, I am Triple H mark and proud of it. But that still doesn't change the fact that he is the only logical choice to wrestle Sting. Hunter can still go in the ring, as evidenced in my MOTY choice of his �Mania match against Bryan. Plus at this stage in his career, a Triple H match feels extremely special. Much in the same way an Undertaker (we will get to him in a minute) or Rock match felt a few years ago, Triple H is the last remaining superstar of the previous era. Every time he wrestles it's a big deal. He brings a pedigree (no pun intended) to each of his matches that most other current wrestlers (save Cena sometimes) really brings.
So not only will Triple H wrestle a solid, clean safe match with Sting, he also brings the aura of big match feel to the table. Take two iconic superstars who make each match feel special and put them together, and you have the selling point of WrestleMania. Think about the terrific build to �Mania 27 (back when the Sting rumors began…). How well executed was the Taker vs Triple H build that year? They came out and literally said nothing, and that moment still gives me goosebumps. This year's �Mania is already shaping up to be lacking in those type of moments. Sure it seems like this will be a big changing of the guard WrestleMania similar to 21, where young stars break through and make their impact. But even WrestleMania 21 had Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels. This year will likely lack a Rock match, and we still don't know if Undertaker will be wrestling. So Sting vs Triple H will be that go to match we seemingly get every year of two past stars colliding.
Triple H is also the only worthy opponent for Sting on the roster. I know that is a controversial thought, but think about it. What has anyone else on the roster done, save John Cena, to be discussed even in the same sentence as Sting? Let's go back to my statement earlier about the top 25 stars of all time- other than Cena, Triple H is the only one still active, even at a part time level. And it would not be wise, or even really exciting, to see babyface Sting fight babyface John Cena. It doesn't really make sense storyline wise. Chris Jericho may receive an honorable mention, but that match still pales in comparison. There is no shot Brock Lesnar will ever be allowed to even touch Sting. One could make a case for Randy Orton, returning to his Legend Killer days, to take on Sting. While that may be a possibility, WWE has shown they have a leash with Orton. How many of us would salivate to see an Orton vs Lesnar match, but it doesn't seem like that will ever happen either. Therefore Triple H is the only active wrestler who can match (and honestly probably exceeds) Sting's star power.
So let's talk about the two elephants in the room- Undertaker, and the remainder of the WWE roster.
Let's start with the Undertaker first. In my heart I believe (and hope) we have seen the very last of the Undertaker. I truly believe bringing him back after his loss at WrestleMania would be a GIGANTIC mistake. I always believed his last match would be if/when he finally lost the Streak. My thoughts on that moment aside, now that it has happened why keep him around? Undertaker has nothing left to prove. We are all grateful for what he has done and what he has meant to the business. Think back to Triple H's comments during that Mania 27 build- "the streak is all you have left; when it dies, you die." Plus every match he may have may be his last. Would you like his final match to his historic loss to Brock Lesnar, or a meaningless win over Bray Wyatt?
And why would the Undertaker even fight Sting? Because they both wear black? It's like that old argument you used to have with your friends- Stone Cold vs Goldberg. Well they are both bald and have goatees, we must see them fight! That type of logic really makes no sense. You could argue Sting and Undertaker are both company men, who represent their brand, but isn't Triple H? They both have dark characters? Well… does Sting really? Last time I saw Sting he was channeling his inner Heath Ledger and wearing one of the Nasty Boy's coats. His character has always been about mystique, and while so has the Undertaker, the later has built his character on darkness and evil. Sting was never about evil. Even from a strictly workrate standpoint, Sting and Undertaker just wouldn't mesh. Sting vs Bret Hart or Sting vs Shawn Michaels would probably be a better stylistic fit over a match with Undertaker. Plus at this point, Undertaker has already lost his WrestleMania streak. What would be the stakes in a match between the two? And who would win? Would you bring in Sting to lose to the Undertaker? Would you have Undertaker go on a WrestleMania losing streak? There is simply no way Undertaker vs Sting makes any logical sense.
Ok, but why not have Sting wrestle a younger talent? An up and coming guy, like his great feud with Vampiro (sarcasm?). He wrestled tons of young guys in TNA and that was never a problem. Well you can thank CM Punk for this one. And Jeff Hardy. And Eddie Guerrero. And Chris Benoit. All guys that WWE had given huge opportunities to, only to be let down in one way or another. Why do you think John Cena has been on top for so many years? Because he is trust worthy. WWE is honestly gun shy these days, but why shouldn't they be? Every time they take a chance on a new young star, that star usually messes it up. They are nervous of wasting iconic moments and big matches on guys who may not be around a year from now. And can you blame them? Why do you think Rock and Lesnar only wrestle a hand full of guys multiple times? Because WWE doesn't want to look back in 10 year having to do revisionist history. They have learned that they have to play it safe with who they trust in big spots.
You cannot waste Sting's first, and potentially only (I am not so convinced he even wrestles more than one match) on someone who may not be around in a year. Do I like Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt? Yes. A lot. But am I 100% positive they won't walk out due to creative differences or have a wellness violation? No I am not. And neither is WWE. You really need to earn their trust to be given opportunities. And you know who isn't walking out on his contract? You know who has earned the most amount of trust possible with Vince McMahon? That's right- Triple H.
Sting's appearance in WWE was monumental. If you didn't have goosebumps seeing him face to face with Triple H, you probably aren't a wrestling fan at all. The face of one brand against the face of another. The man who represented WCW against the man who represents that company's downfall. Sting was the last hold-out. The last outlaw (man that Mania 27 booking coulda been great huh?). WWE has FINALLY beaten WCW. You know Vince McMahon was courting Sting for a long time, and it was a small victory for him. That is not to say Sting is sell out, or should not have given in. It makes sense for him to be in WWE. Face facts- WWE is mainstream professional wrestling. It is the only real option and game in town. Sting deserves the accolades as one of the greatest of all time. And he would have only really received that in WWE. The TNA hall of fame doesn't really have the same weight to it.
As I mentioned earlier- all the moments in WWE this year were table setting moments. Moments that were designed to set up the future. Daniel Bryan's rise to the top. Lesnar being set up to take a huge fall to put over the next new face. Seth Rollins positioned as the next mega heel. But Sting's appearance wasn't. Unless I am completely wrong and Sting goes out and wrestles 100 matches in the next 3 years, he will have little to no real impact. He will work one or two programs and be gone. Ride off into the sunset, with that final feather in his cap. With all that being said, who else could Sting possibly fight in WWE? There are simply no other candidates worthy of such a big moment. A true "once in a lifetime" match. A match we NEVER thought we would see. Maybe the last remaining dream match. Triple H vs Sting.
