Wrestling icon Sting joins AEW in full-time deal
Sting #Sting
Sting has signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
The iconic grappler – who was one of the biggest names in WCW in the 1990s and enjoyed a short spell with WWE later in his career after working with IMPACT Wrestling – has officially inked a deal with the rival company.
After he made his shock debut during ‘Dynamite’ on Wednesday night, the company announced: “AEW has confirmed tonight that it has officially signed Sting to a full-time, multi-year agreement.”
The legendary star returned during AEW’s TNT broadcast, marking the first time he appeared on the network – which aired WCW back in the day – for almost two decades.
In a statement, AEW boss Tony Khan said: “The surprise introduction of Sting was a great way to celebrate our biggest episode of ‘Dynamite’ yet.
“When AEW launched, I was ecstatic to bring wrestling back to TNT after a very long absence.
“Sting defeated the legendary Ric Flair in the final wrestling match to be shown on TNT for more than 18 years until the debut of Dynamite in 2019.
“Now, almost two decades later, it’s such a thrill to welcome Sting to AEW and bring him back home to TNT!”
The 61-year-old star made his debut during the special ‘Winter Is Coming’ edition of ‘Dynamite’, as he hit the ring after a tag team match between Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin, and their opponents Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs.
The former duo won, before they got attacked by rival faction Team Taz and Sting saved the day.
With snow falling for the outdoor show, he came face to face with fellow WCW alumni Arn Anderson, before nodding his approval to Allin, Cody and his brother Dustin Rhodes, and walked away back up the ramp.
Sting’s last match came in WWE against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions 2015, and he was inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame the following year.
In October this year, the company had pulled his merchandise from their online store, suggesting his time with them was over.