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STING MAKES AEW DEBUT

Former NWA, WCW and TNA World Champion Sting made his debut tonight for All Elite Wrestling on their "Winter is Coming" edition of Dynamite on TNT.   In doing so, Sting made his first appearance on TNT since March 2001, when he defeated Ric Flair in the final-ever match on WCW Monday Nitro. 

Sting came out to great fanfare (and fake snow, playing off the Winter is Coming tagline), stopping Team Taz from beating Arn Anderson, Cody and Dustin Rhodes and TNT Champion Darby Allin in the process.  Sting entered the ring and stared down each of the babyfaces, but did not speak and instead, silently looked at each of them before heading to the back.  So, the storyline reason for his arrival is still a mystery.

One of the last true stars created by Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1980s, Sting, 61, became "The Franchise" for World Championship Wrestling, their biggest and purest babyface. Long synonymous with the WCW brand name, he worked for the company until it was shut down in March 2001 upon its sale to WWE, famously feuding with Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Vader, Mick Foley, Hulk Hogan and many, many more.  

In the years that followed, Sting left the business to pursue other endeavors before working for TNA until January 2014, during which he was pushed as a legend and top star, including big feuds against Kurt Angle, Abyss, AJ Styles and more.

In November 2014, Sting made his debut in WWE, becoming the last major WCW star to do so.  His WWE run included a Wrestlemania bout against Triple H that featured the NWO and DX facing off.  Sting was medically disqualified from competing by WWE after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis when he was hurt wrestling Seth Rollins.  He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April 2016, announcing his official retirement during the ceremony.  However, he has since stated publicly that should the right offer or match come along, he would reconsider that decision, specifically hinting at facing The Undertaker.

Sting's contract with WWE expired earlier this year and last month, the company pulled all his merchandise from sale.    Sting came out wearing an official Sting AEW t-shirt so expect that on sale any second atwww.ShopAEW.com.

 

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