It was recently revealed that WWE Hall of Famer Sting will end his pro wrestling career at next year's AEW Revolution PPV. Tony Khan later "gifted" Sting his old WCW rival and real-life friend, Ric Flair, marking the first time they'd been on TBS together since WCW's final show.
They went one-on-one during that historic Nitro episode and Sting opened up on their emotional reunion during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.
"That was the last match," he recalls. "It was so surreal. Shane McMahon was there and there was a new boss. That was the end of all we'd built in WCW. I've never mentioned this to the press, or even in the dressing room, but real men cry. I've been emotional, full of tears, twice in my career."
"The first was Panama City when Ric and I had the last WCW match on Nitro. The second was last week on Dynamite."
"When Ric came out and I heard his music play, it hit me," Sting continued. "I had this flashback, and it made me emotional. Ric is the guy who put me on the map. We've traveled around the world together, and Ric helped make me. Now he's going to finish with me."
"After all the travel, all the matches, all the press slams, all the chops, and all the woos–woooo!–I experienced the same feeling on Dynamite this past week with Ric that I did on that final Nitro. Except this time, it was so much more positive."
Sting would go on to say that he originally intended to retire sooner than AEW Revolution and spoke positively about the work he's been able to do in the company. Many believed his in-ring career ended when he was injured in a WWE match with Seth Rollins, so it has been a remarkable comeback for the WCW icon.
"Tony Khan called me and asked me to go out in style," he explains. "I liked that idea. I couldn’t say no. The AEW brand reminds me so much of the WCW brand. Tony allowed me to come back and have some fun, and I’m so grateful for that. It’s been a lot of fun."
"I wanted to finish earlier, maybe in December. But now that Ric is here with me, I want to go longer, all the way to Revolution. All I can say for now is I want people to walk away and say, 'Wow, what an ending,'" Sting added. "I’ll be three weeks away from turning 65 at that point. I want to leave people with a memory that will mean something."
While Flair's return felt a lot like hotshot booking to drive up ratings, it's exciting to think that the groundwork is being laid for Sting to end his career on a high. AEW Revolution doesn't have a venue or date yet, and there's also no word on who the WWE Hall of Famer's opponent will be.