Sting did not intend on wrestling in 2024.
Following a career spanning more than 30 years, Sting announced that he would be retiring with the final match taking place in March 2024 at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, 3 years on from his debut match with the company.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, The Icon looked back on the latter stages of his career and although critical, is happy with how the last few years have played out:
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised at what I have been able to do. I tear myself apart constantly on everything little I do. I know my weaknesses. The fans can see that I don’t do some of the things I used to do, but I know my weaknesses better than anyone.
As seen on the October 25th episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan revealed his surprise gift for the Hall of Famer, none other than The Nature Boy Ric Flair. The reunion with Flair meant a lot to The Icon as the 16-time World Champion was integral in establishing Sting as a future main event star. Later in the interview, the former World Champion revealed that he intended to retire before the year ended, but would stick around for a few months longer as Flair would be by his side:
“I wanted to finish earlier, maybe in December,” said Sting. “But now that Ric is here with me, I want to go longer, all the way to Revolution.”
Sting Looks Ahead To The Retirement Match
Addressing the end of his iconic career, the Hall of Famer was asked if he had any plans for the final outing. Sting revealed that his goal is to leave a lasting impression on the fans and have a final match that everyone will be happy with:
“All I can say for now is I want people to walk away and say, ‘Wow, what an ending.’ I’ll be three weeks away from turning 65 at that point. I want to leave people with a memory that will mean something.”