WWE Rumors: Details On Company’s Original Plans For Sting After 2014 Debut Revealed By Dave Meltzer

In the aftermath of Sting’s big debut on the December 2 episode of AEW Dynamite, there have been multiple reports that the WWE Hall of Famer might have been unhappy with how he was hardly utilized — even in non-wrestling roles — after he seemingly suffered a career-ending injury at Night of Champions in 2015. As a new report suggests, the company didn’t have any plans of booking him in matches as late as then, which was about one year removed from his debut at the 2014 edition of Survivor Series.

As quoted by Sportskeeda on Thursday, Dave Meltzer recently said on Wrestling Observer Radio that since Sting signed a long-term deal with AEW, he will likely end his in-ring career for the almost-two-year-old promotion. The veteran journalist added that Sting initially joined WWE after the company wanted to use his likeness for a video game, but noted that he was only supposed to compete at WrestleMania 31 in the spring of 2015 before retiring.

According to Meltzer, many fans were expecting Sting’s WrestleMania opponent to be The Undertaker, with the reaction supposedly “big” enough to convince WWE chairman Vince McMahon to try and book the match. Triple H, as noted, was chosen as the legendary wrestler’s opponent when the original plans fell through, as this would have been a way to “end the wrestling war” between WWE and Sting’s former employer, World Championship Wrestling.

Meltzer went on to explain how the former world champion’s stint working for McMahon went off the rails after he wrestled what was supposed to be his only WWE bout.

“So, of course, it’s his one and only match; he loses to Triple H because he’s not coming back, and then, couple months later, hey, we got this idea, let’s put him with Seth Rollins and so, that was his other thing. That was a complete disaster, unfortunately, in many ways and ended his career.”

Regarding the serious neck injury Sting suffered during his bout against Rollins, Meltzer stated that the 61-year-old opted not to undergo surgery for it, despite its career-ending implications.

While it was widely speculated that Sting would mainly be used as a manager in AEW due to his medical status, rumors have hinted that “The Icon” might be utilized as an active wrestler, given how he’s listed on the roster page of the company’s website. Specifically, it appears that the former WCW and Impact star might be used in cinematic matches, which could make sense due to his age and the risks he could face when taking bumps in the ring.