5 Best Moments Of Sting’s AEW Career (& 5 Worst)

When Sting debuted in AEW back in 2020, it was unclear how he would go forwards, but fans were certainly surprised when his in-ring career kick-started once again, especially after such a devastating injury back in 2015.

His run in AEW has been better than many will have expected, although it hasn’t been completely perfect. It must be said that there is a lot more good than there is bad when it comes to his time, so picking out the worst moments is a hard task to do. Sting has been treated like a legend in AEW, and it is hard to pick out occasions where his presentation has been lacking.

10 Best: Cinematic Showcase With Darby Allin

Sting’s first “match” in AEW came during the pandemic in a cinematic Street Fight, teaming with Darby Allin and taking on Team Taz at the Revolution 2021 PPV.

This was a lot of fun, and it felt different from many other cinematic matches over this bizarre era of professional wrestling. Sting’s presentation was handled well, and it showed that he still had something to offer inside the ring.

9 Worst: Scorpion Death Drop Botch

For the most part, Sting has defied his growing age, as he is still astonishingly doing a great job in his 60s. At times though, his depleted ability has been on show, and it has left matches feeling a little uncomfortable.

On an episode of Dynamite in an eight-man tag team match, Sting botched the ending of the encounter by being unable to properly hit a Scorpion Death Drop. He did, for the first time, look like an old man who was struggling to wrestle. Of course, this has been very much a rarity for Sting, but it could be a sign of things to come if he does wrestle for too long.

8 Best: Dive From Crowd At Revolution

Sting has taken inspiration from his fearless ally Darby Allin in taking death-defying bumps and jumping from high points. Perhaps the most notable of which came at the Revolution 2022 PPV, when he pulled off an insanely huge dive from the crowd.

This trios brawl was a lot of fun, but Sting’s dive was certainly the highlight. There are quite a few moments to pick from when it comes to Sting’s high spots, but this was one of the best.

7 Worst: Old Timer Face Offs

Due to Sting’s older age and his having competed throughout several different eras of professional wrestling, it has led AEW to book quite a few face-offs between Sting and other older wrestlers. Now and again this is fine, but it is hard to ignore the feeling of 2010 TNA that crops up when this happens.

Sting has had face-offs with the likes of Billy Gunn, Jeff Jarrett, and Arn Anderson during his time in AEW, among others, and every time it just feels a bit forced.

6 Best: Return To The Ring At Double Or Nothing

Sting Dives Onto Men Of The Year AEW Double Or Nothing

After an impressive performance at the Revolution PPV, Sting made his return to a proper ring in front of a live crowd at Double or Nothing 2021.

He took big bumps, did a huge dive, wrestled in a singlet, and completed a match that was perfectly produced. The crowd responded in kind to his performance, giving him a major ovation. Sting looked like an absolute icon here, and seeing him able to perform in front of an audience again was special.

5 Worst: Ending Colten Gunn’s Undefeated Streak

This moment was very much a lesser-noticed one in AEW, but it was still frustrating. Undefeated streaks can be quite hard to come by, but Colten Gunn had managed to accumulate a 35-0 winning streak in AEW, but it was something that AEW didn’t acknowledge enough.

His winning run came to an end on a random episode of Dynamite to Sting & Darby Allin, and it felt like a waste of all those months of victories. AEW could have created some sort of storyline with his undefeated run, but it came to a pointless end here, especially since Austin Gunn could have teamed up with Billy Gunn instead of Colten.

4 Best: Teaming With CM Punk

Sting was involved in one of the most fun Dynamite main events of all time when he teamed up with CM Punk and Darby Allin to take on MJF & FTR in an all-star clash.

The babyfaces sported face paint that paid tribute to one another, which was a great sight to see. This was certainly a high point of both Sting’s and CM Punk’s respective AEW careers.

3 Worst: Poor Feud With House Of Black

The feud between Sting, Darby Allin, & Miro, and The House of Black was a poor one. Sure, everyone involved is insanely talented, but the story leading into this was quite underwhelming.

The feud consisted of long monologues from the House of Black, several brawls, and at times weeks and weeks of absolutely nothing happening at all. The match at the All Out 2022 PPV was fine, but nothing special, and this remains one of Sting’s worst feuds in AEW.

2 Best: Shocking Debut

At the Winter Is Coming episode of Dynamite in 2020, Sting made his shocking debut in AEW, coming to the aid of several babyfaces. This was a huge surprise and shock, as there had been little hint of his arrival beforehand.

His return saw him go face to face with Darby Allin, which would be the genesis of their partnership together. This was a wonderful moment that could have only been better if it hadn’t taken place in front of a reduced crowd.

1 Worst: Team Taz Running Scared

Sting’s first rivalry in AEW came against Team Taz, and whilst the blow-off match was fun, much of the feud leading up to it was frustrating.

For instance, for what felt like months, Sting would make his entrance and Team Taz would run away. It happened again and again with little variation, and it threatened to ruin Sting’s time in AEW. Thankfully, he managed to recover, but the whole thing felt silly when it was happening.