View source for Sting (wrestler)

{{short description|American professional wrestler (born 1959)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name=Sting
|image= 20230122sting1 (cropped).jpg
|caption=Sting in 2023
|birthname=Steve Borden<ref name="SLAM"/>
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1959|3|20}}<ref name="StingWCWbio"/><ref name="StingTimeline"/>
|birth_place=[[Omaha, Nebraska]], U.S.<ref name="wd">{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=26|title=Sting: General Information|access-date=April 13, 2020|publisher=Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database}}</ref><ref name="cage">{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net//?id=2&nr=263&gimmick=Sting|title=Sting: Wrestlers Database|access-date=April 13, 2020|publisher=CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database}}</ref>
|height=6 ft 2 in<ref name="StingWWEbio"/>
|weight=250 lb<ref name="StingWWEbio"/>
|spouse={{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Sue Borden|1986|2010|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Sabine Glenn|2015}}}}
|children=3
|names=Blade Runner Flash<ref name="StingWCWbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.wcw.com/2000/superstars/sting/|title=Sting|publisher=[[World Championship Wrestling]]|work=[[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]].com (via [[Wayback Machine]])|date=2000|access-date=December 30, 2014|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001110051900/http://www.wcw.com/2000/superstars/sting/|archive-date=November 10, 2000}}</ref><br />Blade Runner Sting<ref name="SLAM"/><ref name="StingWCWbio"/><br />Steve Borden<ref name="StingWCWbio"/><br />Sting<ref name="StingWWEbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/sting/|title=Sting|publisher=[[WWE]]|work=[[WWE]].com|date=2014|access-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref>
|billed=[[Charlotte, North Carolina]]<br/>"[[Parts Unknown (wrestling)|Every Man's Nightmare]]"<br/>[[Venice Beach, California]]<ref name="StingWWEbio"/>
|trainer=[[Red Bastien]]<ref name="SLAM"/><br />[[Rick Bassman]]
|debut=November 25, 1985<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=263&page=20 |title=Sting
|website=cagematch.net |access-date=21 July 2022}}</ref>
|retired=[[Revolution (2024)|March 3, 2024]]
}}
{{Professional wrestling sidebar}}
'''Steve Borden''' (born March 20, 1959), better known by the [[ring name]] '''Sting''', is an American retired [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]]. He is signed to [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW), where he continues to make sporadic appearances since his retirement. Borden is best known for his time spent in two major American [[professional wrestling promotion]]s: [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW) from 1988 to 2001 and [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] (TNA) from 2003 to 2014, as well as his retirement run in AEW from 2020 to 2024. Although the [[World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF; renamed WWE in 2002) purchased WCW in 2001, Borden did not sign with them at the time; he would later sign with WWE from 2014 to 2020. Prior to WCW, he wrestled for the [[National Wrestling Alliance]]'s (NWA) [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] (JCP)—which became WCW in 1988—the [[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (UWF), and the [[Continental Wrestling Association]] (CWA). Borden wore [[Body painting|face-paint]] throughout his career, and in 1996, changed from the multi-colored paint of his "Surfer" persona to the monochromatic paint of the "[[Crow (comics)|Crow]]" gimmick.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Chin |first1=Mike |title=Looking Back At Scott Hall's Role In Developing The Crow Version Of Sting |url=https://www.sescoops.com/features/scott-halls-role-in-developing-crow-sting |website=SE Scoops |date=February 13, 2023 |access-date=20 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

Borden started his career in 1985 as '''Flash''' in the [[Independent circuit|independent promotion]] All-California Championship Wrestling, where he was in a tag team with [[The Ultimate Warrior|Jim "Justice" Hellwig]] (who would later be known as The Ultimate Warrior) as members of the Power Team USA [[Professional wrestling stable|stable]], before he and Hellwig joined the CWA as the Freedom Fighters. In 1986, they joined the UWF as the [[Blade Runners]], where Borden changed his ring name to Sting. His association with JCP and its successor WCW began in 1987, which saw him win the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] for the [[List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions|first time]] in 1990. He rose to main event status and has been described by IGN as WCW's [[Hulk Hogan]].<ref name="ign" /> Dubbed "The Franchise of WCW",<ref name="StingWWEbio"/> he held 15 [[Professional wrestling championship|championships]] in the promotion, including [[List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions|six reigns]] with the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and two reigns with the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]], and made more [[pay-per-view]] (PPV) appearances than any other.<ref name="surprising">{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/inside/sting-6-surprising-facts-wwe-wcw|title=6 surprising facts about Sting|last=Artus|first=Matthew|date=September 13, 2015|publisher=WWE|access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> Against Hogan, Borden headlined WCW's highest-grossing [[List of WCW pay-per-view events|PPV event]], [[Starrcade (1997)|Starrcade]], in December 1997.<ref name="hoops"/> Upon the WWF's acquisition of WCW in March 2001,<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-03-23/entertainment/0103210911_1_wcw-nitro-vince-mcmahon-wcw-performer|title=Wrestling's Death Match Is Over — WWF The Champ|last=Marvez|first=Alex|date=March 23, 2001|website=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927123344/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-03-23/entertainment/0103210911_1_wcw-nitro-vince-mcmahon-wcw-performer|url-status=dead}}</ref> Borden and rival [[Ric Flair]] were chosen to main event the [[WCW Monday Nitro#The Night of Champions – Final broadcast|final episode]] of ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]''.<ref name="StingWWEbio"/> Borden would later face Hogan and Flair in their last televised matches, which occurred in TNA, defeating both,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=504&page=4|title=Matches: Hulk Hogan|website=CageMatch.net|access-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=1091&page=4|title=Matches: Ric Flair|website=CageMatch.net|access-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref> although Flair would later have [[Ric Flair's Last Match|one final match]] in 2022.

Following the expiration of his contract with WCW's parent company [[Time Warner|AOL Time Warner]] in March 2002, Borden held talks with the WWF, but did not join the promotion<ref name="Peltz">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_2583.shtml|title=Radio Review: Sting says he'd love to wrestle Triple H, Austin, Taker|author=Peltz, Jamie|work=[[Wade Keller|PWTorch.com]]|publisher=[[Wade Keller|Pro Wrestling Torch]]|date=February 11, 2003|access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> and instead toured with [[World Wrestling All-Stars]] (WWA),<ref name="Schramm">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/01/11/pf-1389593.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150103042652/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/01/11/pf-1389593.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 3, 2015|title=Sting ready for one more run|author=Schramm, Chris|work=[[Canoe.ca]]|publisher=[[Quebecor Media]]|date=January 12, 2006|access-date=January 2, 2015|quote=After his WCW/Time Warner/AOL contract expired in March 2002, Sting was not completely away from pro wrestling. He was a major part of the World Wrestling All-Stars tour in Europe in 2002-03.}}</ref> winning the [[WWA World Heavyweight Championship]], before joining then-upstart TNA in 2003.<ref name="SLAM">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/sting.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717103952/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/sting.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 17, 2012|title=Sting|work=[[Canoe.ca]]|publisher=[[Quebecor Media]]|access-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> Over the following 11 years, he won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on one further occasion and the [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]] [[List of TNA World Heavyweight Champions|four times]]. As a result, he became the only wrestler to have won the NWA, WCW, and TNA world titles.<ref name="TNAbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/roster/Wrestler-Roster/item/1561-sting|title=Sting official TNA profile|access-date=March 10, 2011|work=[[Impact Wrestling|Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519202234/http://www.tnawrestling.com/roster/Wrestler-Roster/item/1561-sting|archive-date=May 19, 2011}}</ref> He was also the inaugural inductee into the [[TNA Hall of Fame]] in 2012 before leaving the company in early 2014. Previously described by WWE as the greatest wrestler never to have performed for that promotion,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-greatest-never-in-wwe/page-11|title=10 greatest wrestlers to never wrestle in WWE: #1 Sting|publisher=[[WWE]]|work=[[WWE]].com|date=June 5, 2013|author=Linder, Zach and [[Howard Finkel|Finkel, Howard]]|access-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> Borden finally joined the company in late 2014, making his first appearance at [[Survivor Series (2014)|Survivor Series]] and having his debut match at [[WrestleMania 31]] the following year. His last match in WWE came at [[Night of Champions (2015)|Night of Champions]] in September 2015, which also marked his sole WWE [[List of WWE pay-per-view events|pay-per-view]] main event for the [[WWE Championship|WWE World Heavyweight Championship]] in a losing effort.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dilbert|first=Ryan|title=WWE Night of Champions 2015 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2569434-wwe-night-of-champions-2015-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights|access-date=May 21, 2021|website=Bleacher Report|language=en}}</ref> Borden headlined the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] [[WWE Hall of Fame (2016)|Class of 2016]] on April 2, where he announced his first retirement;<ref name="retirement">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com/wwe/story/sting-announces-his-retirement-during-wwe-hall-of-fame-induction-040316|title=Sting announces his retirement during WWE Hall of Fame induction|last=Martin|first=Damon|date=April 3, 2016|work=[[Fox Sports]]|access-date=April 3, 2016}}</ref> he remained with the company under a legends contract until early 2020.

In late 2020, Borden signed with AEW, making his first appearance at [[Winter Is Coming (2020)|''Dynamite'': Winter Is Coming]], subsequently coming out of retirement where he had his first match in over five years at the promotion's [[List of All Elite Wrestling pay-per-view events|pay-per-view]], [[Revolution (2021)|Revolution]], on March 7, 2021, a tag team victory with partner [[Darby Allin]]. Borden and Allin would continue to work as a team, going undefeated and winning the [[AEW World Tag Team Championship]] in February 2024. Sting then had his official [[retirement match]] at [[Revolution (2024)|Revolution]] on March 3, 2024, retiring both as an undefeated tag team with Allin and as champion.

Borden held 26 total championships throughout his career, including 22 between WCW, TNA, and AEW. Readers of ''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'' named him "[[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Most Popular Wrestler of the Year|Most Popular Wrestler of the Year]]" on four occasions, a record he shares with [[John Cena]]. In 2016, Borden was inducted into the [[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]]. ''[[Canoe.com|Slam! Sports]]'' wrote that he holds "a lofty level of prestige that few will ever touch".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2013/05/30/pf-20861546.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528184730/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2013/05/30/pf-20861546.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 28, 2015|title=Bully Ray focused and ready for Sting at Slammiversary|last=Howell|first=Nolan|date=May 31, 2013|publisher=[[Canoe.ca|Slam! Sports]]|access-date=May 22, 2015}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Borden was born in [[Omaha, Nebraska]],<ref name="SLAM"/> and raised in [[Southern California]].<ref name=sportsvibe>[http://sportsvibe.co.uk/news/other/wrestling-legend-sting-on-how-it-all-began-and-turning-down-the-wwe/ Wrestling Legend Sting on How it all Began and Turning Down the WWE] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219112834/http://sportsvibe.co.uk/news/other/wrestling-legend-sting-on-how-it-all-began-and-turning-down-the-wwe/ |date=December 19, 2014 }} Sportsvibe.co.uk. April 21, 2011; retrieved December 19, 2014.</ref> He played football and basketball in high school and later embarked on a career in [[bodybuilding]], once co-owning a [[Gold's Gym]] health club.<ref name=SLAM/> Borden had no interest in professional wrestling and no television access to it within his home community, but decided to pursue a career in the industry after being taken to an "incredible" [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF) event in [[Los Angeles]] where he saw [[Hulk Hogan]], [[The Iron Sheik]], [[The British Bulldogs]], [[André the Giant]] and others perform.<ref name=sportsvibe/>

== Professional wrestling career ==
=== Continental Wrestling Association (1985–1986) ===
{{see also|Power Team USA|Freedom Fighters (professional wrestling)|l2=Freedom Fighters}}

Borden, originally wrestling under the ring name Flash, [[Tag team|teamed]] with [[The Ultimate Warrior|Jim "Justice" Hellwig]] (who would later gain fame as The Ultimate Warrior in the WWF) as two members of Power Team USA in independent All-California Championship Wrestling. Power Team USA was a four-man unit also featuring Garland "Glory" Donahoe and Mark "Commando" Miller, plus manager Rick Bassman.<ref>PWI Centrefold: Sting, [[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]] May 1988</ref> Hellwig and Borden later moved to the [[Continental Wrestling Association]] (CWA), a wrestling company based in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], and became known as the Freedom Fighters.<ref name=PWIWarrior>PWI Centrefold: The Ultimate Warrior, [[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]] October 1988</ref> Fans were slow to respond to the lumbering hulks, so the team [[List of professional wrestling terms#T|turned]] [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]]<ref name="StingTimeline">{{cite news|title=Wrestling Timeline: Sting|work=The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling|publisher=Kappa Publications|id=Volume 15, 2007|pages=66–71|date=June 2007}}</ref><ref name="Molinaro">Molinaro, page 196.</ref> under "coach" Buddy Wayne<ref name=buddywayne>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/memphis/memphis-cwa13-2.htm|title=Memphis/CWA|website=kayfabememories.com}}</ref> and soon afterwards manager [[Dutch Mantel]].<ref name=dutchmantel>{{Cite web|url=https://prowrestlingstories.com/forgotten/the-forgotten-powerteam-usa-justice-and-flash/|title=The Forgotten POWERTEAM USA: Justice and Flash!|first=Pro Wrestling|last=Stories|date=June 5, 2015}}</ref> The Freedom Fighters left the CWA after an uneventful run, the highlight of which was an angle in which they broke the leg of veteran wrestler [[Phil Hickerson]].<ref name=PWIWarrior />

=== Universal Wrestling Federation (1986–1987) ===
[[Image:The Blade Runners tag team.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Blade Runners (wrestling)|The Blade Runners]] in 1987]]
{{see also|Blade Runners (wrestling)|l1=Blade Runners}}

The duo surfaced in the [[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (UWF), an organization run by [[Bill Watts]] and based in [[Alexandria, Louisiana]], where they were known as the [[Blade Runners]]. Borden changed his ring name from Flash to Sting, while Hellwig became known as Rock.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> They soon joined Hotstuff & Hyatt International, a heel stable headed by [[Eddie Gilbert (wrestler)|"Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert]] and [[Missy Hyatt]]. Together with "Russian" wrestler Kortsia Korchenko, the Blade Runners became henchmen in Gilbert's on-screen feud with Watts. Hellwig left the promotion in mid-1986, leaving Sting without a partner. Sting won the [[UWF World Tag Team Championship]] twice with Gilbert in 1986 and a third time with [[Rick Steiner]] in 1987.

Sting and Steiner lost their tag titles to the [[Lightning Express (professional wrestling)|Lightning Express]] after Gilbert accidentally hit Sting with his boot during a title defence, leading to a falling out between the two (with Steiner siding with Gilbert).<ref>Close Up & Centrefold, Sting, ''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'' May 1988</ref> Shortly afterwards, following a match against [[Terry Taylor]] in mid-1987, Gilbert interfered on Taylor's behalf, costing Sting the match. Taylor and Gilbert then ganged up on Sting until Taylor's former tag partner [[Chris Adams (wrestler)|Gentleman Chris Adams]] came to Sting's aid. Adams cleared the ring and then asked Sting if he was with him or against him in his feud with Taylor and Gilbert. Sting turned [[Face (professional wrestling)|face]] by declaring his allegiance to Adams.

Behind the scenes, Gilbert endorsed Borden by telling a [[dirt sheet]] that Sting would be a megastar in the future. Later that year, Sting was tabbed to win the [[UWF Television Championship]], then held by Gilbert, until [[Jim Crockett]] of the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] (NWA) bought the company from Watts. Crockett's booker, [[Dusty Rhodes]], decided to put the Television title on Taylor to set up a feud between Taylor and [[WCW World Television Championship|NWA Television Champion]] [[Nikita Koloff]] to [[Championship unification|unify]] the two titles. Rhodes used then-unknown [[Shane Douglas]] as the [[List of professional wrestling terms#T|transitional champion]] from Gilbert to Taylor because Rhodes did not want to diminish Sting's growing stardom with a brief title run.

=== Jim Crockett Promotions / World Championship Wrestling (1987–2001)===
==== Rise to stardom (1987–1989) ====
{{see also|Sting and Lex Luger|the Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|l2=the Four Horsemen}}
[[File:Sting 1988, red facepaint.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Sting in 1988]]
[[File:Sting puts Flair in the Scorpion Deathlock, circa 1988.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Sting applies the Scorpion Deathlock to Flair in 1988]]
Sometime after Sting's arrival to the NWA in July 1987, Dusty Rhodes used the opening bout of Crockett's first foray into [[pay-per-view]], [[Starrcade (1987)|Starrcade '87]], to showcase the young superstar. Sting partnered with [[Michael Hayes (wrestler)|Michael P.S. Hayes]] and [[Jimmy Garvin]] in a six-man tag team match against Gilbert, Steiner, and [[Larry Zbyszko]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=1094&page=2|title=NWA Starrcade 1987 - "Chi-Town Heat" « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|last=Kreikenbohm|first=Philip|website=cagematch.net|access-date=June 1, 2018}}</ref> that ended in a 15-minute time-limit draw.

Having established himself as a rising star, Sting was one of the few UWF alumni to be [[List of professional wrestling terms#P|pushed]] in the NWA. At ''[[Clash of the Champions I]]'' in March 1988, Sting challenged [[Ric Flair]] for the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]]. The match ended in a draw after the 45-minute time limit expired and the ringside judges could not declare a winner.<ref name="StingTimeline"/><ref>Molinaro, page 197.</ref> Sting lost to Flair in several non-televised rematches following the Clash and, later that year, battled other members of Flair's stable, the [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. Sting teamed with Koloff at [[The Great American Bash (1988)|The Great American Bash]] in July 1988 to challenge Horsemen [[Tully Blanchard]] and [[Arn Anderson]] for the [[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]; Blanchard and Anderson retained the titles when the match ended in a 20-minute time-limit draw.

Rhodes continued to [[List of professional wrestling terms#B|book]] Sting in title matches throughout the year against both [[WWE United States Championship|NWA United States Champion]] [[Barry Windham]] and NWA Television Champion [[Mike Rotunda]]. In the fall of 1988, Sting was attacked by [[Road Warrior Hawk|Hawk]] and [[Road Warrior Animal|Animal]] of [[The Road Warriors]] after a televised match. Rhodes, as booker, identified Sting as the face who was most [[List of professional wrestling terms#O|over]] with the fans, despite knowing that turning the Road Warriors heel would be no easy task. Rhodes himself teamed with Sting to challenge the Road Warriors for the tag team championship at [[Starrcade (1988)|Starrcade '88]] that December. Rhodes and Sting got the win by disqualification, allowing the Road Warriors to retain the titles.

Sting returned to singles matches in 1989, starting the year off by wrestling Flair to a one-hour draw in Atlanta's [[Omni Coliseum|Omni]] on New Year's Day. He would also have his first experience in Japan with a brief tour in [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] (AJPW), with his most notable match in AJPW against [[Dan Spivey]] at [[Nippon Budokan]] in June 1989.<ref name="AJPW Super Power Series 1989 - Day 18">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=41208|title=AJPW Super Power Series 1989 - Tag 18 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|website=www.cagematch.net}}</ref> After a long push, Sting won his first title in the NWA when he defeated Rotundo for the NWA Television Championship at a live event in March.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> In mid-1989, [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] challenged Sting at [[The Great American Bash (1989)|The Great American Bash]]. The match was booked with a classic, controversial [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Dusty finish|Dusty finish]] even though Rhodes (the namesake of the technique) had been fired months earlier. Sting got the [[List of professional wrestling terms#T|three-count]] and was announced as the winner, but a replay showed Muta's shoulder was up at the count of two. The NWA decided to declare the title vacant.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> Sting and Muta battled in many rematches for the vacant Television title, but they always ended in a disqualification, giving neither man the championship. Eventually, Muta won a [[No Disqualification match]] against Sting at a live event in September by using a [[Blackjack (weapon)|blackjack]] to get the win and the title.

In the main event of that year's Great American Bash, Flair defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against [[Terry Funk]], who was a member of [[Gary Hart (wrestler)|Gary Hart]]'s [[J-Tex Corporation]]. After Flair got the victory, he was attacked by Funk's stablemate, Muta. Sting came to the aid of his old rival Flair, and the two feuded with Muta and Funk for the rest of the summer and fall, culminating in a [[Domo de la Muerte|Thunderdome Cage match]] between the two teams, which Flair and Sting won, at [[Halloween Havoc 1989|Halloween Havoc '89]]. The alliance with Flair resulted in Sting joining the newly reformed and now-face Four Horsemen along with the Andersons, [[Arn Anderson|Arn]] and [[Ole Anderson|Ole]] (kayfabe cousins). Sting finished out the year by winning a four-man round-robin Iron Man tournament at [[Starrcade (1989)|Starrcade '89]]. In the final match of the night, Sting defeated Flair to accumulate the necessary points to win the tournament. The victory made Sting the number one contender for Flair's NWA World title, leading to tension within the Four Horsemen.

==== Feud with The Four Horsemen (1990–1991) ====
Sting was summarily dismissed from The Four Horsemen on February 6, 1990, at [[Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout]] after refusing to relinquish his title shot against Flair, thus restarting their rivalry. Later that evening, Borden experienced a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Legit|legitimate]] knee injury while interfering in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Steel cages|steel cage match]] featuring the Horsemen.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> Borden's injury forced the bookers of [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW), the dominant promotion in the NWA, to find a new opponent for Flair for the forthcoming [[Wrestlewar 1990|WrestleWar]] pay-per-view event.

[[Lex Luger]] was chosen to challenge Flair at WrestleWar. During the match between Flair and Luger, Sting came down to motivate Luger to come back and beat Flair. Before this, Sting and Luger had been at odds. When Luger was close to winning, Sting was attacked by Ole Anderson. Luger opted to save the already injured Sting and ended up losing the match by count-out while assisting his friend. Behind the scenes, WCW officials had wanted Flair to drop the title to Luger at WrestleWar, but Flair refused, saying he had promised Borden he would hold the title until Borden could return to the ring. Despite the injury, Sting was still utilized on television and pay-per-views when necessary.

At the [[Capital Combat]] event in May, Sting was accosted by the Four Horsemen and thrown into a metal cage at ringside. In a promotional crossover, Sting was rescued by his buddy [[RoboCop (character)|RoboCop]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://robocoparchive.com/info/cameo/wrestle.htm|title=Robocop – Or Should that be RoboCrap?|publisher=Robocoparchive.com|access-date=December 10, 2012}}</ref> After Borden's recovery, Sting finally defeated Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on July 7, 1990, at [[The Great American Bash (1990)|The Great American Bash]].<ref name="StingTimeline"/> Sting went on to feud with title contenders Flair and [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]]. Vicious appeared to defeat Sting in a title match at the 1990 [[Halloween Havoc 1990|Halloween Havoc]], but the "Sting" that Vicious pinned was revealed to be an impostor played by Horseman [[Barry Windham]]. The real Sting appeared soon after and pinned Vicious to retain his title after the match was restarted.

During Sting's title run, a masked man known as [[The Black Scorpion (professional wrestling)|The Black Scorpion]] would taunt and attack Sting on many occasions. This feud culminated in a final showdown between Sting and The Black Scorpion at [[Starrcade (1990)|Starrcade: Collision Course]] in December. The cage match ended with Sting pinning and unmasking the Scorpion, who turned out to be Flair in disguise.

==== WCW World Heavyweight Champion (1991–1993) ====
[[Image:Sting.JPG|thumb|upright=1|Sting in early 1990s]]
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2025}}
Sting's first world championship reign ended January 11, 1991, when Flair defeated him in a rematch from Starrcade. In the same month, WCW seceded from the National Wrestling Alliance, in the process of recognizing a [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]. Sting then took part in what many consider to be the best match of 1991, teaming with Luger to face [[The Steiner Brothers]] at the [[SuperBrawl I]] pay-per-view for the world tag-team titles. The Steiners won by pinfall after Koloff, who had been feuding with Luger, interfered in the match by swinging a chain at Luger, but hitting Sting instead. Consequently, Sting feuded with Koloff throughout the summer of 1991.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> In August 1991, Sting defeated [[Stone Cold Steve Austin|Steve Austin]] to win a tournament for the vacated [[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]].<ref name="StingTimeline"/> Sting held the title for 86 days before losing it to [[Rick Rude]] at [[Clash of the Champions XVII]].

At [[Starrcade (1991)|Starrcade '91]], Sting won the first-ever [[Battle royal (professional wrestling)#Battlebowl|Battlebowl]] battle royal, for which he received a Battlebowl championship ring. Sting then became embroiled in a feud with the [[Dangerous Alliance]], headed by manager [[Paul Heyman|Paul E. Dangerously]]. The stable targeted Sting because he was the so-called "franchise" of WCW, and the Alliance vowed to destroy both Sting and the promotion he was the face of. At the same time, Sting was being targeted by Luger, who had once again turned heel and, as WCW Champion, viewed Sting as a threat. Sting engaged in many matches with Dangerous Alliance members, especially Rude, who was the group's biggest star. It was during this feud that Sting won the first of his six WCW World Heavyweight Championships, defeating Luger on February 29, 1992, at [[SuperBrawl II]].<ref name="StingTimeline"/> The feud ended when Sting formed Sting's Squadron, consisting of allies [[Ricky Steamboat]], [[Dustin Rhodes]], Windham, and Koloff, and defeated the Alliance (Rude, Austin, Arn Anderson, Zbyszko, and [[Bobby Eaton]]) in a [[WarGames match]] at [[Wrestlewar 1992|WrestleWar]] in May 1992. [[Dave Meltzer]] awarded the match his highest rating of five stars.

Near the end of Sting's battles with the Dangerous Alliance, the seeds were sown for what became arguably one of the most famous feuds of Sting's career. Sting defended his WCW World title on April 12, 1992, at [[Omni Coliseum|The Omni]] in [[Atlanta]] against the 450-pound [[Big Van Vader]]. During the match, Vader [[Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Corner slingshot splash|splashed]] Sting, cracking three of Sting's ribs and rupturing his spleen. Sting recovered and defended his title on July 12 against Vader at [[The Great American Bash (1992)|The Great American Bash]], dropping the belt to Big Van Vader after missing a Stinger Splash, hitting his head on the ring post, and receiving a [[powerbomb]]. After beating [[Mick Foley|Cactus Jack]] in a [[Falls Count Anywhere Match]] at [[Beach Blast 1992|Beach Blast]]<ref>Foley, Mick. [[Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks]] (p.223)</ref> and WCW newcomer [[Jake Roberts]] in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Object on a Pole match|Coal Miner's Glove match]] at [[Halloween Havoc 1992|Halloween Havoc]], Sting defeated Vader, who had lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in August, in the "King of Cable" tournament final at [[Starrcade 1992|Starrcade]].

The Sting-Vader feud continued into 1993, with Vader, who was again WCW World Heavyweight Champion, defeating Sting in a bloody [[Strap match]] at [[SuperBrawl III]]. Sting exacted revenge by beating Vader for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on March 11 in [[London]], England, but lost it back to Vader six days later in [[Dublin]], Ireland. Sting then teamed with WCW newcomer [[Davey Boy Smith]] to beat the team of Vader and Vicious at [[Beach Blast 1993|Beach Blast]] in a match that was set up by a mini-movie in which an evil midget blew up Sting's boat. At the end of 1993, Sting was one of the first people to congratulate Flair, who had just returned from the World Wrestling Federation, after his WCW World Heavyweight Title victory over Vader at [[Starrcade (1993)|Starrcade]].

==== WCW International World Heavyweight Champion (1994–1995) ====
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2025}}
Sting feuded with Vader and Rude through the first half of 1994. Sting won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]] from Rude in April. Rude recaptured the title on May 1 at [[Wrestling Dontaku#1994|Wrestling Dontaku 1994]] in [[Japan]], but the decision was reversed because Rude had allegedly hit Sting with the title belt during the match; this was to cover for a real-life back injury Rude sustained in the match that forced Rude into retirement. Sting refused to have the title handed to him, and instead defeated Vader for the vacant WCW International World Heavyweight Championship at [[Slamboree 1994|Slamboree]]. Soon afterward, Flair defeated Sting in a title unification match at ''[[Clash of the Champions XXVII]]'', turning heel in the final moments of the match when [[Sherri Martel|Sensuous Sherri]] turned on Sting and took Flair's side. Sting spent the second half of 1994 and most of 1995 teaming with WCW's newest signee, [[Hulk Hogan]] in his battles against [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]]'s [[The Three Faces of Fear|Three Faces of Fear]] and its successor stable, [[The Dungeon of Doom]].

At [[The Great American Bash (1995)|The Great American Bash 1995]], Sting defeated [[Tonga Fifita|Meng]] to win another tournament for the WCW United States Championship. Sting defeated Meng in a rematch for the title at [[Bash at the Beach 1995]]. Sting competed on the first-ever ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in a match where Flair defeated Sting by disqualification as a result of a [[Rub (professional wrestling)|run-in]] by Arn Anderson, who attacked Flair. At [[Fall Brawl 1995|Fall Brawl]], Sting teamed with Hogan, Luger, and [[Randy Savage]] to defeat the Dungeon of Doom, consisting of [[Kamala (wrestler)|Kamala]], [[Brutus Beefcake|Zodiac]], [[John Tenta|Shark]] and Meng, in the event's [[WarGames match]]. In October 1995, Flair convinced Sting to team with him in a match against Anderson and [[Brian Pillman]] at [[Halloween Havoc 1995|Halloween Havoc]]. Anderson and Pillman had attacked Flair earlier in the night, rendering Flair unable to come out for the first part of the match. Sting fended off his opponents until Flair emerged. Later in the match, Flair turned on Sting and reformed the Four Horsemen with Anderson and Pillman, later adding [[Chris Benoit]] to fill out the group.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

Sting defeated Flair on a subsequent ''Nitro'' with the [[Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)|Scorpion Deathlock]], refusing to let go until Luger persuaded him to do so. Sting defeated Flair again at the [[World War 3 1995|World War 3]] pay-per-view. Later in the night, Sting competed in the [[Battle royal (professional wrestling)#World War 3|World War 3 battle royal]] for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Randy Savage. Sting's alliances with Hogan and Savage led the Horsemen to attack them as well. Sting's second U.S. title reign lasted until November 13, when he was defeated by [[Kensuke Sasaki]] in Japan. At [[Starrcade 1995|Starrcade]], Sting defeated Sasaki, representing [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]], in a non-title match to win the "World Cup of Wrestling" for WCW. In the next match that night, Sting lost a [[Triple Threat match|Triangle match]] involving Flair and Luger; Flair won by count-out to become number one contender for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, which Flair won from Savage in the next match.

==== Feud with the New World Order (1996–1998) ====
{{see also|Sting and Lex Luger}}
[[File:Nash and Sting at Nitro 1998.jpg|thumb|Sting (right) drastically changed his appearance in 1996 after the formation of the [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|New World Order]] which included [[Kevin Nash]] (left).]]

Early in 1996, Sting's appearance started to change: he grew longer, darker hair, replacing his blond [[flattop]] haircut, and he often wore black tights with a multi-colored [[scorpion]], although he occasionally wore his colorful ones and maintained his colorful [[Body painting|face paint]]. Sting [[Sting and Lex Luger|teamed with his old friend Luger]], who had returned to WCW from WWF in September 1995, despite Luger's standing as a heel. The duo beat [[Harlem Heat]] for the [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]] on the January 22 episode of ''Nitro''. The team often retained the championship as a result of Luger's cheating tactics, to which Sting remained oblivious. When Luger was temporarily unavailable for [[Uncensored 1996|WCW Uncensored]] in March, Harlem Heat member [[Booker T (wrestler)|Booker T]] teamed up with Sting to successfully prevent the titles from changing hands. Sting and Booker T developed a mutual respect that showed itself when Sting and Luger granted Harlem Heat a rematch. During the tag title run, Sting received a world title shot against [[Big Show|The Giant]] at [[Slamboree 1996|Slamboree]] in May, but lost after accidental interference from Luger. Harlem Heat eventually won the titles back on the June 24 episode of ''Nitro''.

In the summer of 1996, Sting was the first WCW competitor to stand up to [[The Outsiders (professional wrestling)|The Outsiders]]: [[Kevin Nash]] and [[Scott Hall]], who had recently competed in the WWF, whose alliances and agenda were unclear, and who had been infiltrating and causing chaos at various WCW events. Sting teamed with Luger and Savage to defend WCW against Hall, Nash, and a mysterious third Outsider to be revealed at the [[Bash at the Beach (1996)|Bash at the Beach]]. Hall and Nash started the bout without their third partner, but the WCW's temporary three-on-two advantage was short-lived: Luger left the match after he was accidentally injured by a mistimed Stinger Splash. The two-on-two match continued until Hulk Hogan, who had been a face character for nearly fifteen years, emerged at ringside. Hogan appeared ready to back up the WCW wrestlers, until he attacked Savage with his [[leg drop]] finisher in one of wrestling's most famous [[List of professional wrestling terms#S|swerves]]. The match was ruled a no-contest, and Hall, Nash, and Hogan declared a [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|new world order]] in professional wrestling. The name stuck, and Sting became one of WCW's stalwarts against the New World Order, or nWo for short.

As part of this, Sting and Luger went up to rivals and [[The Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]] members [[Ric Flair]] and [[Arn Anderson]] some time after Bash at the Beach and asked them to team with him, saying that they needed to put aside their personal differences for the greater good of WCW. Flair and Anderson agreed and the four wrestlers composed Team WCW for the annual WarGames match at [[Fall Brawl 1996|Fall Brawl]] in September 1996. They would be facing the nWo's team of Hall, Nash, Hogan, and a fourth member yet to be determined. On the final ''Nitro'' prior to the event, however, the nWo played a trick on WCW claiming that Sting was joining their side. A vignette was shown where the nWo had a recording of Sting's voice playing in its limousine as Luger was being lured into the parking lot. Once he was there a man dressed as Sting, played by [[Jeff Farmer (wrestler)|Jeff Farmer]], attacked him and the crowd at home, as well as the live audience and commentators, were led to believe that Sting had joined up with the nWo and would be their fourth man against what was now a three-man WCW team. Sting, however, was not at that episode of ''Nitro,'' and showed up at Fall Brawl just as his teammates declared that they would face the nWo by themselves. Sting told Luger that he did not attack him, but Luger refused to believe him. Later, during the match, Sting entered as the fourth and final man for Team WCW, after the impostor Sting had entered for the nWo. Once in the ring, Sting immediately took out all four members of the nWo. He then stopped, turned to Luger, and angrily said to him, "Is that good enough for you right there? Is that proof enough?!?" Sting then gave Luger an obscene gesture and walked out of the match, leaving Team WCW at a four-on-three disadvantage, which they did not overcome. The next night on ''Nitro'', Sting came out unannounced during the middle of the show with no music or entrance pyrotechnics. He entered the ring and, with his back turned to the camera side of the audience, launched into an angry tirade about what had transpired over the last week:

Declaring he would visit "from time to time",<ref name="freeagent">{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=93&nr=7|title='I'll stand by you if you stand by me!'|website=Cagematch.net|access-date=February 9, 2020}}</ref> Sting threw the microphone down and left the ring. Days after the infamous promo, he was booked for shows in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, to take part in the Japan/U.S. Superstars Tournament, where he defeated [[Masahiro Chono]] in the first round, but was eliminated in the second round by [[Shiro Koshinaka]]. His last match of 1996 took place on September 23 at the Yokohama Arena, where he and Lex Luger teamed up to defeat Arn Anderson and Steven Regal. It would end up being his last tour of Japan. On the October 21 episode of ''Nitro'', Sting returned for the first time since the night after Fall Brawl in a match where the impostor Sting was wrestling [[Jerry Lynn|Mr. JL]]. Sting emerged wearing a trench coat and white face paint with black marks around his eyes. He went in the ring and attacked nWo Sting (who was still imitating Sting's old mannerisms at this point) with his new finisher, an inverted DDT dubbed the [[DDT (professional wrestling)#Inverted DDT|Scorpion Death Drop]], two jumping elbow drops, a Stinger Splash and a Scorpion Deathlock while the rest of the nWo stood around ringside. Rather than intervene and save their stablemate, they simply stood by and watched. After Sting was done, the nWo came into the ring. [[Ted DiBiase]], Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash made Sting an offer to join the nWo and get back at WCW for betraying him. Sting, after a slight pause, first called out the nWo Sting as a "cheap imitation," before telling the nWo, "the ''real'' Sting may or may not be in your price range," and then concluded by saying "the only thing that's for sure about Sting is nothing's for sure". With that, Sting left the ring and would not speak (on the [[microphone]]) on WCW programming again for over a year. A silent, almost ghostly Sting, carrying a [[baseball bat]] as a weapon, began appearing in the rafters at WCW events and began painting his entire face with black and white [[corpse paint]]. In retaliation, nWo Sting, who was still imitating Borden, began painting his face this way as well. Sting's new [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] was directly inspired by the title character of the 1994 film ''[[The Crow (1994 film)|The Crow]]'' starring [[Brandon Lee]] portraying the film character, and Borden credits Scott Hall for suggesting the idea of the "Crow" character.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Cameron |title=Sting Rounds the Bases |url=https://www.theringer.com/2022/12/29/23529964/sting-all-elite-wrestling-journey-character-history-career-legacy |website=The Ringer |access-date=2 July 2023 |language=en |date=29 December 2022}}</ref> Sting still maintains the core aspects and aesthetic of his "Crow" persona to this day, occasionally with different designs and use of color integrated into the face paint.

In a series of unusual loyalty tests over the next months, Sting would confront a random WCW wrestler in the ring and shove the wrestler several times with his bat until the wrestler was provoked enough to advance on him. Then Sting would draw the weapon back as if he were going to assault him, causing the wrestler to stop. Sting would then hand the bat to the offended wrestler and turn his back, offering the wrestler a chance at retaliation. When the wrestler hesitated or declined, Sting would nod, retrieve the bat and leave the ring. In January 1997, a "blackballed" Randy Savage returned to WCW for the first time since [[Halloween Havoc (1996)|Halloween Havoc]] and aligned himself with Sting as a "free agent" as he refused to join the nWo although WCW Vice President [[Eric Bischoff]], also one of the leaders of the nWo, declared he would not be allowed back in WCW if he didn't. For the next few weeks, the two were seen in the rafters together and coming to the ring together. This story, however, petered out at [[SuperBrawl VII]] in February; Sting and Savage had come to the ring together to watch [[Roddy Piper]] face Hogan in a match for the WCW World Championship. As Sting left, Savage did not follow suit, instead opting to go to the ring and help Hogan win the match, thus going back on his word and joining the nWo. Over the next couple of weeks, Sting would accompany the nWo, indicating that he too had joined the group. However, at [[Uncensored (1997)|Uncensored]] in March 1997, as the nWo celebrated a victory in the main event battle royal which guaranteed them title shots whenever they desired with their newest recruit, [[Chicago Bulls]] [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] star [[Dennis Rodman]], Sting rappelled from the roof of the arena on a vertical [[zip-line]]. When Hall and Nash went to approach him, Sting attacked them as well as attacking Randy Savage when he tried to intervene, revealing his true allegiance to WCW.

In subsequent weeks, Sting frequently rappelled from the rafters or came up through the ring to attack unsuspecting nWo members, came to the aid of wrestlers who were once subjected to his loyalty test as they battled the nWo, and employed decoy "Stings" to play mind games with the nWo during the closing segments of ''Nitro''. Sting's appearances to fight the nWo at the end of almost every ''Nitro'' helped WCW keep and widen its [[Nielsen ratings|television ratings]] advantage over the WWF's ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]'' throughout the summer. In the midst of all this, on-screen [[Professional wrestling authority figures|WCW commissioner]] [[J. J. Dillon]] tried many times to get Sting to return to wrestling by making contracts to fight various nWo members. Sting, however, did not accept any of the contracts, often tearing them up in Dillon's face. Finally, during an episode of ''Nitro,'' a confused and frustrated Dillon asked Sting who he wanted to face. Sting went out to ringside, picked up a fan's sign, and pointed out one name on it: Hogan. Eventually, Sting got his wish and he and Hogan finally met in December at [[Starrcade (1997)|Starrcade]] for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The finish of the match was supposed to echo the [[Montreal Screwjob]] finish that the WWF had used to double-cross [[Bret Hart]] just one month earlier at their annual [[Survivor Series (1997)|Survivor Series]] event. [[Nick Patrick (referee)|Nick Patrick]], the referee for the contest, was supposed to execute a fast count on Sting while Hart, whose signing with WCW was the linchpin for the Montreal Screwjob, would come out to protest the decision and, since he had already served as the guest referee for the match between [[Larry Zbyszko]] and [[Eric Bischoff]] earlier that evening, order the match to be restarted and Sting would emerge victorious by forcing Hogan to submit to the Scorpion Death Lock. However, Patrick did not do his part properly and instead counted the pin at normal speed, which added an unintentional level of controversy to the finish.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

The next night on ''Nitro'', Hogan protested the decision claiming that Patrick's decision should have been considered final and a rematch was granted. The match ran over ''Nitro's'' allotted time slot and the finish was aired later in the week on the inaugural episode of ''[[WCW Thunder|Thunder]]''. Similar to the Starrcade result, two different referees declared both men as the winner. Later that night, Dillon vacated the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, forcing Sting to surrender the belt. Sting responded with his first words (on mic) since October 1996 when he told Dillon, "You've got no guts!" Sting turned to Hogan and said, "And you... You're a dead man!".

==== The Wolfpac (1998–1999) ====
{{see also|nWo Wolfpac}}
[[File:Sting without makeup 1998.jpg|thumb|upright|Borden after a taping of ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in 1998]]

As 1998 began, the nWo began to splinter. Sting recaptured the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship in February at [[SuperBrawl VIII]] with the help of Savage, who was beginning to split from the nWo. Sting went on to successfully defend the title against the likes of Hall, Nash, and [[Diamond Dallas Page]] (DDP). Like Savage, Nash began to pull away from the Hogan-dominated nWo, and Nash helped Savage beat Sting for the championship at [[Spring Stampede 1998|Spring Stampede]] in April. Nash and Savage officially split from the original nWo on May 4, forming the face group nWo Wolfpac, while Hogan's heel faction became identified as nWo Hollywood. The two nWo factions vied for Sting's allegiance, with Sting's friends [[Big Show|The Giant]] joining nWo Hollywood and Luger joining nWo Wolfpac. Sting seemed to have joined nWo Hollywood when he appeared wearing a black and white nWo shirt, but he soon tore off the shirt to reveal the red and black of the nWo Wolfpac. Sting began wearing red and black face paint and tights as a member of nWo Wolfpac.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

Sting and The Giant won the WCW World Tag Team Championship at [[Slamboree 1998|Slamboree]] in May when Hall turned on his teammate Nash. Sting and The Giant then split due to each man joining opposite sides of the nWo, and the team was forced to vacate the titles 18 days later. Sting then defeated The Giant at [[The Great American Bash (1998)|The Great American Bash]] in June to take control of the Tag Team titles and chose Nash as his partner. Throughout the summer, Sting and fellow nWo Wolfpac members Nash, Luger, and [[Konnan]] feuded with Hogan and nWo Hollywood. Sting also got involved in a feud with Bret Hart over their similar finishing holds, the Sharpshooter and the Scorpion Deathlock. Hart cost Sting and Nash the Tag titles by interfering in their match with Hall and The Giant on the July 20 ''Nitro''. Sting and Hart squared off at [[Halloween Havoc 1998|Halloween Havoc]], where Hart, the United States Champion, attacked Sting with a baseball bat, putting Sting out of action for several months. Ironically, Hart would eventually be pinned by Sting after he himself fell afoul of a baseball bat, wielded by Lex Luger, eleven months later.

Sting returned to ''Nitro'' in March 1999, sporting the black and white ''Crow''-inspired attire he debuted in 1996 and began to participate in more mic work. By this time, the nWo storyline had faded, and Sting was not aligned with any of its factions. Sting competed in the main event of April's [[Spring Stampede 1999|Spring Stampede]], a Four Corners match for the World Championship, against Hogan, DDP, and champion Flair. Savage served as special guest referee and delivered a [[Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Diving elbow drop|diving elbow drop]] to help DDP win the match and the title.

==== Final world title reigns (1999–2000) ====
Sting defeated Page on the April 26 episode of ''Nitro'' to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time. Later that night, Sting defended the title in a four-way match featuring DDP, Goldberg, and a returning Nash. DDP pinned Nash, allowing DDP to win the title without directly beating Sting. Sting's 90-minute reign was only the second [[List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions|shortest WCW World Heavyweight Championship reign in WCW history]]. Sting lost to Rick Steiner in a [[Falls Count Anywhere match]] at [[The Great American Bash (1999)|The Great American Bash]] on June 13 after he was attacked by Steiner's three pet dogs backstage and Steiner forced the referee to prematurely declare himself the victor, claiming his dogs had pinned Sting for him.

Over the next several months, Sting feuded with Goldberg, Rick Steiner, Vicious, and Savage. Sting teamed with WCW World Heavyweight Champion Nash at the [[Bash at the Beach 1999|Bash at the Beach]] on July 11 to take on Vicious and Savage of [[Team Madness]]. Savage pinned Nash and won the World title as a result. Hogan returned from injury on July 12 as a face to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Sting defeated Flair on the July 19 episode of ''Nitro'' to become the on-screen president of WCW. Later that night, Nash turned heel by attacking Hogan during a title defense against Vicious. Sting remained president for just one week and used his power to book a main event pitting Hogan and himself against Nash and Vicious. Sting vacated the presidency the following week because he only wanted Flair out of the position rather than wanting the power for himself. Along with Goldberg, Sting and Hogan feuded with Nash, Vicious and Rick Steiner for the next month.

Sting began to question Hogan's trustworthiness and credibility in the weeks leading up to [[Fall Brawl 1999|Fall Brawl]] on September 12. At Fall Brawl, Luger brought a [[baseball bat]] to the ring and Sting used it to beat Hogan for his sixth and final WCW World Heavyweight Championship, turning heel for the first time in WCW. Sting's heel turn and subsequent attitude change did not resonate with the WCW fans.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> They still cheered Sting despite the fact he was supposed to be the villain (reminiscent of [[The Road Warriors]]' heel turn in late 1988). It was during this heel turn that Sting and Luger, with helpful interference from DDP, defeated supposed faces Hogan and Hart in a tag-match, Sting pinning Hart after Luger hit him with a bat. Then, at [[Halloween Havoc 1999|Halloween Havoc]] on October 24, Sting retained the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Hogan after Hogan entered the ring in street clothes and lay down for Sting to pin him. After the match, Sting sounded his disdain of the result and issued an open challenge for later tonight. Later that night, Sting lost an unsanctioned match to Goldberg, who accepted his open challenge and then attacked referee [[Charles Robinson (referee)|Charles Robinson]]. Sting was stripped of the title the next night for attacking the official.

Sting entered the 32-man tournament that was set up to award the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Sting defeated [[Brian Knobs]], Meng, and Luger to reach the semi-finals to be held at [[Mayhem (1999)|WCW Mayhem]] on November 21. At Mayhem, Sting lost to Hart, the eventual winner of the tournament, by disqualification after ostensibly "bungled" interference by Luger (in fact payback for Sting's quarterfinal win). On the November 1 episode of ''Nitro'', Luger expressed a desire for them to win the WCW tag team titles, against Sting's desire to continue pursuing the WCW World title, which led to Luger- who was also pursuing the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in same tournament Sting was in- faking a knee injury and refusing to help Sting after Sting was attacked following a match the two had for the WCW Tag Team titles against [[Billy Kidman]] and [[Konnan]]. This led to a falling out with Luger, as well as his return to being a fan favorite, with Sting and Luger attacking each other the following week. Sting would then defeat Luger in a quarterfinal match on the November 15 episode of ''Nitro''. At Mayhem, the fallout with Luger was completed when Luger attacked Sting in his match with [[Bret Hart]]. Initially, Sting lost to Hart, the eventual winner of the tournament, by disqualification after ostensibly "bungled" interference by Luger (in fact payback for Sting's quarterfinal win). However, Hart asked for an immediate rematch, which was granted, and won by submission to advance to the final.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw99.htm |title=WCW 1999 |website=thehistoryofwwe.com|date=January 16, 2023 }}</ref> After the match, Sting shook hands with Hart in a sign of respect, turning face again. Sting sought revenge against Luger the next month at [[Starrcade (1999)|Starrcade]] on December 19. Sting won by disqualification when Luger and [[Miss Elizabeth]] assaulted Sting with a steel chair and baseball bat, putting Sting out of action for some time. Sting ended his feud with Luger by defeating him in a [[Lumberjack match|Lumberjacks with Casts match]] at [[Uncensored (2000)|Uncensored]] on March 19, 2000.

==== Last feuds and contract expiration (2000–2001) ====
WCW officials [[Vince Russo]] and [[Eric Bischoff]], in an attempt to save the fading company, [[Reboot (fiction)|rebooted]] all current storylines on April 10, and declared all titles vacant. At [[Spring Stampede (2000)|Spring Stampede]] the following week, Sting advanced to the finals of the United States Championship tournament by defeating Booker T and [[Vampiro]] in the first two rounds. Vampiro then cost Sting the championship in the finals against Scott Steiner, leading to an intense feud between Sting and Vampiro. Sting pinned Vampiro at [[Slamboree (2000)|Slamboree]] on May 7, and Vampiro beat Sting in a [[Inferno match|Human Torch match]] at [[The Great American Bash (2000)|The Great American Bash]] on June 11; for the climax of the match, Borden switched with a stuntman, who was set on fire and thrown off the top of the frame of the stage's entrance video screen. At [[Bash at the Beach (2000)|Bash at the Beach]] on July 9, he returned wearing another Sting mask as men wearing cloaks and Sting masks carried him in a casket, attacking Vampiro.

Sting went on to feud with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and then Scott Steiner. Steiner attacked and injured Sting in November. Sting remained absent from WCW programming until the final episode of ''Nitro'' on March 26, 2001. By this point, [[History of World Championship Wrestling#Acquisition by the WWF and aftermath (2001–2017)|WCW had been purchased]] by the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF), and the final match in WCW history pitted Sting against his longtime rival Flair; the two had also competed on the first episode of ''Nitro'' on September 4, 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-03|title=Ric Flair vs Sting - The Last Ever WCW Monday Nitro|url=https://atletifo.com/wrestling/ric-flair-vs-sting-the-last-ever-wcw-monday-nitro/|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Atletifo Sports|language=en-US}}</ref> Sting defeated Flair and the two embraced at the end of the contest.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

After the WWF chose not to buy out Sting's contract with [[Time Warner|AOL Time Warner]], he rejected a buyout offer of 50 cents on the dollar from AOL Time Warner, instead waiting until his contract expired in March 2002<ref name="Schramm"/><ref name="Sullivan2014">{{cite book|author=Kevin Sullivan|title=WWE 50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Acs0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA165|date=March 31, 2014|publisher=DK Publishing|isbn=978-0-241-00675-7|pages=165–}}</ref> (he announced a short-lived retirement in February of that year).<ref name="SLAM"/> Borden then entered into contract negotiations with the WWF, but ultimately did not join the promotion.<ref name="Peltz"/>

=== World Wrestling All-Stars (2002–2003) ===
{{see also|Sting and Lex Luger}}

In November 2002, after over a year-and-a-half of hiatus, Borden toured Europe with the [[World Wrestling All-Stars]] (WWA) promotion throughout November and December. His first match in the WWA took place on November 28, 2002, in [[Dublin]], Ireland, where he reunited with Lex Luger to defeat [[Buff Bagwell]] and [[Jerry Tuite|Malice]]. At [[WWA Retribution|The Retribution]] on December 6, 2002, in [[Glasgow]], [[Scotland]], United Kingdom, Sting lost to Luger in a bout for the vacant [[WWA World Heavyweight Championship]]. Sting defeated Luger to claim the WWA World Heavyweight Championship in [[Zürich]], Switzerland, on December 13.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

Sting embarked on a second tour with WWA in May 2003, successfully defending his championship against Rick Steiner, Shane Douglas, and [[Disco Inferno (wrestler)|Disco Inferno]]. The WWA held its final show, [[WWA Reckoning|The Reckoning]], on May 25 in [[Auckland]], New Zealand, where NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett defeated Sting for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship, unifying the two championships.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

=== NWA Total Nonstop Action / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2014)===
==== Sporadic appearances (2003–2004) ====
In 2003, Sting signed a contract committing him to four appearances with the [[NWA Total Nonstop Action]] (NWA/TNA) promotion. He debuted in TNA on the June 18, 2003 one year anniversary show, teaming with Jeff Jarrett to defeat [[AJ Styles]] and [[Sean Waltman|Syxx-Pac]].<ref name="StingTimeline"/> Following this, Borden engaged in a comprehensive series of sit down interviews with [[Mike Tenay]], discussing his career and his [[faith]]. Sting returned to TNA on November 5, 2003, defeating Jarrett by disqualification in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. On November 12, Sting teamed with Styles to defeat Jarrett and Lex Luger. He made his final TNA appearance of 2003 on December 17, defeating Jarrett in a non-title match. On March 24, 2004, Borden was interviewed once again by Mike Tenay as part of the [[Promotion (marketing)|promotion]] for his [[direct-to-video]] [[biographical film]], ''Sting: Moment of Truth'', and on March 31, he returned to the company for one night only as the special guest enforcer for the main-event, a four-way match between Styles, [[Abyss (wrestler)|Abyss]], [[Raven (wrestler)|Raven]], and [[R-Truth|Ron "The Truth" Killings]], which Raven won.

Sting would wrestle in the independent circuit in 2004 and 2005, only competing in two matches. On July 21, 2004, Sting teamed up with [[The Great Muta]] defeating [[Diamond Dallas Page]] and [[Satoshi Kojima]] at HCW Battle Hawaii in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]. Then on January 22, 2005, he defeated [[Billy Gunn]] at NWA Mid-Atlantic in Seoul, South Korea.

==== Feud with Jeff Jarrett (2005–2006) ====
On December 11, 2005, at [[TNA Turning Point 2005|Turning Point]], as Jeff Jarrett stood in the ring celebrating his victory, the lights in the arena went out as images of a [[scorpion]] — Sting's signature symbol — appeared on the arena screens, along with the date "January 15, 2006". Spotlights then illuminated the ring, revealing a chair bearing Sting's signature [[trench coat]], boots, and a black baseball bat in the center of the ring.<ref name="2005WrestleView">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2005/1134360328.shtml|title=Turning Point PPV results – 12/11/05 (Sting sends a message & more)|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=December 11, 2005|access-date=December 18, 2008|publisher=WrestleView}}</ref> His return to TNA was officially announced one minute after midnight on the January 1, 2006 episode of ''[[Impact! (TV series)|Impact!]]''. On January 15 at [[Final Resolution 2006|Final Resolution]], Sting and [[Christian (wrestler)|Christian Cage]] defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett and [[Monty Brown]] in a tag team match after Sting pinned Jarrett.<ref name="StingTimeline" /><ref name="Almanac">{{cite news|first=Hicks|last=Brady|title=2006: The year in wrestling|work=2007 Wrestling Almanac and book of facts|publisher=Kappa Publications|id=2007 Edition|page=16}}</ref> On the January 28 episode of ''Impact!'', Sting made his [[Spike (TV channel)|Spike TV]] debut and first appearance on national television in almost five years, announcing his retirement.

With Sting gone, the storyline continued with Jeff Jarrett and [[Eric Young (wrestler)|Eric Young]] worrying that Sting had not actually retired and sending [[Alex Shelley]] to California to videotape Sting at home. Sting eventually discovered Shelley filming, then walked up to Shelley's car and told him that he was going to show up at [[Destination X (2006)|Destination X]] and confront Jeff Jarrett as Steve Borden. Clad in street clothes and without face paint, Borden returned on March 12 at Destination X, saving Christian Cage and Rhino as they were attacked by [[Planet Jarrett|Jarrett's Army]]. He then placed Jarrett in the Scorpion Deathlock, but was attacked by the debuting [[Scott Steiner]] shortly thereafter.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> This led to a [[Lethal Lockdown match]] between Sting, AJ Styles, Ron Killings, and Rhino against Jarrett's Army. On April 23 at [[TNA Lockdown (2006)|Lockdown]], Sting's team won the match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/lockdown.html#2006|title=Lockdown 2006|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|access-date=September 3, 2011}}</ref> Following Lockdown, Sting proceeded to seek out partners to help him defeat Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner for good. After bringing out [[Lex Luger]], [[Buff Bagwell]], and [[Rick Steiner]] as potential options, he settled on [[Samoa Joe]]. On May 14 at [[Sacrifice 2006|Sacrifice]], Sting and Joe defeated Jarrett and Steiner after Joe pinned Jarrett with a Muscle Buster.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> Still having proven unsuccessful at putting Jarrett away, Sting defeated Scott Steiner by disqualification to earn a spot in the [[King of the Mountain match]] for the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] at [[Slammiversary (2006)|Slammiversary]] on June 18. However, due to a confrontation with Christian Cage during the match, Sting was distracted, allowing crooked referee [[Earl Hebner]] to knock over the ladder both were on, sending both men to the floor and allowing Jarrett to pick up the victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/slam.html#2006|title=Slammiversary 2006|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref>

On July 16 at [[Victory Road (2006)|Victory Road]], Sting won a fatal four-way match to earn a title shot at Jarrett's NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Sting received his title shot on August 13 at [[Hard Justice (2006)|Hard Justice]], but failed to capture the title after [[Christian Cage]] turned heel and hit Sting with Jarrett's guitar. Sting would have another match at [[Bound for Glory (2006)|Bound for Glory]] on October 22, putting his career on the line as an added stipulation. He went on to claim his second NWA World Heavyweight title when he made Jarrett submit to the ''Scorpion Deathlock,'' marking the first major championship title Sting had won since 1999.<ref name="StingTimeline" /> With that victory, Sting became the oldest NWA World Heavyweight Champion of the TNA era, as well as the only person to ever win the title both before and after the inception of TNA. This would also go on to make Sting the longest superstar to recapture his second NWA title from 1990 to 2006 (16 years).

Sting lost the title to Abyss on November 19 at [[TNA Genesis (2006)|Genesis]] by disqualification after pushing aside the referee and pushing Abyss into a stack of tables covered in barbed wire.<ref name="StingTimeline"/> In the weeks following Genesis, Sting's feud with Abyss continued and Christian Cage was involved, leading to a three-way match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 10 at [[Turning Point (2006)|Turning Point]], where Abyss retained the title.<ref name="StingTimeline"/>

==== TNA World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2009) ====
[[File:Stingtna.jpg|thumb|Sting at [[Lockdown (2007)|Lockdown]] in April 2007]]

Sting continued his feud with Abyss while trying to recapture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, facing him at [[Final Resolution 2007|Final Resolution]] on January 14, 2007, [[TNA Against All Odds (2007)|Against All Odds]] on February 11 and [[Destination x 2007|Destination X]] on March 11 in a Last Rites match, but he never claimed the title. Also, Abyss and Sting were placed in different teams in the [[Lethal Lockdown match]] at [[Lockdown (2007)|Lockdown]] on April 15. Sting, with the help of Jeff Jarrett, pinned Abyss to win the match for his team and end their bitter rivalry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/lockdown.html#2007|title=TNA Lockdown results|access-date=March 21, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling History.com}}</ref>

At [[Sacrifice 2007|Sacrifice]] on May 13, a match between Sting, Kurt Angle and NWA World Champion Christian Cage was booked.<ref name="WVImpact!050207">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/tnaimpact/tnaimpact2006/1178248549.shtml|title=Impact! results – 5/3/07 ('Sacrifice' main event announced and more)|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=May 3, 2007|publisher=WrestleView.com|access-date=October 20, 2009}}</ref> However, on the day of Sacrifice, the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] (NWA), the owners of the NWA World Heavyweight and the NWA World Tag Team Championships, stripped Cage of the world title and Team 3D of the tag team titles.<ref name="end of NWA-TNA">{{cite web|url=http://revver.com/video/267425/nwatmtrobich-strips-tnacageteam-3-d-of-nwatm-branded-championships/|title=NWA/Trobich strips TNA/Cage/Team 3D of NWA branded Championships|access-date=October 20, 2009|publisher=[[National Wrestling Alliance]]|archive-date=May 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524013808/http://revver.com/video/267425/nwatmtrobich-strips-tnacageteam-3-d-of-nwatm-branded-championships/|url-status=dead}}</ref> NWA Executive Director [[Robert Trobich|Robert K. Trobich]] stated the reason was that Cage refused to defend the NWA Title at NWA live events.<ref name="end of NWA-TNA"/> At Sacrifice, Cage, still holding the physical NWA Championship belt, defended what was billed as the "World Heavyweight Championship" against Sting and Angle. Angle was the victor of said contest by making Sting submit, and was announced as the new "TNA World Heavyweight Champion".<ref name="SlamSac07">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/05/14/4178802.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713230201/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/05/14/4178802.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 13, 2012|title=World title picture muddied after good Sacrifice|date=May 14, 2007|last=Sokol|first=Chris|access-date=October 20, 2009|work=SLAM! Sports: Wrestling|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> The ''Impact!'' following the event, the title was labelled as the "[[List of TNA World Heavyweight Champions|TNA World Heavyweight Championship]]", but the title was vacated.<ref name="PWTorchImpact0517">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_20292.shtml |title=Caldwell's TNA Impact report 5/17: Angle-Rhino, Daniels-Raven, blood, Gore, and Stomper|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=May 18, 2007|publisher=PW Torch.com |access-date=October 20, 2009|quote=The fans chanted for Christian and Angle said he is the new TNA champion.}}</ref> A tournament was then held for the title which culminated in a [[King of the Mountain match]] at [[Slammiversary (2007)|Slammiversary]] on June 17.<ref name="PWTorchImpact0517" /> Sting lost his qualifying match with Samoa Joe after [[Christopher Daniels]] interfered. Sting instead faced Daniels at Slammiversary, which he ultimately won.

After his feud with Daniels, Sting began teaming up with his former enemy, Abyss, who had recently turned face. Together, the two went on to defeat AJ Styles and Tomko on July 15 at [[Victory Road (2007)|Victory Road]]. While trying to help Abyss win a match against Styles, Sting and Abyss were attacked by [[Christian's Coalition]]. Abyss was pulled under the ring and Sting was slammed into broken glass by Tomko, before Abyss emerged bleeding profusely, before being slammed into the broken glass and thumbtacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/tnaimpact/tnaimpact2006/1185509417.shtml|title=iMPACT! Results – 7/26/07 (Styles vs. Abyss – Roode vs. Sting & more)|last=Cygy|first=Marcus|publisher=WrestleView|access-date=March 23, 2010|date=July 27, 2007}}</ref> The following week, Sting and Abyss got revenge by defeating Christian and Styles in a [[ladder match]], in the process earning a contract that allowed them to pick the type of match between Abyss and Christian at [[Hard Justice (2007)|Hard Justice]] on August 12. Sting's team won in a "Doomsday Chamber of Blood" match, with Abyss pinning Styles to become the number one contender for the [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]].<ref name="hard07">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/08/13/4414471.html|title=Bad booking mars Hard Justice|author=Sokol, Chris|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=April 16, 2009|date=August 13, 2007|archive-date=July 23, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723172427/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/08/13/4414471.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

After that, Sting started a feud with the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle. First, on the August 30 episode of ''Impact!'' Sting defeated Styles, Christian Cage, and Samoa Joe in a four-way match to become the co-holder of the [[TNA World Tag Team Championship]] with Angle, but lost it 10 days later against [[Adam Jones (American football)|Adam "Pacman" Jones]] and Ron Killings at [[No Surrender (2007)|No Surrender]] on September 9.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/09/10/4483932.html|title=No Surrender delivers on Angles and a new TV deal|last=Sokol|first=Chris|date=September 10, 2007|access-date=June 7, 2012|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=July 13, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713193441/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/09/10/4483932.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Sting would face Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at [[Bound for Glory (2007)|Bound for Glory]] on October 14, where Sting won his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/10/15/4577676.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629172343/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2007/10/15/4577676.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 29, 2012|title=Angle gets stung at Bound For Glory|last=Sokol|first=Chris|date=October 15, 2007|access-date=June 7, 2012|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> However, he would lose the title back to Angle just eleven days later on ''Impact!,'' when Kevin Nash interfered on Angle's behalf.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/10/26/4607574.html|title=Impact: Crowning a new old champion|first=Chris|last=Sokol|date=October 26, 2007|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|access-date=June 7, 2012|archive-date=July 29, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729040829/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/10/26/4607574.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Sting would face Angle and Nash at [[Genesis (2007)|Genesis]] on November 11, with the debutant [[Booker T (wrestler)|Booker T]] as his mystery partner. As per the stipulation, whoever scored the pinfall in the match would win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, which Angle won after pinning Sting to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.<ref name="PWTorchGenesis2">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_23553.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA PPV report 11/11: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=November 11, 2007|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=February 19, 2011}}</ref> This would be the final TNA appearance of Sting in 2007, as he would take some time off to be with his family.

Sting then made his official return on the March 27, 2008 live episode of ''Impact!''. At [[Lockdown (2008)|Lockdown]] on April 13, he teamed with Team Cage (Christian Cage, Kevin Nash, Rhino, and [[Matt Morgan (wrestler)|Matt Morgan]]) and defeated Team Tomko (Tomko, AJ Styles, James Storm, and [[Dudley Boyz|Team 3D]]).<ref name="SlamLD">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2008/04/13/5275576.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630011658/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2008/04/13/5275576.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 30, 2012|title=TNA Lockdown:Joe captures gold|first=Chris|last=Sokol|date=April 18, 2008| access-date=July 9, 2008|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> After the TNA World Tag Team Championship was vacated, Jim Cornette held a [[Deuces Wild Tournament|Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament]] to determine the new champions. Four teams were already in the Sacrifice finals, while Cornette named eight wrestlers as the "Egotistical 8". Sting's partner was James Storm and on May 11 at [[Sacrifice (2008)|Sacrifice]] on May 11, they came up short due to their inability to get along, and towards the end, Sting attacked Storm and walked out.<ref name="PWTorch1">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_25556.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Sacrifice PPV report 5/11: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=May 11, 2008|access-date=January 16, 2012|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> Sting was not seen after that except in an interview which talked about his career and his eventual retirement.

[[File:TNA Bound to Glory IV (119 of 136).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sting at [[Bound for Glory IV]]]]
On July 13 at [[Victory Road (2008)|Victory Road]], Booker T faced Samoa Joe for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Sting tried to talk sense into Joe, as he was brutally beating Booker T, and was potentially heading towards a disqualification.<ref name="WOVR">{{cite web|url= http://www.f4wonline.com/content/view/5990/105/|title=TNA Victory Road PPV report|first=Dave|last=Meltzer|access-date=August 13, 2008|work=Wrestling Observer Newsletter}}</ref> Joe rebuked him, and Sting struck him with his trademark black baseball bat.<ref name="WOVR"/> Over the coming weeks, the feud between Joe and Booker intensified, with episodes ending with either Booker T or Sharmell striking Samoa Joe with Sting's trademark bat as ''Impact!'' went off the air, leading to a question of whether or not Sting had [[List of professional wrestling terms#T|turned]] on Samoa Joe and became a heel. Although still receiving a [[Face (professional wrestling)|face]] reaction from the fans, Sting sided with Booker T. On August 10 at [[Hard Justice (2008)|Hard Justice]], Sting attacked Styles after he and Kurt Angle wrestled a [[Last Man Standing match]].<ref name="TNAHJ">{{cite web|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/159/84|title=Hard Justice Pay-Per-View Results|access-date=August 11, 2008| publisher=TNAWrestling.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822184544/http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/159/84|archive-date=August 22, 2008}}</ref>

==== The Main Event Mafia (2008–2009) ====
{{main|Main Event Mafia}}
[[File:5 Main Event Mafia members.jpg|thumb|Sting with [[The Main Event Mafia]]]]
On October 12 at [[Bound for Glory IV]], Sting defeated Samoa Joe to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship after Kevin Nash returned and hit Joe with Sting's baseball bat.<ref name="PWHBFG">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/glory.html#2008|title =Bound for Glory IV|access-date=October 19, 2008|publisher=Pro Wrestling History}}</ref> After Bound for Glory, Sting, along with Kurt Angle, Booker T, Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner created [[The Main Event Mafia]], a stable formed by veterans and former World Champions. The faction feuded with younger wrestlers, dubbed the [[TNA Frontline]]. Sting defended the title against Frontline's AJ Styles at [[Turning Point (2008 wrestling)|Turning Point]] on November 9 and Rhino on January 11, 2009, at [[Genesis (2009)|Genesis]]. Sting also feuded with the leader of The Main Event Mafia Kurt Angle. At [[TNA Against All Odds|Against All Odds]] on February 8, Sting defended the title against Angle, Brother Ray and Brother Devon. He then faced off with Angle in a singles match at [[Destination X (2009)|Destination X]] on March 15.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/odds.html#2009|title=Against All Odds at Pro Wrestling History.com|access-date=February 24, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling History.com| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090116065822/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/odds.html| archive-date= January 16, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="PWTTP081">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_27795.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Turning Point PPV 11/9: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=November 9, 2008|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=October 24, 2009}}</ref><ref name="GenesisPWH">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/genesis.html#2009|title=TNA Genesis|access-date=January 28, 2009|publisher=prowrestlinghistory.com}}</ref><ref name="PWHDX09">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/destx.html#2009|title=Destination X 2009 at Pro Wrestling History.com|access-date=March 28, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling History.com}}</ref> At [[Lockdown (2009)|Lockdown]] on April 19, Sting lost the TNA World Heavyweight Championship to [[Mick Foley]] inside the [[Cage match|Six Sides of Steel]], ending his reign at 189 days (his longest world title reign for any organization).<ref name="LD09PWH">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/lockdown.html#2009|title=Lockdown at Pro Wrestling History.com|publisher=Pro Wrestling History.com|access-date=May 4, 2009}}</ref> On May 24 at [[TNA Sacrifice (2009)|Sacrifice]], Sting defeated Kurt Angle to become the new "godfather" of the Main Event Mafia.<ref name="Torch Sac09">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_32290.shtml| title=Caldwell's TNA Sacrifice PPV Report 5/24: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Sting vs. Foley vs. Jarrett vs. Angle|last= Caldwell|first=James|date=May 24, 2009|access-date=May 25, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On June 21 at [[Slammiversary (2009)|Slammiversary]], Sting defeated Matt Morgan in a singles match, thus preventing Morgan from joining the Main Event Mafia.<ref name="Caldwell">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_32989.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Slammiversary PPV Report 6/21: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of King of the Mountain PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|publisher=[[Wade Keller|Pro Wrestling Torch]]|date=June 21, 2009|access-date= June 22, 2009}}</ref> On the following episode of ''Impact!'', Sting's fellow Main Event Mafia members attacked him, removing him from the group, and Kurt Angle reclaimed his role as "godfather". The following week, Sting took his revenge upon the Mafia, when he attacked every member of the group and stole Angle's world heavyweight championship belt, becoming a full-fledged face as a result. On July 19 at [[Victory Road (2009)|Victory Road]], Sting was defeated by new Main Event Mafia member Samoa Joe in a singles match after the debuting Taz interfered on Joe's behalf.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/victory.html#2009|title= Victory Road 2009|access-date=September 19, 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling History}}</ref> On August 16 at [[Hard Justice (2009)|Hard Justice]], Sting unsuccessfully challenged Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match, which also included Matt Morgan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/tna/justice.html#2009|title= Hard Justice 2009|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|access-date=September 30, 2009}}</ref> On September 20 at [[No Surrender (2009)|No Surrender]], Sting lost a five-way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship that also included AJ Styles, [[Shawn Hernandez|Hernandez]], Kurt Angle, and Matt Morgan. Instead of pinning Angle, he opted to attack Morgan, allowing Styles to pin Angle and become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_35493.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA No Surrender PPV Report 9/20: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Kurt Angle vs. Sting vs. Matt Morgan vs. A.J. Styles|date=September 20, 2009|last=Caldwell|first=James|access-date=October 20, 2009|publisher=PWTorch}}</ref> As a token of gratitude, Styles offered to give him a title shot at the following month's PPV [[Bound for Glory (2009)|Bound for Glory]] on October 18 in a match billed as possibly being Sting's retirement match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2009/09/25/11105641.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630073707/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2009/09/25/11105641.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 30, 2012|title=Impact: Bound for Glory takes shape|access-date=October 20, 2009|publisher=SLAM! Sports}}</ref> At Bound for Glory, Styles defeated Sting to retain his title, ending Sting's undefeated streak at Bound for Glory. After the match, Sting announced that he didn't know whether he would continue his career or not, saying that "the way you fans are reacting right now, makes me wanna stay forever!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_36109.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Bound for Glory PPV Report 10/18: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the second-half of the show with Styles vs. Sting|last=Caldwell|first=James| date=October 20, 2009|work=PWTorch|access-date=October 18, 2009}}</ref> At the end of the year, the match was voted the match of the year by the fans of TNA.<ref name="Dec31">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2009/1262327769.php?style=dark|title=Impact Results – 12/31/09|last=Boutwell|first=Josh|date=January 1, 2010|work=WrestleView|access-date=January 1, 2010}}</ref>

==== Feud with Immortal (2010–2011) ====
[[File:Sting July 2010.jpg|thumb|Sting with red face paint in July 2010]]

On the January 4, 2010, live-three-hour, [[TNA Impact!'s move to Monday nights|Monday night episode]] of ''Impact!,'' Sting returned to the Impact! Zone appearing in the rafters of the arena.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_37861.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact Live Report 1/4: Jeff Hardy, NWO reunion, Hulk Hogan, TNA Knockout Title match, more surprises – ongoing coverage|last= Keller|first=Wade|date=January 4, 2009|work=PWTorch|access-date=January 5, 2010}}</ref> Sting reappeared two months later on the March 8 episode of ''Impact!'', attacking Hulk Hogan and Abyss during a match against AJ Styles and Ric Flair, turning heel as a result.<ref name="March82010">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_39660.shtml|title=TNA IMPACT RESULTS 3/8: Keller's live ongoing report covering the historic beginning of Monday Night War II|last=Keller|first=Wade|date= March 8, 2010|work=PWTorch|access-date=March 9, 2010}}</ref> He was later defeated by the debuting [[Rob Van Dam]].<ref name=March82010/> During the following months, Sting would join other heel wrestlers against face wrestlers like Van Dam, Jarrett or Hogan. At [[Lockdown (2010)|Lockdown]] on April 18, Team Flair (formed by Sting, [[Nigel McGuinness|Desmond Wolfe]], [[Robert Roode]] and James Storm) were defeated by Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Rob Van Dam and [[Jeff Hardy]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/PPV_Reports_5/article_40725.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Lockdown Results 4/18: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of PPV – Styles vs. The Pope, Team Hogan vs. Team Flair, Angle vs. Anderson|first=James|last=Caldwell|date=April 18, 2010|access-date=April 18, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> After defeating Jeff Jarrett at [[TNA Sacrifice (2010)|Sacrifice]] on May 16,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_41360.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Sacrifice results 5/16: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of PPV – RVD vs. Styles, Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson|date=May 16, 2010|access-date=May 16, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> Sting faced Rob Van Dam for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at [[Slammiversary VIII]] on June 13. However, during the match, Jarrett made his return and cost Sting the title.<ref name="SlammiversaryVIII">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_41923.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Slammiversary results 6/13: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – RVD vs. Sting, Hardy & Anderson, "nice surprise"|date=June 13, 2010|access-date=June 13, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>

After assaulting Jarrett from behind on the June 24 episode of ''Impact!'', TNA president [[Dixie Carter (wrestling)|Dixie Carter]] ([[Kayfabe|storyline]]) suspended Sting for 30 days.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_42170.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 6/24: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|first=Daniel|last=Wilkenfeld|date=June 24, 2010|access-date=July 2, 2010|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_42295.shtml|title=TNA Impact results 7/1: Keller's ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV show – Abyss vs. Hardy, RVD refs|last=Keller|first=Wade|date= July 1, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=July 2, 2010}}</ref> When he returned, Sting changed his gimmick, wearing his nWo Wolfpac red face paint, and was paired with Kevin Nash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_42919.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 8/5: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|first=Daniel|last=Wilkenfeld|date=August 5, 2010|access-date=August 5, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> They would start a feud with Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe, facing them [[No Surrender (2010)|No Surrender]] on September 5<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_43569.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA No Surrender PPV results 9/5: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Angle vs. Hardy, Pope vs. Anderson|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=September 5, 2010|work=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref> and [[Bound for Glory (2010)|Bound for Glory]] on October 10, where Sting, Nash and [[D'Angelo Dinero]] defeated Jarrett and Joe after Jarrett turned heel by leaving the ring and having Joe wrestle alone. At the end of Bound for Glory, it was revealed that Sting had been right about Hogan and Bischoff all along, as they turned heel along with Jarrett and Jeff Hardy as Abyss's "they". This consequentially turned Sting, Nash and Dinero back to being faces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_44417.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Bound for Glory PPV results 10–10–10: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Angle vs. Anderson vs. Hardy, "they" reveal|date=October 10, 2010|access-date=October 10, 2010|last=Caldwell|first=James|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the October 14 episode of ''Impact!'', Sting and Nash refused to join Hogan, Bischoff and their new group, [[Immortal (professional wrestling)|Immortal]]. After the promo, they walked out on TNA, although Nash had legitimately left TNA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_44521.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact report 10/14: Complete "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV's live broadcast|date=October 14, 2010|access-date=October 15, 2010|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> Borden took a hiatus from TNA television, as his contract had expired at the end of 2010.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Meltzer|date=January 17, 2011|title=Jan 17 Observer Newsletter: Lesnar TUF season, Genesis and DGUSA, HBK Hall of Fame, Gage arrest, etc|periodical=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]|location=Campbell, CA|page=31|issn=1083-9593|quote=Eric Bischoff on the Monday Night Mayhem radio show said he doesn't know what is up regarding Sting other than saying that Sting has told him it has gotten harder, to physically perform at the level he would like to. Sting turns 52 in March. His contract expired at the end of the year.}}</ref>

Sting returned on the March 3, 2011 episode of ''Impact!'', where he appeared as a surprise challenger and defeated Immortal's Jeff Hardy to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the third time, debuting a new hybrid attire paying homage to his Surfer, Crow and Wolfpac attires.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1298599736 |title=Spoiler: Title change at Impact taping for March 3 |last=Martin |first=Adam |date=February 24, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |work=WrestleView |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301044700/http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1298599736 |archive-date=March 1, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_48210.shtml |title=Caldwell's TNA Impact report 3/3: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of Impact on Spike TV – Hogan, wedding, 3/3/11 reveal, Tag Title match, retirement match, celebrities |date=March 3, 2011 |access-date=March 3, 2011 |last=Caldwell |first=James |work=Pro Wrestling Torch |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116164819/http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_48210.shtml |archive-date=November 16, 2011 }}</ref> On March 13 at [[Victory Road (2011)|Victory Road]], Sting successfully defended the title against Hardy in a No Disqualification rematch that lasted 90 seconds. According to word from backstage, the match was planned to last longer, but it was cut short after Hardy was deemed too intoxicated to wrestle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_48514.shtml|title=TNA News: TNA issues statement acknowledging Victory Road "fell short," offering refund unrelated to actual PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=March 15, 2011|access-date=March 16, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/news/item/2508-An-Announcement-Regarding-Victory-Road|title=An Announcement Regarding Victory Road|date=March 15, 2011|access-date=March 16, 2011|work=[[Impact Wrestling|Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]]|archive-date=March 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318052439/http://www.tnawrestling.com/news/item/2508-An-Announcement-Regarding-Victory-Road|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sting was later heard agreeing with a fan's claim that the match was "bullshit".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_48441.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Victory Road PPV results 3/13: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Sting vs. Hardy TNA Title match|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=March 13, 2011|access-date=March 13, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> The following month at [[Lockdown (2011)|Lockdown]] on April 17, Sting successfully defended the title against [[Mr. Kennedy|Mr. Anderson]] and Rob Van Dam in a three-way steel cage match,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_49368.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Lockdown PPV results 4/17: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live all-cage match PPV – Sting vs. Anderson vs. RVD, Angle vs. Jarrett|first=James|last=Caldwell|date=April 17, 2011|access-date=April 17, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> against Van Dam at [[TNA Sacrifice (2011)|Sacrifice]] on May 15,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_50080.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Sacrifice PPV results 5/15: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Sting vs. RVD, four title matches, Chyna PPV return|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=May 15, 2011|access-date=May 15, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> and against Anderson at [[Slammiversary IX]] on June 12, where he lost the title following outside interference from Eric Bischoff.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_50710.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Slammiversary PPV results 6/12: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Sting vs. Anderson, Angle vs. Jarrett blow-off|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=June 12, 2011|access-date=June 12, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>

[[File:Hulk Hogan and Sting, 14 March 2011 02.jpg|thumb|[[Hulk Hogan]] and Sting in 2011]]
Over the next few weeks, Sting began displaying a more maniacal character similar in look and style to [[Heath Ledger]]'s portrayal of the [[Joker in other media#The Dark Knight (2008)|Joker]] from the 2008 film ''[[The Dark Knight]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1308888237 |title=Impact Wrestling Results – 6/23/11 |last=Boutwell |first=Josh |date=June 24, 2011 |access-date=June 30, 2011 |work=WrestleView |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702001748/http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1308888237 |archive-date=July 2, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_51156.shtml|title=Bax's TNA Impact Wrestling report 6/30: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of Impact with 'Limited Commercial Interruption'|last=Baxendell|first=Matt|date=June 30, 2011|access-date=June 30, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the July 14 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting, now dubbed as the "Insane Icon", regained the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Mr. Anderson after [[Fortune (professional wrestling)|Fortune]] and Kurt Angle, disguised as his clown minions, attacked each member of Immortal, preventing them from interfering in the match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1310436369 |title=Spoiler: Big spoiler for Impact Wrestling |last=Martin |first=Adam |date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=July 11, 2011 |work=WrestleView |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715192006/http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1310436369 |archive-date=July 15, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_51429.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact report: Ongoing live coverage of Destination X fallout, Mr. Anderson vs. Sting|last=Keller|first=Wade|author-link=Wade Keller|date=July 14, 2011|access-date=July 14, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> He would go on to lose the title to Kurt Angle on August 7 at [[Hardcore Justice (2011)|Hardcore Justice]], after Angle hit him with a chair that was brought to the ring by Hulk Hogan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_51958.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Hardcore Justice PPV results 8/7: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Sting vs. Angle, five title matches, BFG Series matches|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=August 7, 2011|access-date=August 7, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> Sting continued tormenting members of Immortal with his strange new personality, and on the August 18 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', his longtime rival Ric Flair made his return to TNA and challenged him to a match. Sting agreed to put his career on the line in the match in exchange for Flair promising to deliver him his long-awaited match with Hogan, should he be able to defeat him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2011/08/18/18573331.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629070454/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2011/08/18/18573331.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 29, 2012|title=Impact: Flair finally returns to show|date=August 18, 2011|access-date=August 19, 2011|last=Bishop|first=Matt|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref> On the September 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting received a rematch against Angle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated following interference from special enforcer Hulk Hogan and the rest of Immortal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2011/09/02/18633481.html|title=Impact: Sting looks to regain title in rematch with Angle|last=Bishop|first=Matt|date=September 2, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2011|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-date=June 29, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629070455/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2011/09/02/18633481.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> On September 11 at [[No Surrender (2011)|No Surrender]], Hogan once again cost Sting the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match, which also included Mr. Anderson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_53179.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA No Surrender PPV results 9/11: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – three-way TNA Title match, BFG Series finals|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=September 11, 2011|access-date=September 11, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the September 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting defeated longtime rival Ric Flair to earn the right to face Hogan at [[Bound for Glory (2011)|Bound for Glory]] on October 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_53235.shtml|title=Impact spoiler – double main event at Bound for Glory|date=September 13, 2011|access-date=September 13, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_53344.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact Wrestling report – Flair vs. Sting 9/15: Blog on this week's TV main event|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=September 15, 2011|access-date=September 16, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the October 6 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', after being exposed for his false claim of retiring and his secret ridicule of the fans, a furious Hogan impulsively agreed to hand TNA back to Dixie Carter, should Sting manage to defeat him at Bound for Glory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_54028.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact Wrestling report 10/6: Hulk Hogan's "retirement" ceremony, Storm vs. Roode, Kaz vs. Gunner in Knoxville |last=Keller|first=Wade|author-link=Wade Keller|date=October 6, 2011|access-date=October 6, 2011|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> At Bound for Glory, Sting defeated Hogan to bring Dixie Carter back to power. After the match, Hogan turned on Immortal and helped Sting overcome the odds in his battle with the stable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_54312.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Bound for Glory PPV results 10/16: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Angle-Roode, Hogan-Sting |date=October 16, 2011|access-date=October 16, 2011|last=Caldwell|first=James|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Carter placed Sting in charge of the program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_54431.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact Wrestling report 10/20: Complete "virtual-time" coverage Bound for Glory fall-out, TNA World Title match|date=October 20, 2011|access-date=October 21, 2011|last=Caldwell|first=James|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> Sting returned to the ring on the December 22 and February 9, 2012, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', where he teamed up with Jeff Hardy to defeat TNA World Heavyweight Champion [[Bobby Roode]] and [[Mark LoMonaco|Bully Ray]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_56351.shtml|title=Keller's TNA Impact Wrestling report 12/22: Hardy & Sting team against Roode & Ray, plus Angle visits Storm's favorite bar|last=Keller|first=Wade|author-link=Wade Keller|date=December 27, 2011|access-date=February 6, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_57972.shtml|title=Turner's TNA Impact report 2/9: Alt. perspective review of TNA in London Week 2, final PPV hype|last=Turner|first=Scott|date=February 10, 2012|access-date=March 16, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>

==== Final feuds and departure (2012–2014) ====
During the first months of 2012, Sting feuded with the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode. He was defeated by Roode at [[Victory Road (2012)|Victory Road]] in a non-title No Holds Barred match,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_59264.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Victory Road PPV results 3/18: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Sting-Roode main event, Angle-Hardy, Storm-Ray|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=March 18, 2012|access-date=March 18, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> and at [[Slammiversary (2012)|Slammiversary]] in a title match.<ref name="Slammiversary2012">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_62289.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Slammiversary PPV results 6/10: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Roode vs. Sting headlines 10th Anniv. PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=June 10, 2012|access-date=June 10, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> During this time, he also left the General Manager position in favor of Hulk Hogan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_59426.shtml|title=Turner's TNA Impact Wrestling results 3/22: Victory Road fall-out, Dixie & Sting & Hogan close the show, three title matches|last=Turner|first=Scott|date=March 23, 2012|access-date=March 23, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> signed a new contract extension with TNA<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_59684.shtml|title=Sting re-signs with TNA|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=March 29, 2012|access-date=March 29, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> and was announced as the first inductee into the [[TNA Hall of Fame]].<ref name=Slammiversary2012/><ref name="bojorquez">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_65935.shtml|title=TNA Hall of Fame report|last=Bojorquez|first=Efren|date=October 14, 2012|publisher=[[Wade Keller|PWTorch]]|access-date=July 26, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Sting Jan 2013.jpg|thumb|250px|Sting in January 2013]]
His next feud was against a newly formed masked faction called "[[Aces & Eights]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_62447.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact Wrestling results 6/14: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact – TNA World Title match, Ultimate X starts the show|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=June 14, 2012|access-date=June 19, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_63266.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact Wrestling results 7/12: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact – Aries's first show as champ, BFG Series matches|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=July 12, 2012|access-date=July 12, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> where he was appointed as the interim general manager after Hogan took a hiatus due to a back injury.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_63729.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact Wrestling results 7/26: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact – BFG Series matches, interim GM|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=July 26, 2012|access-date=July 26, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> The feud led to a match at [[Bound for Glory (2012)|Bound for Glory]] alongside Bully Ray, where they were defeated by the Aces & Eights, following interference from a man who was afterwards unmasked as Ray's longtime partner, the returning [[Devon Hughes|Devon]]. As a result of their win, the Aces & Eights earned full access to TNA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_65938.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Bound for Glory PPV results 10/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV – Aries vs. Hardy, Storm vs. Roode|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=October 14, 2012|access-date=October 14, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting defeated Devon via disqualification, following interference from the Aces & Eights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_66041.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact results 10/18: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live BFG PPV fall-out|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=October 18, 2012|access-date=October 18, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On the November 8 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting was sidelined with a storyline injury, after being put through a table and beaten with a [[ball-peen hammer]] by [[Drew Hankinson|DOC]], a member of Aces & Eights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_66519.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact results 11/8: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact – final PPV hype, Ladder War conclusion|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=November 8, 2012|access-date=November 8, 2012|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>

Sting returned on the January 3, 2013, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', saving Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe from Aces & Eights before beating the group down with a baseball bat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_67639.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 1/3: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live show - Sting casually returns, cage main event & unmasking (updated w/Box Score)|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> Sting wrestled his return match the following week, defeating Aces & Eights member [[Mike Knox]] after he injured Kurt Angle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_67774.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 1/10: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Sting-Knox, wedding angle, and, oh yeah, a PPV on Sunday (updated w/Box Score)|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> Three days later at [[Genesis (2013)|Genesis]], Sting gained his revenge on DOC by defeating him in a singles match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_67844.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA GENESIS PPV RESULTS 1/13: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live PPV - Hardy defends TNA Title against two foes, two title matches, #1 contender matches|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> On the February 7 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting teamed up with Bully Ray to defeat Devon and DOC in a Tables match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_68494.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 2/7: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Impact in the U.K. - Tag Title change, Sting & Bully main event, Aces & Eights lose again, Nash weighs in|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> On March 10 at [[Lockdown (2013)|Lockdown]], Team TNA, consisting of Sting, Eric Young, James Storm, [[Magnus (wrestler)|Magnus]], and Samoa Joe defeated Aces & Eights, consisting of Devon, DOC, [[Garett Bischoff]], Mike Knox, and Mr. Anderson in a Lethal Lockdown match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_69158.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA LOCKDOWN PPV RESULTS 3/10: Live, in-person coverage from San Antonio - Hardy vs. Ray TNA Title match, Lethal Lockdown, more|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> After Bully Ray won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and revealed himself as the president of Aces & Eights later that night, Hulk Hogan blamed Sting, as he had encouraged Hogan to give Ray the title shot, while also encouraging Hogan to support Ray's marriage with his daughter [[Brooke Hogan|Brooke]]. Sting then proceeded to walk out on Hogan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_69310.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 3/14: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact - Lockdown PPV fall-out from Chicago|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_69437.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 3/21: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Impact from Chicago - new #1 contender to TNA Title, two title matches, Lockdown fall-out|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_69573.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 3/28: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Open Fight Night - Hardy vs. Anderson, more|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> Sting returned on the April 25 ''Impact Wrestling'', saving Hogan from an attack by the Aces & Eights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_70226.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 4/25 (Hour 2): Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Impact - Bully-Hogan, title matches|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> The following week, Sting reconciled with Hogan and became the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship later that night after defeating [[Matt Morgan (wrestler)|Matt Morgan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_70339.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 5/2 (Hour 1): Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of Impact - Sabin returns to TV|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_70340.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 5/2 (Hour 2): Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of Impact - Sting vs. Morgan #1 contender match, matches for next week's live Impact|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> On June 2 at [[Slammiversary XI]], Sting unsuccessfully challenged Bully Ray for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a No Holds Barred Match after an interference by Aces & Eights. Per stipulation, Sting would never get another title opportunity again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnappvs/article_71026.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA SLAMMIVERSARY PPV RESULTS (Hour 3): Bully vs. Sting for the TNA World Title, plus Styles vs. Angle|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref>

On the June 13 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sting noted that nobody in the back helped him during his title match, but he would form a New Main Event Mafia to battle the Aces & Eights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_71253.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 6/13: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of BFG Series qualifiers, Sting bringing back Mafia, Rampage Jackson Week 2, more|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> In the following weeks, Sting would recruit Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Magnus, and [[Quinton Jackson|Rampage Jackson]] as members of the New Main Event Mafia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_71423.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 6/20: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of semi-live Impact - BFG Series kick-off, Open Fight Night, Sting takes out Aces & Eights, more|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_71579.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 6/27: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Impact - BFG Series continues, two title matches, Suicide, Joe added to Mafia, Hogan plays principal, more|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TNA_News_1/article_71733.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - TNA NEWS: Impact 7/4 - quick & detailed results for Thursday's Impact taped in Las Vegas|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_71884.shtml|title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT RESULTS 7/11: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Impact from Las Vegas - Rampage Jackson joins Mafia, Dest. X hype, BFG Series gauntlet|website=www.pwtorch.com}}</ref> Before Bound for Glory, MEM member Magnus complained to Sting because of his constant losses. Magnus was told by Sting he had Flair to put him on the map, but Magnus had nobody, so Sting challenged him to a match at Bound for Glory, seemingly as a way to pass the torch. At Bound for Glory, Sting was defeated by Magnus. On the October 31 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Dixie Carter offered to lift the lifetime ban so Sting can get another World title opportunity again by entering him first in a Battle Royal Gauntlet match, which was won by Magnus as Sting attempted to eliminate Kazarian, and Magnus eliminated the both of them. Sting then disbanded The Main Event Mafia after Aces & Eights disbanded, and while other members began to chase their TNA World Heavyweight Championship dreams, Sting started a feud against [[Ethan Carter III]] and Dixie Carter after they began humiliating TNA Legends, like Curry Man and Earl Hebner at the behest of Carter. On the December 12 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Carter was confronted by Sting, and was issued an ultimatum: either face Sting immediately, or enter the Feast or Fired match. Carter entered the Feast or Fired match, and grabbed one of the briefcases. On the December 19 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', the Feast or Fired briefcase revealed to contain a future TNA World Tag Team Championship match, and also led to the firing of [[Chavo Guerrero Jr.|Chavo Guerrero]]. On the January 16, 2014 episode of ''[[Genesis (2014)|Impact Wrestling: Genesis]]'', Sting lost a match to Ethan Carter III, due to interference from the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Magnus and subsequently challenged Magnus to a Title vs. Career match for the January 23 episode of ''Impact Wrestling: Genesis'',<ref name="TitlevCareer">{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_75732.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact results 1/16: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of "Genesis" Impact|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=January 16, 2014|access-date=February 17, 2014|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> which Sting lost, and his TNA contract was terminated as a result.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/tnaimpact/article_75877.shtml|title=Caldwell's TNA Impact results 1/23: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of "Genesis" Night 2 - TNA Title vs. Sting's career, Angle vs. Roode cage match, new X champ, more|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=January 23, 2014|access-date=February 17, 2014|work=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref>

At [[Slammiversary (2022)|Slammiversary]], on June 19, 2022, Sting appeared in a video message to congratulate [[Impact Wrestling]], which had changed its name from TNA in 2017, on their 20th anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/06/aj-styles-more-appear-in-videos-at-slammiversary-2022/|title=AJ Styles & More Appear in Videos at Slammiversary 2022|date=June 19, 2022 |publisher=wrestlinginc|access-date=June 19, 2022}}</ref>

=== WWE (2014–2020)===
==== Pre-debut appearances (2014) ====
Veteran professional wrestling journalist [[Bill Apter]] chronicled Sting's career in a piece for [[WWE]].com on February 19, 2014, wherein he stated that Sting's "best days may still be yet to come".<ref name="apter">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/wcw/behind-the-paint-of-sports-entertainment-icon-sting-26181648 |title=Behind the paint of sports-entertainment icon Sting |author-link=Bill Apter |last=Apter |first=Bill |date=February 19, 2014 |website=[[WWE]] |access-date=April 16, 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221124506/http://www.wwe.com/classics/wcw/behind-the-paint-of-sports-entertainment-icon-sting-26181648 |archive-date=February 21, 2014 }}</ref> He appeared in a [[WWE Network]] production on April 15, 2014, sharing a story of his former tag team partner [[The Ultimate Warrior]], who had recently died.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/85030/warriors-greatest-matches-summary-comments-from-wrestlers-including-hulk-hogan-ricky-steamboat-and-sting-matches-against-ted-dibiase-rick-rude-andre-the-giant-and-more.html|title=Warrior's Greatest Matches summary|last=Trionfo|first=Richard|date=April 15, 2014|website=PWInsider.com
|access-date=April 15, 2014}}</ref> This marked Sting's first non-archive appearance on a WWE-branded show.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sting Appears on WWE Network in Ultimate Warrior Tribute |url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/sting-appears-on-wwe-network-in-ultimate-warrior-tribute/ |website=411Mania |access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref> Sting was a prominent contributor to the documentary film ''Warrior: The Ultimate Legend'', which premiered on the WWE Network on April 17.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/85063/ultimate-warrior-legend-of-the-ultimate-warrior-special-summary.html?p=1|title=ULTIMATE WARRIOR: LEGEND OF THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR SPECIAL SUMMARY|last=Trionfo|first=Richard|date=April 17, 2014|website=PWInsider.com|access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref> The following day, online retailer [[Zavvi (retailer)|Zavvi]] announced the upcoming [[WWE Home Video]] [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray]] release ''The Best of Sting''. The three-disc set released on September 23, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/wwe-sting/10948183.html|title=WWE: Sting Blu-ray|date=April 18, 2014|website=[[Zavvi (retailer)|Zavvi]]|access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref> On July 14, Sting appeared in a vignette on ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' to promote the video game ''[[WWE 2K15]]'', in which he was featured as a pre-order bonus character in both his 'Crow' and 'Surfer' (pre-1996) incarnations. That same day, WWE began selling official Sting merchandise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=86924|title=Lots of Sting updates, including where you will see him next|last=Johnson|first=Mike|date=July 14, 2014|website=PWInsider.com|access-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref> On July 24, Borden made his first public appearance for WWE, in full Sting garb, as a special surprise guest at the 2014 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]. The event was held to announce WWE's upcoming line of [[Mattel]] action figures, in which the company's first-ever Sting figure would appear.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/492373865264603136|title=WWE Universe on Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHdLD_VHBzk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SHdLD_VHBzk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Sting makes an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con 2014|last=WWE|date=July 24, 2014|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Prior to that appearance, Sting gave his first interview with WWE.com, which was released later that day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/videos/sting-discusses-his-current-wwe-relationship-wwecom-exclusive-july-24-2014-26514316|title=Sting discusses his current WWE relationship|date=July 24, 2014|publisher=[[WWE]]|access-date=July 25, 2014|archive-date=August 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802064223/http://www.wwe.com/videos/sting-discusses-his-current-wwe-relationship-wwecom-exclusive-july-24-2014-26514316|url-status=dead}}</ref> On August 4, WWE announced Sting as a guest on the ''WWE 2K15'' "Roster Reveal" panel, which took place on August 16 in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/summerslam/2014/summerslam-confidential-panel-tickets-26495292|title=Get tickets for the SummerSlam Confidential Panels now!|date=August 4, 2014|publisher=[[WWE]]|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref>

==== Feud with The Authority (2014–2015) ====
{{multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center|right|upright|direction=horizontal|width1=200|width2=138|image1=Sting Wrestlemania 31.jpg|image2=Sting March 2015.jpg|footer=Sting in 2015: at [[WrestleMania 31]] (left) and on the March 30 episode of ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' (right)}}
On November 23, during the main event of [[Survivor Series (2014)|Survivor Series]], Sting made his first-ever appearance in a WWE ring by attacking [[Triple H]] with a [[DDT (professional wrestling)#Inverted DDT|Scorpion Death Drop]] and also costing Team [[The Authority (professional wrestling)|Authority]] the match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wweppvs/article_81932.shtml|title=Caldwell's WWE S. Series PPV Results 11/23: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of Team Cena vs. Team Authority, more|publisher=PWTorch|date=November 23, 2014|author=Caldwell, James.}}</ref> On January 19, 2015, Sting made his live ''Raw'' debut by appearing backstage during the main event, before walking to the stage, causing a distraction that cost Authority members [[Big Show]], [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]], and [[Seth Rollins]] their handicap match against [[John Cena]]; this win gave the recently fired [[Dolph Ziggler]], [[Ryback]], and [[Erick Rowan]] their collective jobs back. Triple H then challenged Sting to a face-to-face confrontation on the February 2 episode of ''Raw''. Sting accepted this challenge on the February 9 episode by sending a [[Heath Slater|Sting doppelganger]] into the ring to scare Triple H, after airing a vignette on the big screen accepting Triple H's challenge. Sting and Triple H had a confrontation at [[Fastlane (2015)|Fastlane]] on February 22. Following some slight physicality between the two, Sting pointed to the [[WrestleMania 31]] sign with his baseball bat, issuing a challenge for the event that was accepted by Triple H.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Clapp|first1=John|title=Sting vs. Triple H|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/31/sting-triple-h-27137100|publisher=WWE|access-date=February 23, 2015}}</ref> On the March 16 episode of ''Raw'', Sting made yet another surprise appearance, helping [[Randy Orton]] fight off The Authority. Immediately following the television broadcast on [[USA Network]], Sting spoke for the first time in-ring, the clip of which was then available to view on the WWE Network.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwerawreport/article_83884.shtml|title=CALDWELL'S WWE RAW RESULTS 3/16: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw - Sting makes surprise appearance, U.S. Title contract signing, Lesnar speaks, more|publisher=PWTorch|date=March 16, 2015|author=Caldwell, James.}}</ref> Sting lost at WrestleMania 31 in a match involving interference from members of both [[D-Generation X]] (DX) and the [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|New World Order]] (nWo), but shook hands with Triple H afterward.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Caldwell |first1=James |title=PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S WM31 PPV RESULTS 3/29: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of WWE World Title match, Taker's return, Sting vs. Triple H, Cena vs. Rusev, Rock/UFC surprise, more |url=https://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wweppvs/article_84175.shtml#.VRiyVfmsXbM |website=Pro Wrestling Torch |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref>

Sting returned on the August 24 episode of ''Raw'', challenging Seth Rollins for the [[WWE Championship|WWE World Heavyweight Championship]] at [[Night of Champions (2015)|Night of Champions]]. Sting defeated Big Show by disqualification in his first match on ''Raw'', as a consequence of Rollins attacking Sting. That same night, a second match was booked with John Cena and Sting defeating Show and Rollins. At Night of Champions, Sting was defeated by Rollins and experienced a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Legit|legit]] neck injury after a turnbuckle powerbomb.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/sting-interviewed-about-night-of-champions-injuries-27958909|title=Sting on his injury, his condition and whether or not that was his last match|last=Adkins|first=Greg|date=September 23, 2015|publisher=[[WWE]]|access-date=September 25, 2015|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925134424/http://www.wwe.com/inside/sting-interviewed-about-night-of-champions-injuries-27958909|archive-date=September 25, 2015}}</ref> Sting later told Bill Apter that he does not blame Rollins for his injury, describing the incident as a "freak accident".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Andrew |title=Sting Places Zero Blame On Seth Rollins For His Injury, Says Seth Will Go Down As One Of The Greatest Wrestlers {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/sting-places-zero-blame-seth-rollins-his-injury-says-seth-will-go-down-one-greatest-wrestlers |website=Fightful |access-date=8 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Hall of Fame and first retirement (2016–2020) ====
It was announced on the January 11, 2016, episode of ''Raw'' that Sting would be the first member of the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] [[WWE Hall of Fame (2016)|Class of 2016]]. Sting ultimately reneged on having surgery; on March 22, 2016, he explained that he felt "completely normal" and had none of the side effects commonly associated with cervical spinal stenosis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/article/sting-interview-retirement-exclusive?sf22959606=1|title=Exclusive interview: Sting on the Hall of Fame, his WWE experience and whether he has competed in his final match|last=Pappolla|first=Ryan|date=March 22, 2016|publisher=[[WWE]]|access-date=March 26, 2016}}</ref> On April 2, during his WWE Hall of Fame induction speech, Sting announced his first retirement from professional wrestling.<ref name="retirement"/> He appeared at [[WrestleMania 32]], alongside his fellow 2016 inductees, the following night.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prowrestling.net/site/2016/04/03/powells-wrestlemania-32-live-review-undertaker-vs-shane-mcmahon-in-a-hell-in-a-cell-match-triple-h-vs-roman-reigns-for-the-wwe-championship-brock-lesnar-vs-dean-ambrose-in-a-street-fight-char/|title=Powell's WrestleMania 32 live review|last=Powell|first=Jason|date=April 3, 2016|publisher=ProWrestling.net|access-date=October 11, 2016}}</ref>

In August 2016, Sting appeared on the WWE Network show ''Legends with [[John Layfield|JBL]]'' and talked about his career. He also stated that he had still not undergone surgery, which would definitively end his career, and he still held hope for a match with The Undertaker, claiming that such a match is his "unfinished business" in wrestling.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/411s-legends-with-jbl-sting-report/|title=411's Legends with JBL: Sting Report|date=August 19, 2016|last=Leighty|first=Robert Jr.|work=411MANIA|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> However, the match would never happen as despite Sting pitching the idea for a [[cinematic match]] with The Undertaker, it was never approved, and The Undertaker himself [[Survivor Series (2020)|officially retired in 2020]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Conway |first1=Tyler |title=Sting Pushed for Cinematic Match vs. The Undertaker in WWE Before Joining AEW |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2923971-sting-pushed-for-cinematic-match-vs-the-undertaker-in-wwe-before-joining-aew |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=20 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

On the February 25, 2019, episode of ''Raw'', Sting made his first appearance on WWE television since 2016 for the 70th birthday celebration of Ric Flair, but Flair was attacked by [[Dave Bautista|Batista]] before he could make it to the ring. This would end up being Sting's final appearance for the company, other than interviews recorded for WWE Network.<ref>{{cite web|title=WWE RAW REPORT: GOOD NEWS FROM ROMAN REIGNS, ARE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS THE NEW CONTRACT SIGNINGS?, A REUNION?, AND MORE|url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=124452&p=3|publisher=PWInsider|access-date=February 25, 2019}}</ref>

In May 2020, it was reported that Sting was no longer under WWE contract.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sting No Longer Under WWE Contract
|url=https://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/sting-no-longer-under-wwe-contract/|work=Pro Wrestling Sheet|last=Satin|first=Ryan|author-link=Ryan Satin|date=May 12, 2020|access-date=May 12, 2020}}</ref> In October 2020, WWE stopped selling Sting merchandise and pulled his page from WWE Shop.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/10/wwe-pulls-all-merchandise-for-sting-676430/|title=WWE Pulls All Merchandise For Sting|first=Mark|last=Middleton|publisher=Wrestling Inc.|date=October 30, 2020|access-date=October 31, 2020}}</ref>

=== All Elite Wrestling (2020–present) ===

==== Teaming with Darby Allin (2020–2023) ====
[[Image:Darby Allin in 2019 (cropped).jpg|thumb|200px|Throughout his time in AEW, Sting was paired with [[Darby Allin]]. On-screen, the two were portrayed as mentor and protégé. The team went undefeated, winning the [[AEW World Tag Team Championship]] once with Sting retiring as champion.]]
On December 2, 2020, Sting made his [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW) debut after a tag team match that pitted [[Cody Rhodes]] and [[Darby Allin]] against [[Powerhouse Hobbs]] and [[Ricky Starks]] at [[Winter Is Coming (2020)|''Dynamite'': Winter Is Coming]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2020/12/02/12-02-aew-dynamite-results-barnetts-live-review-of-jon-moxley-vs-kenny-omega-for-the-aew-world-championship-dynamite-diamond-battle-royal-chris-jericho-vs-frankie-kazarian-darby-allin-and/|title=12/02 AEW Dynamite results: Barnett's live review of Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship, Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal, Chris Jericho vs. Frankie Kazarian, Darby Allin and Cody Rhodes vs. Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks, Britt Baker vs. Leyla Hirsch|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|first=Jake|last=Barnett|date=December 2, 2020|access-date=December 3, 2020}}</ref> This marked his first appearance on [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] since the final episode of ''Nitro'' in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Douglas |first1=Martin |title=Winter is Here: AEW Dynamite Recap |url=https://www.fanbyte.com/entertainment/wrestling/winter-is-here-aew-dynamite-recap/ |website=Fanbyte |access-date=25 September 2022 |date=3 December 2020}}</ref> It was later announced that Sting had officially signed a multi-year contract with AEW.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/aew-news/sting-debuts-aew-winter-coming-signs-multi-year-deal-326571|title=Sting debuts at AEW Winter is Coming, signs multi-year deal|work=[[Figure Four Online]]|first=Josh|last=Nason|date=December 2, 2020|access-date=December 2, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:20230122muta.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Sting standing behind [[Keiji Muto|the Great Muta]] in January 2023. Muta made the save on him and [[Darby Allin]] at [[AEW Grand Slam (2022)|''Rampage'': Grand Slam]], owing to their appearance at [[The Great Muta Final "Bye-Bye"]]]]
Sting's first match with AEW took place at [[Revolution (2021)|Revolution]] teaming with Darby Allin and defeating [[Team Taz]] ([[Brian Cage]] and [[Ricky Starks]]) in a [[Street fight (professional wrestling)|Street Fight]], which was [[Professional wrestling match types#Cinematic match|pre-taped on location]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brookhouse |first1=Brent |title=2021 AEW Revolution results, recap, grades: Deathmatch ends on flat note, ex-WWE star makes stunning debut |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/2021-aew-revolution-results-recap-grades-deathmatch-ends-on-flat-note-ex-wwe-star-makes-stunning-debut/live/ |website=CBS Sports |date=March 8, 2021 |access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref>

Sting and Allin kept working as a tag team. Sting had initially planned to only appear in cinematic matches for AEW, but Allin convinced him to compete in live events beginning with Double or Nothing, which was his first live match in front of a crowd since WWE Night of Champions in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Subhojeet |title=Sting Initially Signed With AEW To Do Cinematic Matches |url=https://www.ringsidenews.com/2022/08/30/sting-initially-signed-with-aew-to-do-cinematic-matches/ |website=Ringside News |access-date=25 September 2022 |date=30 August 2022}}</ref> They also defeated  the team of [[Scorpio Sky]] and [[Ethan Page]] at AEW's marquee event [[Double or Nothing (2021)|Double or Nothing]].<ref name="DoN2021">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=AEW Double Or Nothing results: Powell's live review of Kenny Omega vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Pac for the AEW Championship, Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker for the AEW Women's Title, Miro vs. Lance Archer for the TNT Title, The Young Bucks vs. Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston for the AEW Tag Titles, The Pinnacle vs. The Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2021/05/30/aew-double-or-nothing-results-powells-live-review-of-kenny-omega-vs-orange-cassidy-vs-pac-for-the-aew-championship-hikaru-shida-vs-britt-baker-for-the-aew-womens-title-miro-vs-lance-archer/|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|date=May 30, 2021|access-date=May 30, 2021}}</ref> He also worked on multi-man tag team matches on special TV episodes and PPVs, like [[Holiday Bash (2021)|''Dynamite'': Holiday Bash]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wilkinson |first1=Matthew |title=AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash Results – CM Punk Teams With Sting & Darby Allin, Kyle O'Reilly Debuts |url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/12/aew-dynamite-holiday-bash-results-kyle-oreilly-debuts-six-man-tag/ |website=Wrestling Inc. |date=December 22, 2021 |access-date=23 June 2022 |language=en-us}}</ref> [[Revolution (2022)|Revolution]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brookhouse |first1=Brent |title=2022 AEW Revolution results, recap, grades: Adam Page outlasts Adam Cole to retain world title |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/2022-aew-revolution-results-recap-grades-adam-page-outlasts-adam-cole-to-retain-world-title/live/ |website=CBSSports.com |date=March 7, 2022 |access-date=23 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref> [[Forbidden Door (2022)|AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pulido |first1=Luis |title=AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Results (6/26/22): Moxley vs Tanahashi for Interim AEW Championship + More {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/results/aew-x-njpw-forbidden-door-results-6262022-moxley-vs-tanahashi-interim-aew-title-more |website=www.fightful.com |access-date=27 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref> and [[All Out (2022)|All Out]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mueller |first1=Doc-Chris |title=AEW All Out 2022 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10047640-aew-all-out-2022-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=25 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> At [[AEW Grand Slam (2022)|''Rampage'': Grand Slam]], Sting and Darby Allin defeated the House of Black (King and Matthews). During the Grand Slam match, Sting's long-time in-ring rival [[Keiji Muto|The Great Muta]] made a surprise appearance to rescue Sting from an attack by Matthews.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Tyler |title=Sting Talks About Great Muta After His Surprise Appearance At AEW Grand Slam |url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1024207/sting-talks-about-great-muta-after-his-surprise-appearance-at-aew-grand-slam/ |website=Wrestling Inc. |access-date=17 February 2023 |date=25 September 2022}}</ref>

As result, Sting then took part in [[The Great Muta Final "Bye-Bye"]] on January 22, 2023, marking Sting's only [[Pro Wrestling Noah]] appearance where he teamed with Allin and Muta in Muta's final match.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Bryan |date=January 22, 2023 |title=Keiji Muto wrestles final match as The Great Muta at Great Muta Final Bye-Bye |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/japan/keiji-muto-wrestles-final-match-as-the-great-muta-at-great-muta-final-bye-bye |access-date=22 January 2023 |website=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|language=en}}</ref> Sting, Allin, and Muta defeated [[Akira Nogami|Akira]], [[Jinsei Shinzaki|Hakushi]], and [[Naomichi Marufuji]] in a trios match.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fritts |first1=Chick |date=January 22, 2023 |title=Great Muta Final Bye-Bye live results: Muta, Sting & Darby Allin trios match |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/japan/great-muta-final-bye-bye-live-results-muta-sting-darby-allin-trios-match |access-date=22 January 2023 |website=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|language=en}}</ref>

At [[Forbidden Door (2023)|Forbidden Door]] on June 25, 2023, Sting, Allin, and [[Tetsuya Naito]] defeated the team of [[Chris Jericho]], Sammy Guevara, and [[Minoru Suzuki]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mueller |first1=Doc-Chris |title=AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2023 Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10080579-aew-x-njpw-forbidden-door-2023-results-winners-live-grades-reaction-highlights |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=26 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

In the summer of 2023, Sting and Allin entered into a feud with the [[Mogul Embassy]] stable, after Allin's longtime friend [[AR Fox]] turned heel, attacked Allin, and joined Allin's rival [[Swerve Strickland]] in the group on the July 26 ''Dynamite''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McMahon |first1=Chad |title=AEW Dynamite: AR Fox Betrays Darby Allin, WWE, Joins Mogul Embassy |url=https://bleedingcool.com/tv/aew-dynamite-ar-fox-betrays-darby-allin-wwe-joins-mogul-embassy/ |website=bleedingcool.com |access-date=18 August 2023 |language=en |date=27 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rueter |first1=Sean |title=Darby Allin loses a mentor while Swerve Strickland gains a teammate |url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/2023/7/26/23809350/ar-fox-heel-turn-aew-dynamite-video-gif-screws-darby-allin-joins-swerve-strickland-mogul-embassy |website=Cageside Seats |access-date=18 August 2023 |language=en |date=26 July 2023}}</ref>  Sting appeared as his "Joker" persona on the August 16 ''Dynamite'' in a segment featuring Mogul Embassy member [[Prince Nana]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gibbon |first1=Aiden |title=Joker Sting Returns On AEW Dynamite |url=https://cultaholic.com/posts/joker-sting-returns-on-aew-dynamite |website=Cultaholic Wrestling |access-date=18 August 2023 |language=en |date=17 August 2023}}</ref> The next day, Sting and Allin made a surprise appearance at a World Wrestling Alliance 4 show in Atlanta to attack Fox.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Renner |first1=Ethan |title=Sting & Darby Allin make surprise appearance at indie show - WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, AEW News, AEW results |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/sting-darby-allin-make-surprise-appearance-at-indie-show |website=Wrestling Observer Newsletter |date=August 17, 2023 |access-date=18 August 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Sting, Allin, and [[Nick Wayne]] saved Fox from an attack by Strickland and [[Brian Cage]] on the August 23 ''Dynamite'' after Fox was fired from Mogul Embassy, and Allin and Fox reconciled.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rueter |first1=Sean |title=AEW writes AR Fox out of All In as Christian resumes his war on dads |url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/2023/8/23/23843755/swerve-strickland-fires-ar-fox-all-in-change-christian-cage-targets-nick-wayne-dead-dad-darby-allin |website=Cageside Seats |access-date=24 August 2023 |language=en |date=23 August 2023}}</ref> Sting (with his "Joker" persona) and Allin defeated Strickland and [[Christian Cage]] in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Casket match|coffin match]] at [[All In: London (2023)|All In: London]] on August 27, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Prashad |first1=Raj |title=Sting And Darby Allin Won The Coffin Match At AEW All In |url=https://uproxx.com/sports/aew-all-in-sting-results-highlights/ |website=UPROXX |access-date=27 August 2023 |date=27 August 2023}}</ref>

In the fall of 2023, Sting and Allin feuded with Christian Cage and [[Luchasaurus]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tessier |first1=Colin |title=Darby Allin & Sting To Face Christian Cage & Luchasaurus On Two-Hour AEW Rampage: Grand Slam On 9/22 {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/darby-allin-sting-face-christian-cage-luchasaurus-two-hour-aew-rampage-grand-slam-922 |website=Fightful |access-date=19 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> At [[WrestleDream (2023)|WrestleDream]] on October 1, Wayne betrayed Sting and Allin and joined Cage's group.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tessier |first1=Colin |title=Nick Wayne Betrays Darby Allin, Helps Christian Cage Retain TNT Title At AEW WrestleDream {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/nick-wayne-betrays-darby-allin-helps-christian-cage-retain-tnt-title-aew-wrestledream |website=Fightful |access-date=19 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Sting and Allin were then attacked by Cage, Luchasaurus, and Wayne, but were saved by [[Edge (wrestler)|Adam Copeland]] in his AEW debut.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lambert |first1=Jeremy |title=Adam Copeland (Edge) Debuts At AEW WrestleDream, Is Officially All Elite {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/adam-copeland-edge-debuts-aew-wrestledream-officially-all-elite |website=Fightful |access-date=19 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==== Final matches and second retirement (2023–2024)====
[[File:Sting and Ric Flair at AEW Rampage, November 29, 2023.jpg|thumb|Sting (left) and [[Ric Flair]] (right) doing a promo during ''[[AEW Rampage|Rampage]]'' at the [[Target Center]] in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]] on November 29, 2023]]
On the October 18, 2023, episode of ''Dynamite'', Sting announced that he would be retiring from in-ring competition in 2024, with his final match to be held at [[Revolution (2024)|Revolution]] on March 3 that year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Upton |first1=Felix |title=Sting Sets Date For His Retirement Match During 10/18 AEW Dynamite |url=https://www.ringsidenews.com/2023/10/18/sting-sets-date-for-his-retirement-match-during-10-18-aew-dynamite/ |website=Ringside News |access-date=19 October 2023 |date=19 October 2023}}</ref> On the October 25 episode of ''Dynamite'', Sting's longtime NWA and WCW rival Ric Flair made his debut for AEW as a surprise gift from AEW co-owner and president [[Tony Khan]], with Flair saying he would be in Sting's corner for his final match.<ref name="flair">{{cite web |last1=Russell |first1=Skylar |title=Ric Flair Appears On 10/25 AEW Dynamite, Says He Wants To Be Along For Sting's Retirement Tour {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/sting-s-gift-aew-tony-khan |website=Fightful |access-date=26 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Sting, Allin, and Copeland then defeated Cage, Wayne, and Luchasaurus in a six-man tag team match at [[Full Gear (2023)|Full Gear]] on November 18.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beaston |first1=Erik |title=AEW Full Gear 2023 Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10097266-aew-full-gear-2023-results-winners-live-grades-reaction-and-highlights |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=19 November 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

On the February 7, 2024, episode of ''Dynamite'', Sting and Allin defeated [[Ricky Starks]] and [[W. Morrissey|Big Bill]] to win the [[AEW World Tag Team Championship]]. This marked Sting's first championship since his final run with the [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]] in 2011. After winning the tag team title, Sting and Allin were attacked by The Young Bucks (now individually preferring to be called Matthew and Nicholas Jackson).<ref name="tagchamp">{{cite web |last1=Lambert |first1=Jeffrey |title=Sting And Darby Allin Win AEW Tag Team Titles On 2/7 AEW Dynamite, Young Bucks Ruin Celebration {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/sting-and-darby-allin-win-aew-tag-team-titles-27-aew-dynamite-young-bucks-ruin-celebration |website=Fightful |access-date=8 February 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The Young Bucks then became the number one contenders for the title, with Sting and Allin scheduled to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against them in a [[tornado tag team match]] at Revolution for Sting's [[retirement match]].<ref name="Dynamite02142024">{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/02/14/aew-dynamite-results-2-14-powells-live-review-of-orange-cassidy-vs-matt-taven-in-a-texas-death-match-adam-copeland-vs-daniel-garcia-for-a-shot-at-the-tnt-title-young-bucks-vs-top-flight/|title=AEW Dynamite results (2/14): Powell's live review of Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Taven in a Texas Death Match, Adam Copeland vs. Daniel Garcia for a shot at the TNT Title, Young Bucks vs. Top Flight|date=February 14, 2024|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=February 14, 2024}}</ref>

Sting and Allin defeated The Young Bucks in Sting's final match at Revolution to retain their tag team titles.<ref name="cbs1">{{cite web |last1=Mahjouri |first1=Shakiel |title=2024 AEW Revolution results, recap, grades: Sting wins retirement match in chaotic main event |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/2024-aew-revolution-results-recap-grades-sting-wins-retirement-match-in-chaotic-main-event/live/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=4 March 2024 |language=en |date=4 March 2024}}</ref> Sting won the match for his team after Matthew Jackson submitted to the Scorpion Death Lock.<ref name="cbs1"/> The Revolution event that included the match was held at the [[Greensboro Coliseum Complex|Greenboro Coliseum]] in [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], where Sting had fought Flair to a 45-minute time-limit draw at [[Clash of the Champions I]] in 1988.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lambert |first1=Jeremy |last2=Ross Sapp |first2=Sean |title=AEW Revolution 2024, home of Sting's retirement match, to take place in Greensboro, NC on March 3 |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/aew-revolution-2024-home-sting-s-retirement-match-take-place-greensboro-nc-march-3 |website=Fightful |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref> The match featured [[Ricky Steamboat]] as guest timekeeper, and run-ins from Flair and Sting's sons Garrett and Steven Jr., who were dressed as their father's Surfer and Wolfpac personas.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Varble |first1=Aaron |title=AEW Revolution 2024: Sting Picks Up Win In Final Match To Retire A Champion |url=https://www.sescoops.com/aew/aew-revolution-2024-sting-picks-up-win-in-final-match-to-retire-a-champion |website=SE Scoops |access-date=4 March 2024 |language=en |date=4 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Bryan |title=AEW Revolution media scrum notes: Sting talks final match & his future |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-revolution-media-scrum-notes-sting-talks-final-match-his-future |website=WON/F4W |access-date=4 March 2024 |language=en |date=4 March 2024}}</ref> Several of Sting's former WCW and NWA colleagues attended the match, including [[Nikita Koloff]], [[Lex Luger]], [[Magnum T.A.]], and [[Diamond Dallas Page]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tessier |first1=Colin |title=Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, DDP, Lex Luger, More Attend AEW Revolution For Sting's Final Match {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/magnum-ta-nikita-koloff-ddp-lex-luger-more-attend-aew-revolution-sting-s-final-match |website=Fightful |access-date=4 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

Sting retired with an undefeated record in AEW, having won all 29 matches he competed in for the promotion.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Defelice |first1=Robert |title=Sting Retires Undefeated In AEW, He And Darby Allin Defeat The Young Bucks At AEW Revolution 2024 {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/sting-retires-undefeated-aew-he-and-darby-allin-defeat-young-bucks-aew-revolution-2024 |website=Fightful |access-date=4 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref> As a result of Sting's retirement, the AEW World Tag Team Championship was vacated, ending he and Allin's reign at 25 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/tony-khan-announces-aew-world-tag-titles-will-be-vacated-multi-bracket-tournament-will-crown-new|title=Tony Khan Announces AEW World Tag Titles Will Be Vacated, Multi-Bracket Tournament Will Crown New Champions|date=March 4, 2024|last=Defelice|first=Robert|work=Fightful|access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref> At the post-show [[media scrum]], Sting expressed interest in having talks about staying in AEW in a non-wrestling role but was not interested in becoming a [[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] or an [[Road agent (professional wrestling)|agent]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mukherjee |first=Subhojeet |date=March 4, 2024 |title=Sting Clarifies Future Plans in AEW After Retirement |url=https://www.ringsidenews.com/2024/03/04/sting-clarifies-future-plans-in-aew-after-retirement/ |access-date=March 5, 2024 |website=Ringside News |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Sporadic appearances (2024–present) ====
At [[All In (2024)|All In]] on August 25, 2024, Sting made his first post-retirement appearance. After Darby Allin had lost his Coffin match to [[Jack Perry]], The Elite (Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, and Perry) were about to set the coffin that Allin was in on fire. Sting then made a surprise appearance to save Allin and took out The Elite, hitting a double Scorpion Deathdrop on the Jacksons before freeing Allin from the coffin.<ref name="AllIn2024">{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/08/25/aew-all-in-results-powells-live-review-of-swerve-strickland-vs-bryan-danielson-for-the-aew-world-championship-toni-storm-vs-mariah-may-for-the-aew-womens-championship/|title=AEW All In results: Powell's live review of Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship, Toni Storm vs. Mariah May for the AEW Women's Championship|first=Jason|last=Powell|work=[[Pro Wrestling Dot Net]]|date=August 25, 2024|access-date=August 25, 2024}}</ref> In October 2024, Sting announced that he had signed a new, multi-year, non-wrestling contract with AEW, giving the promotion the allowance to sell Sting merchandise, as well as allow Sting to make sporadic appearances at AEW events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sting: I Signed A Multi-Year Deal With AEW. It's Not To Wrestle Anymore, It's Like A Licensing Deal {{!}} Fightful News |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/stin-i-signed-multi-year-deal-aew-it-s-not-wrestle-anymore-it-s-licensing-deal |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=www.fightful.com |language=en}}</ref> At [[WrestleDream (2025)|WrestleDream]] on October 18, 2025, Sting came to the aid of Darby Allin during Allin's [["I Quit" match]] against [[Jon Moxley]], hitting [[Claudio Castagnoli]] and [[Pac (wrestler)|PAC]] with the bat, before ultimately removing [[Marina Shafir]] from ringside.

== Legacy and influence ==
[[File:Sting flair big gold.jpg|thumb|right|Sting with long time on-screen rival and real life friend [[Ric Flair]]]]

Sting is widely regarded as the greatest performer in WCW history.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pantaleo|first=Steve|date=2015|title=WWE Ultimate Superstar Guide|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|page=177|isbn=978-1465431240}}</ref> Former rival [[Hulk Hogan]] asserted that Sting should be mentioned in any conversation regarding the top 10 greatest pro wrestlers of all time;<ref name="bojorquez" /> numerous outlets have placed him in such listings.{{#tag:ref|See:<ref name="ign">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/top-50-wrestlers-of-all-time?page=5 |title=Top 50 Wrestlers of All Time |date=November 2, 2012 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=May 21, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923115236/http://www.ign.com/articles/top-50-wrestlers-of-all-time?page=5 |archive-date=September 23, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLcom/STLSports/STLMMAWrestling/tabid/256/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6180/Top-50-Greatest-Professional-Wrestlers.aspx |title=Top 50 Greatest Professional Wrestlers |last=Mareno |first=Ace |date=February 18, 2011 |website=[[KWUL (AM)|InsideSTL]] |publisher=[[CBS Sports Radio]] |access-date=June 23, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623131205/http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLcom/STLSports/STLMMAWrestling/tabid/256/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6180/Top-50-Greatest-Professional-Wrestlers.aspx |archive-date=June 23, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Top-10-Wrestlers-of-All-Time-/10000000205161756/g.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021949/http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Top-10-Wrestlers-of-All-Time-/10000000205161756/g.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 17, 2015|title=Top 10 Wrestlers of All Time|date=April 30, 2015|publisher=[[eBay]]|access-date=November 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/lists/20-greatest-wrestlers-all-time|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515042608/http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/lists/20-greatest-wrestlers-all-time|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 15, 2010|title=20 Greatest Wrestlers of All Time|date=2010|publisher=[[Smosh]]|access-date=May 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/ask-411-03-15-06-the-ultimate-dusty-finish-a-few-corrections-and-just-how-great-was-sting/|title=The Ultimate Dusty Finish, A Few Corrections, and Just How Great WAS Sting?|last=Napier|first=Gavin|date=March 15, 2006|publisher=411Mania|access-date=September 26, 2015|quote=I'd have a hard time putting [Sting] in the top five of all time, but he'd easily make my top ten.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926151308/http://411mania.com/wrestling/ask-411-03-15-06-the-ultimate-dusty-finish-a-few-corrections-and-just-how-great-was-sting/|archive-date=September 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016/07/26/wwe-wcw-ecw-100-best-wrestlers-all-time|title=Ranking the top 101 wrestlers of all time |last=Winkie|first=Luke|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=July 26, 2016|access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} [[Digital Spy]] writer Mayer Nissim commended Sting's ability to constantly evolve his [[Gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] while fellow [[franchise player]]s Hulk Hogan and John Cena largely failed to do so, in order to maintain spectator interest.<ref name="ds" /> Borden is known for his charity work,<ref name="hornbaker">{{cite book|last=Hornbaker|first=Tim|date=2007|title=National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|page=343|isbn=978-1550227413|quote=He is known for his charity work, and even if he were to never step into the ring again, his time as a wrestling hero will be remembered by the 'Little Stingers' who followed him every step of the way.}}</ref> once regarding his involvement with the [[Make-A-Wish Foundation|Make-A-Wish]] and [[Starlight Children's Foundation]]s as his "most fulfilling activity".<ref name="StingWCWbio" /> Prior to his signing with WWE, Sting's legacy was perpetuated by the organization. It hailed him as "one of sports-entertainment's elite",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/sting |title=Sting (pre-debut) |website=Wayback Machine |publisher=WWE |access-date=May 3, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503225407/http://www.wwe.com/superstars/sting |archive-date=May 3, 2012 }}</ref> and ranked him at number one in listings of the greatest wrestlers to never perform in WWE,<ref>[http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-greatest-never-in-wwe/page-11 The 10 Greatest Wrestlers to Never Wrestle in WWE]. WWE. June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.</ref> and the greatest stars in WCW history.<ref>[http://www.wwe.com/classics/wcw/50-greatest-wcw-stars/page-51 The 50 Greatest Stars in WCW History: Sting]. WWE. Retrieved May 24, 2012.</ref> In 2013, the company named Sting's WCW World Heavyweight Championship contest against [[Diamond Dallas Page]], on April 26, 1999, as the greatest match ever aired on WCW's flagship ''[[WCW Monday Nitro|Monday Nitro]]'' program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/20-greatest-wcw-matches/page-2|title=The 20 greatest WCW matches of all time|last=Powers|first=Kevin|date=January 22, 2013|publisher=WWE|access-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref> At [[Night of Champions (2013)|Night of Champions 2013]], WWE organized a viewer poll to determine the greatest [[WWE United States Championship|United States Champion]] of all time: Sting, a two-time champion, beat out the other four contenders – all [[WWE Hall of Fame]]rs – in a [[landslide victory]] with 53% of the overall vote.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130919044446/http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2013/wwe-universe-votes-for-greatest-champions-26148649 The WWE Universe's picks for best champions ever]. WWE. September 15, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.</ref> In regard to Sting's creative handling after he signed with WWE, ''PWInsider'' editor [[Dave Scherer]] wrote that "he really represented WCW so he was never going to get that [legend] treatment".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/108328/reading-vince-mcmahons-mind-aj-getting-into-the-title-match-miz-vs-cena-and-more.html?p=1|title=Reading Vince McMahon's mind, AJ getting into the title match, Miz vs. Cena and more|last=Scherer|first=Dave|date=March 15, 2017|website=PWInsider|access-date=March 18, 2017}}</ref>

Sting was the inaugural inductee into the [[TNA Hall of Fame]]. TNA president Dixie Carter credits Sting with being the major wrestling superstar that TNA needed to establish itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/tna-news/33328-press-release-tna-makes-history-at-slammiversary|title=Press release: TNA makes history at Slammiversary|publisher=WrestleView|date=June 12, 2012|author=Martin, Adam}}</ref> The company describes him as having had an "unparalleled career" and as being a legend who surpasses time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.impactwrestling.com/TNA-Alumni/item/1561-sting |title=Sting |publisher=TNA Wrestling |access-date=January 5, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421041811/http://www.impactwrestling.com/TNA-Alumni/item/1561-sting |archive-date=April 21, 2014 }}</ref>

Sting was regarded by colleagues in WCW as a professional and well-respected locker room leader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/stings-light-wwe-dvd-boring-muted-experience-200611 |title=Sting's 'Into The Light' WWE DVD is a boring, muted experience |last=Cox |first=James |date=November 1, 2015 |website=Figure Four Weekly |publisher=[[Wayback Machine]] |access-date=November 7, 2015 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107175547/http://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/stings-light-wwe-dvd-boring-muted-experience-200611 |archive-date=November 7, 2015 }}</ref> Prominent adversary [[Big Van Vader]] felt that Sting had unsurpassed athletic prowess within the business, and "ranks right up at the top" as an in-ring performer.<ref name="ds"/> [[Ric Flair]] called Sting his greatest opponent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Torch_Flashbacks_19/article_84099.shtml|title=MNW Flashback|last=Powell|first=Jason|date=March 26, 2015|website=[[Wade Keller#Pro Wrestling Torch|Pro Wrestling Torch]]|access-date=March 31, 2017}}</ref> Former rival Diamond Dallas Page, commenting on Sting's entry into WWE in 2014, said: "Everyone there grew up watching him... No one did it better than Sting, nobody".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alternativenation.net/jim-ross-ddp-lilian-garcia-preview-wwe-survivor-series |title=Jim Ross, DDP & Lilian Garcia Preview WWE Survivor Series |date=November 22, 2014 |website=Alternative Nation |publisher=[[Wayback Machine]] |access-date=November 25, 2014 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125220944/http://www.alternativenation.net/jim-ross-ddp-lilian-garcia-preview-wwe-survivor-series |archive-date=November 25, 2014 }}</ref>

[[John Cena]] mimicked Sting's hairstyle in his younger years and recalled, "he was my guy";<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ga6d-jtEns&t=24s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/4Ga6d-jtEns |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=A special look at Sting|date=February 23, 2015|publisher=WWE|access-date=May 22, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="gsot90s">''Greatest Stars of the 90s''. [[WWE Home Video]]. 2009.<br/>John Cena: "To see Sting win that match [vs. Ric Flair at The Great American Bash (1990)], obviously, as a kid I was going nuts: he was my guy."<br/>Jeff Hardy: We went to see WCW in Fayetteville. There was this one moment, man, a changing moment in my life, when I reached out and I touched Sting... I was like, 'Wow, I wanna be that guy'."</ref> [[Seth Rollins]] would dress up as Sting in his youth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/97021/why-getting-in-the-ring-with-sting-was-unfathomable-could-we-be-looking-at-a-60-minute-seth-rollins-match-soon-more-wwe-world-heavyweight-champ-seth-rollins-on-pwinsidertv.html|title=WWE World Heavyweight Champ Seth Rollins on PWInsiderTV|last=Johnson|first=Mike|date=October 5, 2015|website=PWInsider|access-date=October 6, 2015}}</ref> [[Tommy Dreamer]] told how he "wanted to be Sting"<ref>{{cite episode|title=Brandi Rhodes & Nick Aldis Join the Show|url=https://podbay.fm/podcast/1463861548/e/1579891862|access-date=February 9, 2020|series=Busted Open|network=[[Sirius XM]]|date=January 24, 2020|minutes=9}}</ref>—a sentiment shared by [[Jeff Hardy]].<ref name="gsot90s"/> [[Cody Rhodes]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/wcw/cody-rhodes-growing-up-wcw-26138473/page-4 |title=Growing up WCW |last1=Rhodes |first1=Cody |last2=Linder |first2=Zach |date=August 8, 2013 |publisher=[[WWE]] |access-date=July 18, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811161126/http://www.wwe.com/classics/wcw/cody-rhodes-growing-up-wcw-26138473/page-4 |archive-date=August 11, 2013 }}</ref> and [[Shelton Benjamin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2004/05/03/shelton-benjamin-interview?page=3|title=Shelton Benjamin Interview|last=Robinson|first=Jon|date=May 3, 2004|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=July 18, 2015}}</ref> named him their favorite childhood wrestler, while [[Tyson Kidd]] professed to being "a huge Sting fan as a kid".<ref name="light">''Sting: Into the Light''. [[WWE Home Video]]. 2015.<br/>Bill Goldberg: "I looked up to [Sting]."<br/>Tyson Kidd: "I was a huge Sting fan as a kid."</ref> He was also a prominent influence on industry veterans [[Kurt Angle]],<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Kurt Angle pt 1|series=Vince Russo's The Brand|network=PodcastOne|date=April 22, 2016|quote=I learned a lot from Sting. He's the guy I wanted to be like.}}</ref> [[Bill Goldberg]],<ref name="light"/> [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alternativenation.net/interview-kane-discusses-triple-h-sting-undertaker-daniel-bryan-see-no-evil-2/ |title=Kane Discusses Triple H, Sting, Undertaker, Daniel Bryan & See No Evil 2 |date=October 16, 2014 |publisher=Alternative Nation |access-date=October 31, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018125206/http://www.alternativenation.net/interview-kane-discusses-triple-h-sting-undertaker-daniel-bryan-see-no-evil-2/ |archive-date=October 18, 2014 }}</ref> [[AJ Styles|A. J. Styles]]<ref name="bojorquez"/> and [[Dustin Rhodes|Dustin Rhodes/Goldust]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/sting-inside-the-ring-rivals-allies-27149066/page-3 |title=Goldust on Sting's influence |date=March 2, 2015 |publisher=[[WWE]] |access-date=November 7, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304151003/http://www.wwe.com/inside/sting-inside-the-ring-rivals-allies-27149066/page-3 |archive-date=March 4, 2015 }}</ref> [[Bray Wyatt]] said that he "''really'' would like to take on" Sting, adding: "I have to have [that] before I die; I don't care if it happens outside a [[Waffle House]], somewhere."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G6n5Q9e038&t=14m33s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/4G6n5Q9e038 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Bray Wyatt on Facing Undertaker at WWE WrestleMania 31, Getting Lost in Thoughts|date=March 28, 2015|publisher=Between The Ropes|access-date=July 26, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Sting's comeback run with AEW was acclaimed by wrestling journalists, with some expressing surprise at his predilection for high-flying [[List of professional wrestling terms#S|spots]] despite his age.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dator |first1=James |title=Sting is 62 years old and threw himself off a stage and through a table |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2022/1/20/22893183/sting-aew-table-jump-stage-video |website=SBNation.com |access-date=8 October 2022 |language=en |date=20 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Valentine |first1=Evan |title=Watch: AEW Forbidden Door Sees Sting Make Flashy Entrance |url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/aew-forbidden-door-sting-amazing-entrance-watch/ |website=WWE |date=June 27, 2022 |access-date=8 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Lauren Theisen of ''[[Defector Media|Defector]]'' observed, "In the two-dozen or so matches he performed in front of live fans for the company, Sting became something of a reincarnated daredevil, taking as many cues from [Darby] Allin's stuntshow fearlessness as the younger man was supposed to be taking from him."<ref name="Theisen">{{cite web |last1=Theisen |first1=Lauren |title=Sting Went Out Crazier Than He Came In {{!}} Defector |url=https://defector.com/sting-went-out-crazier-than-he-came-in |website=Defector |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=en |date=4 March 2024}}</ref> Justin Henry of Cultaholic compared Sting's work on 2021's [[Double or Nothing (2021)|Double or Nothing]] as similar to his championship match against [[Ric Flair]] at 1990's [[The Great American Bash (1990)|Great American Bash]], in which he was also working following recovery from a serious injury.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Henry |first1=Justin |title=How Sting's Ageless AEW Comeback Parallels His 1990 Triumph Over Ric Flair |url=https://cultaholic.com/posts/how-sting-s-ageless-aew-comeback-parallels-his-1990-triumph-over-ric-flair |website=Cultaholic Wrestling |access-date=8 October 2022 |language=en |date=7 June 2021}}</ref> On Sting's participation in a match at 2022's [[Revolution (2022)|Revolution]], Sean Rueter of [[SB Nation]] wrote, "The man is 62 years old, and could just be living off a WWE Legends deal and autograph signings. But he's out here jumping off balconies onto [[Andrade El Idolo]] and crashing them both through three tables. I have no idea why The Man Called Sting continues to do this, but I assume it's because he loves it."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rueter |first1=Sean |title=62 year old Sting just jumped off a balcony to put Andrade through three tables |url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/2022/3/6/22964816/62-year-old-sting-balcony-jump-video-gif-put-andrade-through-three-tables-aew-revolution |website=Cageside Seats |access-date=8 October 2022 |language=en |date=6 March 2022}}</ref>  Mike Piellucci of ''[[D Magazine]]'' wrote, "With everything Borden has accomplished since his return to television, the greatest is that he's escaped becoming a nostalgia act. He can deliver most of his trademark maneuvers, and his physique has held up better, longer, than arguably anyone before him. The Stinger Splash recalls [[Michael Jordan|Jordan]]'s farewell tour with the [[Washington Wizards]] more than his soaring heyday with the [[Chicago Bulls]], but it's still credible. Sting still has it."<ref name="dmag">{{cite web |last1=Piellucci |first1=Mike |title=The Last Days of Sting |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/sports/2023/01/the-last-days-of-sting/ |website=D Magazine |access-date=18 January 2023 |date=12 January 2023}}</ref> After Sting's retirement match, Rueter wrote, "A timeless, ageless wonder, Sting redefined what a final run in wrestling could look like. A career that closed with a bang, not a whimper."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dator |first1=James |title=Sting got the perfect retirement he deserved |url=https://www.sbnation.com/wrestling/2024/3/4/24090224/sting-aew-retirement-wrestling |website=SBNation |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=en |date=4 March 2024}}</ref>

===Popularity===
[[File:20230122sting2.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Sting performing his trademark war cry at [[The Great Muta Final "Bye-Bye"]], January 2023]]
Pro wrestling journalist [[Bill Apter]] wrote of Sting, "His colorful face paint, piercing war cry and signature Stinger Splash electrified fans both young and old... he boasted one of the largest and most loyal fanbases of any in-ring personality in history."<ref name="apter"/> A young Jeff Hardy was overwhelmed by the crowd reaction to Sting, on whom fans were "really hooked", and "reaching out to want to know, and want to support."<ref name="gsot90s"/> Then-WCW colleague Ric Flair recalled, "When he flew out that door with that blonde hair and the paint, man, the chicks went crazy. The people went crazy."<ref name="gsot90s"/> Former WCW and WWE announcer and current AEW announcer [[Jim Ross]] described Sting as "truly one of the great stars of the 90s in ''any'' organization".<ref name="gsot90s"/> He was voted by ''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'' readers as "[[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Most Popular Wrestler of the Year|Most Popular Wrestler of the Year]]" four times (a record shared with [[John Cena]]), for the years 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1997.<ref name="mostpopular"/> His young supporters were known as the "Little Stingers".<ref name="apter"/><ref name="hornbaker"/>

Former WCW [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Book|booker]] [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]] said of Sting's rivalry with Flair: "If I needed to [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#draw|draw]] a rating, Sting and Flair always drew. It was like [[Muhammad Ali|[Muhammad] Ali]] and [[Joe Frazier|[Joe] Frazier]]".<ref name="ds">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s216/wwe/feature/a603155/8-things-we-learned-from-the-best-of-sting-dvd.html|title=8 things we learned from the Best of Sting DVD|last=Nissim|first=Mayer|date=October 13, 2014|website=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=January 15, 2015}}</ref> The ''[[Clash of the Champions I]]'' event in 1988, which aired opposite the WWF's [[WrestleMania IV]] and was headlined by Sting vs. Flair, generated a record-setting 5.6 rating on [[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]].<ref>{{cite book|title=To Be the Man|author=[[Ric Flair]] & [[Keith Elliot Greenberg]]|date=2004|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|isbn=978-1501123757|page=165}}</ref> The pair also main-evented [[The Great American Bash (1990)|The Great American Bash 1990]], which was the NWA's biggest [[pay-per-view]] success up to that point.<ref name="martin16"/> Reflecting on Sting in the early 1990s, then-colleague [[Kevin Nash]] said: "There weren't many draws in WCW at that point, but he was one of them".<ref name="nash">{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2264924-kevin-nash-diamond-dallas-page-more-reminisce-on-stings-career-as-a-wcw-icon|title=Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, More Reminisce on Sting's Career as a WCW Icon|last=Greenberg|first= Keith Elliot|date=November 13, 2014|website=[[Bleacher Report|B/R]]|access-date=March 11, 2016}}</ref> Another of the company's bookers, [[Mike Graham (wrestler)|Mike Graham]], asserted that Sting was a television ratings success during the [[Monday Night War]];<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Oliver, Sean (director)|year=2011|title=Guest Booker With Mike Graham|medium=DVD|publisher=Kayfabe Commentaries|quote=I had the TV people give me a minute-to-minute rating of all of our shows... when Sting was on TV, they watched.}}</ref> he was highly profitable in 1997, being WCW's top merchandise seller (second only to the WWF's Steve Austin overall)<ref>Molinaro, John F. ''The Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time'' (''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]''). Winding Stair Press. 2002. Page 197. {{ISBN|1553663055}}.</ref> and, versus [[Hulk Hogan|Hollywood Hogan]], headlining the biggest-grossing pay-per-view event in the company's history at [[Starrcade (1997)|Starrcade 1997]].<ref name="hoops">{{cite web|url=http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/The_Specialists_34/article_24141.shtml|title=Nostalgia: Starrcade '97|last=Hoops|first=Brian|date=January 7, 2008|publisher=PWTorch|access-date=June 21, 2015}}</ref> Sting went on to join the [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|nWo Wolfpac]] [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable|stable]], which dominated WCW's merchandise sales at events in mid 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/news/june-22-1998-wrestling-observer-newsletter-wcw-great-american-bash-review-details-karl |title=WCW Great American Bash review, details on Karl Malone/WCW, tons more |date=June 22, 1998 |website=Wrestling Observer Newsletter |access-date=March 9, 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309095041/http://www.f4wonline.com/news/june-22-1998-wrestling-observer-newsletter-wcw-great-american-bash-review-details-karl |archive-date=March 9, 2016 }}</ref> Discussing Sting's entry into WWE in 2014, Kevin Nash said that he is "so valuable to the company as a trademark".<ref name="nash"/> On December 3, 2020, [[Pro Wrestling Tees]] owner Ryan Barkan stated that Sting's AEW t-shirt quickly broke the single day record for t-shirt sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CIV53DPh7fP/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/prowrestlingtees/2456123643504605135 |archive-date=2021-12-23 |url-access=subscription|title = And it hasn't even been 24 hrs yet...}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/stings-first-aew-t-shirt-breaks-pro-wrestling-tees-record/|title=Sting's First AEW T-Shirt Breaks Pro Wrestling Tees Record|first=Joseph|last=Lee|publisher=411 Mania|date=December 3, 2020|access-date=December 3, 2020}}</ref>

On the other hand, ''Pro Wrestling Torch'' editor [[Wade Keller]] wrote that Sting was a "valuable player during ''Nitro''{{'}}s peak years", but not a "consistent draw for WCW". Keller said Sting coasted on "natural charisma and athletic ability", but also chided WCW, where Sting observed "incompetence and political decision-making", and "was never challenged to be better than he was because he didn't have much competition".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wadekellerdotcom/46903.shtml|title=My thoughts on Sting's initial TNA press conference with new intro on his reputation and potential|last=Keller|first=Wade|author-link=Wade Keller|date=January 19, 2011|website=Pro Wrestling Torch|access-date=December 3, 2020}}</ref> Fin Martin of ''[[Power Slam]]'' also felt that Sting's box office successes in WCW were sporadic. Martin said Sting "did not grow into the [NWA] champion's role", but allowed that his prospects as franchise player were damaged by the "story lines and booking techniques" and the "list of contenders".<ref name="martin16">{{cite web|url=http://www.powerslamonline.co.uk/updates/222/Raw-Shane-Sting-Hall-Of-Fame-.htm |title=The Mail |last=Martin |first=Fin |date=March 9, 2016 |website=[[Power Slam]] |publisher=[[Wayback Machine]] |access-date=March 10, 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311021516/http://www.powerslamonline.co.uk/updates/222/Raw-Shane-Sting-Hall-Of-Fame-.htm |archive-date=March 11, 2016 }}</ref> Wrestling journalist [[Dave Meltzer]] claimed that Sting was not a formidable draw, although this assertion was disputed by Sting's former WCW colleague [[Stone Cold Steve Austin|Steve Austin]].<ref name="austin">{{Cite episode|title=Steve Austin Pt 2|series=The Ross Report|network=PodcastOne|date=February 25, 2014|number=2|minutes=58}}</ref> Dave Scherer of ''PWInsider'' wrote that Sting "didn't draw huge", but is nevertheless an "all-time great".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/96981/what-i-dont-want-to-see-at-wrestlemania-32-stings-legacy-wwe-network-practices-and-more.html|title=What I don't want to see at WrestleMania 32, Sting's legacy, WWE Network practices and more|last=Scherer|first=Dave|date=October 3, 2015|website=PWInsider|access-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref>

Sting's AEW tag team partner Darby Allin said that Sting had transcended wrestling and had become part of popular culture; Allin remarked, "You may not know any of the stuff he's done, but you can see the face paint, and people will go, 'Yo, that's that wrestler guy.'"<ref name="dmag"/> AEW founder and booker [[Tony Khan]], a fan of Sting since the 1980s, called him a "real-life superhero."<ref name="dmag"/>

=== Resistance to signing with WWE ===
Prior to his signing with WWE in 2014, Sting was widely considered the greatest wrestler never to perform for the company,<ref name="serafino">{{cite web|url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/10493/20140715/wrestling-legend-sting-will-pre-order-bonus-wwe-2k15.htm|title=Wrestling legend Sting will be a pre-order bonus in 'WWE 2K15'|last=Serafino|first=Jason|date=July 15, 2014|website=Tech Times|access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> although he had "really good conversations" with the promotion during his career.<ref name="ds2">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s216/wwe/news/a586447/sting-on-wwe-match-i-promise-you-it-will-be-showtime.html|title=Sting teases showtime at WWE match|website=[[Digital Spy]]|date=July 25, 2014}}</ref> His loyalty to WCW, even in its dying days, has been noted.<ref name="StingWWEbio"/> That organization was purchased by the WWF (now WWE) in 2001, and Sting's contract with its parent company [[Time Warner|AOL Time Warner]] expired in 2002, but he still refused to make the jump, alternately attributing this to the WWF's creative usage of former WCW talents and negative dealings with their attorneys.<ref name="grantland">{{cite web|url=http://grantland.com/the-triangle/wwe-survivor-series-sting-john-cena-the-authority-vince-mcmahon-wwe-network-triple-h-dean-ambrose-bray-wyatt-wcw-monday-night-wars/|title=WWE 'Survivor Series': Sting! WTF?|first=David|last=Shoemaker|date=November 25, 2014}}</ref> The company's onerous live schedule<ref name="Peltz"/> and the content of its programming<ref name="SLAM"/> were also factors. Sting has, however, downplayed rumors of a difficult relationship with WWE.<ref name="ds2"/>

Rather than sign with the WWF in 2002, Sting performed for smaller promotions, becoming the centerpiece of TNA by the mid-2000s. His pre-WWE career included "dream" matches against former WWF stars [[Hulk Hogan]] and [[Bret Hart]] in WCW,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/70713/looking-at-sting-vs-hogan-the-dream-match-that-wouldnt-go-away.html|title=Looking at Sting vs Hogan: the dream match that wouldn't go away|last=Carapola|first=Stuart|date=August 1, 2012|website=PWInsider|access-date=July 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Holmes|first=Colin|date=October 30, 2014|title=The Best of Sting|journal=[[Fighting Spirit Magazine]]|publisher=Uncooked Media|issue=112|pages=68|quote=[T]he set ends with two dream matches, as Sting teams with The Ultimate Warrior to face Bret Hart and Hollywood Hogan, before battling "The Hitman" in singles action.}}</ref> as well as bouts opposite names such as [[Ric Flair]], [[Randy Savage]], [[Kurt Angle]] and [[Mick Foley]].<ref name="serafino"/> Sting often wrestled Steve Austin in WCW; he had positive negotiations with WWE in 2003, with his proposed debut [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Angle|angle]] being a confrontation with Austin at the conclusion of [[WrestleMania XIX]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uproxx.com/prowrestling/2015/06/sting-almost-wrestled-stone-cold-steve-austin-at-wrestlemania-19/|title=Sting Almost Wrestled Stone Cold Steve Austin At WrestleMania 19|last=Stroud|first=Brandon|date=June 2, 2015|publisher=[[Uproxx]]|access-date=July 22, 2015}}</ref>

He was also "very, very close" to making a deal with the company in 2011, which would potentially have involved a match against [[The Undertaker]] at [[WrestleMania XXVII]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2012/06/08/19852511.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722163140/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2012/06/08/19852511.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2015|title=Ever evolving Sting ready for Roode, TNA title at Slammiversary|author=Bishop, Matt|work=[[Canoe.ca]]|publisher=[[Quebecor Media]]|date=June 8, 2012|access-date=July 22, 2015}}</ref> In early 2011, during a period where Sting had not re-signed with TNA, WWE teased a mystery wrestler to appear on ''Monday Night Raw'' on February 21, 2011, with vignettes labelled "2.21.11". This led to speculation that Sting had signed with WWE. Since this ''Raw'' was billed as the "Return of the Undertaker", it was believed that this was building a Sting vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania XXVII.<ref name="StingToWWE2011">{{cite web|url=https://dailyddt.com/2021/01/23/remember-when-we-thought-that-sting-was-coming-to-wwe-in-2011/|author=Cannon, Julian|title=Remember When We Thought That Sting Was Going to WWE in 2011?|work=Daily DDT|date=January 23, 2021|access-date=September 20, 2021}}</ref> Although Sting wrestled Mark Calaway in his pre-Undertaker character, "Mean" Mark Callous, at untelevised WCW live events in 1990,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://411mania.com/wrestling/ask-411-wrestling-has-sting-v-undertaker-happened-already/|title=Has Sting V Undertaker Happened Already?|last=Sforcina|first=Mathew|date=December 10, 2014|website=411Mania|access-date=December 11, 2015}}</ref> WWE viewers clamored for a televised Sting vs. Undertaker match.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/staff/mike_mooneyham/sting-vs-undertaker-too-late-to-have-an-epic-match/article_9eb209dd-688a-5628-b7ee-131ccc1523a3.html|author=Mooneyham, Mike|title=Sting vs. Undertaker: Too late to have an epic match?|website=[[The Post and Courier]]|date=April 4, 2015 |access-date=April 4, 2015}}</ref> Ultimately, Sting re-signed with TNA, and on the February 21, 2011 ''Raw'', the Undertaker returned to begin a feud with [[Triple H]]. TNA then began airing similar vignettes labelled "3.3.11", building to Sting's real return on the March 3, 2011 episode of ''Impact!''.<ref name=StingToWWE2011 />

== Other media ==
{{BLP sources section|date=February 2019}}
Borden appeared in the music video for the song "Fire in the Hole" by [[Lȧȧz Rockit]] in 1989. He made his acting debut in the action-adventure show [[Super Force]] as an assassin.<ref name=02251991WON>{{cite web|url=https://members.f4wonline.com/wrestling-observer-newsletter/february-25-1991-wrestling-observer-newsletter-full-wrestlemania-card|title=February 25, 1991 Observer Newsletter: Full Wrestlemania card released|author=Observer Staff|work=Wrestling Observer Newsletter|date=February 25, 1991|access-date=September 10, 2019}} {{subscription required}}</ref> He starred in a pay-per-view only film titled ''The Real Reason (Men Commit Crimes)'' (1998). Borden was featured in a [[Sprite (soft drink)|Sprite]] commercial in 1999. He also appeared in four episodes of the [[Hulk Hogan]] action-adventure series ''[[Thunder in Paradise]]'' as Adam "Hammerhead" McCall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fly.hiwaay.net/~djberry/tv/thunder.htm |title=Thunder in Paradise Episode Guide |publisher=Fly.hiwaay.net |access-date=December 10, 2012}}</ref> Borden made a guest appearance on ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'' as biker and drug dealer Grangus in the episode "Unsafe Speed". He also appeared in ''Ready to Rumble'' (2000) as Sting. In 2001, Sting appeared on an episode of R.L. Stine's show, "The Nightmare Room" in the episode titled "Tangled Web". He also appeared in the Christian film, ''[[The Encounter (2010 film)|The Encounter]]'' (2011) and was featured as the lead actor in the TV movie ''Shutterspeed'' (2000). He makes a cameo appearance as Sting on an episode of ''Upright Citizens Brigade''. Borden played an outlaw biker in the film ''Revelation Road'' (2013). In 2017 he along with multiple other wrestlers made a appearance on the hidden camera show [[Walk the Prank|''Walk the Prank'']].

His autobiography, ''Sting: Moment Of Truth'', was released on December 1, 2004.<ref name=":1" /> In October 2015, WWE released a second Sting DVD titled ''Sting: Into the Light''. The three-disc set features a behind-the-scenes documentary with Sting himself as he prepares to step into a WWE ring for the first time ever at WrestleMania 31.

=== Filmography ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Television
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Note
|-
|1991-1992
|[[Super Force|''Super Force'']]
|Hallor
|3 episodes
|-
|1994
|[[Thunder in Paradise|''Thunder in Paradise'']]
|Adam McCall
|4 episodes 
|-
|1999
|''The Show of the Archiles''
|Sting
|1 episode 
|-
|2001
|[[Walker, Texas Ranger|Walker Texas Ranger]]
|Gangus
|1 episode 
|-
|2001
|[[The Nightmare Room]]
|Himself/Sting
|1 episode 
|-
|2017
|''[[Walk the Prank]]''
|Sting
|1 episode 
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Film
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Note
|-
|1997
|[[Liar Liar|''Liar Liar'']]
|Wrestler
|Uncredited
|-
|1998
|''The Real Reason (men commit crimes)''
|Sparkie
|
|-
|2000
|''Shutterspeed'' 
|Riley Davis
|TV Movie
|-
|2000
|[[Ready to Rumble|''Ready to Rumble'']]
|Sting
|
|-
|2009
|''Everyday Life''
|AL
|
|-
|2010
|[[The Encounter (2011 film)|''The Encounter'']] 
|Nick 
|
|-
|2013
|''Revelation Road''
|Junkyard
|
|-
|2013
|''Revelation Road: 2''
|Junkyard
|
|}

=== Video game appearances ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Notes
|-
|1989
|[[WCW Wrestling|''WCW: World Championship Wrestling'']]
|
|-
|1994
|''[[WCW Main Event]]''
|Cover athlete 
|-
|1994
|''[[WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling]]''
|Cover athlete 
|-
|1996
|''[[WCW vs. the World]]''
|Cover athlete 
|-
|1997
|''[[Fire Pro Wrestling]] S: 6 Men Scramble''
|
|-
|1997
|''[[WCW vs. nWo: World Tour]]''
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Virtual Pro Wrestling 64]]''
|
|-
|1998
|[[WCW Nitro (video game)|''WCW Nitro'']]
|Cover athlete
|-
|1998
|[[WCW/nWo Revenge|''WCW/nWo Revenge'']] 
|
|-
|1999
|''[[WCW/nWo Thunder]]'' 
|
|-
|1999
|[[WCW Mayhem (video game)|''WCW Mayhem'']] 
|
|-
|2000
|[[WCW Backstage Assault|''WCW Backstage As Assault'']]
|
|-
|2008
|[[TNA Impact! (video game)|''TNA Impact!'']]
|Cover athlete 
|-
|2010
|[[TNA Impact!: Cross The Line|''TNA Impact: Cross the Line'']]
|
|-
|2014
|[[WWE SuperCard|''WWE SuperCard'']]
|
|-
|2014
|[[WWE 2K15|''WWE 2K15'']]
|Pre-Order bonus
|-
|2015
|[[WWE Immortals|''WWE Immortals'']] 
|Mobile Game
|-
|2015
|[[WWE 2K16|''WWE 2K16'']]
|
|-
|2016
|[[WWE 2K17|''WWE 2K17'']]
|
|-
|2017
|[[WWE Champions|''WWE Champions'']]
|Mobile Game
|-
|2017
|[[WWE 2K18|''WWE 2K18'']]
|
|-
|2018
|[[WWE 2K19|''WWE 2K19'']]
|
|-
|2019
|[[WWE 2K20|''WWE 2K20'']]
|
|-
|2020
|[[WWE 2K Battlegrounds|''WWE 2K Battlegrounds'']]
|
|-
|2023
|[[AEW Fight Forever|''AEW Fight Forever'']]
|Cover Athlete 
|}
Source<ref name=":0" />

== Personal life ==
[[Image:Sting and sons at AEW Revolution 2024.jpg|thumb|During his entrance for his final match in March 2024, Sting was accompanied by his two sons, Garrett and Steven. Garrett (right) portrayed the "Surfer Sting" era of his father's career, while Steven portrayed Sting's time in the nWo Wolfpac.]]

Borden was previously married to Sue Borden in 1986. They have two sons, Garrett Lee and Steven, Jr. and a daughter named Gracie, who was born in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20060305/wrestler-turns-to-god-to-overcome-drugs|title=Wrestler turns to God to overcome drugs|website=[[Los Angeles Daily News]] |date=March 5, 2006}}</ref> Borden and Sue divorced in 2010 after 24{{nbsp}}years of marriage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/2016/04/02/from-california-to-waxahachie-sting-s-journey-to-the-wwe-hall-of-fame/|title=From California to Waxahachie: Sting's journey to the WWE Hall of Fame|date=April 2, 2016|website=Dallas News}}</ref> Borden married his second wife Sabine in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesportster.com/wrestling/8-wrestlers-who-recently-got-re-married-and-7-who-recently-split/|title=8 Wrestlers Who Recently Got Re-Married And 7 Who Recently Split|date=December 7, 2017|website=TheSportster}}</ref> In 2024, Steven had begun training to become a professional wrestler and made his debut in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rueter |first=Sean |date=2024-11-03 |title=Sting wasn't excited when his son Steven started wrestling training |url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/2024/11/3/24285548/sting-reaction-son-steven-started-wrestling-training-not-happy-darby-ftr-edge-aew |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Cageside Seats, for Pro Wrestling fans |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lambert |first=Jeremy |date=2025-10-04 |title=Steven Borden, Son Of Sting, Makes Pro Wrestling Debut |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/steven-borden-son-of-sting-makes-pro-wrestling-debut?xv=20251004162623 |access-date=2025-10-04 |website=Fightful {{!}} WWE News, AEW News, Pro Wrestling Backstage News |language=en-US}}</ref>

Borden was an admitted [[anabolic steroid]] user in the 1980s.<ref name="m&f">{{cite web|url=http://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/news/wcw-and-tna-wrestler-sting-speaks|title=WCW and TNA Wrestler Sting Speaks|last=Tuthill|first=Matt|website=[[Muscle & Fitness]]|date=June 17, 2013|publisher=[[American Media (publisher)|American Media, Inc.]]|access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> He became a [[born again (Christianity)|born-again Christian]] in August 1998<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www1.cbn.com/700club|title=The 700 Club|date=January 29, 2014|website=CBN.com - The Christian Broadcasting Network}}</ref> after confessing his [[adultery]], and [[Substance abuse|substance]] and [[alcohol abuse]] to his then-wife.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/pro-wrestler-sting-ed-young-faith-journey-give-god-more-than-lip-service.html|title=Pro-Wrestler Sting Tells Ed Young About Faith Journey, Give God More Than 'Lip Service'|first=Michael|last=Gryboski|date=September 12, 2018|website=The Christian Post}}</ref> His elder son Garrett attended [[Azusa Pacific University]], where he played college football as a running back.<ref name="APU">{{cite web |url=http://www.apu.edu/athletics/football/bios/bordengarrett/ |title=No. 38 – Garrett Borden |access-date=November 25, 2010 |publisher=APU.edu |date=November 25, 2010}}</ref> Steven Jr. attended [[Kilgore College]], where he played tight end; on December 19, 2012, he committed to attend the [[University of Kentucky]].<ref name="Kilgore">{{cite web |url=http://www.kilgore.edu/Football/Mugs450x680_2012/450x680/steven-borden_450x680.JPG |title=No. 7 – Steven Borden |access-date=September 14, 2012 |publisher=kilgore.edu |date=September 14, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201170831/http://www.kilgore.edu/Football/Mugs450x680_2012/450x680/steven-borden_450x680.JPG |archive-date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref> After the [[2015 NFL draft]], Steven Jr. was invited by the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] to try out for the team at their rookie mini-camp, but did not receive a contract offer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chiefs invite interesting class of rookies to 3-day minicamp|url=http://hosted2.ap.org/GALAG/3b2e65c0a10e42c9a9b81ff30a6a9a35/Article_2015-05-16-FBN--Chiefs%20Minicamp/id-9c0c70dd7a554005a4cc1d00bc857f8b|website=LaGrangenews.com}}</ref>

Borden met the other famous performer called Sting, English musician [[Sting (musician)|Gordon "Sting" Sumner]], in the early 1990s at one of the musician's concerts in [[Atlanta]]. Sumner called Borden wanting to meet him after the former saw his then-nine-year-old son's posters of the wrestler in his bedroom, to which Borden enthusiastically accepted.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pritchard|first=Bill|title=Sting Recalls Meeting Sting|url=https://www.wrestlezone.com/news/1284398-sting-recalls-meeting-sting|website=WrestleZone|access-date=May 28, 2024|date=March 10, 2022}}</ref>

== Championships and accomplishments ==
{{multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 200
| image1            = StingNWAChampionship2006.png
| caption1          = A two-time [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship|NWA World Heavyweight Champion]], Sting had one reign each in WCW and TNA.
| image2            = Sting, 14 March 2011 03 (cropped).jpg
| caption2          = Sting's total of four reigns as [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship|TNA World Heavyweight Champion]] is tied for the second most all time.
| image3            = 2016 Hall of Fame 2016-04-02 22-18-23 DSC-HX90V 2607 DxO (26951439624).jpg
| caption3          = Sting was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] in 2016.
| image4            = Sting Final Match (cropped).jpg
| caption4          = Sting's final championship reign was with the [[AEW World Tag Team Championship]] in 2024.
}}

* '''[[All Elite Wrestling]]'''
** [[AEW World Tag Team Championship]] ([[AEW World Tag Team Championship#Reigns|1 time]]) – with [[Darby Allin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/02/07/aew-dynamite-results-2-7-powells-live-review-of-swerve-strickland-vs-hangman-page-for-a-shot-at-the-aew-title-at-revolution-ricky-starks-and-big-bill-vs-darby-allin-and-sting-for-the-aew-tag-t/|title=AEW Dynamite results (2/7): Powell's live review of Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page for a shot at the AEW Title at Revolution, Ricky Starks and Big Bill vs. Darby Allin and Sting for the AEW Tag Titles|date=February 7, 2024|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=February 7, 2024}}</ref>
** [[AEW Dynamite Award]] (1 time)
*** "Biggest Surprise" ([[AEW Dynamite Awards#2021|2021]]) – Debuting during the special "[[Winter Is Coming (2020)|Winter Is Coming]]" episode of ''[[AEW Dynamite|Dynamite]]'' on December 2, 2020<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2928573-aew-dynamite-awards-results-winners-reaction-and-highlights|title=AEW Dynamite Awards Results: Winners, Reaction and Highlights|date=January 27, 2021|last=Mueller|first=Chris|work=[[Bleacher Report]]|access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref>
*'''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2024)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pwinsider.com/article/181609/sting-to-receive-cauliflower-alley-clubs-highest-honor-this-august.html?p=1|title=STING TO RECEIVE CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CLUB'S HIGHEST HONOR THIS AUGUST &#124; PWInsider.com|website=www.pwinsider.com}}</ref>
* '''[[Jim Crockett Promotions]] / [[World Championship Wrestling]]'''
** [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions|1 time]])<sup>1</sup><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=NWA World Heavyweight Title history |publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
** [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Heavyweight Champions|6 times]])<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=WCW World Heavyweight Title history|publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
** [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of WCW International World Heavyweight Champions|2 times]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=WCW International World Heavyweight Title history|publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
** [[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of WWE United States Champions|2 times]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Title history|publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/unitedstates/|title=WWE United States Championship|access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref>
** [[WCW World Television Championship|NWA World Television Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Television Champions|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=NWA/WCW World Television Title history|publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
** [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Tag Team Champions|3 times]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html |access-date=June 26, 2008 |title=WCW World Tag Team Title history|publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref> – with [[Lex Luger]] (1), [[Big Show|The Giant]] (1), and [[Kevin Nash]] (1)
** [[Starrcade (1991)|Battlebowl Battle Royal (1991)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/bbwcw.html|title=Solie's Title Histories: WCW|website=www.solie.org}}</ref>
** [[WCW tournaments#European Cup Tournament 2000|European Cup (1994, 2000)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/eucwcw.html|title=Solie's Title Histories: ECW|website=www.solie.org}}</ref><ref>[http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/misctny.html#euro Misc. Tournaments]. Prowrestlinghistory.com. Retrieved on September 5, 2013.</ref>
** [[Starrcade (1989)|Iron Man Tournament (1989)]]
** [[Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament|Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup]] ([[Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament#1988|1988]]) – with Lex Luger
** [[WCW tournaments#King of Cable Tournament|King of Cable Tournament (1992)]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/kocwcw.html|title=Solie's Title Histories: WCW|website=www.solie.org}}</ref>
** [[WCW tournaments#London Lethal Lottery Tag Team Tournament (2000)|London Lethal Lottery Tag Team Tournament (2000)]] – with [[Scott Steiner]]
** [[WCW tournaments#WCW United States Championship Tournament (1991)|WCW United States Championship Tournament (1991)]]
** [[WCW tournaments#WCW United States Championship Tournament (1995)|WCW United States Championship Tournament (1995)]]
** [[Starrcade 1995|World Cup of Wrestling (1995)]] – with [[Randy Savage]], [[Lex Luger]], [[Johnny B. Badd]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Chris Benoit]], and [[Alex Wright]]
** Third [[Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#List of WCW Triple Crown winners|WCW Triple Crown Champion]]
* '''[[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling|NWA: Total Nonstop Action / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]]'''
** [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of NWA World Heavyweight Champions|1 time]])<sup>2</sup><ref name=autogenerated1/>
** [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of TNA World Heavyweight Champions|4 times]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-h.html TNA World Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
** [[TNA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of TNA World Tag Team Champions|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-t.html|access-date=June 26, 2008| title=TNA World Tag Team Title history|publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref> – with [[Kurt Angle]]
** [[Impact Wrestling tournaments#TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2009)|TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (First Bracket, 2009)]]<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=1450&page=2 |title=TNA World Heavyweight Title #1 Contendership Tournament |website=cagematch.net |access-date=21 July 2022}}</ref>
** [[TNA Hall of Fame]] (2012)<ref name=Slammiversary2012/>
**[[Impact Year End Awards|TNA Year End Awards]] (3 times)
***Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year ([[Impact Year End Awards#2007 TNA Year End Awards|2007]])<ref name="TNA07Awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1201236111.shtml|title=Full 2007 TNA Year-End Awards Results: Finisher, Tag Team, Feud, more|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=January 24, 2008|work=WrestleView|access-date=July 15, 2011}}</ref>
***Match of the Year (2007) {{Small|vs. Kurt Angle at [[Bound for Glory (2007)|Bound for Glory]], October 14, 2007}}<ref name=TNA07Awards/>
***Match of the Year (2009) {{Small|vs. [[AJ Styles|A.J. Styles]] at [[Bound for Glory (2009)|Bound for Glory]], October 18, 2009}}<ref name=Dec31/>
* '''''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''''
** [[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Comeback of the Year|Comeback of the Year]] (2006, 2011, 2014)<ref>{{cite journal|year=2012|journal=Pro Wrestling Illustrated|title=The PWI Awards|volume=33|issue=3|pages=70–71}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |year=2015 |journal=[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]|title=The PWI Awards |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=14–15}}</ref>
** [[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Match of the Year|Match of the Year]] (1991) <small>with Lex Luger vs. the [[The Steiner Brothers|Steiner Brothers]] at [[SuperBrawl I]]</small>
** [[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Most Improved Wrestler of the Year|Most Improved Wrestler of the Year]] (1988)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiimp.htm|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Most Improved Wrestler of the Year|publisher=Wrestling Information Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921094752/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiimp.htm|archive-date=September 21, 2011}}</ref>
** [[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Inspirational Wrestler of the Year|Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year]] (1990)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiinsp.htm|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Inspirational Wrestler of the Year|publisher=Wrestling Information Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813033906/http://100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiinsp.htm|archive-date=August 13, 2011}}</ref>
** [[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Most Popular Wrestler of the Year|Most Popular Wrestler of the Year]] (1991, 1992, 1994, 1997)<ref name="mostpopular">{{cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwimpoty.htm|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Most Popular Wrestler of the Year|publisher=Wrestling Information Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905045036/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwimpoty.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref>
** [[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Wrestler of the Year|Wrestler of the Year]] (1990)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiwoty.htm |access-date=June 26, 2008 |title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Wrestler of the Year |publisher=Wrestling Information Archive |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416210015/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiwoty.htm |archive-date=April 16, 2008 }}</ref>
**[[List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Stanley Weston Award for Lifetime Achievement|Stanley Weston Award for Lifetime Achievement]] (2023)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com/new/126684-sting-recibe-el-mayor-galardon-de-pro-wrestling-illustrated | title=Sting recibe el mayor galardón de Pro Wrestling Illustrated | date=January 11, 2024 | author1=Solowrestling }}</ref>
** Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500|PWI 500]]'' in 1992<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi50092.htm|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 – 1992|publisher=Wrestling Information Archive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813033929/http://100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi50092.htm|archive-date=August 13, 2011}}</ref>
** Ranked No. 15 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the ''PWI Years'' in 2003
** Ranked No. 52 of the top 100 tag teams of the ''PWI Years'' with Lex Luger in 2003
*'''[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
**Class of 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2017/12/07/22769304.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208004048/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2017/12/07/22769304.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2017|title=Oooooh yeaaahhhh! PWHF announces Class of 2018|last=Oliver|first=Greg|date=December 7, 2017|access-date=December 7, 2017|work=Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>
* '''[[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|Universal Wrestling Federation]]'''
** [[UWF World Tag Team Championship]] ([[UWF World Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]])<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midsouth/uwf/uwf-t.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|title=The UWF Tag Team Championship|publisher= Wrestling-Titles.com}}</ref> – with [[Eddie Gilbert (wrestler)|Eddie Gilbert]] (2) and [[Rick Steiner]] (1)
* '''[[World Wrestling All-Stars]]'''
** [[WWA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[WWA World Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/whtwwas.html|access-date=June 26, 2008|last=Palma|first=Richard|title=WWAS – World Wrestling All-Stars World Heavyweight Title|publisher=Solie}}</ref>
* '''''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''''
** [[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Match of the Year|Match of the Year]] (1988) <small>vs. Ric Flair at [[Clash of the Champions I]]</small>
** [[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Charismatic|Most Charismatic]] (1988, 1992)
** [[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Improved|Most Improved]] (1988)
** [[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Unimproved|Most Unimproved]] (1990)
** [[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Babyface|Best Babyface]] (1992)
** [[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Worked Match of the Year|Worst Worked Match of the Year]] (1995) <small>vs. Tony Palmore at [[Battle 7]]</small>
** Worst Worked Match of the Year (2011) <small>vs. [[Jeff Hardy]] at [[Victory Road (2011)|Victory Road]]</small><ref>{{cite journal|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Meltzer|date=January 30, 2012|title=Jan 30 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Gigantic year-end awards issue, best and worst in all categories plus UFC on FX 1, death of Savannah Jack, ratings, tons and tons of news|journal =[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]|location=Campbell, CA|issn=1083-9593}}</ref>
** [[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] (Class of 2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/december-5-2016-wrestling-observer-newsletter-wrestling-observer-hall-fame-4-inductees-225571|title=December 5, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame with 4 inductees|last=Meltzer|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Meltzer|date=November 30, 2016|access-date=December 1, 2016|work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]}}</ref>
* '''[[WWE]]'''
** [[WWE Hall of Fame]] ([[WWE Hall of Fame (2016)|Class of 2016]])
** [[Slammy Award]] (2 times)
*** "This is Awesome" Moment of the Year ([[Slammy Award#2014 Slammy Awards|2014]]) – Debuting to help Team [[John Cena|Cena]] defeat Team [[The Authority (professional wrestling)|Authority]] at [[Survivor Series (2014)|Survivor Series]]
*** "Surprise Return of the Year" ([[Slammy Award#2015 Slammy Awards|2015]]) – as [[Seth Rollins]]' statue, and attacks Rollins on ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]''

<small><sup>1</sup> Won while the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was defended in World Championship Wrestling when WCW was part of the National Wrestling Alliance. The same goes for any other NWA championship or honor won after November 1988.</small>

<small><sup>2</sup> Won while TNA obtained the sole rights to use the NWA World Heavyweight Championship through an agreement with the NWA.</small>

== See also ==
* [[Sting and Lex Luger]]
* [[The Blade Runners]]
* [[The Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|The Four Horsemen]]
* [[The Main Event Mafia]]
* [[The Varsity Club]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* ''Sting: The Moment of Truth'', Steve Borden with George King, Thomas Nelson, 2004, {{ISBN|978-1404102118}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Steve Borden}}
* {{IMDb name|0096165|Steve Borden}}
* [https://twitter.com/sting Sting] on [[Twitter]]
* {{Professional wrestling profiles}}
* {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115203256/http://impactwrestling.com/talent-roster/sting/|title=Impact Wrestling profile|date=January 15, 2018}}

{{Navboxes
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{{NWA World Heavyweight Championship}}
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{{TNA Hall of Fame}}
{{WWE Hall of Fame}}
{{Impact World Championship}}
{{TNA World Tag Team Championship}}
{{TNA Year End Awards}}
{{World Wrestling All-Stars World Heavyweight Championship}}
{{WWE United States Championship}}
{{WCW World Heavyweight Championship}}
{{WCW World Television Championship}}
{{WCW World Tag Team Championship}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sting}}
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