Sting may not have had the chance to leave a lasting legacy inside the rings owned by the WWE, certainly not up to the par of his impact inside the WCW rings of the 90’s, but his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame was a fitting time to formally announce his retirement from professional wrestling.
We learned in March Sting, now 57 years old, planned to retire during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. The decision to retire came as a result of a serious neck injury during a championship match against Seth Rollins in 2015 at WWE Night of Champions. Doctors diagnosed the veteran wrestler with cervical spinal stenosis. Before an audience full of WWE stars and legends and fellow Hall of Famers and thousands of fans, Sting picked up his signature baseball bat, put on his sunglasses and said “See ya later” to those showering him with respect and applause.
Newly inducted into the @WWE Hall of Fame, @STING announces his retirement from the ring. #WWEHOF #ThankYouSting https://t.co/5ru7YswgVI
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2016
Steve Borden made his professional wrestling debut in 1985 in the Continental Wrestling Association under the name Flash. He was no Barry Allen, but he developed a working relationship with Jim “Justice” Hellwig (you may know him better as The Ultimate Warrior) and carried their team-up to Universal Wrestling Foundation in 1986. It was here he adopted the stage name of Sting. His rise continued later in WCW, where he quickly became a fan favorite as he challenged the heels of the organization for years. In the mid-1990s Sting shifted to a darker character as the NWO was on the rise in the WCW. Sting competed in the final match in WCW before the WWF bought out its competition in 2001, defeating Ric Flair. The WWF chose not to buy Sting’s contract and he refused a buyout of his contract. He would eventually join the WWE 13 years later, making his debut in 2014 at Survivor Series.
