Veteran wrestler Sting wanted to retire with a new character. He completed his nearly 40-year career in professional wrestling after AEW Revolution in March 2024. He retired as an undefeated champion with the company. While Sting, at 66, reiterated in interviews released from July 18-20, 2025, that he has no intention of returning for another match, emphasizing his career is over, he had an interesting idea that never came to fruition.
Sting revealed he always wanted to conclude his farewell as “Old Man Sting.” This persona would feature his natural gray beard and hair, a departure from his classic dye-black look. In January 2025, he even filed for the trademark “Old Man Sting,” highlighting his commitment to this new phase. This decision went beyond a mere cosmetic change; it symbolized his desire to leave the sport on his own terms, embracing his age and experience rather than clinging to nostalgia.
At AEW Revolution 2024, Sting teamed with Darby Allin to defeat The Young Bucks, retiring as an undefeated wrestler and an AEW World Tag Team Champion. This victory allowed him to retire as a champion, a rare feat in professional wrestling. The match, described as electric and emotional, solidified his legacy in AEW. Sting and Darby Allin shared 28 matches together, all victories, showcasing a chemistry that bridged wrestling generations.
Since his retirement, 2025 marks his final year for appearing at conventions and public events in full wrestling gear and face paint, solidifying the era of “Old Man Sting.” After this year, he plans to attend such events simply as himself. Sting did not appear at All In: Texas last Saturday. However, he met numerous fans at the nearby Starrcast convention as part of his 2015 Or Never Tour.
The WWE Hall of Famer, formerly known as Blade Runner Flash, participated in a live panel recording for The Major Figures Wrestling Podcast, hosted by AEW’s Mark Sterling and Matt Cardona. Jazwares Vault recently released its exclusive new three-pack of action figures, The Legacy of Sting, which debuted at Starrcast.
Only 6,000 of the $100 action figure sets were produced by Jazwares. The officially licensed AEW product features 25 points of articulation, entrance gear for each figure, and premium display packaging. Each figure has black-and-white attire and paint, designed to represent three eras of Steven Borden’s career: Superstar Sting with blonde hair, Legend Sting with his 90s gear and long coat, and Icon Sting with the look from AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023. At that event, he and Darby Allin joined Tetsuya Naito to defeat Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki.
While Sting remains retired from wrestling, he is still under contract with AEW in a non-competitive “legends-style” role. He continues to complete his final run of face-painted convention appearances throughout 2025.