For anyone holding out hope that Sting might lace up his boots one more time, the legend himself has a simple, two-word message: “I’m retired.”
That was the direct and unambiguous response Sammy Guevara received when he publicly campaigned for The Icon to join him as a tag team partner for ROH Death Before Dishonor. After Dustin Rhodes was sidelined with a double knee replacement, Guevara found himself in a bind. In a segment on his vlog, he made a direct appeal to the recently retired superstar.
“Okay, I really need a partner for Ring of Honor. I can’t think of a better partner than The Stinger. Sting, can you be my partner so we can go win some tag team gold?”
Sting’s blunt reply left no room for interpretation. According to Fightful, Guevara, laughing, pressed the issue, asking what would happen “if you came out of retirement?” Sting smiled but held his ground. “Well, we’d probably win, but that’s a whole other topic.”
The 65-year-old’s firmness underscores a commitment he has repeated often since his final match. His AEW career concluded spectacularly at Revolution on March 3, 2024, where he and Darby Allin defeated The Young Bucks in a chaotic Tornado Tag Team match to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships. The victory capped an undefeated 28-match run with the company, a farewell tour where Sting insisted on going all out, diving off balconies and crashing through tables to the very end.
Reports indicate that even AEW President Tony Khan had tried to persuade him to continue wrestling longer, but Sting felt the physical demands had made the decision for him, calling it “bittersweet.” He has since stated plainly, “I will never come back to wrestle again.”
Guevara didn’t let the rejection stall his momentum. He found an unexpected partner in RUSH, and the duo went on to capture the ROH World Tag Team titles. The victory celebration saw Guevara execute a perfect heel turn, officially aligning himself with La Facción Ingobernable and launching a new chapter in his career.
Meanwhile, Sting has transitioned into a new role with AEW, signing a legends deal focused on appearances and licensing. While he surprised fans by showing up at All In in London last month to save Darby Allin from an attack, his in-ring days are definitively over. He has even announced that 2025 will be the final year he appears in his signature full gear and face paint at conventions, signaling the slow fade of one of wrestling’s most enduring personas.