10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2024
3. Sting & Darby Allin Vs. The Young Bucks - AEW Revolution
Beyond the unadulterated insanity of what was a true Death match - the panes of glass, the jaw-dropping bumps off the stage, the unsettling use of plunder - Sting and Darby Allin Vs. the Young Bucks was as pure as pro wrestling gets.
The wisdom of Darby’s unhinged fall through a pane of sugar glass was questioned, but it informed the drama of the match immeasurably.
Leaving Sting alone in there was the perfect decision. It was his moment, but with the face paint flaking and his breathing heavy, he made you feel like it wasn’t.
The Bucks were outstanding at creating movement for him, and were at their old transgressive punk best in kicking the heads off Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. Beyond their unrivalled ability to structure an exciting twist-heavy match, the Bucks built their brand by disrespecting pro wrestling royalty. Retiring a legend was the match they were born to work. It was - distressingly - how they got over in the first place.
A wrestler always goes out on their back, too, or at least, that’s the romanticised notion. You wanted your hero to win - and how cool was it that you could even root for a hero as a millennial husk? - but he wasn’t going to.
They didn’t win; Sting did, and it was beautiful.
Twin Peaks: The Return; Mad Max: Fury Road; David Bowie’s Blackstar: add ‘AEW Sting’ to the list of precious, impossible, late career magic.