It's no wonder the legendary Sting had a smile on his face throughout most of his TNA run. Very little pressure was put on the iconic grappler to appeal to a new generation of fans, with the thought process instead being that older wrestling enthusiasts would tune in to see someone they remembered from their youth. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work out for TNA either, and something had to give with the amount of money they were paying men like Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Kevin Nash and Sting over the years. Very little financial return was posted on those investments, and it may sound harsh, but Sting was far too expensive for TNA, pulling in an estimated $800,000+ per year, including first class travel, accommodation - all this on a limited number of dates per month contract. It must have been sad for TNA officials to see the buzz surrounding the Stinger after he simply walked to the ring and delivered one move at WWE's Survivor Series event last November. One match for Sting will likely earn WWE more than TNA earned from the guy over a full decade.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
