Fans waited well over a decade to see Sting finally step foot inside a WWE ring and at the 2014 Survivor Series, they finally got their wish. No longer tied down to TNA Wrestling or any other promotion, he was free to do the one thing he had never done before: work for Vince McMahon. It started off well, with The Icon playing mind games with Triple H and The Authority. Then he was labeled "The Vigilante" and things began going downhill. The parlour tricks were bigger and more elaborate than they needed to be and what was once a logical story of savior vs. corrupt authority figure soon transformed into a modern day (and tainted) take on the war between WWE and WCW. Still, there was hope that WWE Creative would salvage the story, putting Sting over at WrestleMania 31 and showing chinks in the armour of The Authority. That hope was erased when The Game benefited from interference by D-Generation X to defeat Sting, who inexplicably was backed up by the New World Order. That's right, the same trio that he vowed to take down in WCW, the same three wrestlers he had waged war with for so many years, suddenly forgot their past issues and assisted the face-painted competitor. Worst of all, those same fans who had waited years to see Sting in WWE had to watch as he was beaten in the center of the ring, another victim of Triple H and Vince McMahon's abominable egos. That he shook the hand of his rival without any sort of hard feelings only made the entire ordeal that much more confusing. WWE Creative still has not learned from their earlier mistake, booking Sting as a caricature of the persona he once employed. He steals statues, drives trash cans and laughs like a loon. All of it serves as proof that WWE and McMahon may be the leaders in sports entertainment but that does not mean they do everything right, all the time.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
