10 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Double Or Nothing 2021

3. IT'S STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

Sting Scorpio Sky
AEW

Sting, Jesus Christ.

This was amazing. This was pro wrestling magic. For the sake of your eyes, your writer will refrain, but to capture the giddy exhilaration of the match, this review really should be written in all caps.

Back on the road to Revolution, Brian Cage rattled Sting's guts with a powerbomb. It was a sobering sight, witnessed with the knowledge of Sting's age and medical history. In a mark-out moment as instantly iconic as the man himself, Scorpio Sky floored him with a suplex on the ramp. Sting leapt up, hovered behind Sky's face, threw him off the ramp, and flattened both Sky and Ethan Page with a crossbody. This was unreal, crowd-pleasing storytelling, the power of which was informed months ago. It never resonated with the patronising note of old-man-does-young-guy-stuff because Sting looked astonishingly mobile. The man was on fire in a phenomenal presentation that told WrestleMania 31 to absolutely go f*ck itself.

Darby Allin was superb on the sell to build towards the hot tag, particularly when he soared about ten feet into the stunt row, but this was no smoke and mirrors Ricky Morton special. Sting wrestled like a 40 year-old man in what was a tremendous straight-up tag team match with a finish that was perhaps even better than that jaw-unhinging spot at the start.

Sting, in a position of nervy peril, clutched the ropes to nope Scorpio Sky's cutter and flattened him with the Scorpion Death Drop.

This - again - was overwhelmingly special pro wrestling magic. Literal can't-believe-your-eyes stuff.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!