10 Wrestling Matches That Pissed Off Fans
3. Sting Vs. Abyss - TNA Destination X
Do you want to know why AEW fans love the promotion as much as they do?
In addition to it mostly being really great, it's nothing like TNA was or WWE is (and was). In WWE, Sting was wrong-footed into thinking he'd be promoted as an iconic figure and not some unwitting target of Triple H's pathetic ego and Vince McMahon's undying need to prove that he won once. It was a hatchet-job; if he'd stayed, he'd be doing "Woo!" noises alongside Aksana on Legend's Night.
But he left because he knew better, and had the dignity to not fire back. He was better than them; they were only better than him in some deranged needle-d*cked fantasy.
In TNA, Sting fared much better, but he was still asked to do sh*t like this: Vince Russo, with no compunction, asked him to do a Last Rites match with Abyss. A coffin took about two minutes to lower from the ceiling, like casket matches aren't as boring as f*ck already, as Vince Russo thought hokey theatrical bullsh*t was an acceptable replacement for drama. The plunder saved Abyss from more significant harm in a match that was anti-wrestling. It was also anti-over; the pissed-off Impact Zone crowd shouted "Fire Russo!" in reaction to the debacle. Russo popped his 1999 supernatural stiffy, and the whole thing reeked.
In AEW, Sting is treated with reverence, preserved under the face paint as an icon of the industry. He's flattered by smart smoke-and-mirrors booking but carries the load to justify the flattery.
In TNA, Sting was also made to...