When Sting made his LONG awaited debut in World Wrestling Entertainment last November, he was welcomed with open arms by fans who could not wait to see him compete in dream matches against the top stars in Vince McMahon's company. The much-anticipated match against Undertaker did not happen but The Stinger was placed in a dream match of sorts against Triple H at WrestleMania 31. And he lost. Fans were up in arms. They criticized the decision to have Sting go over his younger opponent, then questioned why he was even brought back into the fold if the purpose was only to lose. When he lost to Seth Rollins at Night of Champions, longtime fans of The Icon were disenfranchised. Sting himself, though, has repeatedly stated that he his time is up. He denounced the idea that it was all about him, stating that he had come back to help today's generation. His excuse for putting over Triple H? "It's the time-honored tradition to put over your opponent in your last match." He followed that defeat up by raving about the experience of working with Rollins, going as far as to call him the best that he ever worked with. Far too often, fans are quick to lash out against older stars who come back for one last moment in the spotlight, most of the time at the expense of the younger and more talented stars on the roster. When Sting does it, fans harshly criticize management for booking him to lose? Again...no damn sense.
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.
