I also posted this on reddit. If you’d like to go and support it there it would be appreciated.
To any and all members of WWE Staff and all fans around the globe:
We as wrestling fans can be difficult. We ask a lot and are typically very ungrateful with results. We use words to define the current product such as “lazy”, “boring”, “uninspired”, and “out of touch.” Many of us have no real idea of what goes on behind the scenes and how incredibly difficult it can be to write hours and hours of programming each week. We don’t appreciate the fact the each week the wrestlers and writers devote their time, sweat, energy, and love to producing the best product possible for our entertainment. That is part of the reason I’m writing this.
Recently after months of speculation, we saw a minute-long clip featuring top-quality production and the reveal of the newest member of the WWE 2k15 roster, Sting. Personally, I was ecstatic. The second the violinist played the first notes of Sting’s theme I was taken back to the late 90’s. I was taken back to a man decked in black being lowered from the rafters. A man who at one point was the sword and shield of the company known as WCW. A figure who was the last line of defense against the invasion of the nWo. The tag line “#feelit” was well-deserved, because I felt it. Many other wrestling fans felt it as well. For that, I want to thank the WWE and the production crew for their excellent work.
The question has been posed online several times: “Do people still want to see Sting?” I think the answer to that question is undoubtedly as a resounding, “Yes!” It’s reasonable to ask that question due to the years that have come and gone since Sting was signed with one of the bigger promotions in the world. Many fans may have forgotten him. But I think the overwhelmingly positive response on RAW and on the internet after that video alone should have answered the question. Sting holds a special place in many of our hearts. I know I personally wouldn’t hesitate to buy tickets to Wrestlemania 31 if I knew Sting would be there. I wouldn’t miss the opportunity for the world.
With that comes the obvious question about the usage of The Undertaker. The dream match for many fans has featured the two men battling it out as the titans of an era gone by. The last hurrah of the two racehorses before finally being put out to stud. There are just some things that need to happen for “the good of the game.” Every sport has those things. Cal Ripken Jr. setting the record for most consecutive games played, Michael Jordan’s last home game as a Chicago Bull, Emmitt Smith breaking Walter Payton’s rushing record, etc.
No one is expecting these two men to come out and chain wrestle. They don’t expect high-flying acrobatics or any of these things. People want to see the entertainment aspect of it. I think people want to ask themselves, “Where is Sting? Where will he come from this time?” People want the head games, they want the entertainment, and the excellent writing that can be done to make this storyline spectacular. For once, this is more about entertainment and less about wrestling.
However, both men are broken down. The Undertaker has more than paid his dues and so has Sting. They both owe nothing to the fans or this business. Their sacrifice are many, and we are all aware of them and appreciate it immensely. Sting has expressed an interest in wrestling a match. The Undertaker has yet to express anything. So what if Sting is left with no dance partner? He can still be used! People still want to see “The Man Known as Sting” preform. What better foil to the villainous authority than a man who has built a career out of being a hero? Who better to help put a young Seth Rollins on the map than an old lion who is nearing the end of his active days? He is the dark knight figure of professional wrestling. Most people are familiar with the 1997 Starrcade “Crow” theme that Sting used in his battle with Hulk Hogan. I’d like to sum up what most people see when they look at Sting with an excerpt from the beginning. What we remember as a generation of young men and women that watched the product at that time.
“(In reference to Hulk Hogan) When a man’s heart is full of deceit it burns up, dies, and a dark shadow falls over his soul. From the ashes of a once great man has risen a curse. A wrong that must be righted.
We looked to the skies for a vindicator. Someone to strike fear into the hearts of the same men that created him. The battle between good and evil has begun. Against an army of shadows comes a dark warrior, the purveyor of good, with a voice of silence and a mission of justice.
This is Sting.”
Some may call someone like myself a “mark.” I just consider myself a passionate wrestling fan who wants to see the product flourish even more than it is. I personally feel as if we’re heading toward a new golden age of wrestling. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Bray Wyatt have all started to shake things up in the upper cards of every show. It’s an exciting time to be a professional wrestling fan, in my opinion. Why not let a warrior in the twilight of his career help a new warrior make a name for himself? Or why not have two of the greatest gladiators of their generations face off head-to-head in a battle of the ages? It’s an exciting thought, which can hopefully come to fruition. Thank you again for continuing to put out an entertaining product that we all can enjoy. I look forward to seeing what WWE has in store in the coming months.
Sincerely,
Anonymous WWE fan
