How did Tony Khan convince Sting to join All Elite Wrestling back in 2020?
All Elite Wrestling‘s Sting recently sat down with ScreenRant. While reflecting on the end of his WWE run, The Icon confessed that it wasn’t how he wanted his story to end and how a specific phone call from Tony Khan made him consider jumping ship to AEW.
“It seems like there’s been a reoccurring theme that’s happened to me a couple of times over the years, always tied to WWE, and it has to do with disappearing with my tail between my legs, so to speak, and just not wanting, after all the years, not wanting it to end the way it was ending. Although I had made amends with it and had a resolve about it and I was fine,” Sting confessed. “But I got a phone call from Tony Khan and also Cody. Cody Rhodes called me as well and just said, hey, and Tony’s words were, ‘Hey, would you like to come back and play for a little while?'”
While Khan’s words swayed Sting in AEW’s direction, the WWE Hall of Famer was unsure if the talent and fans would want him there due to his age. However, Khan was insistent that this was something fans would love to see.
“Tony was convinced that the fans would be bonkers over it,” Sting said. “He built my confidence. I had great conversations with him. I started to look and pay attention to some of the talent there. Darby Allin, for example. It just seemed like as I watched their show, it felt like WCW way back in the day.”
Fast forward to 2024, Sting competed in his final match at AEW Revolution. The company made a big deal out of The Icon’s final match, and he confesses that everything about that night felt like a full-circle moment.
“You talk about a full circle moment,” Sting said. “And I had a new-found appreciation for Tony and everything that he went through and everything that I went through, and, wow, here we are, full circle, back together again with this TNT family, TBS. It meant everything in the world to me. I love Tony.”
READ MORE: Sting: 2025 Will Be My Last Year Appearing In Full Gear
What do you make of Sting’s comments? Are you happy that Tony Khan was able to convince him to join All Elite Wrestling? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
