Nearly three years ago to the day, Sting made his dramatic debut for All Elite Wrestling. A week later, he confirmed he had signed a full-time contract with the promotion and has stayed an active performer for them since. Not long after making his presence known in the upstart promotion, he was paired with Darby Allin, and the two have had countless tag team matches since. As it stands, The Icon has never had a one-on-one match inside an AEW ring. That may change, as Sting is approaching his final match ever at AEW Revolution next March, and he currently has his old friend Ric Flair by his side for the ride.
Flair drew headlines over the past week for a controversial comment during the AEW Rampage taping last Wednesday following Dynamite. During a promo, Flair invited all the women between eighteen and twenty-eight, without husbands or boyfriends, to meet him in his hotel room after the show. It’s the kind of line he was known for in his hey-day but takes on a different meaning at this time in his life, where he has been credibly accused of sexual assault by a flight attendant that was aboard the infamous Plane Ride From Hell. Flair has denied the allegation.
In an interview with the New York Post, AEW President Tony Khan commented on the company’s relationship with Flair and clarified how the two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee is being compensated.
“We’re not paying Ric Flair; Ric Flair is essentially paying us,” he said. “We’re getting paid by Wooooo Energy for all of his appearances, so we’re collecting revenue from them.”
Khan pointed out that Sting has yet to lose a match in AEW and that it will be interesting to see if that is the case when his retirement match comes. At this time, no final opponent has been announced.