Sting says it’s still showtime for a while longer.
At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Sting scored his latest win in AEW, as he joined forces with Darby Allin and Tetsuya Naito to defeat Minoru Suzuki, Chris Jericho, and Sammy Guevara. The match came a few months after Sting said “showtime” was almost over on the April 12 episode of AEW Dynamite, which prompted speculation about the legend’s eventual retirement.
Speaking at the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door post-show media scrum, Sting was asked whether he had decided on a date for his retirement. He stated that he has not landed on a date, and he does not see his last match happening at AEW All In at Wembley Stadium in August.
“I have not decided on a date,” Sting said. “A lot of people have actually wondered if I was gonna retire in Wembley. That would be kinda cool, but I don’t see that happening. I think I’m gonna continue on. Tony’s kind of been in my ear a little bit here and there, saying, ‘Steve, you can stay as long as want.’
“I’m not sure how long that’ll be, but like I said a few months ago, showtime is just about over with, and it truly is. But I’m looking forward to going back to London. Last time I was there, I was Joker Sting, and the crowd loved it there. It was not the big stadium, it was just the arena, but still, great crowd, and I’m looking forward to heading back over there.”
Sting went on to describe how he has taken things one day at a time in AEW. He recalled how there have been times when he felt like he was not performing well, and his career was ending, but he has persevered.
“In the very beginning, talking to Tony and starting with AEW, I honestly didn’t know how long it would be,” Sting said. “Yes, I signed a multi-year deal, but I literally in the beginning, I took one day at a time. Then I got up to maybe a week at a time, and then maybe a month at a time. I’m still sort of doing that and just playing it by ear and seeing how my body feels.
“I have had these moments where I thought it was over. I didn’t feel like I was performing at the level that I needed to. Arthur Ashe, that was two Arthur Ashe shows ago, I felt like I was not performing well, and I really thought it was the end. But Darby, we’re walking up the ramp, Darby goes, ‘You killed it.’ So one day at a time.”
In January, Sting noted that his contract with AEW is up in 2023. More information is available here. Tony Khan subsequently stated that he wasn’t ready to say when Sting plans to retire.
Catch up on our coverage of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door here.
Sting is set to compete on the June 28 episode of AEW Dynamite. More information is available here.
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