STING
6:18:03
Moments
before he made his TNA debut, Sting took a couple of moments
to shed some light on his decision to return to the ring,
why it is with TNA, and where wrestling fits in his life…
STING:
I'm doing really good. I'm seeing a lot of old faces around
here. Faces I haven't seen in a while, but very, very familiar
faces. I feel pretty much--pretty much at home, although
you know, it's been a while.
Q:
It has been awhile. We've gotten to see you on the WWA ppvs,
but this is the first big match-at least in the United States,
since that last Nitro match isn't it?
STING:
Yes, it is. It's the very first. Yeah. This is, so if you
want to call it a return to wrestling-this would be my return,
right here in the United States. And it's actually, in my
opinion, a good thing too because I have so many people
that are wondering, "Why? Why I am doing this?"
And
I'm doing it because, let's just say, I've kind of come
full-circle now. Years ago, and I'm going to talk about
this a little bit later too, on the show. I sent out press
kits, the Ultimate Warrior and I, we started as a tag team
and we sent out press kits all over the United States and
only one promoter called us back--Jerry Jarrett.
And
I saw Jerry, I don't know, maybe six years ago now, in New
Orleans at some hotel and I told him, "You know, I'm never
gonna forget that." So, here I am.
Q:
Fans have been wondering, because you're one of the names
that whenever there's a rumor or a chance for someone to
come in, everybody wants to know about Sting--whether it's
here or anywhere. What was right about the timing to make
it happen tonight?
STING:
I honestly couldn't tell ya. (laughing) I mean, there was
a part of me that hung up the phone after talking with Jeff
Jarrett that wondered, "what did I just do?" And
then the other part of me said just go back, and give back
a little bit and hopefully have some fun doing it.
Q:
It's a tag team match tonight, you and Jeff Jarrett against
AJ Styles and a mystery partner. But, it was mentioned last
week that this isn't a one-time shot. Stinger's going to
be around, at least for a little while?
STING:
I don't know, I honestly don't know. (laughing) I'm not
kayfabing anybody. The truth of the matter is, I just don't
know. We'll see how it goes here tonight.
Q:
Mentioned that last match on Nitro. What was it like for
you to be part of that historic moment?
STING:
Man, there were so many different emotions that went through
my head. Just so many pictures and flashbacks going through
my mind at the time of how many matches that I had with
Ric over the years. Entertaining, entertaining the WCW fans
for so many years and then to know that one last time. One
last time-and probably the very last time. Ric is the one
who put me on the map.
Great
American Bash of 1988, think it was March of 1988, in my
opinion, that match there put me on the map. Ric did it.
He had the choice. He could've made me look mediocre. Or
he could've made me look like King Kong. And that night
he made me look like King Kong and put my name on the map
and I'll never forget it. So that last match, in Panama
City, it was bittersweet.
Q:
Being one of the "King Kongs" of wrestling for so many years,
you've had big returns before. You've had big matches before.
You've had big titles before. Where does wrestling fall
into the life of Sting today?
STING:
Good question. I'll just kind of see where things kind of
go from here. I went to Europe in November and December
of last year. I had lots of different reasons for doing
that. And I just got back from Australia last month and
did a ppv in New Zealand. Now I'm here and it's like, I
have a feeling that this is…this is pretty much gonna be
it. I have a feeling this will be it.
Q:
Wrestling fans are familiar with your relationship with
God. Could you just talk about the balance, any sort of
conflict between your personal or religious beliefs to come
back to wrestling? Was that a factor?
STING:
Well, yeah. It sure is, because I speak to youth all over
the country and I have for a couple of years. And sometimes
we'll do these big question and answer portions of these
events and keep in mind, I'm speaking to anywhere from 10
to 12,000 people. And the RCA Dome, in Indianapolis, there
were 45,000…so yeah, they ask that question all the time.
"What
is in store for you? What are you gonna do? What if Vince
McMahon calls? Are you going to go to WWE? Are you going
to go back to wrestling at all?"
And
it's tough, it's a very tough question--because now, where
do I plug myself in? Because
many Christians would argue that I would mislead too many
other people…And they know that in my real life, I have
given myself to the Lord and that my life has changed. For
me to go on there, as long as what I do personally is not
compromising in any way, then I just don't think that it's
a problem.
Q:
If this is truly the last run for Sting, the last time wrestling
fans will get to see you-whether it's two weeks, two months,
or two years, but if this is the last go-round, how do you
want Sting to be remembered. And will we see the brighter
side of Sting return before it's all said and done?
STING:
I would hope that fans would remember me as someone who
worked really hard to entertain. Did my very best to entertain
and to keep the crowd captivated. And also somebody who
went through some whoop-dee-dos and ups-and-downs along
the way, but gave my life to the Lord--changed my life and
tried to seriously consider not only kids who watch, but
just the world to watch. I just hope that they would remember
me as one of the wrestlers who had some integrity.
Q:
Will we see the colors, the facepaint back, the blonde hair?
STING:
Oh, man. (laughing) It's probably gonna stay black and white
because I don't have enough hair on my head to do a flat-top
anymore.
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