Wrestling legend Sting has opened up about the pivotal conversations that reignited his passion for performing and ultimately led him to All Elite Wrestling, where he brought his iconic career to a close on his own terms. After suffering a serious injury during his WWE tenure in 2015, many assumed Sting's in-ring days were over. But as he revealed in a recent interview with Screen Rant, conducted alongside AEW President Tony Khan and commentator Tony Schiavone, the path to AEW gave him a renewed purpose and a chance to write his final chapter with dignity.

Reflecting on how his WWE run ended, Sting admitted that it left him with unresolved emotions. “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,” he said. “Although I had made amends with it and had a resolve about it and I was fine.”

That sense of closure shifted when AEW reached out. Sting revealed, “But I got a phone call from Tony Khan and also Cody. Cody Rhodes called me as well.” It was Khan’s laid-back but heartfelt approach that stood out. “Tony’s words were, ‘Hey, would you like to come back and play for a little while?’” he shared.

Although intrigued, Sting did not jump at the opportunity immediately. His WWE contract expired in May 2020, but it was not until December that he officially arrived in AEW. During that time, he weighed the offer carefully. “Tony was convinced that the fans would be bonkers over it. He built my confidence,” Sting recalled. “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.”