If you’re not aware of Sting’s arrival in the WWE, I’m afraid you’ve been living under a rock. In any case, the question of who Sting should face in his first/only match for the WWE has caused much discussion. Sting has yet to make his official debut – he’s only appeared in behind-the-scenes footage and YouTube videos – and many have come up with dream scenarios as to when and how he should make his appearance. Most of these ideas all lead up to a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 31, but again, who should ‘The Stinger’ face?
The Undertaker
This rumour has been circulating the WWE Universe for a while now (in fact, I had an idea regarding this in an article earlier in the year), and it’s no surprise as to why many want this match to occur. On paper, The Undertaker vs Sting has ‘classic’ written all over it. You have a WWE and WCW legend (both of similar age) going at it on the grandest stage of them all. The potential of a great 
build-up is there, due to the mind-games they’re both capable of playing. However, if you really think about it, there are a couple of reasons as to why this match shouldn’t happen.
Firstly, either one of these stars losing in this match is a real blow. If Undertaker loses, his legacy could be remembered for two WrestleManias lost in a row – a greatly undeserved ending to such an illustrious career. If Sting loses, it would just be silly, having his long-awaited WWE in-ring debut end in defeat just so Taker can regain some unnecessary momentum. Secondly, it’s difficult to foresee this match being anything spectacular by any stretch of the imagination. While they’re both pro-wrestling greats, we have to be realistic and acknowledge their age, and are by no means anything like they once were in their prime. The match is likely to be slow and sluggish, and it would be appalling to see both of them struggle to carry themselves, let alone the match itself.
If this match were to take place, it should end in a Nexus-style fashion, similar to how I described this in my Triple H vs The Rock article. That way, we’d have no loser, and it would allow up-and-coming talent to shine and get themselves noticed on the biggest platform possible.
Bray Wyatt
Much like the reasoning for The Undertaker facing Sting, Bray would also be an ideal candidate. He’s got the mind-games and creepy persona, which
would combine brilliantly with Sting’s character in the weeks building up to the fight. It also allows the ‘Eater of Worlds’ to become relevant again, especially as his recent vignettes have hinted the separation of the Wyatt Family. Furthermore, the bout should feel more exciting as we’d actually have a face vs heel match-up, as opposed to a face vs face scenario that wouldn’t generate as much of a good storyline/build-up. Sting losing to Bray wouldn’t be as diminishing to his career if the Wyatt leader wins using deceitful tactics, boosting his own career as well as keeping Sting relevant and strong.
John Cena
I know I know, roll your eyes. But if we are listing logical opponents here, having the face of
the WWE go up against Sting in his first and potential last match for the WWE seems plausible. There’s not much more to say, although it would be great to witness the sheer crowd separation of who the fans want to triumph. Just be sure to expect constant and thunderous “Let’s go Cena-Cena Sucks!” chants. As to who wins, well that’s up to the brave WWE Creative team.
Randy Orton
Before you roll your eyes for the second time, hear me out. Personally, I feel that booking Orton against Sting is a great matchup, for ‘The Apex Predator’ could reawaken his ‘Legend Killer’ persona and go after the non-WWE veteran. Orton could release his more aggressive side in the weeks leading to ‘Mania, 
resulting in a true face vs heel contest. It’ll bring some juice back into Orton’s career, and if he’s not booked in this sort of matchup, you can believe that he’ll be involved in a pointless match at ‘Mania, and probably ‘job’ to his opponent in the process.
Orton is a veteran in his own right – but he’s no legend yet – so having Orton get stung by ‘The Stinger’ is no big deal as being involved in the matchup alone is a huge honour for him in itself. If Sting were to get bitten by ‘The Viper’, he should lose in an unfair fashion, much like how I described with Bray Wyatt, keeping his reputation intact and unharmed. In the end, we’d be left with an exciting match that has the potential to generate a gripping and intense rivalry. Whether the snake or scorpion comes out on top is irrelevant, for either outcome won’t really change the status for each combatant.
There are other names that come to mind, but due to the reasons mentioned above, this select few are the only ideal candidates to really generate a real and meaningful matchup with the WCW great at WrestleMania 31. But never say never. After all, we all thought The Undertaker would go 22 and 0 last April.
Who do you think Sting should face, and what would be the outcome? Let us know in the comment section below, and please don’t forget to share!
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existence in the professional wrestling industry. Not only that, but these two stars have had a tremendous rivalry for over a decade, stemming from their battles for the Intercontinental Championship in 1997, as well as faction-based rivalry as part of D-Generation X and the Nation of Domination respectively. ‘The Game’ and ‘The Brahma Bull’ also carried the company with their epic rivalry in 2000 and 2001 during Stone Cold Steve Austin’s absence, which made many forget about ‘The Rattlesnake’s’ temporary departure altogether. In essence, their rivalry was perfect; it was the ultimate heel vs the ultimate baby-face, and it was a rare rivalry where each Superstar was jeered/cheered by the audience as they were supposed to. It wasn’t anything like you see nowadays, with the heel generating most of the cheers and pops, and vice-versa for the face.
rivalry, and this match would be the climax of it all. However, how about having the match end in a Nexus-style fashion? The match could draw to a close, when all of a sudden, the lights go out. The lights reappear, and surrounding the ring could either be a group consisting of WWE’s undeserved mid-carders, or even NXT stars such as Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville. They’d get into the ring and pummel the hell out of Triple H and The Rock, claiming on RAW that their intentions for doing so was because they’re sick and tired of legends taking up spots and costing the current roster opportunity after opportunity. This would, again, achieve star-power that the event needs to attract a larger demographic, as well as do wonders for WWE’s current/future roster.
recent return, he feuded with Bray Wyatt. While it didn’t produce the greatest rivalry or series of segments of all time, it certainly did one thing; and that’s help solidify the ‘Eater of Worlds’’ status as a serious competitor who’s here to stay. From this example alone, it can be said that having returning veterans to help ‘pass the torch’ onto WWE’s current and future roster is a smart move, as it sets these stars up for glory and success in the future – but that’s if they actually do this and not bury these up-and-comers like they have done so many times in the past.
This was a prime example of having the championship belt make the man – or making the man greater than he initially was. Aside from that instance, it’s difficult to think of an example of where this has happened in more recent times. In this current feud with John Cena and Brock Lesnar, it’s almost as if their rivalry is overshadowing the grand prize. This match would do just fine without the title at stake, but with it involved, it’s becoming an afterthought – especially after Cena got his a** so drastically handed to him at SummerSlam. A title belt should always be the primary factor that makes a match exciting, and should not be overshadowed by the combatants or story itself. It’s hard to think that this could ever be the case these days, and that’s because WWE’s portrayal of championship belts have made them irrelevant, which shouldn’t have happened in the first place!
This shouldn’t be a title that collects dust around the waist of the holder, but more a stepping stone towards the next big goal – just like how it once was. The Rock and Chris Jericho are two examples of many who have won the IC Championship and gone on to win the ‘big one’. Look at the recent holders of this championship belt now. Kofi Kingston, Bad News Barrett, The Miz, Curtis Axel, and Big E Langston are to name a few. Excluding BNB due to his unfortunate injuries, what have the rest achieved since their IC Championship reigns? Let’s hope Dolph Ziggler’s history repeats itself, allowing his current reign as champion to lead onto bigger things for his career. Doing this would also make the WWE World Heavyweight Championship seem that much more of a worthy possession, and so this would lead to more stars involving themselves in title-related story-lines.
nowadays is thrown in as some sort of ‘bonus prize’, with it being overshadowed by the rivalry itself. WWE should ensure that story-lines involving complex plots, ‘edgy’ content, and extremely personal rivalries should exist outside title matches. This would allow for exciting title-less matches to occur, increasing the strength of the overall show/pay-per-view. You’re probably thinking, “Won’t we just be left with boring and meaningless title matches?” If WWE played their cards right, they could still generate intense rivalries that are all about the title belt, without making it so personal that it overshadows the treasure at hand.
interrupted by ‘Mr Attitude Era’ himself, Stone Cold Steve Austin. After some classic Austin talk, out came The Rock! It was an awesome segment, and long-time WWE fans have waited for years to see ‘The Rattlesnake’ and ‘The Brahma Bull’ in the same ring at the same time. We only got to see a glimpse of this at WrestleMania XXVII. It was probably the best WrestleMania opening we’ve seen to date, and quite frankly, it’s uncertain as to whether we’ll ever get another opening as epic as this one. Can you imagine any bigger legends of the industry opening the show in that fashion? It’s hard to imagine how the WWE would top this in future ‘Manias (unless they lazily brought the same three back in future years to come), and this opening was just one of the reasons to suggest WWE’s closing of one era and opening into another.
Many people predicted The Big Show to win this match, as it was only right for a legendary giant to be the first man to win such an accolade. However, while it did make sense to have The Big Show come out on top, WWE prioritised their future here, and gave Cesaro the nod to pick up the win. Having the ‘King of Swing’ be the first man to win this prestigious award should now persuade the people who weren’t already convinced that Cesaro is a fully-fledged competitor of the future. This is another indication of WWE shifting its way into a new era, as often relying on stars from the past to carry the company forward is definitely the incorrect move.
Without going into too much detail here, it’s safe to say that this RAW really made it clear that the future of the WWE is near, and that a new era is beginning. Alexander Rusev made his long-awaited in-ring RAW debut, and annoying Adam Rose and corny Bo Dallas vignettes were scattered throughout the show. The biggest story of the show, however, was twenty-one-year-old NXT Diva, Paige, who interrupted AJ Lee and nabbed the Diva’s Championship off of her. While many can agree that she shouldn’t have won the gold just yet, you can be sure that WWE has its future in sight. Let’s not forget about Cesaro becoming a ‘Paul Heyman guy’ as well, joining the likes of CM Punk and his 434-day title-reign, and Brock Lesnar’s defeating of ‘The Streak’. Before you say it, let’s leave Curtis Axel out of this one, shall we?
leader of The Wyatts has made this list. Bray Wyatt offers something we haven’t seen in a while – a different gimmick that actually works. Not only that, but he is both an exceptional physical performer and talker. He’s a heel that makes you genuinely fear for the opposing face, with or without his hillbilly counterparts.
Although he’s been slightly overshadowed by Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose still has what it takes to make it into the top-flight division. He’s an exceptional talker, and also possesses an unorthodox wrestling/brawling style that he smoothly integrates into every match he’s involved in. This inimitable flare has often dubbed him as the ‘Joker’ of the WWE.
Canvas to Canvas 