"This is what Tony Khan doesn't understand" - Former WCW Champion lashes out at AEW over Sting's final match (Exclusive)

By Anurag Mukherjee

Modified Feb 14, 2024 16:59 GMT

Sting debuted in Tony Khan's promotion in 2020

A former WCW World Champion and writer has voiced his displeasure with AEW over Sting's last match inside the squared circle.

Sting and his partner Darby Allin recently won the AEW World Tag Team Championship by defeating Big Bill and Absolute Ricky Starks on the February 7, 2024, episode of Dynamite. After the bout, The Young Bucks laid out The Icon and former TNT Champion in a brutal assault. The AEW EVPs are expected to take on the duo at Greensboro Coliseum in the WWE Hall of Famer's last wrestling match.

Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo shared his criticisms of the company's booking of Sting en route to his final match at AEW Revolution 2024. Russo claimed the WWE Hall of Famer and Allin winning the tag team titles from Big Bill and Starks was not needed for the build to The Vigilante's retirement bout on March 3.

The former WWE head writer further suggested that the former champions were not protected in their defeat.

"This is what Tony Khan doesn't understand. EC3 is running his own promotion, and he understands. You're gonna have winners and losers, but you gotta protect everybody. So that's the question I would ask: you put the titles on Sting and Darby, which you absolutely do not need because the story is it's Sting's last match. So now you took the titles off of these two AEW guys; what did you do to protect them? So by moving the titles over to Sting and Darby Allin, it's not just a case of 'these titles don't need to be a part of this program,' it's also a case of 'Now how much did you hurt those two guys?'" Bischoff said. [From 04:07 to 04:52]

Vince Russo would have turned Darby Allin heel for Sting's retirement match in AEW

Sting is universally hailed as a legend in the wrestling industry. The Icon is winding down on his nearly four decades career as he looks to face The Young Bucks in his last match at Revolution 2024. However, former writer Vince Russo believes Allin should have turned heel against his mentor.

Allin and Sting are expected to take on the AEW EVPs after suffering a vicious assault at the hands of the Bucks. Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing with Russo, the former WCW World Champion revealed that he would have turned Allin heel instead.

The veteran claimed that the former TNT champion could retire Sting similarly to Shawn Michaels retiring Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24.

"Sting's last match should've been a three-month story, and whether it was turning Darby Allin heel and he was gonna be the one to replace Sting. It should've been a three-month story with focus. But there is no focus, and I wouldn't even know how you would get to Sting and The Young Bucks.... It seems to me like Darby Allin would've been the guy, and I would've turned Darby Allin heel, and [It's] so easy to do, and then you have the match, you got the Shawn Michaels - Ric Flair match where Darby Allin beats Sting, the whole thing and then at the end hugs Sting and the whole nine yards. but Young Bucks? I mean you, you tell me, and we'll both know, I have no idea where that comes from." [From 15:00 to 16:00]