By Mark Gray
6:21am PDT, Mar 12, 2024
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On March 3, a long, celebrated chapter of professional wrestling came to an end with the retirement of the legendary Sting.
Having made his in-ring debut in March 1988, "The Stinger" was a part of childhoods, teenage years and even adulthoods. At All Elite Wrestling's Revolution Pay Per View, Sting (real name: Steve Borden) wrestled for the last time at the age of 64. He went out as a tag team champion alongside partner Darby Allin.
In recognizing Sting's final match, many in the wrestling world publicly paid tribute to "The Icon."
Keep reading to see how the man who earned multiple world champion titles is being honored…
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"It's Not How Many Times You Get Knocked Down That Count. It's How Many Times You Get Back Up! Congratulations @Sting! WOOOOO!" –Ric Flair
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"Nobody has anything bad to say about Sting. That's got to be the only guy that I can think of that nobody has anything bad to say" —Chris Jericho via The Players' Tribune
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"He's cared about what it's meant to be my mentor, my partner, my friend. He's cared about what it's meant to be all of that — deeply. And with some f****** integrity. That's Sting's legacy to me." —Darby Allin via The Players' Tribune
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"Wrestling taught me to dream big. This guy was kind of my dream guide. Watching him take his final bow in the ring today. Thank you for the memories. Can't wait to cry with a bunch of other men. #sting #steveborden #aew #respect" –Paul Walter Hauser
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"'It's showtime folks.' Love you, Stinger, enjoy retirement, my friend. #thankyousting" —Kurt Angle
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"Had a great time backstage last night at @AEW to honor my friend, colleague…. and at times, opponent, The Stinger @Sting. It was great to see him get his final send off on his terms! I have to admit there are times I got sore just watching some of those bumps he took! #ThankYouSting is trending right now and it's well deserved!" —Diamond Dallas Page
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"Oh what a night!! Stinger went out in style!!" —Lex Luger
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"There was only one Sting. I didn't call you Steve. I never have, because I always felt that was reserved for your family. They paid enough dues. They deserve to be the ones calling you Steve. To me, you'll always be Sting." —Arn Anderson via The Players' Tribune
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"Today is a celebration of one of the greatest performers ever in pro wrestling. From the first time I held a mic for @Sting at the TBS studios in 1987 to the career making match against Flair in 1988 to watching him doing crazy things in the ring here in AEW, I've been amazed at his accomplishments. But it's the person behind the face paint that has made this so rewarding for those of us backstage. Today is my last chance to shout: 'It's Sting.' I am so very honored to be along for most of the ride of this incredible career. #sting #ThankYouSting #AEW #AEWRevolution" —Tony Schiavone
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"Respect. Grateful" —CM Punk
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"My father and I didn't have the greatest relationship, but we could guarantee that if Sting was on the television, we were at least going to have those two hours to bond together." —Dax Harwood via The Players' Tribune
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"Your humility, your patience, your kindness, that's one of the things that I'll always remember throughout my career is just your kindness and patience with me on a lot of things." —Paul Wight via The Players' Tribune
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"GOOD LUCK STING! Wishing the very best for my good friend @stinger on his final match tonight. What a career! Sting almost single-handedly put me on the map during our WCW feud in 1991, and I'm forever grateful for it." –Mick Foley
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"I wanna send our congratulations out to another great champion. After nearly 40 years, the great Sting has retired from professional wrestling. Thanks for the memories. Congratulations to Sting." —Michael Cole on "WWE Raw"
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"100% of the people within our industry are in it partially because of you. You were a hero to everyone growing up." —Adam Copeland via The Players' Tribune
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"You have always been one thing that stands to me above every other attribute of any wrestler that I've ever met, and that you are the most real human being I've ever been around." —Jeff Jarrett via The Players' Tribune
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"Sting's final match was tremendous. Everyone involved killed it. Thank you @AEW for putting 'The Icon' @Sting in a position to succeed in going out on his own terms. Wrestling fans will love and appreciate it" —Matt Hardy
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"Today I plan to watch #AEWRevolution while celebrating the career of the legendary @Sting. Win, lose, or draw he's given us a ton of incredible memories that fans both old and new will talk about for generations to come. #ThankYouSting" —Kenny Omega
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"Thank you Sting. My love of this sport started with you. Your support and confidence in me has meant the world. There's a saying you should never meet your heroes, but I'm so glad you proved that to be false. You're the f****** man. Thank you for everything." —Anthony Bowens
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"Last night at #AEWRevolution, Sting completed the greatest comeback in sports history. @Sting's 3 Year Run in AEW from Age 61-64: 30 matches, 30-0 record (29-0 in AEW, 1-0 in NOAH for Great Muta's Send-Off) + Retired as @AEW World Tag Team Champion in the best last match ever." —AEW CEO Tony Khan
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"Icon, inspiration and friend. Thank you @Sting for an incredible career. I will miss you man. #Stinger" –Dustin Rhodes
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"This man I respect, and ricky starks is still wrong. You're still the ICON. Helluva way to go out last night, true warriors farewell. From the epic first appearance, to first encounter (powerbomb shaking off the rust) to first match, It was all an honor @Sting #ThankYouSting" —Brian Cage
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"'Lessons taught, lessons learned' I still hate you but… #ThankYouSting" —Swerve Strickland
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"'Heroes get remembered, but LEGENDS never die.' Thank you @Sting." –William Morrissey
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"If you know my story of why I became a fan and ultimately started my own crazy journey in this crazy Biz. Then you know how much @Sting meant to me and how cool this was for me to share a stage and mic with my inspiration as a Man and wrestler! #thankyousting" —Lance Archer
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"Excited to celebrate the career – and the human being – that is Steve Borden / Sting." —Eric Bischoff
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"I should be hot at you for now leaving me to be one of the oldest ones not just in our locker room but in our business." —Billy Gunn via The Players' Tribune
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"You were a big part of my childhood, you were a big part of my wrestling fandom… You are an example for all of us for how we all should act and should be in the wrestling business" —Eddie Kingston via The Players' Tribune
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"Today we celebrate one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time, @stinger. I don't think any of us truly realized how fortunate we were to be sharing a locker room with one of the greats, but that's partly because Stinger always makes you feel like you're just catching up with an old friend. His in-ring legacy will be studied until the end of time, but anyone who has had the chance to meet him would agree that he is the perfect example of someone who makes pro wrestling a better place." —Britt Baker
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"A beautiful way to send off the legend Sting. Well done to all involved. Except the bucks. Absolutely beautiful. Now let's get Darby to the hospital, what do ya say?" —O'Shea Jackson Jr.
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"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. lol" —The Young Bucks
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"@Sting, you're a wonderful man and a true icon. I hope tonight is everything you hope for. Congratulations on an incredible career, and thank you for having faith in me. Tear it up tonight! #ThankYouSting" —Nick Aldis
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"What an amazing PPV Revolution was. What a perfect send off for Sting!" –Renee Paquette
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"Thank you, Sting! Cheers to a legendary career!" —Natalya Neidhart
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"It's been said that it is rare in this sport for an athlete to go out on their own terms. Rarer still to do so with the grace and integrity (and leaping off high stuff) that @Sting has had. An example to us all." –Excalibur (Marc Letzmann)
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"Thank you @Sting! What a ride, what a run." —Booker T. Huffman
