How will Sting’s Final Match End at AEW Revolution?

Sting is yet to taste defeat inside an AEW ring, but will that change when he and Darby Allin face The Young Bucks at Revolution in what is set to be the wrestling icon’s final hurrah?

Built since the backend of last year, Sting’s last match is already proving to be a commercial success with hardly any seats left at the Greensboro Coliseum, with a sell-out attendance highly likely. Sting will say goodbye to new fans and those who’ve followed him since his glorious WCW days, and whatever the result, he’ll exit the venue as one of his industry’s biggest-ever winners.

The choice of The Young Bucks as his farewell dance partners lacked logic at first, but clues in recent weeks are piecing together the fresh rivalry. How should this match play out? To Nicholas and Matthew Jackson, Sting surely intends to represent CM Punk, The Elite’s real-life rival who recently resurfaced in WWE following lengthy backstage troubles in WWE.

This is the new generation taking on the grizzled headteacher of the old school, and although steps are now being taken to make this out-of-nowhere rivalry make sense, it does feel like Tony Khan could’ve gone in a better direction.

Tradition is valued in professional wrestling, and if Sting is on the way out, will he pass the torch onto somebody, or will Khan, one of Sting’s biggest supporters, grant him a hero’s exit as he leaves with his hands raised in the air? For this writer, Sting should leave with his shoulders pinned to the ground, but it shouldn’t be The Young Bucks, who don’t need any elevating, gaining the win.

On next week’s Dynamite, Sting and Darby Allin will face and likely defeat Ricky Starks and Big Bill to become AEW tag team champions. These belts will then probably be defended at Revolution, meaning Sting will either end his wrestling career as a champion or The Young Bucks will walk out of North Carolina with the gold. I’m not sure what sounds better.

The Young Bucks are heavily established, and they don’t need to be the ones who benefit from Sting’s final match. That honor should be going to Starks and the former Big Cass. Starks has already shown hints of greatness in matches against Bryan Danielson and MJF, and being the man who ended Sting’s career could be the platform needed to send him to another level.

Speculation exists that Starks could end up in WWE at some point in 2024, but if AEW is intent on keeping him and he’s open to signing a new deal, the trophy of ditching Sting could be the springboard to push him into a regular main event slot with Bill as his enforcer.

As it stands, that scenario is a non-starter, and it’s The Bucks who will be the beneficiaries of a wrestling moment that could be one for the ages. Their new EVP gimmick is showing glimpses of potential, but if it’s only an act that will expire after Revolution is out of the way, what will be the point of this intriguing character alteration?

If Nicholas and Matthew are to remain that way, then it’s essential that they give this gimmick everything, and being the ones who break the hearts of those watching Sting’s final match could give them nuclear heat moving forward. There’s a very good chance that Sting exits AEW with his perfect record intact, and although that may make some happy for a small period, in the end, it’ll only benefit Sting. It has to mean more to AEW.

Walter Christian

See author's posts