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AFTERNOON THOUGHTS: NOW OR NEVER - IT'S TIME FOR TNA TO USE STING RIGHT

NOW OR NEVER: IT'S TIME FOR TNA TO USE STING RIGHT

On March 27, 1988, Steve Borden, known professionally to wrestling fans as Sting, became a star for life with one of the most celebrated NWA World title matches of the era, a 45 minute draw against Ric Flair at the first-ever Clash of the Champions TBS special.

On March 27, 2008, Borden returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as one of the main draws of their first-ever live edition of Impact, headlining an eight man tag team bout. The anniversary of the date was never mentioned during the broadcast.

Sting has been back as an active wrestler for TNA for two months and for the most part, he has been something of an afterthought creatively, working The Lethal Lockdown bout, getting knocked out with a beer bottle courtesy of James Storm, and finally working a PPV opener in a loss against Team 3D.

This is hardly the stuff legends are made of, but what makes the current direction of Sting in TNA almost criminal is that 2008, in all likelihood, is his final in-ring year.  At one point, all signs pointed to his quiet departure from TNA and a return to retirement.  Just like his disappearance after World Championship Wrestling's death in 2001, there wouldn't have been a big celebration or a farewell such as the one Ric Flair saw at Wrestlemania, just a quiet blip as he slipped into the void.

Sting opted to sign for another year with TNA.  While not the athlete he once was (age and injuries catch up to everyone in the end), Sting's presence has been immensely important for TNA when it comes to signing licensees and international television deals.  Unlike Samoa Joe or AJ Styles or even Jeff Jarrett, Sting the wrestling character is a legitimate brand name that is immediately known to most companies.  He was the babyface center-piece of WCW during its hottest period and was their top babyface for a decade before that. Sting being part of TNA was an important piece of the puzzle as they grew over the last five plus years.

So why isn't TNA using him better now that he's back?

As I pen this, TNA has been hyping that the first of a three-part sit-down interview with Sting will air tonight on SpikeTV's Impact.  I sincerely would hope that this interview will reveal some new, daring storyline for the former WCW World champion and now more of the muddy storylines he seems to have floated around in over the last few weeks of his TNA tenure.  If Borden has indeed signed for one final year, it is now or never for the company to get the most out of their investment.

TNA needs to see Sting as a precious commodity and use him as a talent that will likely not be there a year from now, so it's time to get as much mileage out of him as they can. There will be no "later." While I concede there's no need to push him on the top of the card at the expense of talents who should be there - like the aforementioned Styles or Joe - but booking someone of Sting's stature into meaningless, immediatley forgotten opening match bouts on PPV (Pacman Jones, anyone?) or as a low-rent Undertaker with flashing "spooky" lights - when Sting's obvious role should be to be portrayed as the legendary "Babe Ruth" of TNA, just boggles the mind.

If this is Sting's last year, there are a series of dream matches that fans would want to see and TNA should want to add to their video library.  There are the three obvious ones - Sting vs. AJ Styles, Sting vs. Samoa Joe, Sting vs. Booker T, which they did tease and one would assume that's in the future, but with TNA, nothing is ever for sure. While these talents may have faced off with Sting before, they certainly were not climactic, dramatic clashes that fans would remember as something truly special. It's time for TNA to make sure those clashes happen before time runs out.

There are also the matches that might not come to mind immediately as "dream bout" level attractions, but could also be intriguing bouts if booked and presented properly - Sting and a partner against LAX or Sting (who has always worked best with larger, bruiser opponents) vs. Matt Morgan.  A full fledged feud with Team 3D is another interesting idea, one that has yet to scratch the surface yet considering the star power and work ethic of those involved with their brief interactions.

Not all of the matches I've mentioned are guaranteed classics - no match ever is as perfect as a booker envisions it once it hits the ring - but any or all of them would be a smarter way of using one of the few legitimate living legends TNA can claim to have under contract.   There's always been a question of how much passion Sting still has for the business, but one can only assume that he, like any other piece of talent, would be more passionate about being used in a manner beyond how he's currently treated.

Sting has a tremendous history in the wrestling business and an aura that is unique to him that few other talents today possess.  He shouldn't be working opening matches on PPVs at this stage of his career.  He deserves to go out in a blaze of glory with his career ending the same way it first began on the national scene - with memorable moments. 

It's TNA's responsibility to their (and Sting's) fans as well as Sting's career legacy to make that happen.  With his final year in the business already well underway, it's time for TNA to start using Sting correctly now or be forever remembered as the company that fumbled the end of one of the career for the only true legitimate star of the Monday Night War never to work for World Wrestling Entertainment.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

 

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