Sting wanted to put over The Young Bucks in his final match
Sting Wanted The Young Bucks to Win at AEW Revolution but Tony Khan was against it
“For those involved in the construction of Sting’s Retirement match, including Tony Khan, it was imperative that Sting won.
Sting preferred to give the moment and momentum to the Young Bucks. But that was not going to happen as Khan and the Bucks, all firmly believed that Sting should end his career with a victory.
Khan, the Bucks, and Sting ultimately agreed that a fun, happy ending would be best for AEW”.
source: SI
Yeah. He should have. Then AEW could have advertised the heel Champs “celebrating” on Dynamite, without Darby doing ANYTHING (LET IT BREATHE), only for Darby (maybe without the makeup) to return and go after the Bucks. In time have a partner, like a Seth Rollins (unrelated aside from their shared hatred of the Bucks and how they treated Sting on the way out), emerge to help the newly reinvigorated Darby win the straps and move tot he next level. They could have gotten three talent over instead of a single retiring legend. Sting was right. This isn’t going to do AEW ANY FAVORS moving forward. The Bucks needed heat and now they have to start from scratch. This lack of depth in BASIC storytelling is why AEW will continue to struggle.
@Motorhead
I agree with your last sentence, but that’s about it. This match wasn’t about getting anyone over, it was just supposed to be a feelgood moment. Not just for Sting, but mainly for his fans (including wrestlers). They could have used Sting to try get plenty of people over before, they didn’t (undefeated in AEW for some reason). Darby’s just going to be the waste of talent who does stupid crap, he’s as over as he’s ever gonna get until he cripples himself. And the Bucks won’t get over with anyone other than the people they’re already over with. If you’re not a fan of pinball wrestling, they’re just snack breaks.
Sting put over Nick Aldis in his last match with TNA. If the match had happened when the promotion was riding higher, it probably would be a much more remembered “passing of the torch” moment; either way, Sting did the right thing.
Considering Khan’s completely ADHD booking, it’s not like he would have been able to capitalize on a Bucks win over Sting/Darby. This is really the best outcome considering the booker. Also, would the Bucks really have been the best opponent to do that with? Would have much rather seen a heel FTR vs. Sting/Darby in that case.
Darby isn’t going to be in the picture much in the next few months as he prepares for and then recovers from Everest, so any extended program involving him is a no go. The Bucks have plenty of other ways to generate heat, even if cheap is the only kind they can get with the way booking is. And besides, if the Bucks had won and gotten the titles it would be a week before we heard anything from Meltzer since he’d be ecstatically semi-catatonic lying in a puddle of his own…well, we don’t need to get into that.
I get where everyone is coming from, and personally, I would have had Sting take the pin in his final face. However, the Bucks had all the Mo going into the match. And when you include the attack on Stings kids, you’ve taken this from a simple retirement match to a hot angle.
Having the Bucks put over Sting doesn’t hurt them. The promo they cut last night, where they still got to claim they “retired Sting”