Sting Has a Huge Surprise Before Wrestlemania

WWE fans have known since January that Sting would not only be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but headlining the 2016 class. As if often does this time of year, speculation swirled around who would have the honor of inducting The Icon the night before Wrestlemania 32. Fans found out shortly after the announcements were made official that JBL and Ron Simmons would induct The Godfather, and the sons of Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy as well as Kevin Von Erich would play roles in the induction of The Fabulous Freebirds. And now it is known who will induct Sting.

It’s only fitting that one of the greatest of all time be inducted by perhaps the greatest of all time, Nature Boy Ric Flair. As reported by Wrestling Inc, Flair revealed on his podcast that he would have the pleasure of introducing his long-time rival and friend, Sting, next month, in Dallas, Texas. The Inquisitr speculated back in January that Flair would indeed be inducting Sting, and it certainly makes the most sense.

Occasionally, WWE opts for a more mainstream figure to gain some crossover appeal, but the Sting-Ric Flair rivalry makes it a natural conclusion. The Nature Boy was one of the first to congratulate Sting when JBL revealed the news on a January episode of Monday Night RAW.

Sting is one of the most popular franchise players that WCW/NWA had ever seen. Ric Flair certainly helped elevate him to that level, both on television and backstage. The 1990 Great American Bash cemented it when Flair dropped the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Sting. Their rivalry continued over the next decade and into the Monday Night Wars. Flair would crossover to the WWE and back, while Sting remained loyal to WCW to the bitter end. Of course, the history books will read that Ric Flair and Sting wrestled the final match in the history of World Championship Wrestling.

Sting’s run in the WWE has left a little to be desired, but the sheer fact that he showed up in a WWE arena was spectacle enough, and something many thought might never happen. Neck surgery may prevent Sting from ever picking up a victory in WWE, but his feuds with Triple H and Seth Rollins were memorable, even if the outcomes weren’t what fans were hoping for.

There’s also one other elephant in the room in regards to a dream match that seems less and less likely to take place by the day. Visions of Sting vs The Undertaker started circulating the moment Sting arrived in WWE. The company kept floating that carrot when it opted to go with Sting and HHH and Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania 31. AT&T Stadium, then, seemed to be the perfect venue for the two icons to clash in a fitting send-off. But Sting’s neck injury might prevent him from ever wrestling again and the Undertaker is pitted against Shane McMahon inside Hell in a Cell.

Maybe, just maybe, Steve Borden will shed some light into why his character never came to face off against The Phenom in a WWE ring during his induction speech. But in wrestling, sometimes the fantasy is far more fascinating than the truth. Sting will certainly have enough content to cover thanks to a career surpassed by few. Wrestlemania weekend is a special time for wrestling fans, and Sting taking his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame should rank right up there with the most anticipated moments throughout the course of the event. And it certainly won’t hurt to have Ric Flair induct him.