After 31 years of being a fan of Sting's, it all ends tonight - at least for him in the ring. I remember my first Clash of the Champions live on TV being the August '93 one and seeing him slam one of the Kongs and marking out so hard that my mom came down and wanted to know why I was so excited. Becoming a fan in '93, I had two favorites - Bret Hart, my absolute favorite wrestler ever, and Sting. Sting was more exciting than Bret, but Bret was clearly better technically. Sting was a more impressive athlete, but Bret came off as more of a real person. However, WCW gave you a lot of glimpses into Sting in casual wear to help him be relatable.
Renee and RJ are here and Renee has a killer tassel jacket! DAVID CROCKETT IS THERE WITH TONY SCHIAVONE! Kudos to Toni Storm for being so good that the usage of "bumhole" TWICE in this video package actually works as drama. FTR vs. BCC hype and then some International Title and TNT Title hype. The storytelling for Danielson vs. Kingston is fantastic too.
Private Party and Willie Mack are delightful goofballs together - hilarious dancing there with Jarrett, Singh, and Lethal as the straight men against the Bang Bang Scissor Gang. Max messes up the rap to Jeff's joy. Nigel - The Bang Bang Scissor Gang sounds like something Tony Schiavone would pay for on Onlyfans. CHECK HIS BANK STATEMENTS! SEVEN WAY FARGO STRUT! Fantastic babyface fire from Bowens off a hot tag.
Billy's in and eats a Mack stunner and a Lethal cutter! Zay gets a swanton and Quen gets a 450 and rolls over for 2.5! 310 TO YUMA TO ZAY! Arrival and Mic Drop to Quen! MACK SUPERKICK TO GUNN! BLADERUNNER HITS AND ENDS IT! Big babyface promo from Jay White hyping up the card and showing love to Greensboro before reminding everyone that he can always make everyone breathe with the Switchblade and issues a warning for Big Business.
Best Friends are with Doc Sampson and everyone BUT TRENT is in a throwback jacket. OC doesn't want them at ringside. Tony and Crockett are back saying that special things happen here. Kris and Willow versus Skye Blue and Julia Hart is up. Delightful basement forearm by Stat and then a crossbody by Willow gets 2. MMMASSSSIVE chop from Willow to Hart in the corner! Heels team up and then Kris comes in and runs wild. They double team fallaway slam Skye Blue off a weird contrived spot. DVD hits for Willow for 2. Julia and Stat go back and forth with forearms before the moonsault hits for 2.5 when Willow runs in. NASTY PK TO WILLOW by Blue! Perfect framing on that right on the apron. DISCUS DOUBLE LARIAT BY STAT! PPPPOUNCE BY WILLOW TO SKYE BLUE! DOCTOR BOMB WINS IT!
The Countdown video closes the Zero Hour off and it's an epic one. TNT Title match starts off the card. Daniel Garcia FINALLY has some good gear here and he feels like he could be belted at any time. I love Nigel sayinig everyone loves Christian as they pan to a shot of booing fans. Great heel work to start with the goons helping Cage out. Nice matwork on the leg to Cage's knee with a pair of dragon screws on the mat before a big bodyblock by Garcia!
Inverted DDT to the knee of Cage gets 2. ANKLE LOCK BY GARCIA! APRON TO RING CHOKESLAM FROM KILLSWITCH TO GARCIA AND A FROG SPLASH GETS 2! Daddy Magic squares off with Shayna and DAMN SHAYNA IS TALL. Garcia snap piledriver gets 2.9! Nick Wayne distracts and the KILLSWITCH ENDS IT!
Continental Crown match is here and it's no interference with a 60 minute time limit. Nice chops start things off before Bryan GRABS THE ARM TO BLOCK and then eats a machine gun chop. Tope suicida by Kingston! SUPLEX OFF THE APRON BY BRYAN! Flying nothing into an AKIYAMA EXPLODER! ANOTHER EXPLODER ATTEMPT, but Dnaielson avoids that, but can't avoid a stretch plum! Danielson rolls out of a half and half and lands a corner dropkick!
Snapmare into a spine kick by Bryan into a dragon suplex for 2! Avalanche butterfly suplex into a Danielson Special...NO A LEBELL LOCK! NOPE DOUBLE ARMBAR! INOKI ENZUIGURI HITS AND THE URAKEN! SASAKI NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB HITS FOR 2! PK TO THE HAND AND THE BUSAIKU KNEE GETS 2! ARM TRAP STOMPS TO THE JAW OF KINGSTON!
Danielson wants the triangle sleeper, but Kingston is fighting it. HE GETS TO THE ROPE and Danielson just happens to not release the hold right away. LETS GO BRYAN/LETS GO EDDIE chant breaks out big-time! HALF AND HALF ROLLTHROUGH BY DANIELSON AND HE LANDS A REGALPLEX, BUT KINGSTON GETS THE HALF AND HALF!
SHORT STRIKES HIT AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH WITH SLAPS! KINGSTON HITS THE POWERBOMB AND WINS IT! Danielson's streak of putting over every single champion in the universe to put them over and put AEW over his own legacy remains unbeaten! KINGSTON HAS DONE IT! Danielson shakes his hands and puts his hand up in victory - wow what a journey this was!
No. 1 contender scramble is up! Dante with a crazy dive to the pile on the floor before a dive to Jericho gets 2. BOW AND ARROW JONES setup for the corner double knees! Archer hiptoss off the top to Magnus! Hobbs hits a running powerslam on Archer! Cage runs wild on Hobbs in the corner with a running charge and a back suplex out of the corner! Wardlow wanted a powerbomb on Cage, but HOOK GETS THE REDRUM! Jericho gets the Walls and we get some wackiness with Wardlow on the floor out on the steps. Wackiness with a fog machine. Redrum on Wardlow, but he throws him off and Wardlow pins Dante with a Last Ride. This was weird but fun.
International Title time with Roddy and the Undisputed Kingdom getting a killer intro and Roddy dominating on the floor. OC eats some seated shots to the ribs before a back and forth exchange forearming Roddy on the apron before bonking his head into the buckle. Roddy works the back and ribs with a ringpost bow and arrow before a long Boston Crab! OC recovers and stomps away on the mat!
Roddy gets a giant rising knee strike! OC gets the BEACH BREAK WITH THE ROPE! END OF HEARTACHE WINS IT! RODDY STRONG WINS HIS FIRST AEW TITLE! KYLE O 'REILLY RETURNS AND HUGS RODDY but declines the shirt! He's there for his friend, but not htis group. I like it!
It's a shame that Tully Blanchard Tully Blancharded his career or else we'd have him coming out with FTR in Horsemen country for Sting's Last Match. BCC is out with Road Warrior spikes! Claudio lands uppercuts and Dax goes for chops. Cash hits even harder workhorse chops in the corner before Claudio double stomps Cash on the apron. Mox talks shit and says Cash and Dax aren't shit. BCC avoids the spike piledriver and a Mox cheapshot opened the door for a Claudio lariat for 2. Dax ate the steps on the way down and comes up bloody.
Air raid crash by Mox gets 2. BACK AND FORTH SLUGFEST BETWEEN DAX AND MOX! Spike piledriver to Mox and a suicide dive by Cash gets 2. Taz talks about losing 9 months to a spike piledriver. Doomsday device uppercut to Dax, who lands hard on his left shoulder! SHATTER MACHINE TURNED INTO A SWING AND A CUTTER HITS FROM MOX! Dropkick in the swing from Mox gets 2! CORNER ELBOW BY MOX! SHATTER MACHINE TO MOX FOR 2.9 THANKS TO CLAUDIO!
Cash dives into an uppercut on the floor. NEUTRALIZER ON THE FLOOR WHO THEN EATS A DAX PILEDRIVER! DEATH RIDER TO DAX THE AXE! He gets the cover and only get 2.5 before moving into the bulldog choke! Mox gets the RNC and Claudio locks one in on Dash to get the win! This was in first gear for a long time, but became an outstanding match for the last 15 or so minutes.
Toni vs. Deonna is up and it feels like a title change is due here. Mariah May comes out with the throwback rocker Toni Storm getup on and it's fantastic! Her resemblance to Toni helps a lot with this gimmick and Toni having such a long career helps with her having throwback gimmicks at 28. Toni got locked in an armbar but got the rope.
Toni with a kick to the "lady yambags!" according to Taz. Sabu-style camel clutch by Toni. Deonna lands a knee lift and a big front kick. Deonna gets a flatliner for 2. HIP ATTACK AND A DDT GET 2 FOR TONI! Toni blocks a kick and locks on Break a Leg. Deonna escapes and dives onto Toni and LUTHER! Fujiwara is locked on and Toni goes for a roll escape, but gets locked in deeper! VENUS DE MILO IS ON AND SHE TAPS but Luther distracts! STORM ZERO ENDS IT!
Will Ospreay vs. Takeshita is up and AEW Bruvolution is upon us! Ospreay gets a massive OSPREAY OSPREAY chant! Ospreay dominates with chops mid-ring and in the corner before Takeshita hits a gorgeous superplex. Ospreay turns a hiptoss into an abdominal stretch seamlessly. CHEERIO MOTHERFUCKER forearm hits! Kawada kicks and another big Ospreay chop land snuggly before Takeshita hits the Omega dive!
Takeshita lands a German suplex, but an Ospreay spanish fly hits! Ospreay outslugs him and Takeshita goes down hard OFF A DISCUS ELBOW! GIANT MOTHEFUCKING MISAWA ELBOW! HE EATS ANOTHER AND LANDS THE KAWADA KICKS, BUT TAKESHITA TRUCKS HIM WITH A FOREARM THAT FLOORS HIM BUT HE'S TOO OUT OF IT TO COVER! Hook superkick hits for Ospreay and the tiger driver gets 2!
OSCUTTER INTO A BLUE THUNDER BOMB ARE YOU KIDDING ME WHAT WAS THAT!? Wow that only got 2! OSCUTTER HITS for 2! HIDDEN BLADE EATS ANOTHER HUGE FOREARM FOR 2.9! Head wedge superkick by Ospreay before Takeshita blocks a rana into a JESUSGODFUCKWHATTHEFUCKWASTHATFUCKINGSUPLEX!? Takeshita knee strike hits, but the uncovered knee is avoided. POISON RANA AND A HIDDEN BLADE GETS 1!
Both land rolling elbows, but a knee gets a pop-up powerbomb into a Styles Clash for 2.5! TIGER DRIVER '91 HITS! BLINDSIDE HIDDEN BLADE HITS FOR THE WIN! Well, this was easily the second five star match on the show - THE WINNER OF THIS UNBELIEVABLE BATTLE, WILL OSPREAY according to the Dapper Yapper. Goddamn what a classic! Ospreay and Takeshita bow to each other and we get Ospreay and Fletcher staring down before THEY HAVE A MATCH ON DYNAMITE!
What a classic show this has been and now it's time for the World Title! Swerve is out with a killer getup while Page is out and pissed and Joe is in gives no fucks mode just letting these guys destroy each other. The lower-thirds graphics return for Hangman! Joe runs wild with punches and Jim Ross is adding a lot to this saying that Joe needs to stay in the hunt here and not let Hangman and Swerve go at it constantly because he can lose the title without being pinned and he needs to protect his investment.
RNC IS ON BUT A SWERVE SPIRAL TAP HITS! Nana gives Swerve the crown, but he turns it down and then gets locked in the choke BUT HANGMAN ATTACKS BRYCE! Skin the cat into a rebounder lariat by Hangman to Swerve! BUCKSHOT TO JOE AND SWERVE ROLLS OFF THE TOP TO BUCKSHOT HANGMAN OFF THE TOP! JML DRIVER BUT JOE CHOKES OUT HANGMAN AND JOE WINS IT BY TAPOUT RIGHT BEFORE SWERVE BREAKS IT UP!
April 21 marks the debut of AEW Dynasty in St. Louis. Sting's final promo was his best promo - will his final match be his best match as well? Flair is out alongside Steamboat. The Bucks are out with the fake money being replaced by business cards!
Darby is out and man did Sting pick a good one to go out with. We get his kids out as classic Sting alongside SEEK AND DESTROY! What a great moment for them before we start and then they hit coffin and stinger splashes before his sons hit them too! Garrett's splash hops are on par with his father's in his prime!
COFFIN DROP TO THE FLOOR TO THE BUCKS! I thought it was nuts Sting was using tacks in TNA and now in 2024, we've got glass in his final match. They avoid the glass for a bit and Sting just smashes a pane win his bat. That insane Buck - he's going to suplex him through about $7 of bottled water! MATTHEW SUPLEXES STING OFF THE STAGE THROUGH A TABLE ON THE FLOOR!
A "fuck the Young Bucks" chant breaks out and Tony and Excalibur agree with it. TOSSING POWERBOMB FROM THE BUCKS INTO A LADDER IN THE CORNER! Stundog stunner! CODE RED! DARBY GOES FOR A SWANTON OFF THE LADDER THROUGH THE GLASS AND EATS IT! OH GOD THE BLOOD! Now it's 2 on 1 with the Bucks against Sting!
Sting goozles Matthew and puts him on a table with a ladder nearby... Nicholas sets up glass and Sting goes through the table AND IS UP! STING GOES THROUGH THE GLASS IN THE CORNER AND EATS A DEATH DROP FOR 2! Steamboat prevents the Bucks from using the belts and lands a chop but eats a chair.
FLAIR COVERS HIM UP AND EATS A DOUBLE SUPERKICK! STEAMBOAT EATS A DOUBLE SUPERKICK AND A BELT SHOT ONLY GETS 2.5! God, every cover to Sting has me on the edge of my seat here. This is such a perfect final match for Sting, Steamboat, and Flair. THE SECOND EVP TRIGGER GETS 1! TK DRIVER ATTEMPT BUT DARBY'S BACK. DEATH DROP! MATTHEW KICKS OUT AT 2.9! DEATH DROP AND THE COFFIN DROP END IT! Sting made his final match about everyone else in the match and gave Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair, men who paved the way in the Carolinas, a chance to shine alongside him in his last match.
Sting had the greatest final match anyone could ever ask for in every way and he used it to pay homage to just about anyone he physically could. Flair and Steamboat got moments to shine. Darby got moments to shine and the Bucks, EVPs who will be there tomorrow, lost. Sting could have been a Hulk Hogan, who pouted when asked to do anything that made him look weak over 40 years. Or HHH, who pouted at anything making him look weak over 20, but he was selfless even on his last night.
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