"You got this"- AEW star motivated Sting to wrestle in front of a live audience this year
Darby Allin is not just an on-screen partner to Sting; he has also been a motivator for the face-painted Icon.
Sting's return to professional wrestling in 2020 has been nothing short of an inspirational story. Even when he came to AEW, few fans expected him to be involved physically. But as it turns out, the WCW legend has wrestled in four matches this year, and three of them took place in front of a live capacity crowd.
His association with a young 28-year old Darby Allin helped prolong his career. While speaking with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, the former TNT Champion opened up about his bond with Sting in and out of the ring.
Allin admitted that the WCW legend initially wanted to do cinematic matches, but he convinced the 62-year old star to return to the ring by visiting his home.
"Me and Sting have grown so much together outside of what people have seen on TV," said Allin. "Our personalities outside of the ring, we've come so close and the fans don't see that part. Originally, he was supposed to come in for some cinematic matches, and I went to his house in Texas where he had a ring set up."
"And we started rolling around and training and I convinced him to actually wrestle in front of a live crowd," Allin added. "Nobody gets to see those moments behind the scenes. It's just us talking. 'You got this. I'm training with you and seeing what you're doing, let's f***ing do it.'"(H/T- Fightful)
Goosebump moment. @sting
#AEWDoN https://t.co/858QH0eMrz
Darby Allin also revealed that Sting's first live match, which took place at Double or Nothing, wasn't supposed to happen at all. He added that he felt grateful to have helped the legendary star, who has been bolstering the confidence of other wrestlers.
Sting has performed well inside the ring this year
Sting 🦂
Legend 🔥
#aew #iwc #AEWDynamite #WrestlingCommunity https://t.co/CQaE2Rh23U
It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that Sting hasn't looked rusty in any of his AEW matches so far. To be fair, it could be argued that the former world champion has only wrestled in tag team matches, or that Darby Allin has done most of the work.
That being said, Sting has taken breath-taking bumps and showcased his impressive durability to hang with anyone in the ring. No wrestler his age can move inside the squared circle the way he continues to.
The WWE Hall of Famer will not be competing in the upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view, as his partner Darby Allin will face MJF in a singles bout. Whether or not The Icon gets physical in the match remains to be seen.
What do you make of Darby Allin's statement about Sting? Sound off in the comments section below.