Rob Van Dam surprised to still see WWE Hall of Famer wrestling; claims he planned to retire 11 years ago
WWE veteran Rob Van Dam has had a storied wrestling career, and many believe he could be close to retirement. He recently commented on Sting's AEW tenure and was surprised to see The Icon actively competing inside the ring after all these years.
Rumors about Sting's potential plans to retire this year have been rampant, especially after the veteran hinted at hanging up his boots this year. Due to this, fans have been speculating about his future in the business.
During a recent episode of his 1 Of A Kind podcast, Rob Van Dam recalled hearing Sting claim he wanted to retire after his TNA Hall of Fame induction in 2012.
"I think it was Sting that was talking, and he was saying that he was talking about after his Atlanta run and whatever he did, that he thought he was done. And so the speech alluded to that and said that they reached out to him, and he was like, ‘Oh man, I don't know.’ Then they said, ‘Well, come on, we really need you.’ And he is, ‘Man, I think I'm done. You know, my back.' 'Well, we'll give you this much money.’ And he was like, ‘Alright, for a little bit." (H/T: Wrestling Writing)
.@Sting Enters the TNA Hall of Fame [October 2012]
Guess this makes him the 1st person in both the TNA and WWE HoF. https://t.co/gDF19tq2xF
Van Dam claimed that TNA kept requesting The Icon to extend his contract with the promotion, and the latter agreed to stay with the company until 2014. He later jumped ship to WWE.
Missed out on last night's episode of AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.
Eric Bischoff believes that Sting should have never competed in WWE
The Icon's imminent retirement is set to be a massive moment whenever it transpires. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently gave his take on when it could happen and expressed his desire to see the legend take on Chris Jericho in a singles match.
Many fans believe Sting's run in WWE is arguably the black spot in his legendary career. During an episode of 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff explained why The Icon should have never wrestled in the Stamford-based company.
"I'd been a lot happier to see him getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, get his 'just due' and the respect that he deserved, and kinda leave it at that. Regardless of whether he'd have gone over or not. Is this how you want people to remember your last match? I was disappointed." (00:11 onward)
WWE debut of Sting https://t.co/yK9mAAlyvw
It remains to be seen if Sting will actually retire this year. But with all the support he has in AEW, he is expected to have a memorable final match in the future.