Jim Cornette explains why The Undertaker vs. Sting did not happen in WWE
Jim Cornette has given his take on why WWE never booked The Undertaker vs. Sting. A dream match between the two men has been speculated for over two decades. However, following Sting’s appearance in AEW last week and The Undertaker’s recent retirement, the match will almost certainly never happen.
Speaking on his Drive Thru podcast, Cornette explained that it would have been difficult for WWE to appease fans with the match outcome. If Sting lost, ex-WCW fans would have been upset. Similarly, if The Undertaker lost, WWE fans would have complained. Cornette believes the only way a match involving The Undertaker and Sting could have worked is if they had become tag team partners.
“People would’ve thought they wanted to see it but then it would’ve been a bummer at the end because somebody would’ve had to lose or it would be a bulls*** finish and everybody would complain about that.
“If they could’ve figured out some way they could’ve been tag team partners against some team that had some heat, and people wanted to see that team get the s*** kicked out of them, that would have been great. But Sting vs. Undertaker, people just got fixated on it because the match had never happened… for good f***ing reason.”
Please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru and give a H/T to SK Wrestling for the transcription if you use these quotes.
Why did The Undertaker vs. Sting not take place?
Dozens of WCW wrestlers joined WWE when Vince McMahon acquired the company in 2001. Sting, however, chose not to move to WWE. Instead, the wrestling legend signed with IMPACT Wrestling in 2003 and he spent the next 11 years of his career with the promotion.
When Sting finally appeared in WWE in 2014-2015, he competed in PPV matches against Triple H and Seth Rollins. During the same period of time, The Undertaker feuded with Superstars including Bray Wyatt and Brock Lesnar.
Although Sting has said in interviews that he wants to face The Undertaker, the man behind The Undertaker character, Mark Calaway, has a different opinion.
Calaway, 55, told Barstool Sports in September that he wanted to feud with Sting, 61, two decades ago, but not in 2020.
“To be completely honest, the match would have been cool in the 90s or early 2000s. But there's a reason the Last Ride documentary came about and I called it a day. Although, in my heart I still want that Sting match. But my body doesn't corporate with the other two factors in that. It becomes really difficult.” [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
The Undertaker previously faced Sting under the name Mark Callous at an NWA show in 1990. However, the legendary performers never went one-on-one while working as their more established characters.