Sting (wrestler)

Steve Borden (born March 20, 1959) is an American former professional wrestler, actor, author and bodybuilder. He is better known by his ring name Sting. He most recently wrestled for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where is a one-time AEW World Tag Team Champion with Darby Allin. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).

Sting
Sting wrestling at a Pro Wrestling NOAH event on January 22, 2023
Born	(1959-03-20) March 20, 1959 (age 66)[1] Omaha, Nebraska[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Sting[3] Blade Runner Flash[2] Blade Runner Sting[2] Flash[4] Flash Borden
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[3]
Billed weight	270 lb (120 kg)[3]
Billed from	"Every man's nightmare" Venice Beach, California
Trained by	Bill Anderson Red Bastien[2][4] Georgio Maradona Terry Funk
Debut	November 28, 1985[4]
Retired	March 3, 2024

During his time with WCW, he was known as "The Franchise (of WCW)". He is also known as "(The) Stinger", "The Icon", "The Hooligan", "The Man Called (or They Call) Sting", and "The Vigilante". Also, during a time in 2011, he went through a Joker (a character played by the late Heath Ledger in movie The Dark Knight in 2008) phase that was dubbed "The Insane Icon". He held a total of 15 championships in WCW. This includes the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times, the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship two times, and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship one time. He has appeared on more PPVs in WCW than any other wrestler.^[5] When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, Sting decided to not sign with them.^[6]

Sting joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2003. Throughout his 11 years with the company, Sting was a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a four-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, a one-time TNA World Tag Team Champion with Kurt Angle, and was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2012.

Sting made his WWE debut at Survivor Series on November 23, 2014. He attacked Triple H and cost Team Authority the match.^[7] Sting faced Triple H at WrestleMania 31. He lost but shook Triple H's hand after the match.^[8] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

On December 2, 2020, Sting made his debut for All Elite Wrestling at Winter Is Coming. He has since been teaming with Darby Allin.^[9] On the February 7, 2024 episode of Dynamite, Sting and Allin defeated Ricky Starks and Big Bill to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships. This was Sting's only championship in AEW.^[10] On March 3, 2024 at Revolution, he won his retirement match, having been undefeated in AEW.^[11]

Personal life

He became a born-again Christian in August 1998.^[12] Sting has two sons, Garrett Lee and Steve, Jr. and a daughter named Gracie.^[13] After the 2015 NFL draft, his son Steven was invited by the Kansas City Chiefs to try out for the team at the rookie mini-camp.^[14]

Championships and accomplishments

Sting is a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion...

...and a four-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

Sting being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

Sting's final championship reign was with the AEW World Tag Team Championship in 2024.

• All Elite Wrestling
  • AEW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Darby Allin^[15]
  • AEW Dynamite Award (1 time)
    • "Biggest Surprise" (2021) – Debuting during the special "Winter Is Coming" episode of Dynamite on December 2, 2020^[16]
• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2024)^[17]
• Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling
  • NWA World Television Championship (1 time)^[18]
  • NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^1[19]
  • WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[20]
  • WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[21][22]
  • WCW World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)^[23]
  • WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times)^[24] – with Lex Luger (1), The Giant (1), and Kevin Nash (1)
  • Battlebowl Battle Royal (1991)^[25]
  • European Cup (1994, 2000)^[26][27]
  • Iron Man Tournament (1989)
  • Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup (1988) – with Lex Luger
  • King of Cable Tournament (1992)^[28]
  • London Lethal Lottery Tag Team Tournament (2000) – with Scott Steiner
  • WCW United States Championship Tournament (1991)
  • WCW United States Championship Tournament (1995)
  • World Cup of Wrestling (1995) – with Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Johnny B. Badd, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Alex Wright
  • Third WCW Triple Crown Champion
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Comeback of the Year (2006, 2011, 2014)^[29][30]
  • Match of the Year (1991) with Lex Luger vs. the Steiner Brothers at SuperBrawl I
  • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1988)^[31]
  • Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1990)^[32]
  • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1991, 1992, 1994, 1997)^[33]
  • Wrestler of the Year (1990)^[34]
  • Stanley Weston Award for Lifetime Achievement (2023)^[35]
  • Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992^[36]
  • Ranked No. 15 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
  • Ranked No. 52 of the top 100 tag teams of the PWI Years with Lex Luger in 2003
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2018^[37]
• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^2[19]
  • TNA World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)^[38]
  • TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[39] – with Kurt Angle
  • TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (First Bracket, 2009)^[40]
  • TNA Hall of Fame (2012)
  • TNA Year End Awards (3 times)
    • Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2007)^[41]
    • Match of the Year (2007) vs. Kurt Angle at Bound for Glory, October 14, 2007^[41]
    • Match of the Year (2009) vs. A.J. Styles at Bound for Glory, October 18, 2009
• Universal Wrestling Federation
  • UWF World Tag Team Championship (3 times)^[42] – with Eddie Gilbert (2) and Rick Steiner (1)
• World Wrestling All-Stars
  • WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[43]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Match of the Year (1988) vs. Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions I
  • Most Charismatic (1988, 1992)
  • Most Improved (1988)
  • Most Unimproved (1990)
  • Best Babyface (1992)
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1995) vs. Tony Palmore at Battle 7
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (2011) vs. Jeff Hardy at Victory Road^[44]
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2016)^[45]
• WWE
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2016)
  • Slammy Award (2 times)
    • "This is Awesome" Moment of the Year (2014) – Debuting to help Team Cena defeat Team Authority at Survivor Series
    • "Surprise Return of the Year" (2015) – as Seth Rollins' statue, and attacks Rollins on Raw

¹ Won while the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was defended in World Championship Wrestling when WCW was part of the National Wrestling Alliance. The same goes for any other NWA championship won after November 1988.

² Won while TNA got the exclusive rights to use the NWA World Heavyweight Championship through an agreement with the NWA.