History Wrestling / STing

* PerkyGoth: "Crow" Sting after 1997. He still kept the black and white face-paint during the [[Wrestling/NewWorldorder nWo]] angle but has gone back to his upbeat showman persona of his Surfer Sting days

* PracticallyJoker: His "Insane Icon" gimmick in TNA is about as close as you can get within the boundaries of copyright law. Chaotic, clown like mannerisms? Check. Weird sense of humor? Check. Makeup so close to Heath Ledger's from the Dark Knight that it skirts the line of legality? Definitely. He even brought with him a gang of masked henchmen on a few occasions.

* ReligiousBruiser: Borden is Christian and a mentor who's busy coaching his troubled friend, Wrestling/LexLuger, back into the light. He also starred in the low-budget 2004 {{biopic}} ''Sting: Moment of Truth'', an unintentional comedy classic about his path to becoming a Born-again Christian, rather than his wrestling career. It also omits all graphic content from Sting's life -- including the [[TakeOurWordForIT supposedly bad stuff]] that led to his conversion.
* RingOldies: Retired at 56, after 31 years in the business- then came out of retirement in 2020 to rejoin it. Then officially retired again own his own terms weeks before his 65th birthday.

* StudentAndMasterTeam: With Wrestling/DarbyAllin. All of Sting's matches since his 2020 return have seen him team up with Darby (and occasionally others for larger matches) to take on a team of heels.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [=nWo=] "Sting" played by Jeff Farmer. Used at first to make people doubt Sting's loyalties and then sent over to New Japan (where he was quite popular) to be part of their [=nWo=]. Farmer's bogus Sting was quite long-lived, lasting 3 years in WCW, off and on. He even competed under the gimmick independently well into the early 2000's until his retirement.

* WrestlingFamily: His sons Garrett and Steve Jr. were both physically involved in his final match at ''Revolution'' 2024, each dressing as one of his past in-ring personas. Garrett's wife Katelyn works in AEW's office.

* {{Catchphrase}}:

Among his in-ring achievements, he is a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 7x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html NWA World Television Champion]], a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]], a former 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-h.html TNA World Heavyweight Champion]] and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-t.html TNA World Tag Team Champion]]. He is the inaugural inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016, where he officially announced his retirement from wrestling... which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'' he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at ''AEW Revolution 2024''. Oh... incidentally, he helped out Allin to earn themselves the [[https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/aew/aew-t.html AEW World Tag-Team title]] on February 7. 2024 at almost 65 years old! On March 3 at ''Revolution'', he went out as undefeated and a champion, successfully defending the title alongside Allin against Wrestling/TheYoungBucks in his final match.

* RingOldies: Retired at 56, after 31 years in the business- then came out of retirement in 2020 to rejoin it.Then officially retired again own his own terms at 63

Among his in-ring achievements, he is a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 7x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html NWA World Television Champion]], a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]], a former 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-h.html TNA World Heavyweight Champion]] and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-t.html TNA World Tag Team Champion]]. He is the inaugural inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016, where he officially announced his retirement from wrestling... which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'' he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at ''AEW Revolution 2024''. Oh... incidentally, he helped out Allin to earn themselves the [[https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/aew/aew-t.html AEW World Tag-Team title]] on February 7. 2024 at almost 65 years old! On March 3 at ''Revolution'', he went out a champion, successfully defending the title alongside Allin against Wrestling/TheYoungBucks in his final match.

* RedBaron: The Stinger, The Franchise of WCW, The Icon (in TNA and WWE), The Insane Icon (in TNA as Joker Sting), The Vigilante (in WWE).

* RingOldies: Retired at 56, after 31 years in the business- then came out of retirement in 2020 to rejoin it.

Among his in-ring achievements, he is a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 7x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html NWA World Television Champion]], a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]], a former 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-h.html TNA World Heavyweight Champion]] and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-t.html TNA World Tag Team Champion]]. He is the inaugural inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016, where he officially announced his retirement from wrestling... which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'' he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at ''AEW Revolution 2024''. Oh... incidentally, he helped out Allin to earn themselves the [[https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/aew/aew-t.html AEW World Tag-Team title]] on Februrary 7 2024 at almost 65 years old!

* CoolOldGuy: Still wrestling at age 63 and [[StillGotIt can still keep up with guys much younger than him]]. To put this in perspective, he's SIX YEARS OLDER than Wrestling/TheUndertaker, the longest serving member of the WWE.

Among his in-ring achievements, he is a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 7x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html NWA World Television Champion]], a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]], a former 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-h.html TNA World Heavyweight Champion]] and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-t.html TNA World Tag Team Champion]]. He is the inaugural inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016, where he officially announced his retirement from wrestling... which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'' he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at ''AEW Revolution 2024''. Oh... incidentally, he helped out Allin to earn themselves the [[https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/aew/aew-t.html AEW World Tag-Team title]] on Februrary 7 2024 at almost 64 years old!

Among his in-ring achievements, he is a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 7x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-tv.html NWA World Television Champion]], a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]], a former 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-h.html TNA World Heavyweight Champion]] and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tna/tna-t.html TNA World Tag Team Champion]]. He is the inaugural inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016, where he officially announced his retirement from wrestling...

...Which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'' he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at ''AEW Revolution 2024''.

** This is really the only way to describe the way Sting lost to Wrestling/BobbyRoode at 2012's ''Victory Road'' pay-per-view. A steel chair had been set up in the ring. Sting apparently forgot it was there, and went to give Roode the Scorpion Death Drop--with the chair right behind him! He ended up smacking the back of his head on the seat of the chair, knocking ''himself'' out and allowing Roode to pin him for the three. [[http://taimapedia.org/images/1/1c/Stinglol.gif Behold the historic moment in gif form!]]

* MassiveMultiplayerScam:
** This happens [[GoodIsDumb a lot]] to him in his Wrestling/{{WCW}} run, often at the hands of Wrestling/RicFlair and Wrestling/TheFourHorsemen or Wrestling/LexLuger. Perhaps the most famous example occurred in an angle involving our hero and Flair in 1995. Flair lost a match to Wrestling/ArnAnderson at Fall Brawl due to interference from Wrestling/BrianPillman, and spent the next month trying to convince an extremely wary Sting to be his partner against the duo for Halloween Havoc. After weeks of vehement refusal, Flair finally got Sting to relent, but not before the latter threatened to mess up the former real good if he got screwed. Before the match, Anderson and Pillman ambushed and seemingly injured Flair, forcing Sting to face the heels by himself. However, in the middle of the match, as Sting was getting his ass kicked, Flair appeared to the roar of the crowd and took his place at Sting's corner. Sting played RickyMorton for a long time, getting closer and closer to making the tag to Flair each time. When he finally made the tag, the arena went nuts, and Flair looked prepared to ''kill'' Arn and Pillman...and then [[FaceHeelTurn proceeded to immediately lay out Sting]], revealing that the entire incident was a setup to re-form The Four Horsemen and humiliate Sting.
** It got so bad that in one match it was lampshaded when Sting gave Flair's valet Elizabeth a can of mace to use in case any of the heels tried to make a move on her. Predictably, she turned around and used the mace on Sting later in the match--only it wasn't mace, it was ''silly string''! This was the only time Sting ever managed to outsmart someone.

* JackOfAllTrades: Sting in his prime was strong enough to lift super heavyweights, quick and agile enough to keep up with high-flyers, could trade holds with technicians and was at least competent on the mic.

...Which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin. On the 18th of October 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'' he announced that he would have his final match and truly retire for good at ''AEW REvolution 2024''.

...Which lasted until December 2, 2020, when Sting un-retired and joined the roster of [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]. Since becoming All-Elite, he has acted as a mentor and tag team partner to young wrestler Wrestling/DarbyAllin.

* AchillesInHisTent: Late '96 into much of '97 focused on Sting disowning WCW after his friends turned on him one time too many. But after months of ambiguity, he attacked the New World Order and rejoined WCW as it's primary hero.

* MeaninglessMeaningfulWords: ''"What does it feel like to die? I believe it’s a choice. See, you can choose darkness and finality, gnashing of teeth. Or you can choose life."''

* EnemyMime: You might have been forgiven for mistaking him for one during the last few months of 1996 and most of 1997, what with the whiteface, frowning black mouth, and silent treatment. But this trope was ultimately averted because 1) Sting eventually did start speaking again; 2) he was always meant to be DarkIsNotEvil; and 3) the makeup itself eventually TookALevelInBadass (see GrowingTheBeard on the YMMV page.)

** Big Show said that surfer Sting was WCW's equivalent to Wrestling/JohnCena. Charismatic, [[KidAppealCharacter Great with kids]], did lots of charity, and well-respected in the locker room. However, he had better luck than Cena when it came to appealing to fans of all ages.

* PerkyGoth: "Crow" Sting.

* RingerPloy: Used this several times in WCW, to the chagrin of the nWo.

Steve Borden, Sr. (born March 20, 1959) is better known to wrestling fans as (The Man Called) Sting. Beginning his career in 1985, he was recruited by a talent scout named Rick Bassman to train with three other wrestlers known as Power Team USA. Then known as Flash Borden, he and fellow Power Team USA member Jim "Justice" Helwig (who later became the Wrestling/UltimateWarrior) were called up by Jerry Jarrett (father of Wrestling/JeffJarrett) and joined the Continental Wrestling Association as the "Freedom Fighters". The two later joined Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986, renaming their team the "Blade Runners" and Borden and Justice renamed themselves Sting and Rock respectively.

* StudentMasterTeam: With Wrestling/DarbyAllin. All of Sting's matches since his 2020 return have seen him team up with Darby (and occasionally others for larger matches) to take on a team of heels.

* DarkSkinnedBlonde: "Surfer" Sting.

* ActionDad: Has two sons and one daughter from his first marriage, and a step daughter from his second.

* CareerEndingInjury: After suffering whiplash during his match with Wrestling/SethRollins at Night of Champions 2015, he was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis, the same disease that ended Wrestling/{{Edge}}'s career in 2011. As a result, Sting officially announced his retirement at his Hall of Fame induction. He would later reveal in 2017 that he is still medically capable of wrestling, but has decided to stay retired anyway. Subverted in 2020 when Sting came out of retirement to join Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling as the mentor for Wrestling/DarbyAllin. He revealed he'd gotten the same kind of spinal repair surgery that had allowed Edge to come out of retirement after 9 years away from the ring and was cleared to wrestle again.

* IHaveTheHighGround: Became so famous for this in WCW that practically any wrestler standing on a high place sternly looking down at a group gathered below him will be said to be "pulling a Sting" in English media.

* CareerEndingInjury: After suffering whiplash during his match with Wrestling/SethRollins at Night of Champions 2015, he was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis, the same disease that ended Edge's career in 2011. John Cena had the same injury as well and recovered, but he was barely 31 and in his physical prime, whereas Edge had multiple neck injuries beforehand and Sting's much older than both men, having a lot more holes punched on his bump card. As a result, Sting officially announced his retirement at his Hall of Fame induction. He's in such good shape too; guess at 56 his body just couldn't keep up with how hard he wanted to go. Have to respect his will to put on a great match. He later said on ''Legends with [=JBL=]'' that he hasn't had surgery because, "That would definitely be the end of (his) career." And that he holds out hope for one final match with The Undertaker. It is unlikely, but it's worth noting that he has delibrately tried to avoid the surgery in order to get one last match and go out on his terms. Another interview in 2017 had Steve reveal that he is still medically capable of wrestling, but has decided to stay retired anyway. Subverted in 2020 when Sting came out of retirement to join Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling as the mentor for Wrestling/DarbyAllin. He revealed he'd gotten the same kind of spinal repair surgery that had allowed Wrestling/{{Edge}} to come out of retirement after 9 years away from the ring and was cleared to wrestle again.