TNA Hall of Famer Sting made his return to Impact Wrestling this week. As the episode drew to a close, and the Aces & Eights surrounded the ring to assault their 59-year-old general manager, the lights in the arena went out, and when they came back “The Icon” was in the ring with a baseball bat to the throat of his long time friend and rival, Hulk Hogan.
After weeks of speculation on the absence of Sting – his relationship with Hogan had become heated after the heel turn of Bully Ray – he made up his mind and attacked the Aces & Eights, starting with the World Heavyweight Champion. Hogan and Sting cleared the ring and TNA went off the air with the two legends celebrating in the ring, until they once again came face-to-face. Although Sting would leave the ring, it’s clear there are still some unresolved issues between the two.
The entire spot was very reminiscent of WCW in 1997, when Sting returned to the company after months of uncertainty surrounding his alliance – would he be the hero of WCW, or turn his back join the NWO alongside Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and many other? At the end of the night, after “The Icon” repelled from the ceiling with the same baseball bat he used on this week’s Impact Wrestling, he sided with the company and the fans, becoming a huge babyface and feuding with the entire NWO.