Sting suffered a neck injury that left his paralyzed in his final-ever WWE match.
He battled Seth Rollins, who was the WWE Champion at the time, in a huge clash in the summer of 2015. It was a match nobody thought they’d ever see, although it did not live up to the hype when it was finally announced.
This was the fourth and final of Sting’s WWE matches, after signing for the company the year prior. Seth Rollins vs Sting took place at Night of Champions 2015, starting off well but ending in complete disaster for The Icon.
Sting Injured His Neck During His Match With Seth Rollins
Sting suffered a horrific neck injury in his match with Seth Rollins. It was so bad, he was briefly paralyzed as he lay motionless in the ring.
The incident occurred on September 20, 2015, during the main event of WWE’s “Night of Champions” pay-per-view. During the match, Rollins executed a turnbuckle powerbomb on Sting, but unfortunately, the move did not go as planned.
Sting suffered a serious neck injury after the bump. It led to a sudden stoppage of the match and a rush of medical personnel to his aid. However, he managed to somehow regain his faculties, continuing the match. He managed to lock in the Scorpion Death Lock, before being rolled up by Rollins for the win.
It was later revealed that Sting had sustained spinal stenosis, a pre-existing condition that was exacerbated by the powerbomb. The incident sparked controversy and concern within the wrestling community, as Sting’s health and career were at stake.
Sting would retire due to the injury, putting an end to one of the most legendary careers in wrestling history.
Sting Did Not Blame Rollins For The Injury
However, Sting did not blame Seth Rollins for the injury. The former WCW Champion simply made a mistake with the way he moved his neck.
This was also coupled by the years of degeneration, which saw all the wear and tear of three decades of wrestling coming down on his neck, just unfortunately during a pay per view main event.
Sting revealed how did not blame Seth Rollins for being injured, during a chat with Bill Apter on his podcast
“It was just a freak accident. I’m telling you, Seth, it is not his fault. I mean not even in the slightest percentage of anything. It was without question, it was me, and to this day I cannot figure out what the heck I was thinking.”
He went on to reveal that it felt like he’d been stung by bees, and that he lost control of his legs, temporarily suffering paralysis.
“My neck whip-lashed back really bad two times in a row and the second one… the first one caused the shock to go down all the way down both arms – left and right all the way to my fingertips where it felt like my fingertips were stung by bees, and then the second one, I got up to my feet and we were trying to continue the match and my legs started to feel like rubber bands and I realized I don’t have control over my legs.”
Sting Returned To Wrestle Five Years Late
Five years after the injury, Sting made a startling comeback to wrestling.
However, this was not to get revenge on Seth Rollins. Instead, he forewent the WWE offer and signed for AEW, the company set up by stars like Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega.
Sting appeared at AEW Winter is Coming, immediately aligning himself with Darby Allin. They teamed together until 2024, when Sting retired as an undefeated tag team champion in AEW.
