Sting Reveals Concern The Great Muta Had Before AEW Debut

Tony Khan certainly had a few tricks up his sleeve for fans as part of "AEW Grand Slam" at Arthur Ashe Stadium; the last of which was the surprise appearance of The Great Muta as part of "Rampage." In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Sting spoke about Muta being a part of the show and the concerns he had stepping into the ring that particular night. "Muta has transcended wrestling," said Sting. "He became a household name in Japan and America. Even last week in AEW, people remembered him. He was worried about that. 'Will they remember?' he asked me, and I said, 'Of course, they'll definitely remember.'"

Sting teamed with Darby Allin to face House of Black members Buddy Matthews and Brody King in a No Disqualification Match that night on "Rampage." Towards the tail-end of the bout, a handcuffed Stinger was primed for a baseball bat attack at the hands of Murphy when the lights went out. What followed was the legendary Muta showing up on the scene and making his way to the ring. Once between the ropes, Muta stared down Sting before turning his attention to Matthews, who would receive Muta's trademark green mist in the face, thus making the save for his longtime rival. "That was a moment," said Sting. "I had flashbacks when he stepped into the ring. Seeing him face-to-face, it took me back in time."

Sting and Muta first crossed paths in NWA/WCW, where Muta defeated Sting for the vacant Television Title in late 1989, setting off a bitter rivalry during Muta's time in the promotion. Sting and Muta would later bury the hatchet to team up to face the Steiner Brothers at the second WCW/NJPW Supershow card in 1992. "It's been over 30 years but I can still feel that excitement of sharing the ring with him," said Sting of Muta. "The first time we were ever together, we knew there was a chemistry there. It didn't matter if we were in Philadelphia or Fukuoka. There was a magic, that's for sure."