Booker T Names Who Would Be The Perfect Opponent For Sting In AEW
During a recent episode of the Hall of Fame Podcast with Booker T, Booker shared his opinion on possible opponents for Sting in AEW, one being Chris Jericho.
After seeing the teaser of the match Jericho posted on Instagram, the Hall of Famer commented that it would be "cool" to see, and with Jericho's "Painmaker" gimmick, the story would write itself. Chris Jericho and Sting have never faced each other before, despite being in the same company on two separate occasions before AEW. The match would spark nostalgia between two 90's era legends and give the fans a fresh feel at the same time.
Even with the concern of Sting's age (61), Booker T said that he believes Sting still has the ability to get in the ring, especially with someone like Jericho.
"He can still do a little something in the ring," the former World Champion expressed, "How much, it wouldn't matter, with a guy like Jericho. I think they can go out there-with smoke-and-mirrors, and tell a story. With no disrespect to anyone, I think there is enough knowledge in their head to do smoke-and-mirrors, unlike the young guys that go out there and do it. [Chris Jericho is] the perfect person who is going to dance with him properly, make sure he walks out of that ring, more importantly than anything else."
Booker T went on to use the example of Shawn Michaels and Undertaker at Wrestlemania 25, saying they were still able to have the best match on the card and tell the best story, despite their ages. Although there is a difference between a 44 year old Undertaker/HBK in 2009 and a 61 year old Sting of 2020-2021, the same kind of pace and storytelling of the Wrestlemania match may be the correct blueprint for a Jericho and Sting encounter. Chris Jericho, who just turned 50 himself, would be "perfect" for that kind of match, according to Booker T.
When presented with concerns about Sting wrestling the younger talent of AEW, such as Cody Rhodes or Darby Allin, Booker said that the veteran should work with the young blood as well. Even though Sting suffered neck injuries in his last match with Seth Rollins during his WWE run in 2015, Booker T believes the Hall of Famer could still benefit talent like Darby in AEW. He commented that Darby Allin, although not at the main event level quite yet, could get there through Sting.
"Now if I'm working Darby Allin and I'm Sting, I need the coffin drop. I need all the big spots you can pull out of your hat," Booker T explained, "[I need the] coffin drop off the top off the [titan] tron. That way I can move at the last minute. You go for that big spot, and Stinger will catch ya, and hit ya with that Stinger drop. 'Make sure you land in the right spot, kid'. I need to have that Darby Allin, that Sting touching the young blood. It's all about passing the torch."
Regardless of who Sting may work with while in AEW, Booker T expressed the importance of having him in the company. He pointed out that the beauty of professional wrestling is that there is "always a place for characters" no matter if they are old or young. Sting has always played a character many fans find interesting and he will continue to do so on AEW programming.
Sting is scheduled to speak on AEW Dynamite tonight. It has been reported that Sting does plan on wrestling, but whether it is Jericho, Darby Allin, or someone else remains to be seen.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Booker T's Hall of Fame Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.