Sting Changes Landscape of WWE During Survivor Series Main Event

On a free pay-per-view, before an audience rife with potential subscribers, WWE's mission was simple: make Survivor Series as newsworthy as possible.

"Mission: Accomplished" would be an understatement. This was "Mission: Obliterated."

The long-awaited debut of Sting headlined a show that was already a success heading into the closing moments of the main event.

Fans in the Scottrade Center were white-hot throughout even with the absence of hometown hero Randy Orton. 

The Miz and Damien Mizdow continued their respective career revivals as they became tag team champions. Brie Bella's heel turn was a pleasant surprise that will add intrigue to her current servitude to sister—and new Divas Champion—Nikki.

Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt beat the crazy out of one another in a match that was undoubtedly a show-stealing encounter.

Until Sting showed up for the first time in a WWE arena and stole the show right back.

Sting's involvement in the main event cost The Authority the match and their jobs. He shifted the balance of power, not only in WWE storylines, but also in WWE's erratic main event picture.

In the final match of the second-longest WWE pay-per-view franchise in history, there stood Triple H and Sting. The icons of WWE and anything that represented its competition transfixed time as they slowly sauntered about the squared circle.

Drama swelled in St. Louis as WWE executive vice president Stephanie McMahon was sprawled on the outside of the ring while top WWE Superstar Seth Rollins laid similarly lifeless the inside of the ring. There they all were.

Them—and Dolph Ziggler?

Lost in the hysteria of Sting's first WWE appearance was John Cena's shocking early elimination, caused by a Big Show heel turn that was only shocking because WWE actually decided to go to that well again.

This gave way to the Ziggler show. Often WWE's version of Charlie Brown, the snake-bitten superstar was booked to carry a team named in honor of the biggest star in professional wrestling. And carry it he did.

It was Ziggler, not Cena, who picked up the final three pinfalls to end The Authority. And it was Ziggler, not Cena, who was sprinkled in with WWE's most relevant characters during Sting's historic debut. Translation? Ziggler is as relevant as ever. 

Team captain John Cena congratulated Ziggler at the top of the entrance ramp as if he had won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

With no major championship on the line at Survivor Series during Brock Lesnar's current hiatus, he pretty much did.

Follow @ThisIsNasty