Ranking Sting's 5 Best AEW Options for Potential Retirement Match

Sting's near-three-year AEW run has been nothing short of stellar.

After not being able to retire on his terms in WWE, The Icon made a miraculous comeback to the squared circle in late 2020. Since then, he's put together a tremendous resumé of matches and has proven he can still compete at a high level.

During a December 2022 interview with D Magazine, he admitted that the end was in sight and that he intended to close out his career on top. He went on to reveal that his current contract is set to expire sometime this year, and as of now, all signs point to him hanging up the boots for good once it does.

AEW has a massive slate of shows coming up this summer, and any one of them would be the perfect place for him to have his final farewell. That then begs the question of who he should be sharing the ring with when that times comes.

From familiar faces to fresh foes, the following five stars should be considered Sting's best options for a potential retirement match.

5. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho is bound to be a polarizing pick when it comes to this conversation, but he's a notable name who belongs in the running, nonetheless.

The two legends have been wrestling for over 50 years combined, but somehow, they've always alluded one another. The closest they came to having a match was during their WCW days, but otherwise, they've rarely been in the same company together at the same time.

It felt inevitable from the moment Sting stepped foot in AEW. Jericho has worked with practically every top star (or future top star) the promotion has had to offer in the last four years and a marquee match with Sting would write itself.

Jericho's last few programs have been fairly hit or miss, but the buildup to a bout between the two would definitely deliver. They might be past their past physically, but Jericho would be an extremely safe opponent for Sting if he were to go the singles route for his final bow.

If AEW is looking to stack the All In card as much as possible in London's Wembley Stadium, Sting vs. Jericho would be a logical attraction.

4. FTR

Despite racking up 13 tag team wins throughout his AEW run, Sting has yet to receive a single shot at tag team gold.

It would be fitting for him to vie for the AEW World Tag Team Championship in his last AEW match alongside his pupil Darby Allin. The two haven't teamed consistently in some time but would only need a few victories to earn themselves a title match.

Interestingly, Sting and Allin first faced FTR in late 2021 at the beginning of Allin's feud with The Pinnacle. It was a highly enjoyable encounter that could have easily been saved for pay-per-view.

Now that FTR are the reigning AEW World Tag Team champions, they may be looking to avenge that loss on their record. They can even be the ones to throw down the challenge for All In with the stipulation that Sting must retire if he and Allin come up short.

That would instantly raise the stakes and made an already-unpredictable matchup that much more must-see. FTR going over and ending Sting's career would be an incredible accomplishment for them.

3. Malakai Black

Sting and Malakai Black have been under the same roof in AEW for nearly two years now, and yet their paths have seldom crossed.

Only last summer did they finally face off in a six-man tag team match at All Out where Darby Allin, Sting and Miro bested House of Black. Unfortunately, a formal feud between Black and Sting never materialized.

AEW's booking of Black has been suspect, to say the least. He and the rest of House of Black currently reign as the AEW World Trios champions but haven't had a defining feud since returning from their hiatus at the end of 2022.

Black should soon return to singles competition while simultaneously pulling double duty in the six-man tag team division. Provided they don't delve too much into the supernatural realm, a rivalry with Sting could have potential and perhaps put Black back in a prominent position on the card.

Sending Sting into retirement could be big for Black, who also squashed Cody Rhodes in his first match as part of the promotion. Black belongs in the main-event mix before long and this would be one way of getting him there that much quicker.

2. MJF

MJF has been riding a wave of momentum as AEW World champion these past seven months, but if he truly wants to take his reign to the next level, he'll accept a championship challenge from Sting.

Being polar opposites in almost every way imaginable, Sting and MJF would be excellent rivals.

Their initial interaction to date came in a six-man tag team match on Dynamite in December 2021 when Sting, Allin and CM Punk beat MJF and FTR. Sting later scolded MJF on the April 12, 2023 edition of Dynamite on behalf of Allin.

MJF has shown the ultimate disrespect to wrestling legends in the past and Sting would be no exception. This could also carry a Title vs. Career stipulation, where a win for MJF would give him even more heel heat than he already has.

Considering MJF has been at odds with Sting's pupil as of late anyway, this would be a seamless segue into a one-on-one program between them. Allin would be focused less on becoming champion and more on avenging his now-retired mentor.

Sting does not need a reign as world champion before he calls it quits, but having him go for the gold in his first and only singles match in AEW would be worthwhile.

1. Darby Allin

The most obvious and popular candidate would have to be Darby Allin, who Sting has had a strong bond with since debuting in AEW at Winter Is Coming 2020.

Of all the stars in the company Sting could have taken under his wing, he specifically singled out Allin, with whom he shares many similarities. The former AEW TNT champion was already on the rise, but his alliance with the WWE Hall of Famer has undoubtedly cemented his star status.

Whether he's been going at it alone or alongside Sting in tag team action, Allin has been flourishing for the better part of the past three years. Sting told The Ringer last year that he has "an endgame in mind" and that Allin is planned to be a part of it while also adding it will not be a singles match.

Of course, that could change, and it arguably should. A tag team loss would be fine, but doing one last singles match and putting over his pupil in the process would be poetic.

It'd be the ultimate endorsement of Allin and the ultimate honor for Sting. You'd be hard-pressed to book a better sendoff for the Stinger than that.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.