WWE Excelling at Timing Sting's Appearances, Harnessing His Mystique

Sting's Raw debut was only the second time that WWE has pulled that ace from its sleeve. Each time, his arrival has felt momentous, like an elusive superhero emerging from the shadows when he is most needed.

In Sting, WWE has the rarest of opportunities. A star born and grown elsewhere comes ready-made, both established and novel. The company has so far maximized the asset that is Sting.

The dark vigilante has elevated the WWE's product with huge moments as it pushes toward a major WrestleMania match between him and Triple H. The second of those came on the last Raw before the Royal Rumble.

Monday's Raw looked as if it were going to end with another "John Cena overcomes the odds" story. It ended up being something far superior.

With his WWE title match on the line, with Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan counting on him to get them reinstated, Cena had to battle not only Kane, Big Show and Seth Rollins but J&J Security at ringside and an angry tyrant in Triple H. As it turned out, this was not a means to make Cena look like Superman but to make Sting's debut more powerful.

Crows cawed. The Dallas crowd roared. Sting tore through the curtains.

His appearance stunned The Authority, distracted Rollins and allowed Cena to get the most improbable of victories. Sting didn't have to throw a single blow. His presence alone changed the WWE landscape once more. 

Triple H wanted revenge, to wrap his hands around Sting's throat. In a flash, though, the former WCW and TNA world champion was gone, faded back into the darkness like some caped crusader from a comic book.

Chalk that up as WWE going 2-for-2 with two home runs with Sting thus far.

His WWE debut came at a major pay-per-view, interrupting the main event and ousting The Authority. WWE hurt the significance of that effort by bringing back The Authority so soon, but that emergence into this new world was still one of 2014's best moments.

This time around, he first stepped onto the Raw stage with the stakes plenty high again.

That's part of the beauty of WWE's plan so far. Sting has only appeared when The Authority's abuse of power is set to reach its highest levels, when the spotlight is brightest. 

Credit: WWE.com

WWE has not thrown him into any typical wordy segments. In fact, he hasn't said anything since arriving. His silence allows his aura and history to speak for him, to further ramp up the anticipation of what's to come.

Officials did the opposite with Batista last year. WWE underwhelmed with how it presented Batista after four years away from the ring. It simply welcomed him with a standard introduction and had him come out and talk.

He claimed he would win the world title, but there were no reverberations from his arrival. He made no major impact in that moment.

With Sting, WWE has rightfully revered the fans' desire to see him make his move to the company.

There have been no warm-up feuds or tomato cans in his path. He went straight to the top tier, where he belongs. His first two appearances have seen him anger Triple H, thwarting the executive's sinister plans and evening the odds for the good guys.

On Monday night, an enraged Triple H circled around the ring before grabbing a microphone and howling Sting's name. There couldn't be a clearer sign that those two are headed for a showdown at WrestleMania.

Credit: WWE.com

Whether one thinks that's the right match or not, there's no denying its scale. It belongs on the WrestleMania stage and pits Sting against one of WWE's biggest names. It allows him to battle a future Hall of Famer without depending on the uncertain health status of Undertaker.

The buildup to Triple H vs. Sting began at Survivor Series. Monday's Raw thrust that story forward.

WWE has so far administered doses of Sting at just the right time. His legend has felt massive. His impact has been immediate.

Should WWE maintain this pace and keep the narrative around Sting taut, fans will be shaking with anticipation by the time he steps through the ropes at WrestleMania.