WWE's Presentation of Sting Is Boosting Lackluster WrestleMania Build

In a build to WrestleMania in need of spark, Sting has been WWE's high-voltage weapon.

He is one of the few immortals in the lead-up to The Showcase of the Immortals. En route to The Grandest Stage of Them All, he has exuded grandeur. 

With a mix of simple, tried-and-true wrestling booking and supernatural elements, WWE has turned a 55-year-old outsider into one of WrestleMania's MVPs. 

WrestleMania is supposed to be a massive spectacle, a special, exciting part of the WWE calendar. In many ways, it hasn't felt that way. The company is trying to cram too many wrestlers in its midcard matches. It has struggled to sell Roman Reigns as a man worthy of the marquee. 

Plenty of the bouts have great potential, but the road to WrestleMania hasn't been nearly as thrilling as it has in previous years.

Paul Heyman has done a tremendous job of changing that, delivering mic mastery each night. Sting's presence has been similarly important to engaging an audience in danger of losing interest.

Monday's Raw was the latest example of how right WWE is getting Sting's arrival.

Credit: WWE.com

In the night's closing match, Randy Orton waited for Seth Rollins to face him. They were to have an aperitif of violence before they met at WrestleMania. Instead, Rollins arrived with The Authority in tow.

Earlier, he had been mighty convincing in making us believe that his allies had abandoned him. J&J Security quit on him. Kane and Big Show refused to be at his side.

It was all a ruse to set up a trap, one intended to snare Orton and pay him back for his attack on Mr. Money in the Bank last week.

Fans knew what was coming next. Rumors of Sting being in the building had made their way around the Internet. This was a scene tailor-made for The Vigilante. 

Blackness soon shrouded the arena. A crow cawed in the distance. Sting didn't just arrive; he popped up in the ring out of nowhere like some face-painted phantom.

He proceeded to do what he had done so often during his WCW tenure—battle back against tyranny with a bat in hand.

The beatdown created the memorable image of Orton and Sting working side by side as stars from two different generations formed an alliance. As one man swung a steel chair, the other wielded his trusty bat. 

It also allowed Sting to show off the electricity that still runs through his veins.

He is not nearly as athletic as he was in his prime. He can't go for 45 minutes straight as he did against Ric Flair in 1988. But his stage presence and passion still power him, still make him a must-watch entity. 

Benjamin Tucker of Pro Wresting Torch pointed out that Sting still compels:

WWE has wisely made Sting look superhuman despite his age. Following up moments where he sent doppelgangers to unnerve Triple H and how the mere concept of him drove The Game to smack his old friend around, Sting looked like a human whirlwind on the most recent edition of Raw, tearing through a ring full of men with ease.

Triple H and Rollins appeared afraid of him. And why not? He's been portrayed as a mystical force, a man who has been untouchable thus far.

Credit: WWE.com

Going this route is smart. Smoke and mirrors distract from the fact that Sting will have a tough time performing at a high level in the ring. Sleight of hand builds him up as a major force, a top-tier star who's never once competed for the company.

WWE has kept his appearances minimal to elevate anticipation for seeing him in action. It has waited until less than two weeks before WrestleMania to have him speak live in a WWE ring for the first time.

He did that in a WWE Network-exclusive interview with Micheal Cole just moments after he and Orton had chased Triple H, Rollins and the rest of the heels away. 

Sting's first promo didn't have a chance to drag. It was a burst of energy and fire, jetting straight to the point. He promised to take down Triple H and then walked away, stepping back into the shadows or wherever it is that superheroes linger until they are needed again.

Monday night had its fair share of failures. Booking Sting to be the man hunting Triple H was certainly not one of them.

After the explosive closing moments of Monday's Raw, the folks at Pro Wrestling Mag were among those who had their hopes raised for WrestleMania:

Former WWE star Lance Storm said it best, though. His comments about the Sting segment were as short and simple as The Stinger's interview:

He's right. And that's something fans have been able to say several times over about how WWE has unveiled Sting. 

The Icon has been the most larger-than-life element leading up to WrestleMania, a spectacular key to pro wrestling's biggest spectacle.