The Captain's Count: Did the WWE Drop the Ball on the Biggest Angle in Years?

Ahoy mateys and welcome to an early edition of “The Captain’s Count.” Your Captain is battling an unforeseen illness and would like to spend his time delivering you a fresh new article a few days ahead of time. Please keep in mind that I will aim to bring you at least one article each week, typically after WWE Raw.

Now then—with all of the speculation in recent weeks, did the WWE fail to deliver on their 2/21/11 promo? According to various conversations I have held, the answer is yes.

Of course, we’re all to blame for the letdown—we found hints and clues in the mysterious promos for weeks, somehow holding onto that last droplet of hope for a Sting debut within the WWE.

Did the WWE really drop the ball by not scoring the hottest free agent in years?  As a longtime wrestling fan, I would have to say so. The acquisition of Sting would result in multiple iconic matches that most of us have only yet to dream about.

Let us theorize for a moment. How would a Sting debut have played out on the road to WrestleMania? The following is a storyline I developed a few weeks back:

During the Royal Rumble event, a vignette would have aired clearly stating a return for The Undertaker. Within the next week or two, The Undertaker would make his return with a series of interviews shown during Raw broadcasts.

The Undertaker, walking through a darkened cemetery, would briefly address the past few months living in the afterlife. He would credit Paul Bearer joining him in the afterlife for his “rebirth”.

Although he had been waiting in the shadows to strike at the right moment, something had been holding him back.

That “something” was actually a reoccurring nightmare—a nightmare that would describe a clear, distinct imagery that he would be under attack upon his return.  This nightmare would consist of awakening in a desert and being attacked by a swarm of scorpions. As The Undertaker is stung repeatedly, a lightning storm is on the horizon.

The nightmare would have to wait. Wade Barrett was his target for WrestleMania, and he was about to make him famous.

The plot thickens approximately one week before WrestleMania. Paul Bearer is interviewed and admits to having an affair with his wife—one that resulted in a long lost half-brother of The Undertaker and Kane.

Bearer fears that his arrival is eminent and that The Undertaker’s nightmare was a sign.

In the WrestleMania main event, The Undertaker emerges victorious and seals his nineteenth win in a row. During his celebration, the lights go out as a spotlight drags across the ceiling.

The sound of rainfall is shaking the arena as the spotlight shines upon a darkened figure in the rafters. The face becomes clear—Sting has made his debut.

In the final moments of WrestleMania, Sting points his bat at The Undertaker. A look of horror comes across The Undertaker’s face as the show comes to a close.

On Monday night, Raw opens with a darkened arena and the sound of pouring rain. A lightning bolt crashes the ring and a spotlight shines on Sting in the center of the ring. The crowd roars.

Sting takes the microphone and states that he has arrived with a longstanding grudge against The Undertaker. For years, Paul Bearer neglected Sting and helped The Undertaker rise to glory. After wrecking havoc in various rival organizations, Sting had one last mission to seek out.

The Undertaker would become his next victim.

A week later, The Undertaker emerges after a brief absence and states that he is too shaken up to wrestle. Paul Bearer finally convinces him to confront his fears and put them to rest.

At the end of the night, The Undertaker appears in the ring and calls out Sting, who is nowhere to be found. The Undertaker screams at him and says that he will put his nightmare to rest – in a casket match at Backlash. (Yes, I’ve replaced Extreme Rules with Backlash as it is far more fitting.)

In the final weeks leading up to Backlash, neither man is shown on television. Promos are constantly aired to hype up their main event.

Kane, however, makes a huge return to Raw and destroys a series of superstars. He claims that he will put the entire family battle to rest once and for all.

The main event at Backlash unfolds and The Undertaker is relentless in attacking Sting. As Sting begins to hit The Undertaker’s shoulder with a bat, Paul Bearer misfires and clocks The Undertaker with his urn.

After chasing Bearer to the back, Sting is able to roll The Undertaker up into the casket to seal the win. Just as the bell rings, the stage explodes and Kane appears through the flames.

Kane runs to the ring and destroys Sting, even managing to lock him in the casket with The Undertaker. Rolling the casket down the ramp, Kane shoves the casket into the flames.

In a surprising reappearance, Paul Bearer returns and opens the urn into the eyes of Kane. Blinded, Kane is tripped into the fire as well, closing out the pay per view.

My storyline never developed past this point, as Triple H was revealed to be The Undertaker’s opponent at WrestleMania 27. If I were to make a brief hypothesis as to how it would have played out, all three men would have returned in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 28. The battle would be centralized within the final Hell in a Cell match.

If I were Vince McMahon, I would have signed Sting to a “legend” deal, similar to that of Diesel. A DVD encompassing Sting’s career would be released before WrestleMania 27 to introduce recent fans to his history.

While this deal would not include many matches, we would finally get the long awaited showdown between “The Phenom” and “The Stinger.” We would finally see the closure of three iconic careers in a fitting manner.

It’s always fun to imagine, isn’t it?

Be on the lookout for my article next week. Till next time, this has been “The Captain’s Count.”