Sting: The True Hero of TNA

On the June 24 edition of Impact!, Sting was suspended for 30 days, without pay, by TNA President Dixie Carter. According to Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, Sting was a cancer in TNA. A cancer that would not stop until it was eradicated from the Impact! Zone forever. Dixie Carter did what she felt was right for TNA, but what if she was wrong? What if Sting is indeed the True Hero of TNA?

On January 4, Sting appeared in the rafters looking in disgust at Hulk Hogan’s debut in TNA. Then on March 8, Sting appeared in the ring between the blood bath of Hogan and Abyss against Ric Flair and AJ Styles. Everyone thought that Sting was there to assist Hogan and his protégé, but, in reality, he was there to hurt them. Because of the assault, by order of Dixie Carter, Sting was forced into a match against the debuting Rob Van Dam. Sting completed the perceived heel turn by attacking the eventual winner of the match, RVD.

On May 3, the final Monday Night edition of Impact!, Sting confronted Hulk Hogan about his actions before being assaulted by Jeff Jarrett. In the limited time given, Sting expressed that his motives are the same as they were when he first joined TNA five years ago. He also instigated that Hogan was covered under a veil in WWF and WCW, but shouldn’t expect the same treatment while in TNA.

Hulk Hogan has always been one of the highest paid entertainers in the business, often sucking the company dry. During the time of WrestleMania III, Jesse “The Body” Ventura revealed years later that Hogan refused to unionize with the other performers because he was being paid more than all the other wrestlers combined. Even during the days of WCW, Eric Bischoff placed all of Ted Turner’s money and television time to fuel Hogan and the members of the nWo.

As for Sting’s comments, Hogan took it as a personal attack on his character versus the TNA product. Which is absolutely right, but Hogan, as he has already accomplished, has turned the TNA Company and fans against Sting.

On April 19, Rob Van Dam became the company’s TNA World Heavyweight Champion after two hard-fought bouts against Jeff Hardy and the defending champion AJ Styles. The championship title was presented by Hulk Hogan and proclaimed that Rob Van Dam would be taking TNA to the next level. Sting, later named the No. 1 contender for Rob Van Dam’s title, stole the title and cryptically spoke:

Deception wrapped around your waist, Robbie? Whether you’re in on it or not, this is what this belt represents at the moment… deception.

Sting was obviously referring to Hogan and Bischoff’s deception of the TNA product, and that the title was only placed on RVD in pursuit of an instant ratings boost. However, Sting was unable to recapture the TNA title because Hogan and Bischoff sent Jeff Jarrett to intervene. This further proves that Hogan and Bischoff have deceived both the TNA President and the founder of TNA.

When Hogan signed on with TNA, he promised that TNA would change for the better, but instead, he’s made it into a revival of WCW. From the entrance ramp leading directly into the ring, the ring reverting back to a traditional 4-sided ring, to the brash move to Monday Nights, Hogan and Bischoff are desperately trying to make TNA the top company. But with the addition of Vince Russo working at the helm of the creative department, TNA has turned into a disaster with excessive use of blood, sex appeal, illogical heel/face turns, and frequent title changes.

Sting is the only one to have foreseen Hogan’s destructive tendencies because he has been in the business long enough to see how power-hungry Hogan becomes. And he knows that eventually, Hogan and Bischoff will cause the demise of TNA much like they did with WCW.

In the final moments of his stay in TNA, Sting told Dixie Carter, “You have been CONNED!” Yet, Eric Bischoff interrupted and had security escort him away from Dixie. For as much as Hogan and Bischoff claimed that they wanted to hear the truth from Sting, either Jeff Jarrett or Bischoff have always intervened, keeping the truth buried.

Sting is simply the misunderstood hero fighting for Total Nonstop Action; and if anyone is a cancer to TNA it’s the team of Hulk Hogan, Eric Biscoff, and Vince Russo.