Family, friends and fellow wrestlers honor Sting before his last match

Tomorrow night (Mar. 3) in Greensboro, North Carolina, Sting will wrestle his last match.

It will cap an unparalleled career that’s spanned nearly four decades. Sting (real name Steve Borden) has worked for most of the major promotions & companies that have existed during his time in the business, including starring for WCW at its peak in the late 90s. He was synonymous with TNA during its strongest stretch in the aughts, and was enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame after a brief run there last decade. And since that didn’t exactly go the way he or his fans imagined, he came back to spend the last three years working hardcore matches for AEW in his 60s.

Through it all, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone with a bad word to say about Sting. That fact comes through loud and clear in the many, many tributes being paid to The Icon this weekend ahead of his match with Darby Allin against The Young Bucks on Revolution.

Like this one from his son Steven on Instagram:

You were Sting before I was born.

I’ve never known a life where the possibility of you rappelling from the rafters, diving off high objects, and Scorpion death dropping people doesn’t exist.

But now that day has nearly come, and I’ve never had more respect and admiration for you than I do today.

There’s too many things I could say – I don’t know how to encapsulate it all.

For now I’ll just say this.

You did it, Dad.

You found a way – through nearly four decades, you laid it all on the line. You stayed electric the whole way.

You did that while also teaching me what it means to be a man of character, integrity, and grit.

More importantly, you showed me – and you’re showing me now.

Garrett, Gracie, and I have you to thank for more good than you’ll ever know.

I know you remember what my answer was that day as a kid in Central Park when I was asked who my hero was.

The answer is still the same.

I’m still convinced you’re the coolest dude to walk the planet.

Now it’s time for one last ride. I’m not ready for it to be over, but I’m ready for you to enjoy the sunset.

Until then, I can’t wait to watch you go do Sting things one last time. I love you Dad.

Icon Forever.

Steven, his brother Garrett, sister Gracie, and sister-in-law Katelyn are among the voicemail messages The Players’ Tribune (which also published a great letter from Allin to his mentor earlier this week) is collecting.

Here’s a sampling of others from social media:

Malakai Black’s Instagram Story

Dax Harwood:

Finally, taking time to sit back & think about it, Sunday night at Revolution, I’m going to be heartbroken knowing it’s Sting’s last match. The matches we had at Arthur Ashe & the one in Greensboro with Punk & MJF are memories I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

From an 8 year old kid to a 39 year old man, he’s been a role model for me. I’ll

Never be able to thank him enough for what he’s done for me & my family’s life.

Revolution will be history. Thank you, Sting, for what you’ve given to our business. I hope we can all make you proud.

You can order Revolution and watch Sting’s final match tomorrow night via Bleacher Report (and traditional PPV) in the U.S. and internationally, on Triller TV (and other region specific outlets).