Forbidden is the Promised Land

WWE's annual Royal Rumble pay per view is scheduled for January 26, 2014, giving a little more than a month to combine superstars from all over the WWE roster, and allow for some surprise entrants such as Booker T, Road Dogg, Big Daddy Cool Diesel, and others to name a few.

The Icon

This is also the same time of year where rumors are started about the legendary Icon, Sting, to jump ship from TNA to WWE's own ragtag group of misfits, solidify his career within four months with a defining moment at Wrestlemania, take his payout, and retire. Questions that circle around touch many different subjects, such as who does Sting face? When will he return? Will he be just a wrestler?

At this point, who knows. However, Sting currently is the oldest active wrestler between both rosters at 54, and the next oldest "active" wrestler is the Undertaker at 48, who at this point in time, isn't really active anymore (the oldest recurring "active" superstar for this statement to be legitimate would be Kurt Angle at 45). And therein lies the rumors--will Sting and Undertaker, the oldest remaining dogs in wrestling, battle it out at Wrestlemania 30? Or will Sting remain in TNA and retire?

These questions branch out to even more theories and oddball suggestions within the IWC. But my main question is, does Sting really want to venture into the wrestling Promised Land after twelve years of his original NWA/WCW home of fourteen years? Think about it... if Sting is given just four months to cement a legacy in the WWE after his expansive twenty-six year wrestling history, what could he possibly do to outshine all of it in that time frame? Is it even possible? Sensible critics say that the only way the Stinger can even equal all of this is by going toe-to-toe with the Phenom and defeating him on his own stage--in his own yard.

Would Sting come back and Beat the Streak?

Yes... that's right. Beating the Streak.

Granted, Sting doesn't need the rub. He doesn't need to be glorified to the extent of what a much younger superstar would benefit by putting down the biggest prize in all of the WWE. But who would benefit, rightly so?

One of the newer superstars? Someone in his mid-to-late twenties/early thirties to take down a man nearly twice his age and a fraction of his schedule? Disrespectful. Granted, a then-24 year old Randy Orton took on the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 21, but Undertaker himself was 38, in much better shape and actively wrestling then. Would have been a great birthday present for Orton to Beat the Streak (recently passed on April 1, 2005), but Orton became tally 13. Undertaker hasn't been in the best of shape, seen at Wrestlemania 29 against CM Punk. Triple H and Shawn Michaels did a number on the Undertaker in the years beforehand, and it shows. For the past ten years (save for Orton, and CM Punk), Undertaker has been pitted against opponents close to him in age.

John Cena? There have been talks about Cena facing the Undertaker for a while now, and has possibly been penned in for such a match, but does Cena need the rub from being in the match? Highly doubtful. John Cena has his own star power, and should be far away from anything Taker related.

Someone he's faced before? No. Frankly, Shawn Michaels was the only thing I could enjoy back to back

Would this possibly be the future for Sting as WWE Champion?

because the story behind it was legendary. Shawn Michaels WAS Mr. Wrestlemania, and Undertaker stood in the way of ultimate Wrestlemania history. Triple H (now a corporate big wig) placed himself in the Phenom's path three times in the past, and just needs to step away from the limelight. And what about our current WWE World Heavyweight champion? Randy Orton can be a surefire back up in case plans fall through, but it isn't necessary. CM Punk himself doesn't need another Taker feud, and everyone else on down the path of being his victims have become too old to make some relevancy.

Now before I get ahead of myself, if and only if Sting returns to the WWE, he needs to face the Undertaker. It needs to be booked for any sort of relevancy. IF it happens. Why? The WCW Icon who has never set foot in WWE territory facing the promotion's very own legend. Similar to an invasion angle, but this time, it's to settle the all-time question.

Of course, Vince McMahon won't let something from WCW beat him. Too proud. And quite honestly, I don't think Undertaker would job to Sting. But it would make for one hell of a storyline to entice Sting back. A WCW legend that never stepped foot in the WWE for over 26 years, comes to Vince's Promised Land, and beats the streak of WWE's own tailor made. It would be a huge slap in the face of the company, storyline intended, and if pitched the idea, I would guess Sting would no doubt go for it.

But that would be the only way Sting would be relevant in the WWE, and make something within a four month timeframe.

Now, this is all opinion on if Sting came to the WWE. My personal opinion?

Don't step one toe in the WWE. Retire as the only superstar that didn't need the machine. Make it to where

Is The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles
reaching out to the WWE?

the machine needed him. That's the biggest slap in the face of all. Speaking of, AJ Styles could benefit from not reaching out to the WWE. He has made an impact (in IMPACT! Ban pun, I know) outside of the WWE, and he doesn't need to join their ranks. Styles would be a "flash in the pan" superstar, and then minimized to the mid-card after a solid run.

I will reiterate; Sting is the oldest active wrestler to date; even Ric Flair himself "retired" from the WWE at 59, and Ric Flair had little steam left in him at that point. Sting has had an illustrious career outside of the WWE, and doesn't need a short term contract to possibly end his career on a high note. On top of that, Sting himself has expressed that he declined a contract from the WWE back in 2001 because he saw Booker T treated as a nobody by the Rock. Times have changed, of course, but would Sting be treated as a superstar? Or would he be buried by Taker, Cena, Orton, or even a rookie?

Today, World Wrestling Entertainment mass-produces and churns out superstars by the dozen. But before all this, there were several different promotions that people have made a name for themselves, and are synonymous with that company. There isn't a competitive domestic ship to jump from WWE, as TNA is much lower on the food chain than the corporate wrestling giant. However, the originals that stick with their company, who are loyalists and make a name for themselves create their own legacy and refuse to have a company defecate on their pride.

Sting is one of these superstars. AJ Styles can be another.

I would much rather Sting finish and hang his boots up in TNA. Accept an invitation to the WWE Hall Of Fame (since WCW and all rights are owned by WWE, I'd understand that), but never wrestle there. Sting's legacy has already tested the length of time. And his legacy should be known forever as the established Superstar who never wrestled for the WWE.

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WWE Yard Sale of TNA Superstars

I rarely cover TNA Wrestling, and I have been deterred from Impact programming because of the exact reason; My observation is seeing TNA taking WWE's scraps and "re-polish" into their own stars. Now, I see that this has immense potential, if used correctly, BECAUSE the WWE has trained these superstars and has taken the work out of having a developmental territory. Ohio Valley Wrestling has been taken over by TNA as their official training grounds, but again... OVW was originally the primary developmental facility to the WWE! OWV trained the likes of Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Batista, and even John Cena to name a few. Being led by Al Snow and Rip Rogers in OVW, one would think that TNA doesn't need to dig through Vince McMahon's remains.

Even through his struggles, Jeff Hardy
remains TNA World Heavyweight
Champion!

But look at TNA's top men. The TNA World Heavyweight Champion is a WWE discard. Jeff Hardy was being successfully coached by Triple H and being prepped for his WWE title run. Drugs and injuries limited Hardy in his run, and he left for a lighter schedule to TNA. Eight months after his return to TNA, he became the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. TNA was smart in this acquisition; Jeff Hardy brought his fan base over to TNA, and he draws there. Even with all of his drug concerns and court dates, TNA chooses to keep Hardy on top because he needs to be. For business.

The current Television champion is another WWE wash; Devon Hughes. Well known as part of the "Dudley Boyz" with Bubba Ray, he's on top of the third time branded Television Championship. And looking back, again with the WWE throwing away talent, the Television Championship was introduced as a "Legends" Title by none other than Booker T, and was held by Mick Foley and Kevin Nash. Currently, TNA's roster holds over 20 former WWE superstars, with plenty of TNA Alumni that are also WWE Alumni. Then, you have major players of the game like Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Mr. Ken--er... Anderson, several divas, and even Earl Hebner, occasionally sporting a "Damn Right I Did" T-Shirt (which is pretty awesome, by the way), alluding to his involvement the Montreal Screwjob. All former WWE superstars.

Finally, you have the granddaddy WWE relic of them all; the ultimate, self-absorbed individual who immerses himself in everything he can because not that he needs to, but that he wants to. I am talking about Hulk Hogan. Don't get me wrong... I respect the man over all he did in the WWF/E back in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, when times were great and Hogan couldn't book based upon his popularity. However, I believe that he was part of the destruction of WCW (along with a bunch of other things), as he refused to do several things, such as let other superstars defeat and go over him clean (refusing to job to Jeff Jarrett in WCW), the famous "Fingerpoke of Doom" (see video enclosed) match against Kevin Nash in 1999, and just the overall hand in his own Creative control. Being a fan, I could absolutely be wrong about Hogan, as I don't know him personally, but from hearing many things about his past, he is a rigid worker as far as the business is concerned. With his current run with TNA, Hogan has been given nearly ultimate control and has been involved and booked himself (and now his daughter Brooke) in several different angles, and not being a "General Manager" like he should be. I hope for Dixie Carter's sake that TNA survives the Hogan Era.

OVW has been elected as the Official Development
Territory for TNA Impact

TNA has been dipping in pieces of the WWE's own disposal for several years now, and have failed to utilize the salt-and-pepper talent that the WWE has no need for. Such is the case with the discovery of TNA's VP of Ace's and Eights. D-Lo Brown himself was a mid-card wrestler back in the late 90s, and again, didn't account to much outside The Nation of Domination with the Rock. Why bring a road agent/mid-carder who is now in his 40s into the ring? It may make sense to some, but taking what the WWE has washed their hands of isn't what TNA was founded on. It's absolutely thrilling to know that AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Abyss, and a couple of others have been with TNA since the beginning, and I am happy for the fact that TNA now has a training ground to bring up new and fresh talent the "Impact" way, and not keep digging into the WWE graveyard. It will be a while, of course, but TNA needs to work on the talent in OVW and leave what McMahon doesn't need any more. The wrestling is there. The wrestlers can put on five-star quality matches.

TNA needs to work on creating a future Batista, Orton, or Cena in OVW, refrain from cultivating talent that hasn't been seen since the 90s, and take away some of the creative demolition from Hogan. These will be some start to success with TNA. It won't be immediate, but everything is a process. Rome was not built in a day.