Sting Claims Vince McMahon Wanted Him to Retire ‘Under His Umbrella’

Sting shocked the world when he made his debut in AEW back in December 2020. Prior to his AEW debut, Sting was part of WWE but it didn’t go well at all and now Sting has claimed that Vince McMahon wanted him to retire under his umbrella.

The Icon initially resisted joining WWE when the company acquired WCW. However, after more than a decade, he finally signed with WWE in 2014, where he quickly became a major attraction, engaging in high-profile feuds but fans felt he deserved better storylines and matches.

Unfortunately, during a 2015 World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins, Sting suffered a serious neck injury. This led to his first retirement, which he announced during his WWE Hall of Fame induction speech in 2016.

In an interview with Kayfabe Friends, Sting revealed that Vince McMahon had wanted him to retire under WWE’s banner, although Sting still had the desire to continue wrestling. He explained that, at the time, he agreed to the decision but had left the door open for a possible return to the ring.

“I did leave it open-ended pretty much. I didn’t wanna retire at that time. It was kind of a mutual deal with WWE at that time. Vince wanted me to retire under his umbrella. And at that time I was okay with that.”

Even Tony Khan criticized WWE for misusing Sting and not utilizing him properly. Nonetheless, Sting has already retired from professional wrestling and even signed a long-term deal with AEW, so he is more than happy with his current status with AEW.

Do you believe WWE should have utilized Sting better? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!