Road Warrior Animal Says Sting Isn't An Icon

[PHX]

WWE Hall Of Famer Road Warrior Animal, who hosts Extreme Pro Wrestling Radio on 100.3 KFAN in Minneapolis, Minnesota, stated during a recent show that he doesn't think Sting is a wrestling icon until he passes through WWE.

"Sting is not in the same league as guys like Triple H, Stone Cold, The Rock. Sting will never be considered a legend or icon until he lets his pride go and joins WWE. He needs to bury his personal issues and just get into the WWE. Sting has to come over to the WWE to be that guy, it's a bigger stage. Impact is one thing, the WWE is a way bigger thing," Animal said.

Animal also takes credit for Sting's arrival to the National Wrestling Alliance in 1987.

"The NWA was looking for a spot for Sting and I said make him a brother in paint and then Sting joined us (Road Warriors) in our six-man matches," he said.

On the best singles worker of all time, Animal said, "Easily, (Ric) Flair!"

Figured this would be a good time to discuss whether or not Sting truly is an icon or not. I personally see the whole Icon thing more as a tagline to make him seem bigger than he really is rather than him truly being one. Guys who I consider icons usually have more than a handful of classic feuds and/or classic matches. You look back he hasn't had more than like what 2-3 feuds that could be considered classic? It's part of why when I think when the subject of guys who made others a star Ric Flair's putting over of Sting has to be way up there considering how much of a lasting effect it has had on Sting's legacy.

 

[Kiffy Lube]

I like how after running him down for not accomplishing anything he tries to claim he and Hawk made the character of Sting. No idea why this washed up has-been is spouting off about Sting unless he's jealous of his GM role. He should be praising someone who he seemed to be pretty close with in the late 80s in NWA.

At least in the end he gives credit to the greatest ever.

 

[John McHenry]

Dunno based on his criteria all he's got to do is go to WWE and have some matches. You know if they got sting it'd be a handful of matches with him winning most of them. So what does that prove. I agree he's really past the point of having and huge feuds so what he's got is what he should be judged on.

Icon? Think that's a personal thing I'd consider him an Icon just basing it purely on the fact that if I showed a kid a picture of sting I think he'd know who it was. If he didn't know who he was I bet he'd want to. Could I do that with Animal? Or with Angle or any number of other guys in federations around the world? Could I do it with Flair even?

So is he an Icon for his abilities maybe not but he's known.

 

[The Cork]

What a moronic point of view that is.....

The WWE isn't the be all and end all, are we saying guys like Muta and Kobashi are nothing because they never worked the biggest fed in the business? I'm not a huge fan of Sting and wish he'd of gone to WWE when the buyout happened rather than go around the bush leagues, but I can appreciate he is (or at least was) a huge star in his heyday.

 

[PHX]

I think him saying just cause he wasn't in WWE he isn't a icon is silly mostly because when you bring up Sting the thing that comes up the most is that he is probably one of the bigger names to never wrestle for WWE. Idk about anyone else but I consider Icon a level above legend. Icons are people who made a long lasting impression on the biz that ended up going on to influence others or even changed it in some kind of way and I don't think he did either of those things.

 

[John McHenry]

I'd agree with that assesment I don't recall him doing anything that I'd say was groundbreaking or earth shattering.

 

[SAIYANS]

I have no problem saying sting is a legend. You all know how I feel about I'm pussying out of going to wwe. I won't call him a icon though. I think of Hogan, Flair, Austin, Rock, Taker, Michaels, HHH, and Andre when I think icon. I think of Nash, Booker, Angle, Goldberg, Steiners, and Sting when I think legend

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Isn't legend a more profound way to explain someone than that of an icon? Or has wrestling ruined the word legend beyond belief?

 

[PHX]

Considering you could be called a legend in wrestling for simply being around 15 or more years and only did something in maybe 1 or 2 of them yeah the second thing you said could be correct.

 

[SAIYANS]

Kif you are a basketball fan. I equate legend to all star and icon to superstar. You have hall of famers who were all star mainstays like Ewing, but I would not say he was at Hakeem's level, much like I would not say Sting was at Takers IMO.

 

[Defiant]

I agree that Sting isn't as big as he thinks he may be, but I don't agree with the notion that one must pass through WWE to be an icon in wrestling.

 

[SAIYANS]

I don't think he was simply because he never had a big time as the guy of WCW at its height and peak. Hogan and Flair did. The thing is when Sting was at his hottest he was the distant second to Goldberg. It to men's like comparing Orton to Cena or Batista, yeah he is good but still inferior in the grand scheme. And much like Randy shit the bed in what should have been his big defining match at WM 25, sting shit the bed at Starcade with hogan

 

[Troy]

These days if you wrestle in North America you can't be considered a top star unless you make it to WWE that logic I can agree with. Guys like AJ Styles can't be considered a legend unless they manage to succeed in WWE.

It doesn't quite work with Sting though because he was big in NWA/WCW when they were as big and even bigger than WWF/E. He was one of the top names there when they were on top so he is a big name in wrestling. It gets tough when you try to define what an icon is so I don't know if he should or shouldn't be called that. In the end he was a huge name in the number company so he should get respect for that.

 

[The New F'n Show]

He's an Icon to me. He was one of WCW's top players from 90-00 that is enough for me.

 

[rcoot93]

He's one of my faviourite wreslters, I also belive you can be legend or icon without being in wwe