- Joined
- Sep 29, 2010
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The scene opens up on Steve Borden sitting in a backstage area, his trademark sunglasses on his face as he looks directly into the camera.
Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation, 1986. That is when I, Steve Borden, competed as Sting for the very first time. Twenty-six years later here I am working for Vince McMahon, in a different UWF with my gimmick far different from what it was nearly three decades ago, but still the Stinger. I've been in this line of work for most of my life and in that span of time I have accomplished many things that I am very proud of, for example, my most recent title run was the twenty-seventh championship reign I've had in my entire professional wrestling career. Twenty-six years is a long time to commit yourself to one thing, but I've continued to do it because I love it. Last night at Summerslam when Daniel Bryan forced me to submit, that was the single moment in my career that I didn't love it, I didn't even like it. As I made my way up the ramp and walked through that curtain, I felt nothing, I had left everything in that ring and was now walking around as a shell of myself.
It has been said time and time again that I am desperately holding on to a glory that has passed me by, a limelight I no longer deserve to stand in. I have been accused of trying to hold many up-and-coming talent back while holding others down by occupying the roster of active talent and getting paid for it. On countless occasions, it has been pointed out to me that there is a strong majority that feels like I have no business competing in a wrestling ring. Because they think my star power is depleted, and my body is too broken down to perform on a level that would allow me to put on an entertaining spectacle due to my age. I never let these words knock me down or slow me up, instead I used them as motivation, their doubt in me willed me towards my goal with that much more passion. I stood up for my detractors because I knew they didn't know what they were saying or doing, they didn't know any better because they were being brainwashed by the vocal and active forces of evil that was plaguing the entire Ultimate Wrestling Federation.
But every time I stood up, the drive to disprove the doubt was not enough. I fell at the feet of every wrongdoer on Smackdown; Ted DiBiase, Daniel Bryan, Damien Sandow, Bray Wyatt, I could not defeat any of them and as a result, here I am, exiled from the place I tried so long to defend, the place I called my home. I have had everything stripped away from me. My spot on the Smackdown roster is gone, my place in the Black and White Machine is gone, my Tag Team Championship is gone. It has become painfully apparent to me that the only person that cares about the well being of Sting is the "Icon" himself. The people that I so long stood for are cheering for the Enlightened Saviors, whether they were brainwashed before or not, all of them are now and here I stand, realizing that everyone I called a friend or a fan is gone.
My arrival to NXT is a clean slate, and if I want things to go differently than they have in the past, then I must behave differently. If you wish to be stuck in your ways, then be stuck in them, I am no longer going to waste my time trying to save you from yourselves. I do not seek your pity, I only seek redemption, and my search begins next Monday night. I will see all of you in the ring when the time calls for it.
Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation, 1986. That is when I, Steve Borden, competed as Sting for the very first time. Twenty-six years later here I am working for Vince McMahon, in a different UWF with my gimmick far different from what it was nearly three decades ago, but still the Stinger. I've been in this line of work for most of my life and in that span of time I have accomplished many things that I am very proud of, for example, my most recent title run was the twenty-seventh championship reign I've had in my entire professional wrestling career. Twenty-six years is a long time to commit yourself to one thing, but I've continued to do it because I love it. Last night at Summerslam when Daniel Bryan forced me to submit, that was the single moment in my career that I didn't love it, I didn't even like it. As I made my way up the ramp and walked through that curtain, I felt nothing, I had left everything in that ring and was now walking around as a shell of myself.
It has been said time and time again that I am desperately holding on to a glory that has passed me by, a limelight I no longer deserve to stand in. I have been accused of trying to hold many up-and-coming talent back while holding others down by occupying the roster of active talent and getting paid for it. On countless occasions, it has been pointed out to me that there is a strong majority that feels like I have no business competing in a wrestling ring. Because they think my star power is depleted, and my body is too broken down to perform on a level that would allow me to put on an entertaining spectacle due to my age. I never let these words knock me down or slow me up, instead I used them as motivation, their doubt in me willed me towards my goal with that much more passion. I stood up for my detractors because I knew they didn't know what they were saying or doing, they didn't know any better because they were being brainwashed by the vocal and active forces of evil that was plaguing the entire Ultimate Wrestling Federation.
But every time I stood up, the drive to disprove the doubt was not enough. I fell at the feet of every wrongdoer on Smackdown; Ted DiBiase, Daniel Bryan, Damien Sandow, Bray Wyatt, I could not defeat any of them and as a result, here I am, exiled from the place I tried so long to defend, the place I called my home. I have had everything stripped away from me. My spot on the Smackdown roster is gone, my place in the Black and White Machine is gone, my Tag Team Championship is gone. It has become painfully apparent to me that the only person that cares about the well being of Sting is the "Icon" himself. The people that I so long stood for are cheering for the Enlightened Saviors, whether they were brainwashed before or not, all of them are now and here I stand, realizing that everyone I called a friend or a fan is gone.
My arrival to NXT is a clean slate, and if I want things to go differently than they have in the past, then I must behave differently. If you wish to be stuck in your ways, then be stuck in them, I am no longer going to waste my time trying to save you from yourselves. I do not seek your pity, I only seek redemption, and my search begins next Monday night. I will see all of you in the ring when the time calls for it.
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