Sting Comments On Being Chosen For Japanese Legend's Retirement Match

When Sting and The Great Muta feuded in WCW in 1989, it was as if they were made for each other: two hyper-athletic, face-painted heavyweights who looked like superheroes flying through the air as they did battle. Despite only being in the same ring sparingly ever since Muta's departure from WCW in 1990, they've been linked ever since. 

The connection is so strong that it was only natural that Muta appeared at AEW Grand Slam in September as a surprise to save Sting and Darby Allin from the House of Black. That served to set up Keiji Mutoh's final match in the Muta gimmick (he has one more as himself at the Tokyo Dome on February 21) on January 22 at Pro Wrestling NOAH's Great Muta Final Bye-Bye at Yokohama Area in Japan, where he will team with Sting and Allin.

Sting spoke to The Ringer about being picked for the honor of teaming with Muta in one of the Japanese star's last matches of his iconic career. "I was honored, first of all, that Muta wanted me to do that," he told The Ringer. "I talked to him a couple of years ago ... he was asking me if I'd want to come back, and I said I would consider doing it. A couple of years went by, and he's now coming to the end of his career. He reached out again and said, 'Man, I'd love to have you involved, whatever you're willing to do.' I'm looking forward to that."

The AEW star stated that he and The Great Muta are similar in size and abilities and said that he loved working with him. Sting further added that the trios match at Great Muta Final Bye-Bye will be the last match that he'll have in Japan.