AEW Executive Mike Mansury Discusses Pressures Of Creating Sting's Final Segment On Dynamite

On March 3, 2024, the wrestling world said goodbye to Sting as he managed to retire on a high note at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view. The "Icon" and Darby Allin defeated The Young Bucks in a Tornado Tag Match that saw them retain the AEW Tag Team Championships, and see Sting retire with an unbeaten record in AEW. On the final episode of "AEW Dynamite" before Revolution, fans got a blast from the past as Sting descended from the rafters in the same way he used to during the peak of WCW's popularity in the late '90s. But how did that final descension come together? 

During a recent edition of the "AEW Unrestricted" podcast, co-executive producer Mike Mansury explained that the lead-up to Sting's retirement put a lot of pressure on people to make sure he got the best possible send-off. Once the idea of lowering him from the rafters one more time was suggested, AEW did everything they could to make it perfect.

"That was something that kind of got everyone perked up, and for Sting himself, it was something he wanted to do for the fans. It was another moment and a memory that he wanted to leave the fans with. We knew that was really what he was feeling; we went all systems go to try and make it happen, working with our partners at the building to ensure safety, the team that we brought in to test it and make sure that we did to the highest safety standards possible, Tony [Khan] talking to Dr. Martha Hart to get the family sign-off on and comfortability with it. Everyone on board knew what this would have meant, not just to Sting the talent but to also the fans."

Please credit "AEW Unrestricted" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.