The word "icon" gets tossed around a lot in professional wrestling circles, with fans deeming numerous wrestlers as deserving of the status. The Rock, Hulk Hogan, the Undertaker, and more have all been called the term in some form or fashion for their accomplishments between the ropes and their importance in wrestling history. Although, not a single one of them can lay claim to being "The Icon." That honor belongs to a man named Steve Borden, who has become one of the biggest names in wrestling under layers of face paint and the ring name Sting.

Since getting his start in wrestling in the mid-1980s, Sting has done nearly everything there is to do inside the squared circle. He’s put on classic matches, won championship gold, and dazzled fans across generations — more than earning himself the nickname of "The Icon" in the process. Additionally, he’s wrestled for nearly every major wrestling promotion under the sun, from World Championship Wrestling to WWE to All Elite Wrestling. This has afforded him the chance to work with a laundry list of wrestling’s finest in unforgettable storylines.

Sting has enjoyed a stellar multi-decade career that has etched his name in the history books forevermore. However, when you’ve been in the business as long as him, you’re bound to deal with some hiccups. These are the most questionable moments to come out of Sting’s one-of-a-kind wrestling career so far.

Sting returns to the ring in AEW

Sting’s career took an unexpected turn at the WWE Night of Champions event in 2015. He competed against Seth Rollins in a WWE Championship match, and when the champion went for a turnbuckle powerbomb, Sting severely injured his neck on impact. Not only did this end the match prematurely, but at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, "The Icon" announced that the injury had cut his career short as well. With that, it seemed like wrestling fans had seen the last of Sting as an in-ring competitor, but that notion was dismissed a few years later at the AEW Winter is Coming event.

Following a tag team match that saw Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin defeat Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs, Sting made his AEW television debut. This was a shocking moment and one that had many fans excited, but once that excitement wore off, the skepticism set in. If Sting was indeed part of the AEW roster for the long-haul, could he and should he compete? After all, he was a legend at this point with nothing really left to prove, and the last time he laced up his boots, it ended with a horrific injury. Despite widespread uncertainty toward his return, Sting went full steam ahead to become an active presence on AEW TV.

Years have passed since Sting returned to the ring under the AEW banner, and while his run hasn’t been perfect, it’s fair to say he’s made the most of it. With Darby Allin at his side, he’s embarked on a string of entertaining matches and has proven that his neck injury was far from the level of severity we were all led to believe it was. Sting’s AEW debut may have been questionable at first, but it has since worked out for the best.

Sting introduces the Shockmaster

With WCW Fall Brawl 1993 approaching, a WarGames match featuring the team of Sid Vicious, Vader, Kane (not the Kane you’re thinking of), and Kole against Sting, Dustin Rhodes, and Davey Boy Smith was added to the card. As you can likely tell, Sting’s team was missing one member to make it an even four-on-four contest. Luckily, they had one final member to introduce, and they’d do so on an installment of the "Flair for the Gold" interview segment at Clash of the Champions XXIV. What could’ve been a grand moment quickly devolved into a disaster of infamous yet hilarious proportions.

As Sting and Smith spoke with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Sid, Kane, and Kole forced their way into the conversation to demand the identity of their mystery Fall Brawl opponent. With all the excitement and confidence he could muster, the Stinger let the world know that their partner would shock the world since he is the Shockmaster (aka Fred Ottman, or as WWF audiences knew him, Tugboat and later Typhoon). On the opposite end of the "Flair for the Gold" set, two small flames erupted from the floor as a man burst through the wall. Falling directly on his face, his bedazzled Stormtrooper helmet fell off, prompting him to scramble to put it back on and rise to his feet.

Once up, the Shockmaster tried to strike fear into the hearts of his Fall Brawl opponents with his menacing voice — as provided by Ole Anderson off-camera — but the jig was up. The Shockmaster swiftly became the laughing stock of the wrestling world from the literal moment he introduced himself to WCW audiences. In the years since, he’s become an iconic wrestling character for all the wrong reasons, and poor Sting will always be linked to his immediate failure.