Sting

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Danielson Embraces 'Wrestling' with AEW Move

On a night full of big debuts, none was bigger at AEW's All Out pay-per-view than Bryan Danielson's arrival to close out the show.

Speaking to fans inside NOW Arena, Danielson echoed one theme of CM Punk's long-awaited comeback.

"I am a wrestler," he said, per Wrestling Inc's Sai Mohan. "I never left wrestling. I took wrestling everywhere I went. I said wrestling when I wasn't supposed to say wrestling. And now, I'm here to goddamn wrestle!"

During his promo on AEW Rampage after returning to the ring, Punk said how he "left professional wrestling" in 2005, which is when he signed with WWE. That comment referenced how WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has long viewed his product as "sports entertainment" rather than wrestling.

AEW appears to be establishing itself as a contrast to that.

Cole Explains Departure from WWE

Before Danielson made his way down the entrance ramp, it looked like Adam Cole was going to be AEW's most impactful addition Sunday night.

Cole said during a post-All Out media conference he "had a very excellent four-year experience" in WWE—competing almost exclusively in NXT. Despite that, the allure of signing with AEW was too good to pass up.

For years, wrestlers didn't have many alternatives to WWE in the United States if they grew a bit disenchanted or wanted a new challenge. No other promotion was a viable direct competitor, and competing on the independent scene brought its own challenges.

In terms of revenue, AEW still has a long way to go to catch up to WWE. The signings of Punk, Danielson, Cole and Ruby Soho show how it's quickly earning a reputation to be on par with WWE as an in-ring rival, though.

Foley: AEW Has 'No Shortage of Compelling Storylines'

Wrestling legend Mick Foley praised the work of AEW in building a strong stable of stars less than two full years after the launch of AEW Dynamite in October 2019.

There's no question the buzz surrounding AEW is enormous.

Maintaining that momentum is the company's next challenge because the initial excitement inevitably fades. As Foley alluded to, telling engaging stories and making Dynamite and Rampage must-watch television is what AEW needs to truly thrive.

It's equally important to use marquee stars such as Danielson and Punk to help shine a light on wrestlers who didn't build reputations in WWE. There are probably a lot of people who have discovered Darby Allin in large part because of his alliance with Sting and brief feud with Punk.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

In his first match in more than seven years, CM Punk defeated Darby Allin at AEW All Out on Sunday in his hometown of Chicago.

This was an intense match that featured Allin ricocheting off a ring post before careening to the ringside below:

Allin also flipped off the top rope onto Punk:

The crowd was understandably hot for the match beforehand, chanting both wrestlers' names during Punk's debut contest for All Elite Wrestling.

In the end, Punk won after hitting the GTS. 

Afterward, Sting and The Best in the World shook hands in a show of respect between the two legends:

The two in-ring opponents did the same:

Punk made his long-awaited return to professional wrestling on August 20 when he appeared on the second episode of AEW Rampage, which was held at the United Center in Chicago.

After enjoying the ovation of the fans and cutting a heartfelt promo about why he was back and where he had been, the 42-year-old laid down a challenge for All Out and directed his attention toward Allin.

In the weeks leading up to Punk's debut, Allin had mentioned his desire to face "the best in the world," which most assumed was a reference to the former WWE star. It turns out that was the case, as he and Sting watched his debut appearance from the rafters.

After Punk made the challenge, the contest was made official for All Out, making an already massive pay-per-view even bigger.

Prior to Sunday, Punk hadn't competed in a wrestling match since the 2014 Royal Rumble in WWE. He left WWE after that due to issues with the company, and it was unclear if he would ever return to wrestling.

During his hiatus, he was involved in several projects, including competing in two UFC fights, doing MMA commentary and acting in movies.

Punk seemed happy in those endeavors, but there was some indication that the wrestling bug was still present in 2019 when he signed a deal with Fox to be an analyst on FS1's WWE Backstage.

The show was canceled last year, but it allowed him to become part of the wrestling world again by discussing the WWE product and giving his opinions.

After making his first AEW appearance, Punk revealed he had been in discussions with company president Tony Khan for 18 months. His arrival was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though, as he didn't want to come back without fans.

Punk is now the talk of the wrestling world again, and he got his AEW career off to a winning start against one of the fastest-rising stars in the industry.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from AEW and WWE.

Sting Received Positive Reaction to Double or Nothing Match

After Sting teamed with Darby Allin in a winning effort against Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page at AEW Double or Nothing on Sunday, The Icon reportedly received a big reaction from those who were watching backstage.

According to PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), the other wrestlers watching in the locker room gave Sting a "huge pop" when he came back through the curtain following the match.

It marked the 62-year-old veteran's first traditional match since 2015, and he played his role effectively.

Sting teamed with Allin against Brian Cage and Ricky Starks at Revolution in March, but that was a cinematic match taped ahead of time with no fans in attendance.

There was no real safety net for Sting at Double or Nothing with a sellout crowd present to watch him, but he seemingly made it through unscathed and hit all the marks he needed to.

Sting didn't move with the type of explosiveness he did earlier in his career, but he hit his signature moves and did enough to get the crowd into the match.

While Sting isn't someone who should be used often in an in-ring capacity, AEW can continue to get some mileage out of him by picking its spots and putting him in positions to succeed.

Belair Expects Rematch vs. Banks

On the heels of her historic match against Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37, SmackDown Women's champion Bianca Belair believes another clash with The Boss is inevitable.

In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Belair discussed her expectations for an eventual rematch with Banks: 

That night at WrestleMania, our match was about so much more than winning the title. We made history. And I'm fully expecting a rematch.

That moment was bigger than us. Even though I won the title, no one lost that night. That's why there are videos of Sasha smiling at the end. She had so much fulfillment from what came out of that match. Now, when she comes back and the title is on the line, we'll see who walks out as champion.

Belair vs. Banks was the main event match of Night 1 of WrestleMania, marking the first time in WWE history that two Black women competed in a WrestleMania main event.

It was also the first one-on-one women's match to headline a WrestleMania, as the WrestleMania 35 match between Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair was a Triple Threat.

While The EST was victorious and won her first title at WWE, The Boss turned in a remarkable performance as well, and both Superstars received universal praise.

Banks has been seen only once on WWE programming since WrestleMania, appearing briefly on the following episode of SmackDown.

During Sasha's absence, Belair has been embroiled in a rivalry with Bayley. Assuming Bianca exits that feud with her title reign intact, Banks figures to come for the title again sometime soon.

A match between Banks and Belair at SummerSlam would be huge for women's wrestling, especially with WWE planning to make it a big event with a large amount of fans in attendance.

Khan Teases Identity of AEW Rampage Announcer

AEW President Tony Khan provided some hints this week regarding who will join Mark Henry as an announcer on the upcoming AEW Rampage show.

According to WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth, Khan said:

I'm not necessarily gonna say he's going to be the play-by-play or color analyst, but he's going to be a big part of the show. I have a big announcement. I don't want to sound like it's going to be an outside person. It's somebody who's one of our top stars that will be on commentary on the show. He's a great commentator, and a great wrestler, that might narrow it down, but I'm going to put him on commentary.

Khan's hint suggests one of the Rampage announcers will be an active wrestler who has some announcing experience.

Chris Jericho immediately stands out since he has done commentary quite often in AEW, while Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega are other big names who have spent some time at the announce table.

Whoever it is, they will be joining forces with Henry, who is AEW's newest signing. Henry's arrival was announced at Double or Nothing when he appeared prior to the main event.

Henry had been with WWE in some capacity since 1996, but now he will have a chance to try his hand at commentary, much like Paul "Big Show" Wight on AEW Dark: Elevation.

Rampage is set to debut on Aug. 13, and it will be a weekly one-hour show airing at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.

It will provide AEW wrestlers with a much-needed second television platform aside from Dynamite and could go a long way toward getting much of the roster more exposure.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).