Darby Allin

In his first official wrestling match since 2015, Sting was victorious Sunday at AEW Revolution as he teamed with TNT champion Darby Allin to beat Team Taz members Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a Street Fight.

Sting put Starks down with the Scorpion Death Drop to bring a conclusion to a brutal affair.

The match was taped ahead of time and included a number of incredible moments. Allin, in particular, threw caution to the wind.

All Elite Wrestling caused a major shock in December when Sting made his debut for the company on the Winter Is Coming episode of Dynamite.

The Icon's debut consisted of chasing off Team Taz to save Allin and Cody Rhodes.

Over the next several weeks, Sting continued to appear on Dynamite, and he forged a bond with Allin after declaring that he saw a lot of himself in the rising star.

Sting also served as an ally to Allin in his battle with Team Taz members Cage, Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Taz and Hook. With the veteran entering the fray, it brought down the numbers advantage at least a bit.

Eventually, The Icon got physically involved when he hit Starks with his bat while he was trying to interfere during a TNT title match between Allin and Cage.

After that, AEW announced Sting and Allin would team up to face Cage and Starks in a Street Fight at Revolution, marking the 61-year-old's first match since WWE Night of Champions in 2015, which saw him suffer a neck injury against Seth Rollins.

Team Taz eventually made The Icon pay for aiding Allin when he confronted them after the heel group kidnapped Allin.

Taz goaded Sting into entering the ring on his own and abandoning his trademark bat. Cage took advantage by kicking him in the gut and planting him with a devastating powerbomb.

It was a scary moment considering Sting's injury history and his age, but he took the bump like a champ and was ready for Sunday's bout.

While the match was huge in the sense that it was Sting's return to action, it was just as big for the three other performers involved as putting them in a match with the veteran was a huge vote of confidence in their ability.

Allin was the one who received the ultimate rub as he and Sting were victorious, but Cage and Starks undoubtedly gained plenty from the experience, as well.

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The 2021 edition of All Elite Wrestling's Revolution pay-per-view looks set to be one of the best shows in recent years, but it is the possibility of stars shining brighter than the rest that has the wrestling world so excited.

From Darby Allin getting the rub of working with a bona fide legend in Sting to Ryo Mizunami running the table in the Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament, Sunday's show is set up to let fresh faces shine bright.

Here are the wrestlers who will steal the show Sunday night.

Darby Allin

There are few Superstars on the AEW roster as enigmatic as Darby Allin. Between the face paint, the extreme stunts and the lack of fear, wrestling fans have gravitated toward Allin, and he is one of the most popular people in the sport.

At Revolution, Allin gets to team with a man who was described by many for years the exact same way: Sting.

While Team Taz should not be discounted—Brian Cage and Ricky Starks are two of the most talented performers around—Sunday's tag team match is a showcase for Allin because casual fans will be watching Sting closely.

Instead of squandering the moment, Allin will take all of the eyes there to watch Sting and focus them on him through his outlandish in-ring style and the daredevil approach to help the duo win the match.

Ryo Mizunami

For many fans, the first time they even heard Ryo Mizunami's name was when she was announced for the Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament. After a successful run to a championship match against Hikaru Shida, no one will forget her name.

Not only did Mizunami beat the likes of Maki Itoh, Aja Kong and Yuka Sakazaki to earn her place in the tournament finals, but she also managed to defeat Nyla Rose in shocking fashion on Dynamite to cement her spot in the championship match at Revolution.

The resulting match between Shida and Mizunami should be incredible, but there are questions about whether the challenger will walk away with the championship. After stunning onlookers on her way through the tournament, what better way to cement Mizunami as a top star than by having her beat Shida?

Jon Moxley

Since jumping from WWE to AEW in May 2019, no one has made a bigger impact on the wrestling world than Jon Moxley. As the wrestler of the year and a creative genius, fans can't wait to see his version of an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch.

Add in the fact that this extreme stipulation is an AEW World Championship match, and Sunday's main event should have fans talking for a long time.

Not only is Moxley a well-known student of wrestling, but he is also going up against one of the greatest minds in the sport today in Kenny Omega. And given the champion's extensive knowledge of Japanese wrestling, this Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch could be a game-changer.

For years, wrestling has felt stagnant and boring. The infusion of hardcore action into the casual product should provide a much-needed spark. With the likelihood of interference through the roof, this matchup will be unforgettable.

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The penultimate episode of AEW Dynamite before the Revolution pay-per-view scored AEW another ratings win over WWE NXT on Wednesday night.

According to F4WOnline's Bryan Alvarez, Dynamite averaged 831,000 viewers during its two-hour broadcast on TNT, while NXT brought in 734,000 viewers during its two-hour show on USA Network.

Dynamite was headlined by a qualifying bout for the ladder match at Revolution to determine the No. 1 contender for the TNT Championship. Lance Archer beat Rey Fenix to qualify, meaning he will be in the match along with Cody Rhodes, Penta El Zero Miedo and Scorpio Sky.

AEW also featured a big segment involving Sting and TNT champion Darby Allin, who fought their way through Team Taz ahead of their street fight against Brian Cage and Ricky Starks.

Also on AEW, Nyla Rose beat Britt Baker to advance in the Women's Championship No. 1 contender tournament, Jon Moxley beat Ryan Nemeth in a squash match, Jake Hager defeated Brandon Cutler and "Hangman" Adam Page beat Isiah Kassidy of Private Party.

The main event segment of NXT saw Adam Cole explain why he turned on Kyle O'Reilly at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day and then viciously attacked him last week.

Roderick Strong confronted Cole about it, leading to Cole breaking down in tears and apologizing. It was all a front, though, as Cole hit Strong with a low blow and laid him out with a superkick.

NXT also featured a brutal No Disqualification match between NXT Cruiserweight champion Santos Escobar and Karrion Kross. Escobar gave Kross all he could handle, in part thanks to interference from Legado del Fantasma members Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza, but Kross prevailed.

Other key results on NXT included Dexter Lumis beating North American champion Johnny Gargano in a non-title match, NXT Women's champion Io Shirai defeating Zoey Stark, Xia Li beating Kacy Catanzaro and The Grizzled Young Veterans defeating Killian Dain and Drake Maverick.

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Sting got some revenge on Team Taz after he and Darby Allin attacked Brian Cage and Ricky Starks at AEW Dynamite on Wednesday.

Cage and Starks took down the Varsity Blonds in a tag team match early in the show. The arena then went dark, and a video appeared on the Jumbotron of Sting driving on a deserted road in a car with a full body bag attached to the back bumper with a rope. The car stopped, the bag opened and Darby Allin revealed himself.

The camera then cut back to the arena, and Sting appeared with a body bag that had someone inside.

He opened it up, but it wasn't Allin. Rather, it was Hook, the son of stable leader Taz, who provided color commentary ringside during the previous match.

Allin was in the building, though, and he ziplined to the arena from the rafters with his skateboard in hand.

He used the skateboard in an attack on Starks and Cage before focusing his attention on the former, knocking him out of the ring before launching himself over the ropes with a flying crossbody block.

Sting then took care of a wounded Cage, landing a Stinger Splash before finishing him off with a Scorpion Death Drop.

With the job done, Sting and Allin walked up the ramp as Taz attended to his son.

The attack meant The Icon got a little payback on Cage, who had delivered a vicious powerbomb at last week's Dynamite.

Sting and Allin will be taking on Starks and Cage in a tag team match at AEW: Revolution on March 7 at 8 p.m. ET on pay-per-view and B/R Live.

AEW announcer Tony Schiavone provided a positive update on Sting after he got physical on Wednesday's edition of AEW Dynamite.

During the AEW Dynamite Post-Show, Schiavone said Sting was "OK" after getting powerbombed by Brian Cage:

"As scary as that may be, and I know what you're getting at, he's OK," Schiavone said. "So there you go."

Schiavone was also asked why Sting would take such a big bump at the age of 61, and he responded: "Because he obviously wants to. And he obviously thinks it's good for business."

Sting had not taken a bump on television since his last official match, which was against Seth Rollins at WWE Night of Champions in 2015.

The Icon suffered a neck injury in that match, leading to his retirement. With WWE apparently unwilling to clear him to wrestle, Sting made the leap to AEW late last year, debuting on Dynamite in December.

Sting quickly got involved in TNT champion Darby Allin's rivalry with Team Taz. Sting did hit Ricky Starks with his bat a few weeks ago, but he has largely stayed out of the fray and cut promos instead.

It was recently announced that Sting would make his in-ring return at the March 7 Revolution pay-per-view, teaming with Allin against Cage and Starks in a tag team street fight.

While it has been widely assumed that the match will be cinematic in order to protect Sting, what happened Wednesday suggests he is open and willing to take bumps as well.

AEW would likely be wise to limit high-impact physicality on Sting's part given his age and injury history, but if he can do it once in a while, it could go a long way toward advancing storylines.

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CM Punk gave a ringing endorsement to five young AEW wrestlers during a Twitter Q&A session Friday.

When asked which AEW wrestler he would most like to work with if he ever returns to pro wrestling, Punk responded: "I see five guys that have potential. Hobbs, Darbs, Pillman, Starks, Jungle Boy. And that’s not to say there are others, but those guys stick out."

Will "Powerhouse" Hobbs, Darby Allin, Brian Pillman Jr., Ricky Starks and Jungle Boy are all 30 years old or younger, and none of them had a ton of national exposure before joining AEW.

Of the wrestlers Punk mentioned, the 28-year-old Allin has unquestionably enjoyed the most success thus far.

In addition to being the reigning TNT champion and preparing to work a tag team match against Starks and Brian Cage with WWE Hall of Famer Sting as his partner, Allin has worked high-profile matches against the likes of Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley.

Allin has a unique look and character, and he is a quality in-ring performer, giving him all the tools needed to be a world champion in the near future.

Punk vs. Allin is a match that wrestling fans would undoubtedly love to see, although Punk against any of the wrestlers he mentioned would be a huge deal.

The 42-year-old has not wrestled since the 2014 Royal Rumble match, and he has largely focused on competing in and announcing MMA since then.

Punk has remained open to the possibility of returning to wrestling at some point, but he hasn't lobbied for a return publicly and seems like he would be content staying retired. He essentially already did it all in the world of wrestling, winning the WWE Championship twice and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship three times.

Punk has maintained that it will take something new and interesting to get him to come out of retirement, and a rivalry with Allin, Hobbs, Pillman, Starks or Jungle Boy would undoubtedly fit the bill.

There is no question Punk could help elevate any of them to new heights, and AEW should explore every avenue to make that happen if any possibility of working with him exists.

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Darby Allin is very confident Sting can still hold up to create compelling content at age 61.

Allin recently spoke with Alex McCarthy of TalkSport and said the wrestling legend is certainly in good enough shape to look strong in their upcoming tag team match against Ricky Starks and Brian Cage.

"We were walking around Jacksonville the other day. There was this six-foot fence. I jumped the fence and I told Sting 'I'm going to take some photos' because we were looking at some weird stuff in Jacksonville. I was like 'I'm going to take some photos for you of this weird building' and he's on the other side of the fence that's locked up. And he's like 'what, you don't think I'm going to jump this fence?' He climbs up and he jumped the fence. So I'd say he's good to go!"

Sting has taken on a mentorship role for Allin since his AEW arrival, thanks in large part to their enjoyment of hanging out in the rafters and black-and-white face paint. Allin has also taken the mantle of the "Face of TNT" that Sting once held during his WCW days.

Allin said he feels a responsibility to help tell the final chapter of Sting's career in a way that honors his legendary career.

"When I work with him, you can't stop and smell the roses. It's go time. That's a huge thing for me to be in charge of telling his story at the tail-end of his career. You're writing history here and I really don't want anybody to go back and say 'Oh, you know, when he got with Darby Allin it was kind of like not good' or whatever you would say.

"So to me, there's a lot of responsibility and it's amazing to have that put on me. I thrive in these situations."

Allin is just 28 years old and has broken out as one of the promising young faces of AEW, showing himself willing to do anything physically to put on the best match. While it's expected that their street fight against Team Taz at Revolution will be done cinematically, odds are Allin will find a way to take himself out and make Sting the conquering hero.