This past Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite was dedicated to the late Ted Turner, the founder of TBS and former owner of WCW. WCW icon and WWE Hall of Famer Sting made an appearance during the show, joining Tony Schiavone to pay tribute to Turner.
Dave Meltzer mentioned on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that Sting was already scheduled for promotional work and media in North Charleston, South Carolina, as he spent a significant part of the early days of his career in that area. Meltzer noted that Sting was not originally planned to appear on AEW Dynamite. However, upon arriving for media commitments, Sting expressed that he did not want to be on the show, stating that it was not his time anymore and that he didn't want to take the spotlight away from anyone else.
Meltzer reported that the sudden passing of Turner earlier that day prompted AEW President and CEO Tony Khan to rewrite segments for Dynamite, including the tribute to Turner. It was Khan who specifically wanted Schiavone and Sting to feature in the tribute. Meltzer added that Sting was willing to participate.
The segment was unscripted, which was apparent to viewers. Meltzer indicated that they went out and improvised, and he thought it was very well done. Later in the episode, Sting returned to celebrate with Darby Allin after Allin retained his AEW World Title against Kevin Knight in the main event. Meltzer concluded that Turner “deserved” the tribute due to his significant impact on wrestling.
