"The Icon" Sting

The question is; "The Icon" Sting; is he an icon; what makes you an icon; who else (if anyone) would you consider an icon from the past, or present?

Tony Slammetie here, and it's time for me to give my thoughts on this topic. I've thought feverishly to give you the best possible point of view on it, so enough beating around the bush.

First of all, to answer this question, we need to first establish what makes an "Icon." According to "Slammetie's" Dictionary: The highest authority of wrestling definitions, 3 things are needed to make a wrestler an "Icon."

1. Maintain a high level of deserved popularity for over a baker's dozen years. (13 for you non-bakers) This is subjective, but still valid. There are some wrestlers out there who are popular and don't deserve it, and the greatest wrestling minds in the game will agree for the most part on who these wrestlers are... but that's for a different time.
2. Be able to silence the crowd by simply picking up the microphone. It's easy to establish yourself as a face and have the fans cheer whenever you pick up the mic. It's even easier to establish yourself as a heel and have people boo at the sight of you holding a microphone... heck, even Vicki Guerrero can do it. But it takes an "Icon" to command the full and utter attention from the audience
3. Every time you enter the ring, you put it all on the line, every time. Many older wrestlers go out there, and just go through the motions, or even younger wrestlers for that matter. They go out there, hit their spots and exit. It takes an "Icon" to continue telling a story with each match, every time.

And remember, this comes from the highest authorities, and is where I get all of my information from. And slightly off the matter, just comment on this or any other blog if you have questions about anything wrestling... I'll confer "Slammetie's" Dictionary, and we'll find out the answer lickety split.

But I digress.

Many people consider Sting to be "The Icon" and by the end of this blog I intend to prove my point to you. I agree and disagree with these people. Sting is indeed an icon in wrestling.
He has maintained his well deserved popularity for well over a baker's dozen years. From his Warrior face paint, hard working, strong monster of a wrestler; to his dark, Crow reincarnation, bat wielding, psychopathic son of a gun, he has been around and garnered a boatload of respect as both incarnations.
He commands respect on the microphone, and will go down as one of the best promo men in the history of the business. Turn on TNA any Thursday night, and you will see the crowd hush as he raises the microphone to his lips. Even as a heel, they respect his skills.
But most importantly, he tells a story with each match. Meaning that he has a beginning, a middle, and incredible climax, and a finish. These are the main components in a story, and are the main components in making a match memorable. Sure, he hits the stinger splash, the revers DDT, and on occasion the Scorpion deathlock, but what makes him different from people that people may consider icons... like Bret Hart for example... he will use them only to enhance the story of the match, and not to enhance himself.
That being said, it is clear to see that Sting IS and icon.

(I only mention Hart because he has a new book coming out, and though many may consider him one of the best of all times, he is not an "Icon" which is what this article is about.)

But is Sting THE Icon. This to to assume that he is the only icon in wrestling history, and to say this would be ABSOLUTELY FALSE!

The Undertaker may be the only "Phenom"...a word they had to make up just for this man. The Hulkster and his legacy is certainly deserving of the title "Immortal." But can we honestly say that the Stinger is the only icon, thus deserving to be called "THE ICON."
Off the top of my head I can think of two men that can be considered Icons. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels. These men absolutely deserve (or deserved in Flair's case) their popularity for well over 2 decades, and both clearly command(ed) respect on the mic. And they go (went) out there each and every and put on the greatest show they could, and always try to top the last one. Their match together I believe can be called Iconic.

To me, the Stinger is a first ballot hall of famer. He is a man of men, a champion of champions.
Sting is truly... an ICON!