How Much Money Does Sting Make In AEW?

WCW Legend Sting has found a new lease on life since signing with AEW. The former WCW and TNA Champion was forced to retire from wrestling after a freak neck injury in 2015 – wrestling Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship – almost paralyzed the iconic superstar.

He even retired from the ring and accepted an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. He went into the HOF in 2016 and announced his retirement on stage, leading everyone to think that was the last they’d heard from The Stinger.

However, everyone knows in wrestling that retirements need absolutely nothing. Ric Flair has retired three times already and seems intent to carry on. Meanwhile Sting rolled back the years when he signed for AEW in 2020, debuting at the first ever AEW Winter is Coming event in December of that year.

He soon became an integral part of the AEW roster and is one of the most popular men in the company. In this article, we’ll look at how much Sting makes in AEW and how Sting’s AEW salary compares to the rest of the AEW roster.

Let us know if you think Sting is paid well for his role or if he should finally retire and give Darby Allin the opportunity to go solo once again.

How Much Does Sting Make In AEW?

Sting makes a salary of $1 million in AEW, according to reports. The former WCW Heavyweight Champion is one of the most recognisable stars in the company, being the face of World Championship Wrestling during the height of wrestling popularity. He was a multi-time WCW Champion during the Attitude Era, with his rivalry against Hulk Hogan and the NWO one of the most legendary of all time.

While he is not among the highest paid wrestlers in the promotion, that is for good reason. Unlike the likes of Jon Moxley ($6 million) and Chris Jericho ($3 million), he is not a regular wrestler who can compete weekly on AEW Dynamite.

Being 63 years of age, his in-ring action is limited. He only wrestles when it’s necessary, and always in multi-man matches. He is currently part of a very popular team with Darby Allin, with the two men gelling perfectly despite having nearly 40 years difference in their ages.

Sting has wrestled 12 matches since joining AEW, in nearly a year and a half of being signed. Given he has taken home around $1.5 million during that time, it seems he is getting a good salary for the work he is doing. Sting’s first AEW match was a cinematic match at AEW Revolution 2021, where he and Darby Allin defeated Brian Cage and Ricky Starks inside an abandoned warehouse.

He wrestled at multiple pay per views, including All Out, Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door. His matches are always fun spot fests that allows fans to see their childhood hero Sting in the flesh, and teaming with Allin allows him to perform at his best despite old age and injuries catching up to him.

Sting’s salary of $1 million in AEW is more than three times the average AEW Salary of $300,000 per year. However, he brings 40 years of experience and thousands of fans to the table, and appears on AEW Dynamite and Rampage almost weekly, even if not in a wrestling capacity. He is always helping even the odds when teams try to gang up on Darby Allin, with his trusty bat as insurance.

His star power alone commands a huge fee – he broke the record for the highest T-shirt sales on ProWrestlingTees in his first day in AEW – and he brings huge eyes to the product. Lapsed fans from the 1990s (and even TNA fans from the 2000s) tuning in will recognise The Icon and continue watching, introducing them to new characters like Darby Allin, Kenny Omega and Jungle Boy.

Sting AEW Contract

Sting likely signed a three-year contract with AEW in in the Winter of 2020, as most AEW talent did (there were some exceptions, like MJF signing a five-year contract in 2019).

This likely puts his deal, valued at $3 million dollars plus, as one that runs out next year, around December 2023. This would be three years after his December 3rd, 2020 debut on AEW Dynamite and would make him 64 at the end of his contract.

He would likely retire after this, as it seems unthinkable that he could top his current run in AEW. Hopefully he has a great retirement match and stays retired, unlike some former WCW stars.

What do you think of Sting’s AEW Salary? Let us know in the comments or click below to read about how Dan Lambert made Cody Rhodes leave AEW