For one last time Sunday night at AEW's Revolution pay-per-view at Greensboro Coliseum, it will be showtime.

Sting will take his final bow in the main event when he teams with Darby Allin to defend the AEW World Tag Team Championship against Matthew and Nicholas Jackson (The Young Bucks) in a match that is guaranteed to be emotional.

The culmination of a career that has seen The Icon compete in five separate decades and for the big four American promotions during that time (WCW, WWE, TNA and All Elite Wrestling), it is sure to feature all of his trademark spots, character traits and a Scorpion Death Drop/Lock or two.

In celebration of the 64-year-old and his contributions to the industry, let's relive the matches and moments that have defined him and take a look at a legacy that has helped to set him apart from other legends of his era.

This...is...Sting!

The Matches (Nos. 10-4)

10. With Darby Allin vs. FTR (AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam 2021)

Arguably the best match from Sting's AEW era saw him team with Allin to defeat Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler inside Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of the company's Dynamite: Grand Slam broadcast. A strong tag match, it saw Sting take center stage, earning the win for his team with the Scorpion Death Lock.

9. Vs. AJ Styles (TNA Bound for Glory 2009)

Sting had a lengthy run in TNA Wrestling that saw him undergo a few character alterations along the way (Joker Sting, anyone?), but his best match with the promotion remains the Bound for Glory 2009 main event, which saw him put over world champion AJ Styles. A fun match with a great finishing sequence, it was proof of the sort of selflessness that became a trademark of the Hall of Famer over the years.

8. With Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk and The Great Muta (Halloween Havoc 1989)

Four of the best to ever do it settled the score in an "electrified" steel cage at the 1989 Halloween Havoc as Sting teamed with longtime rival Ric Flair to defeat Terry Funk and The Great Muta in a match that could only end when one of the team's representatives threw in the white towel. A rare opportunity to see Sting and Flair on the same page without a not-so-shocking betrayal, this was a great main event between four guys who helped carry WCW in 1989.

7. Vs. Diamond Dallas Page (Monday Nitro 4/26/1999)

Talk about a match coming from out of nowhere, this one saw Sting challenge DDP for the world's title right in the middle of the April 26, 1999 episode of Monday Nitro. A great match with some fantastic reversals and counters, including a finish that saw The Icon counter a Diamond Cutter attempt with the Scorpion Death Drop for the win. It would be a short-lived reign, with Page regaining the gold later in the night, but this was a hidden gem from two legitimate main event competitors at a time when there wasn't an abundance of them from that part of the roster in WCW.

6. With Lex Luger vs. The Steiner Brothers (WCW SuperBrawl I)

Four of the greatest stars in WCW history battled with tag team gold at stake as part of the inaugural SuperBrawl pay-per-view as Sting and Lex Luger squared off with Rick and Scott Steiner in one of the better representations of a babyface vs. babyface match. In a contest brimming with Hall of Famers, The Icon was the biggest star of the bunch, the franchise face of a transforming WCW. The Steiners picked up the win after interference from Nikita Koloff, arguably the one sore spot in what was an otherwise extraordinary contest.

5. Vs. Big Van Vader (WCW SuperBrawl III)

Sting and Vader had superb chemistry, so much so that their SuperBrawl III strap match is not the only matchup of theirs to receive recognition here. Mastering the formula of the dynamic babyface vs. the monster heel, they had several classics and for a while, were in such a groove that anything less than four stars would be considered a disappointment. This one is no different, a bloody main event that saw Vader earn the win and Sting further prove his toughness to fans.

4. Vs. Cactus Jack (WCW Beach Blast 1992)

The Falls Count Anywhere match from Beach Blast 1992 may have been the most important in Sting's career. Already established as the top babyface in the company, he needed to prove he could be more than flashy and explosive.

He needed to establish a level of toughness and did just that against the wild and unpredictable Cactus Jack. He pushed himself against one of the most violent Superstars in company history, beat him and emerged better off because of it. That it was a fun brawl only enhances its importance to The Icon's career and earns its place on this list.

Match No. 3: vs. Big Van Vader (Starrcade 1992)

The culmination of the King of Cable tournament at the 1992 Starrcade pay-per-view, the battle between Sting and Big Van Vader set the tone for the countless battles they would have throughout their shared time in WCW.

It was a hard-hitting, physical encounter that tested Sting's mettle and forced him to combat the monstrous heel with his punishing strikes.

For the majority of his run with the company to that point, Sting wore the bright paint and neon tights, and he was happy to slap hands with fans. Against Vader, he proved he could throw fists and counter the oppressive arsenal of his opponent.

He caught the big man mid-flight with a powerslam for the win.

It was a fantastic match that served as an exclamation point on a banner year for Sting, arguably the best of his career from a pure in-ring perspective and a true candidate for Match of the Year among some stellar competition.

Match No. 2: vs. Ric Flair (Clash of the Champions)

There are better matches on this list of Sting's best, but none was more important to him and the star he would become than the March 27, 1988 showdown with NWA world heavyweight champion Ric Flair at the inaugural Clash of the Champions event.

On free television opposite WrestleMania IV, Jim Crockett Promotions had the opportunity to deal Vince McMahon and WWE a blow and did so by booking their top star (Flair) against the most promising young up-and-comer at the time (Sting).

For 45 minutes, The Nature Boy and Stinger captivated a crowd of 6,000 in Greensboro Coliseum, all of them sure they were about to see the young competitor end the reign of wrestling's greatest performer.

Instead, the bout ended in a time-limit draw.

In nearly any other circumstance, such a finish could prove to be a devastating one, but here it further established Sting as a star of the future and proved to even his greatest doubters that he could hang with a competitor who was widely considered to be the best in the world then.

A watershed moment for the future champion.

Match No. 1: Sting's Squadron vs. The Dangerous Alliance (Wrestle War 1992)

Sting led a team that featured Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham against Paul E. Dangerously's team of Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyzsko in arguably the greatest WarGames match ever at the 1992 Wrestle War pay-per-view.

An intense, violent match, it paid off months of storytelling and featured some truly unforgettable visuals, including Windham biting at the blood-caked head of Austin and Sting pressing Rude into the roof of the cage.

The match was exactly what a showdown between two warring factions consisting of such veteran talent should be. The crowd was red-hot, the action backed up the hatred that existed between the teams, and the finish was brilliantly executed as Sting trapped Eaton in an armbar and forced the submission.

Not only did the match settle the biggest overarching storyline in WCW at the time, but it continued that career year of 1992 for Sting, another example of his ability to be the franchise star and carry the promotion on his back at a time when other mainstays such as Flair and Luger sought new opportunities in WWE.

Over three decades later, this remains the best match of Sting's career and one that should be revisited if you missed out on the excellence of Paul Heyman's early 1990s run with WCW.

The Moments

1. WCW's Avenger and the Road to Starrcast 1997

His allegiances questioned by WCW despite unwavering loyalty throughout his career, Sting walked away in October 1996, calling himself a free agent and leaving fans questioning whether he may turn to the New World Order as the faction rose to prominence.

Instead, he watched from the rafters, keeping a close eye on the goings on in an ever-changing wrestling landscape.

With a completely different look than the one fans had become accustomed to, inspired by the 1994 film The Crow, Sting ultimately reaffirmed his loyalty to WCW, attacking the NWO and making his desire to challenge Hulk Hogan for the world title apparent.

A year-long storyline in which the face-painted vigilante of WCW said no words, communicating only through the use of his eyes and body language, culminated at Starrcade 1997 with his victory over Hogan.

The story is not only the best thing that Eric Bischoff and WCW ever created, but it's also the best work of Sting's career.

Here was a man who was the franchise, only to be doubted and questioned by the same fans he worked for his entire career. He was disenfranchised and took a step back, but he proved himself to be the dark knight the company needed to thwart the mounting success of its invaders.

He was the hero WCW deserved and needed and proved as much.

The images of him holding a vulture while staring down the NWO from the rafters, and the angle in which he stared down seven or eight members of the faction and proceeded to beat them all down on his own, are unforgettable.

Pointing his baseball bat at Hogan, acknowledging that the match with Hollywood was the one thing he wanted, still brings on goosebumps.

This is one of the great stories in pro wrestling history and the moment Sting went from the franchise to The Icon.

2. The First World Championship (WCW Great American Bash 1990)

Sting had battled Flair numerous times ahead of the 1990 Great American Bash pay-per-view in Baltimore but had failed to relieve him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. But that changed at the annual extravaganza as he caught Flair with a roll-up to finally attain the title.

The post-match celebration only solidified what fans already knew: it was a coronation of The Stinger as the man for WCW in the new decade. He would have other world title victories, including the win against Hogan, but that first one is tough to top.

3. A Debut We Thought We Would Never See (WWE Survivor Series 2014)

For years, Sting cited concerns over Vince McMahon's true intentions with him as the reason he never made the jump to WWE. He was worried that there were no real plans for him; that McMahon only wanted to spite WCW.

That was no longer a worry by 2014, when Sting did what many thought he never would and debuted at WWE's Survivor Series. Walking to the ring and thwarting injustice by laying out Triple H and setting up Dolph Ziggler's pinfall victory over Seth Rollins, he left his mark on the broadcast and set in motion a story that would culminate with his first (and only) WrestleMania match against The Game the following year.

The less said about that and the creative surrounding it, though, the better.

4. The Final Monday Nitro

Sting and Flair dedicated their professional lives to WCW, seeing it through the best and worst of times. It was only fitting then that they were the two called upon to wrap things up in the main event of the final Monday Nitro telecast.

Hand-picked by Vince McMahon, according to Sting himself in the 2015 Sting: Into the Light documentary produced by WWE, it was a testament to just how far-reaching his status as the franchise of the company was.

Here was the rival promoter, overseeing the final show in the company that tried to put him out of business, acknowledging that Sting was the guy in WCW and one of two stars he felt best suited to close things out.

An emotionally surreal day, it was a stamp of approval for all he had done for the company, even if may not have appeared that way at the time.

5. Winter is Coming (AEW Dynamite, 12/2/2020)

Forced into an early retirement following a neck injury, Sting appeared to be gone from the wrestling world.

Then came an opportunity to return to the squared circle with the upstart All Elite Wrestling. Unsatisfied by how his career ended, he signed with the promotion. And after weeks of teases, he debuted at the Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite on December 2, 2020.

An unforgettable moment and the biggest in the company's short history to that point, it was a chance to end things on his terms. It also served as recognition that AEW was a legitimate competitor in the pro wrestling industry.

It sparked a run that saw Sting continue to perform at a high level while competing against the future stars of the industry.

The Legacy

The word "icon" is often overused in today's society. It's a term used way too often to describe stars and celebrities whose fame is momentary.

That is not the case with Sting. He is an icon, a man whose work speaks for itself and whose legacy in the professional wrestling industry is secured.

A six-time WCW world heavyweight champion, NWA world heavyweight champion, two-time United States champion, three-time WCW tag team champion, four-time TNA world champion, TNA Hall of Famer and WWE Hall of Famer, he is one of the greatest wrestlers, characters and performers the pro wrestling world has seen.

His feud with the NWO helped propel WCW to the forefront of the industry, defeating WWE for a record 83 weeks in the Monday Night Wars.

Beyond what he accomplished in the ring and ratings, though, was what he did to help ensure the long-term health and success of the industry.

When Jeff Jarrett started TNA in hopes of creating a legitimate alternative to WWE, Sting joined the promotion, first with a few cameos in 2003 and 2004, then becoming a fixture from 2006 through his departure in 2014. He was essential to the expansion of the company from fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee to a nationally televised entity.

While AEW already had a TV deal when he arrived, he added legitimacy to Tony Khan's product. His involvement put an exclamation point on the revolution and let the industry know that it was a credible entity.

Along the way, he worked both with industry greats and bright young stars looking for opportunity. He further legitimized Samoa Joe and put over AJ Styles in consecutive Bound For Glory main events, helping to set them up for the success they would find outside of TNA and later in their careers.

His tag team partner in AEW, Darby Allin, wrote an article for The Players' Tribune, discussing how much of a leader and selfless performer Sting is:

"He was asking me how it's gonna happen, and if I was OK with this, this and this, and if everything was cool. We're talking about a guy who's headlined some of the biggest shows ever, made s--tloads of money, been on top longer than I've been alive. He's showing up for this massive return. And his main concern is that I'm feeling comfortable. A 27-year-old nobody who he's probably thinking jacked half his look."

Allin added: "I didn't just get to meet a hero, I got to find out he's a hero worth having."

And that, more than the awesome visuals of him seated in the rafters and eyeing his new NWO prey or the classic with Flair and Vader, is Sting's legacy.

He has dedicated the last half of his career to making new stars and lending his own to promotions in hopes that he has left the industry in a better place than he found it.

As his final battle draws near, and one looks at the all-star roster of competitors who have benefited from sharing the ring with The Icon, one can safely say he has done just that.