WWE: Sting confirms he would love to wrestle Undertaker before he quits - and pinpoints Wrestlemania 31 for "one last big match"
Sports entertainment icon Sting has given the clearest indication yet he WILL step into a WWE ring for the first time in his near three decade career, declaring: "I'm all for it."
The WWE 2K15 video game star, a former eight time WCW World champion, has also targeted a date for "one last big match" - next year's WrestleMania.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror about his debut in the WWE's forthcoming video game release, the veteran headliner admits the opportunity to finally make his mark in the company that won the 'Monday Night Wars' TV battle was one he couldn't miss out on.
"Why now? It's a now or never thing," says the 55-year-old.
"I've done so many things in the wrestling business but the one thing I'd never done was wrestle or be a part of the WWE family.
"I didn't want too hang it all up and retire and disappear again without having done that in some capacity."
And it is evident Sting - real name Steve Borden - visualises his inclusion in the game as two pre-order playable characters as only the start of his relationship with WWE.
"I've made it clear I'd love to have one last hurrah, one last big match hopefully. And of course I've been outspoken about Undertaker being the opponent," he replies, when asked if he is open to negotiate lacing up his boots for the company.
"I know what happened at Wrestlemania where Brock Lesnar broke his streak. I think, or at least I'm hoping, that Taker's still going to come back and that he's not done. If he's not done, and he would consider doing it, I'd love to work with him one time.
"I'd love to wrestle him one time before I call it quits."
Asked whether his character may appear live on WWE television shows as part of 2K15's promotional campaign, Sting gave fans every hope he would be seeing action in the ring.
"All for it, just put it that way. I'm all for it," he says.
"Undertaker maintained a status in wrestling and the WWE that is second to none. He's a phenomenon," Sting adds, before answering unequivocally as to where he might like his dream match to take place: "How about San Francisco, 2015, in April?"
Neither would he object to having his career recognised by the annual WWE ceremony that only months ago honoured the late Ultimate Warrior, the special draw for last year's game - and Sting's tag team partner when the pair were both rookies.
"Obviously it would be a great honour to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. It's nothing that I would say no to, that's for sure," he adds.
It was in paying tribute to Warrior in April, who died three days after his HoF induction and just hours after rattling the ropes on TV show Raw for the first time in nearly 18 years, that Borden made his first appearance on WWE programming.
He recalls: "We started in California - he was in Atlanta, I was in California and called him up because I had met him a year earlier and asked him to come to this wrestling camp. It was 'let's do a tag team thing, let's get this thing going and see what we can do'.
Within a few years of teaming up in Memphis, Tennessee for the first time, both had carved out roles as heroes to millions of children across the globe - but for different promotions.
Sting continues: "Now I can look back and realise just how amazing it all was. It's remarkable really that both of us ended up taking it all as far as we did."
"It would seem like every three, four, five years or so we'd bump into each other," Sting adds.
"He called me twelve years ago, he needed some help with some stuff and of course I was there to help him out as much as I could. We never really kept in contact, but it was always friendly when we did.
"With his resurgence with WWE I was really looking forward to reconnecting with him again, and maybe even working with him in some capacity through WWE."
Despite his considerable experience, Sting presents many fascinating and fresh potential storyline opportunities for WWE to capitalise on, as well as game players.
Singling out young, bright performers as Daniel Bryan ("unreal talent"), Roman Reigns ("all the ability, all the talent to become one of the greatest") and Bray Wyatt ("unbelievable talent on the microphone and in ring, a very physical guy"), Sting says he is excited about dream matches that until now seemed impossible getting a virtual run out.
"It's a no brainer that the Sting-'Taker match will be a popular option - that's one way the fans can make that match happen.
"I always wanted to work with the likes of The Rock, John Cena and Randy Orton so I can't imagine wrestling fans won't want to do the same thing."
A little surprisingly, Sting hasn't shared a room with WWE supremo Vince McMahon since they both attended a TV industry expo in the early 1990s - and they have never actually met each other, despite having a "handful" of talks over the years.
"It never did work," says Sting, who says he has had some conversations with Executive Vice President and onscreen authority figure Triple H in the last few months.
"But Vince would always say: 'Make sure to always cross your T's and dot your I's. I know that we'll do business some day'.
"And I guess he had a better sense, or was more prophetic, than I could ever be."
* WWE 2K15 is currently in development for Xbox One, Xbox 360, as well as PlayStations 3 and 4 and is scheduled for international release on October 31. For more information on WWE 2K15 and 2K, visit wwe.2k.com
