The man called Sting has had a long and storied career that started back in the Continental Wrestling Association teaming with the man who would later become the Ultimate Warrior Jim Hellwig. After a slow start in the CWA, the team of Sting and Hellwig went to Universal Wrestling Federation and when Hellwig left the UWF, Sting joined a stable featuring Eddie Gilbert and Missy Hyatt. He won the UWF Tag Team titles with Gilbert twice and Rick Steiner once. After his time in the UWF ended, Sting went over to the NWA and almost immediately challenged Ric Flair for the NWA World Championship. That match went to a 45-minute limit but many say that was the match that helped put Sting in the upper echelon of wrestlers in the world.

Sting teamed with Nikita Koloff to battle The Four Horsemen and came up short in their bid to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. He feuded with the Road Warriors and in 1989 he defeated Mike Rotundo for NWA Televisiion Championship, his first tittle win. After losing thr title to The Great Muta after a long feud over the title, he joned The Four Horseman after saving Ric Flair from attack after a match. This proved to be short lived after Sting refused to give up his title shot against Flair. Sting would win the NWA Heavyweight title after returning from an injury in July 1990 and held until January when Flair won the title back.

When WCW moved away from the NWA, Sting was looked at as the franchise of WCW and during this time won the WCW Title a coupld of more times and added a Tag Team Title and US Title reign to his resume but the attitude of WCW and Sting would change after being accused of being part of the upstart New World Order stable featuring Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan. For six months Sting would be silent and not say a word while watching the events unfold between the NWO and WCW. Finally, Sting showed his alligance with WCW and challenged "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan for the WCW Heavyweight Championship at Starrcde 1998. Sting won this match but to this day is disputed due to the events of the match. The belt was declared vacant due to the events but Sting would win the rematch against Hogan and hold the title until April 1998 when he lost to Randy Savage.

After losing the title, Sting joined the NWO Wolfpac group headed by Kevin Nash and went up against the NWO Hollywood faction headed by Hollywood Hogan. After the NWO was done, Sting won the WCW Championship twice more but toiled in feuds with Vampiro and Lex Luger and a failed hell turn. Sting wrestled in the last match of WCW against Ric Flair on the last Monday Nitro. After WCW was brought by Vince McMahon, he took time nd wrestled a bit in Europe for World Wrestling All-Stars.

He debuted with TNA Wrestling in 2003 and appeared sporadically till 2005. He appeared at the January 2006 TNA Pay Per View and teamed with Christain Cage against Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown and won the match. He then "retired" from wrestling only to return with Jarrett and Jarrett's army. He finally defeated Jarrett after months at Bound for Glory for the NWA Heavyweight Championship giving Sting his first major title since 1999 and and the only person to hold the title before and after the inception of TNA. He feuded with Abyss, who he lost the NWA Title to. 

After Abyss, he feuded with Christopher Daniels and went onto win the World Title once again at Bound for Glory making him 2-0 at the event. He went onto lose the title two weeks later back to Angle and by the end of 2007, Sting took some time off. Upon returning, Stin began to feud with the younger stars of TNA saying they lacked respect for the older wrestlers. This led to the Main Evvent Mafia being created. Sting defeated Samoa Joe for the TNA World Title at Bound for Glory 2008 and the Mafia ran TNA. He held onto the title for 189 days, the longest reign of his career, until he lost to Mick Foley at Lockdown 2009. After becoming leader of the Mafia, they turned on Sting but Sting attacked back. He challegened for the TNA Title a few more times in th year but came up short including a memorable against AJ Styles at Bound for Glory. 

Sting took time off once again and appeared at the first TNA Impact of 2010.