Following the September 11 taping of AEW Collision, Tony Khan honored the late, legendary “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert.
The final night of AEW’s stay at the famed 2300 Arena, CEO Tony Khan brought out some guests. These included Gilbert’s brother, Doug; Tommy “Wildfire” Rich; and AEW wrestler/staff member, Jeff Jarrett.
However, a surprise was in store for the Philadelphia fans in attendance during this seemingly off-air segment as none other than Sting joined the festivities. He wore his iconic black and white face paint and gear while sporting a well-earned grey mane of hair. Gilbert was paramount in Sting’s early success in his career in UWF before Jim Crockett Promotions bought Gilbert’s territory.
Having wrestled in AWA, Gilbert wrestled with the likes of Bob Backlund and Jerry Lawler while teaming with Tommy Rich. Later, Gilbert became a booker for Eastern Championship Wrestling, where he prepared future hardcore wrestlers for stardom before Tod Gordon sold the company to Paul Heyman, who later rebranded it as Extreme Championship Wrestling.
The group shared their love of Gilbert and his legacy. They then professed the profound importance of Philadelphia as a professional wrestling location, as it not only housed the acclaimed ECW promotion but also was the birthplace of Ring of Honor.
Sting rose to prominence in WCW as one of the company’s biggest stars in the Attitude Era. Refusing to sign with WWE in the early 2000s, the Icon instead signed with TNA Wrestling until 2014. Debuting for WWE at that year’s Survivor Series, Sting temporarily retired until signing with AEW in 2020. His final match was a tag match with Darby Allin against the Young Bucks at AEW’s 2024 event, Revolution.
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