Sting WWE
Sting is the first 2016 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. Getty

WWE announced on Monday afternoon that Sting is the first member of the 2016 Hall of Fame class. The legendary wrestler will be inducted on the night before WrestleMania 32 in Dallas, though it’s unknown for certain whether or not he’ll have a match at the pay-per-view.

The former face of WCW, Sting was an all-time great before ever stepping foot in a WWE ring. He finally made his first appearance in WWE at Survivor Series 2014, and he had his first WWE match at WrestleMania 31, where he lost to Triple H. Sting was last seen on WWE TV at Night of Champions in September when he faced Seth Rollins in what could turn out to be the final match of his career.

Fighting for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time, Sting suffered multiple injuries that will require surgery. On Ric Flair’s “WOOOOO! Nation” podcast in December, Sting revealed that he needs neck surgery similar to what John Cena underwent in 2008. Cena was back in the ring in a few months, but the same might not be the case for Sting, who will be 57 years old by the time WrestleMania 32 rolls around.

Inducting Sting into the Hall of Fame guarantees that the legendary wrestler will be a part of WrestleMania 32, even if he doesn’t have a match. While it doesn’t seem likely that Sting will be on the card, it hasn't been ruled out. Sting also told Flair that he “absolutely” has one more match left in him.

For years, fans have been hoping to see Sting and The Undertaker face off on The Grandest Stage of Them All. There had been rumors that a match between The Undertaker and Cena was in WWE’s plans, but that no longer seems to be the case since Cena is likely to miss the event with an injury of his own. If Sting was to have a match at WrestleMania 32, one with The Undertaker would make the most sense.

WWE is looking to sell close to 100,000 tickets for WrestleMania 32, and having Sting at the event will certainly help.

RELATED STORIES