Sting spoke with WWE.com on Wednesday about his match with Seth Rollins at Night of Champions, his injury, and more. Here are the highlights.
It’s been a few days since your match at Night of Champions. How are you feeling?
Aside from a stiff neck, I’m a little banged up, but otherwise, I feel good. Pretty standard after wrestling a match like that.
Can you set everyone straight on the extent of your injury, as you await further evaluation?
Bottom line, I had tingling, numbness down both arms, all the way to my fingertips. And then, later in the match, I just fell wrong, whatever it was, and this time [the tingling and numbness] went down both arms and into my legs, and I couldn’t feel my legs too well. They just felt like rubber. I don’t know how to describe it. I had to go down on all fours there for a minute, get my composure. I was a little … I was worried. Long term, well, I’m just going to take care of the short term first and see how the long term might play out.
What kind of treatment did you receive after your injury at Night of Champions?
I was out in the hospital — out like a light. They had a neck brace on me, and they were pumping me with [medication] to get me out of pain. I had to do a CT scan and an MRI. They ended up talking to my wife, and I have some details from my wife, but I still have [further evaluation ahead]. They mentioned cervical spinal stenosis, but that’s only part of what I heard. I don’t know if there’s anything else. The doctor did tell my wife, “He’s going to have to get this dealt with. He’s lucky he walked out of there.”
Can you set everyone straight on exactly what injuries you sustained?
I was out in the hospital — out like a light. They had a neck brace on me, and they were pumping me with [medication] to get me out of pain. I had to do a CT scan and an MRI. They ended up talking to my wife, and I have some details from my wife, but I have to talk to the doctors. They mentioned cervical spinal stenosis, but that’s only part of what I heard. I don’t know if there’s anything else. The doctor did tell my wife, “He’s going to have to get this dealt with. He’s lucky he walked out of there.”
At this point, what’s your prognosis, both short-term and long-term?
Bottom line, I had tingling, numbness down both arms, all the way to my fingertips. And then, later in the match, I just fell wrong, whatever it was, and this time [the tingling and numbness] went down both arms and into my legs, and I couldn’t feel my legs too well. They just felt like rubber. I don’t know how to describe it. I had to go down on all fours there for a minute, get my composure. I was a little … I was worried.
Long term, well, I’m just going to take care of the short term first and see how the long term might play out.
Is getting back in the ring again something you’d want to do? Do you have that desire to return?
Hmmm, in the right scenario … in the right scenario, yeah.
Were you aware of exactly when your injury occurred during the match?
Oh, yeah, definitely. Both times into the turnbuckle. First time was like a whiplash. [pause] It’s my fault, bottom line. I know better. The second time, I went up into the air and back toward the turnbuckle like that, I thought, “Well, that’s not going to happen again,” and it did. The second time was worse.
That was when you lost your legs a bit.
Yeah.
Well, where does that leave Sting? Was this your last match?
I hate it when I’m asked that question because the answer truly is a question mark, and the question mark is as bold as it could ever be at this point.
Wait and see?
Yeah, for now.
