Wrestling icon, Sting, known as Steve Borden has a legendary reputation and career. He has extraordinary talent in the field of wrestling when you look at the fact that he made his WWE debut only recently. That speaks volumes about this wrestler’s fascinating legacy from the days of the WCW. He also was a bright spot in TNA for several year. Sting has had some amazing matches with Ric Flair and a great feud with Hulk Hogan back in 1997. We all know these facts, but what about facts that you know little about. Of course, you can research them on your own, but it would take a lot of time. So we have assembled 15 little facts that only some people may know about the renowned wrestler, Sting.

You will know about the true Sting, what he is really like, his past and current situation. These facts will shed some light on the man who wears a mask in the wrestling ring. He has had issues with drugs. He has been through a divorce. He has had controversy in his life like most of us do. So he is really human - yes he is! It cannot be argued that Sting has earned his respect in and out of the ring. He has endured two eras in the WCW. He has a strong wrestling character that most people think is unique. He has incomparable technical abilities, forcing Ric Flair to accept the fact and openly admit in the 80s that Sting was the next man to lead in the wrestling ring.

He certainly did prove that he was that next man. He seized his fame in the latter days of the NWA, earning several ‘matches of the year’ applauses. His years in TNA proved that he had a timeless quality. Let’s take a look at the life of the man behind the paint.

15 15. One of the wealthiest wrestlers in history

With his many talents and because he has been in the limelight as a musical artist since the 90s, he hasn’t squandered his money. Instead, he has wisely invested and saved. Currently, he is said to be worth $8 million, which he has kept intact, especially with his wrestling deal with TNA. The balance in the bank will go up more with his upcoming WrestleMania payday. He expects to also receive bonuses and a significant cut from merchandise sales such as DVDs and T-shirts. It is expected that Sting will also be inducted in the Wrestling Hall of Fame next year. Many say he is very careful with his money. He does have a love for motorbikes and spends his money on a few of those purchases as well as real estate investments.

14 14. He is a former bodybuilder

Sting is the first to admit that he loves bodybuilding and has competed in competitions in the past. In fact, he came to professional wrestling from his past as a bodybuilder. He no longer takes steroids as he used to do for five years while he was a bodybuilder. While he was training in the gym as a bodybuilder, a group of professional wrestlers saw him. They recruited him because of how ripped he looked. While his look got him noticed, his talent kept him a star for so long.

13 13. He had past issues with drugs and alcohol

Sting didn’t only have to deal with steroids in his past, but drugs and alcohol abuse as well. For most of the 90s while pursuing his wrestling career, he took painkillers, muscle relaxants and dabbled with alcohol. After refusing to go to rehab, the result was a failed marriage. He had admitted that, at the time, his life was out of control, despite appeals from family members. He thought that he was tough enough to handle his own demons. He managed somehow to turn his life around. It is reported that he discovered God in 1998 and that focus helped him quit his drug abuse and embrace moral living.

12 12. Became a born-again Christian

With no more drug abuse in his life, Borden was passionate about his new Christian beliefs. He took it seriously to the point of becoming a missionary for his church. In fact, in 2001, he opted not to sign a contract with Vince McMahon partly because of WWE's programming at the time conflicting with his faith, favoring instead to spend time with his new found God and give his testimony in church. The WWE of that era wasn’t the place Borden wanted to spend his time; at least during his transformation phase. On three occasions, Borden has been a host on TBN’s (Trinity Broadcasting Network) leading program “Praise the Lord.”

11 11. He was hand-picked by Ric Flair

Throughout Steven Borden’s career as Sting, he had his most famous feud in the wrestling ring with Ric Flair. The feud started after Flair and Sting’s wrestling match in Clash of the Champions in 1988 ended in a draw. Sting would eventually trade title victories with Flair, whom had chosen Sting as the guy he would pass the torch to. In fact, Flair left WCW in 1991, after reportedly being told he would not be dropping his title to Sting, as had initially been discussed.

10 10. 13-Time World Champion

Throughout three decades, Sting and Ric Flair have shared a strong kinship in the wrestling business. Their respect has built over the years. Currently, Ric Flair holds the championship record for the most title wins. However, Sting was always one title behind Flair’s 16 championship titles. In contrast, Sting has had more contentious fights than Flair has. He has had one WWA World Championship title reign and four title reigns with the TNA that Flair has never had. The WWA Championship only lasted for two years. His total is pretty impressive considering it doesn't include a WWE title.

9 9. Eric Bischoff and Sting are Very Close

Sting has been close friends with Eric Bischoff for a while. Bischoff has made it no secret he's always been a huge fan of Sting. Both guys love to ride their motor bikes and both of them are very creative and so that is where the bond started. The two were neighbors in the past. Bischoff wrote an autobiography in 2006 in which he mentioned his high regard for Sting. In 1995, Sting asked Bischoff to sign his buddy, Lex Luger, which Bischoff did as a favor to Sting.

8 8. He teamed with Rick Steiner

Sting would have a tag team partner who would become far more famous in professional wrestling, but he also had a tag partner who would then go on to a better suited tag team. While in the UWF, Sting briefly teamed with Rick Steiner, who would go on to join the Varsity Club and eventually form a team with his brother Scott. It's one of those weirdly paired tag teams that you'll often see in wrestling when starting out.

7 7. Who is the Real Sting?

The real Sting – who is he? Is it musician, Gordon Sumner or Steven Borden? Well, it has been reported that Steven Borden has already trademarked the name, “Sting.” Sumner only goes by the name for publicity reasons. They do have something in common, though. At the same time in the 80s and toward the early 90s, both men experienced a rise in their career, subsequently enjoying the fame that came with it. It is confusing to many people, though because some really think that these two are the same person. That is probably before the Internet had so much information about both men. Steven Borden is known as Sting, Flash Borden, Runner Flash and Blade. His signature wrestling moves are scorpion death drop and death lock.

6 6. He headlined the first and last Nitro with Ric Flair

When you think of WCW, the first two names that pop to mind are Sting and Ric Flair, so it's quite à propos that the two headlined the flagship Nitro show for both the first and last episode. On the first episode of Nitro on September 4, 1995, just a one-hour show at the time, Sting, the US champion faced his longtime rival Ric Flair. The match also saw the debut of Lex Luger, which officially began the Monday Night Wars.

The show's final episode came on March 26, 2001 with the company's last match being the only one it could be; Flair versus Sting, one last time.

5 5. His first ring name was 'Flash'

Sting's career began in the Continental Wrestling Association shortly after he discovered wrestling by going to a WWE show in Los Angeles, not far from where he lived. Sting had the look of a star and seemed to be destined for success, but it sure wouldn't happen under the Flash moniker. He would soon begin wrestling for the promotion as 'Flash' along with a tag team partner, who we'll get to later.

4 4. He was penciled in to face Kurt Angle at WrestleMania X-8

Former WWE creative writer Dave Lagagna posted in his blog a few years ago that there were indeed plans for Sting to come to the WWE following their acquisition of WCW.

"Sting was approached that year to make his WWE debut and wrestle on the big event," wrote Lagagna. "Once he was introduced to the brand, it was pitched that at WrestleMania X-8 Sting would face Kurt Angle. If you remember, Kurt was eventually thrown into a match with Kane with little setup. The deal apparently fell apart as Sting wasn’t willing to work the full WWE schedule."

There have been countless reasons (or speculation) as to why Sting never made the leap to the WWE all those years ago, but it's a shame we never saw Sting versus Kurt Angle on the grandest stage. That would have to be saved for TNA years later.

3 3. His Allies Always Betrayed Him

Most people that Sting has teamed up with in the wrestling have turned on him (kayfabe). Even Lex Luger who he helped sign with Eric Bischoff did it on numerous occasions. It is as if he cannot trust anyone. Ric Flair who battled against Sting many times was able to trick him into trusting him and the outcome? Ric Flair also turned on him. He never expected it. Bret Hart also betrayed Sting in the ring. With friends like those, who needs enemies, right? God bless Robocop, who turned out to be Sting's only true friend.

2 2. He had the ultimate tag team partner

Sting started his career by teaming with the Ultimate Warrior. Prior to Sting becoming a NWA household name and the Ultimate Warrior becoming a household name in the WWE, both formed a tag team named the Blade Runners. They formed the team in 1985 while still learning about the wrestling business. Both Sting and Ultimate Warrior had a bodybuilding background. The tag team wasn’t successful, but it created the base for both to enter the wrestling world. The team reunited in 1998 and faced off with Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan of the nWo.

1 1. Undefeated against Hulk Hogan in 1-on-1 action

Sting had three wins (the most out of every other wrestler) against Hulk Hogan in WCW. Hogan has never been able to win any of his matches with Sting. Only three other wrestlers were able to remain undefeated Hulk Hogan. They are The Rock, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. Even when the two had a rematch in TNA over a decade later, Sting again picked up the win on Hogan, who actually turned on his allies in favour of Sting.