One of the best-known wrestlers of all time retired yesterday, and Diamond is about to drop a special Minimate set to celebrate.
It’s… STIIIINNNNG
If you missed it, yesterday was a pretty big day in the history of pro-wrestling. Yeah, yeah, we get it, but we ask you to put aside any ‘WWE bias’ for a moment. No matter your fandom, it’s worth taking into account that the business is now without one of its biggest names, the icon himself, Sting.
The Stinger had been wrestling since the 80s of course, making a massive name for himself in the now-defunct WCW. That came first as the over-the-top and super-heroic ‘surfer’ Sting, which then morphed into a much darker and grittier version of the character in the late 90s. That black and white look, which he took on as he battled Hollywood Hogan’s evil nWo, has become what he’s best known for in the decades since, and it was the look that he retired with yesterday.
At an AEW pay-per-view, Sting hung up the boots with a win over the Young Bucks, retiring as one half of the tag team champions and with a perfect 29-0 record with the brand. The big moment is no doubt going to be getting a decent amount of merchandise in the years to come, but it’s starting with a special set of Diamond Select’s Minimates.
AEW Minimates Series 3 features tag team champions Sting and Darby Allin, plus Blackpool Combat Club member Bryan Danielson and ring legend Ric Flair! Each 2-inch Minimates figure features 14 points of articulation and fully interchangeable parts, The set also includes accessories, including a microphone, a baseball bat, and a folded steel chair!
All four Minimates come packaged in a full-color window box with a fifth panel door featuring photos of all four grapplers. Pre-orders are open now for delivery this fall.
DST press release
On top of the above, it’s worth noting that there’s also a Young Bucks 2-pack out there right now, so if you’re looking to complete the set, you can. DST is seemingly going pretty big with the AEW MM’s too, with both a first and second wave also available, each of which offers up key grapplers from the brand’s roster. And if you’re looking for something a little more impactful, there are also Gallery Dioramas of Sting, Bryan Danielson, and Chris Jericho that you can pick up.
The above series 3 box set is set to ship some time in the fourth quarter of this year too, so you’ve got plenty of time to collect ’em all before the Stinger arrives. Wanna pre-order? You can do that right now, via DST’s online shop, here.