From the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, Impact Wrestling featured one of the sport’s great icons of the 1990s in the former WCW star. Sting as well as one of WWE’s greatest stars of the 2000s in Kurt Angle. Since they were both high-profile artists, the two not only proved to be defining figures in Impact, but also had a rivalry that spanned roughly half a decade in the company’s history.
Over the years, Kurt Angle and Sting squared off numerous times, often for the world title and sometimes even as partners and steady partners. Let’s take a look at their entire rivalry, including the times they (briefly) found themselves on the same side.
10/10 They first met at various multi-man matches
Sting and Kurt Angle shared a ring together as competitors in November 2006, but not in singles competition. Their first fight was on the 12/7/2006 episode of impact wrestling in a five-way fight with Abyss, Christian Cage and Samoa Joe. They met again in the Gauntlet For the Gold match in February 2007, but their first real singles match occurred two months later. It was on the 4/26/2007 episode of Impact that the two fought in a Contender #1 match, which quickly ended in a No Contest thanks to an attack by Christian Cage and his cronies.
9/10 Angle Beat Sting to become the first TNA World Champion
Both Kurt Angle and Sting earned the right to challenge Christian Cage for the NWA World Heavyweight Title, and the three clashed in the main event of Sacrifice 2007. The match would end with Kurt Angle becoming the new champion thanks to a submission victory over Sing. However, Angle was not awarded the NWA World Title through his efforts. Thanks to the NWA breaking ties with Impact, Kurt Angle became the first TNA World Champion, as the promotion was known at the time.
8/10 Impact Couples Champions Together
By the end of the summer of 2007, Kurt Angle was a ridiculously decorated champion, having captured nearly every men’s title in the company while fighting Samoa Joe. This included the Impact World Tag Team Championship, which required Angle to have a partner. That partner ended up being Sting, who won a four-way match to become Kurt’s co-champion.
Sting only ended up holding the belt with Angle for 13 days, as the two promptly relinquished the belts to Pacman Jones and Ron Killings in a short feud at no surrender in September 2007.
7/10 Sting defeated Kurt Angle for the world title
After losing the shock tag belts, Sting and Kurt Angle began feuding for Angle’s world title, leading to the two clashing in a huge title match in the main event of bound for glory 2007. Sting won the belt in this match, marking his first impact world title run (he had already won the NWA world title in the promotion). Unfortunately, Sting lost the belt to Angle days later at the following impact wrestling recording thanks to the interference of Kevin Nash.
6/10 Stable companions in the main event mob
The fall of 2008 saw Sting turn around and successfully dethrone Samoa Joe in bound for glory to capture the Impact World Title for the second time, albeit with some help from Kevin Nash. In the aftermath of the title win, a new faction was formed: the Main Event Mafia, consisting of leader Kurt Angle along with main eventers Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T, and Scott Steiner. Former rivals Sting and Angle were now partners in the stable, which was dedicated to not only retaining young talent in the Impact Zone, but also holding the world title to Sting.
5/10 They wrestled for the world title as stable partners in MEM
Despite being at the same time, Sting and Kurt Angle still had matches against each other for the Impact world title. A notable example of this was in February 2009 Against all odds as Sting defended the world title against not only Kurt Angle, but also against Team 3D’s Brother Ray and Brother Devon in a four-way match. While Sting and Angle claimed to remain teammates despite the circumstances, Angle was backed by the rest of the MEM while Sting had made it to the arena alone and managed to retain the title in the match.
4/10 Sting took Kurt Angle’s place as head of MEM
Sting lost the world title to Mick Foley in LockdownBut in Sacrifice he had a chance to win back the belt in a four-way match with Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett. However, the title shot came at a price, as the fight was not just a four-fight, but also had the stipulation of being a “Ultimate Sacrifice” fight.
By entering the match, each challenger risked something, Sting risking his career and Kurt Angle his leadership in the Main Event Mafia. Sting won the match by pinning Angle, meaning Sting was the new champion, while Angle was forced to relinquish his position in the group.
3/10 Sting feuded with Kurt Angle after being kicked out of MEM
Following Sacrifice, Matt Morgan began seeking membership of the Main Event Mafia by specifically courting Kurt Angle. This led to Morgan interfering in a match between Sting and Angle to qualify for a King of the Mountain match, helping Angle to the win that would lead to his reclaiming the world title. Soon enough, the MEM would kick Sting out completely, turning him around again, resulting in Sting facing Matt Morgan and Kurt Angle for Angle’s Impact World Title at harsh justice 2009.
2/10 He reignited his rivalry with Angle in 2011
Sting won the world title for the fourth and final time by defeating Mr. Anderson in July 2011, and would soon reignite his feud with Kurt Angle. The rivals clashed for the world title in harsh justice in August 2011, with Hulk Hogan interfering in the match by giving Angle a steel chair. Angle and Sting would have a belt rematch weeks later, with Hogan acting as a special enforcer and costing Sting the match. Hulk Hogan interfered in Sting’s business for the third time in no surrender in a three-way title match with Angle and Anderson.
1/10 Main Event Mafia reformed as Babyfaces in 2013
In 2012, Impact began a major “invasion” storyline with a heel group called Aces & Eights staging a nWo-style hostile takeover of Impact Wrestling. As a result, many of Impact’s resident babyfaces banded together to combat the group, with Kurt Angle and Sting wrestling Aces & Eights on several occasions in what were their last matches together to date. In early 2013, Sting and Kurt Angle conspired to reform the Main Event Mafia as a babyface group to oppose Aces & Eights, with the lineup including Samoa Joe, Magnus, and MMA fighter Rampage Jackson.