Neck injury forces WWE Hall of Famer Sting into retirement—report

Sting. Photo from WWE.com

“The Icon” Sting will take his final curtain call.

Ailing from his neck injury suffered back in September, the wrestling legend is reportedly hanging up his boots for good.

In a report on TMZ Sports, the 56-year-old has been diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis, a neck injury which affects the nerves and results in extreme pain and discomfort.

It is the same injury that forced fellow wrestler Edge to retire the night after WrestleMania XXVII back in 2011.

Sting is expected to announce his retirement when he gets inducted to the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Fame on April 2, together with the Big Boss Man, The Godfather, The Fabulous Freebirds, and diva Jacqueline.

The report also cited sources who are working closely with Sting’s doctors, all of whom were unanimous in their diagnosis of the risks the legend is taking if he decides to give the squared circle one more shot.

Sting hurt his neck when he landed awkwardly off of a turnbuckle powerbomb from Seth Rollins in their WWE Championship match at Night of Champions.

A staple of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the 1990s, Sting made his long awaited WWE debut at Survivor Series 2014 en route to facing Triple H at WrestleMania 31.

The news dashed any hopes of a dream match pitting Sting and The Undertaker, pillars of their respective promotions back in the Attitude Era, against each other.