If you’re one of those reeling from the news of Sting calling it a career, you’re not alone. Self-proclaimed “Big Wrestling Guy” Charles Barkley is emotional at the thought of not seeing his faves in the ring anymore. While on The Steam Room, Barkley gave Sting and his favorite wrestling stars a shoutout. He’s still, however, heartbroken he never got to meet Sting before he retired.

“I’ve got to give a shoutout to this guy. We’ve never met. He’s one of my all-time favorites of AEW – Sting retiring!” Barkley said at the start of this week’s Steam Room and perhaps shocked Ernie Johnson by breaking the news to him. Steve Borden, who announced his retirement last year, played his final match at AEW Revolution on March 3. That’s one more of his favorite’s that Chuck won’t be seeing in action. He anyway didn’t skip the retirement match. “They sent him out in style,” Chuck rightfully put it.

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“I’ve never met Sting,” the Chuckster added his unfulfilled dream. Ernie did try to joke by mixing wrestler Sting with the musician Sting but Chuck wouldn’t let it interrupt his message to his favorite wrestler. “I just want to say, Sting, thank you for all these years, a man of joy, giving your soul, your body…”

Like a classic wrestling fan, Barkley gushed about Sting, Nature Boy, Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, and “Shout out to the ‘man’ – Becky Lynch too.” It prompted Ernie to point out he’s a ‘Wrassling Guy.’ He definitely owned the title.

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NBA pros and pro-wrestlers have longstanding ties. Even Chuck and Ernie’s giant colleague, Shaquille O’Neal has had a few in-ring appearances and been on AEW before. The closest The Round Mound of Rebound has come to the sport is wrestling Shaq in a parking lot.

In 2022, Hulk Hogan’s best friend Shaq made one of his many AEW appearances. Barkley was not going to miss that. And he provide his honest assessment of Big Aristotle the wrestler.

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“This dude is crazy,” Barkley said on Renee  Paquette’s show about then-50-year-old Shaq in the ring. But he doesn’t see it working into a longterm career. “He probably can’t take the abuse today. But with his personality, he’s one of the most fun people I’ve ever been around. He’s a really hard-working dude.” With that work ethic, Chuck was sure that Shaq would’ve made an impactful pro wrestler 25 years ago.

Shaq must know he’s a better wrestler than Chuck. That’s why he’s bullying Barkley on TNT. Things could change though if Barkley gets his AEW hero, Sting on his side.

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