Reported reason for Sting's absence from AEW television disclosed

Sting hasn't had a match in AEW since Full Gear this past November, but even before then, The Icon was away for quite some time. According to a recent report, the 63-year-old has a legitimate reason for his absence.

Unlike all his peers, The Icon continues to perform regularly in AEW, and some have even wondered if the legend could pick up one last World Championship. Despite this, he is still human, and at 63, there are simply some things that even The Icon can't escape.

During the recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer corroborated Sting's earlier statement on the surgery he had on his knee and went into some deeper specifics.

“The reason Sting hasn’t been in the ring of late is because he had arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees about seven weeks ago.” (H/T WrestleTalk)

Darby Allin has been pushed as a singles star in the legend's absence, but despite having a TNT Championship shot, wrestling veteran Jim Cornette still believes AEW is mishandling him.

Missed out on the recent AEW Dynamite? You can check the results here.

Ric Flair claims that Sting was not grateful for being put over by the wrestling legend

The Icon arguably owes much of his career success to Ric Flair, as his legendary match against the Nature Boy at Clash of the Champions XXVII elevated him to the main event. However, according to Flair, The Vigilante hasn't always been appreciative.

During an episode of To Be The Man, Ric Flair recalled how The Icon didn't stop to thank The Nature Boy and Arn Anderson after a monumental match back in 1995.

"When we shot the angle with Brian Pillman and me, Arn and [The Icon] in detroit, it was the hottest thing on the show. The next day we went to Jacksonville, I put [him] over, I ran down, he double scorpioned both of us, He walked back in the locker room in Jacksonville, Florida and said 'Sting is back,' never said thank you to me or Arn." [31:25 - 32:05]

Flair emphasized that he and The Icon are friends today, which is why he felt like he could bring up the old gripe. Regardless of what went on backstage between the stars, all four men are considered legends by wrestling fans today.