AEW referee Rick Knox was the official for the final match of Sting’s legendary career at AEW Revolution 2024, and he recently shared what made that day so memorable. Speaking on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Knox explained that it was a unique backstage experience that stood out just as much as the in-ring action.
While Knox had refereed other matches for Sting, he said the day of the retirement match was different. “One of the things that stood out to me was getting to, like, hang out with Sting all day,” Knox said. “Most of the time, even when I worked his matches, I didn’t really get to hang out with him… But that day, we all kind of hung out together.”
He detailed who was part of this memorable gathering before the main event. “All of us, Flair too, and the Bucks, and Darby, and we all, like, spent the day, afternoon together,” he recalled. “And I don’t know, it was something that I’ll never forget. It was kind of like a certain bonding moment.”
Knox knew the match itself would be wild, and it delivered on that expectation. “I knew the spots were going to be insane… Darby going through the glass, all that other, oh my god, stuff. It lived up to everything, as far as the craziness,” he stated. After a match like that, the main concern is the well-being of the performers. “Everyone was okay. Everyone survived it. So, you know, especially in Darby matches, that’s a huge thing. Is everybody okay? Yes. All right. And it’s a success.”
Being chosen as the referee for such a historic moment remains a career highlight for Knox. “That one always stands out to me. As something I knew would be great. It was great, and now is one of my all time favorite matches. An honor to have been a part of,” he concluded. The full conversation can be heard on the AEW Unrestricted podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit AEW Unrestricted with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
