AEW legend Sting is set to debut a new look during his first major public appearance of 2026. The WWE Hall of Famer previously announced that 2025 would mark the final year he would appear in his iconic black-and-white face paint at fan conventions.
Throughout his “2025 or Never” farewell tour, Sting met fans one last time in the classic “Stinger” look that defined his legendary wrestling career. Now, the wrestling icon is preparing to appear with a completely different presentation during WrestleCon Minneapolis in 2026.
Sting to appear without face paint at WrestleCon Minneapolis
WrestleCon officially confirmed Sting for the 2026 Minneapolis event, making it his first convention appearance since retiring the famous face paint. The event will take place during SummerSlam 2026 weekend.
The official WrestleCon account announced the news on X, formerly known as Twitter writing, “Our first guest announcement for Minneapolis is the Icon Sting! His first appearance after retiring the war paint will be in Minnesota. He will be appearing exclusively on Friday July 31st from 4pm-8pm (Day 1).”
The announcement also included a new photo of Sting without face paint while still holding his iconic baseball bat. The appearance will reportedly be a full no paint version of Sting following his decision to end character-based convention appearances in late 2025.
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