Why pro wrestlers needs to debut in wwe to be called icon?+BQ?

It's only WWE fans (who don't watch anything else) who believe that. Yeah, it's the brainwashing Vince McMahon has been doing for nearly 30 years that caused it. Vince killed the wrestling business (as I've explained countless times here) to get rid of all competition so he could replace pro wrestling with "sports entertainment" and dictate to a nation how they will think and feel. Vince tells them nothing matters but the WWE and they lap it up like thirsty puppies. Vince tells them that you're nobody unless you're in the WWE and they believe him. Vince has had TV wrestling locked up for a dozen years which prevents any other company from getting a foothold in TV TO establish their own "icons" and "legends" (to WWE fans; nobody else buys Vince's line of crap). He sabotaged ROH's TV spot and prevented NWA On Fire (it was supposed to get the spot that Main Event got) from ever getting on TV in the first place. Vince is afraid of letting other wrestling companies get in prime time because it would expose the WWE for what it really is: Vince's sanitized "PG" Hollywood version of what pro wrestling really is. Vince knows that the only way he could ever get the WWE as far as it came was to kill the business so there would be no competition for his little "sports entertainment" fantasy world. And he knows he can't let any other company get a foothold in prime time or he might just lose a bunch of fans to the other company. He can control the "WWE universe" as far as TNA goes, it's just one company, but more than that and he would lose control of them.

Unfortunately, most fans only know the WWE because that's all they've ever seen. What little they know of something like WCW or the AWA is through Vince's sneering "history" of those companies on WWE TV. Vince has trained the "WWE universe" to sneer at them, too. Vince told them nothing matters but the WWE and the "WWE universe" believes him.

There are dozens of wrestling companies in North America. There are dozens of wrestling companies in other countries. There are thousands of professional wrestlers around the world. Most of them never have, don't want to, and never will, work for Vince McMahon and the WWE.

Claiming that only the WWE produces wrestling "icons" is the same as saying only the L.A. Lakers produce basketball "icons". Does anybody believe that all basketball "icons" are L.A. Lakers? Of course not. But then, nobody in the Lakers organization tries to brainwash basketball fans. Basketball organizations have more respect for their fans than that.

BQ: There is a laundry list of reasons why wrestlers don't work for the WWE. Besides the usual "not what we're looking for" reason from the WWE itself, there are reasons like the travel schedule, being away from their families too long, being assigned gimmicks they don't want, having to recite ridiculous promos rather than doing their own, playing a character they don't believe in, Vince's reputation as an unreasonable tyrant, being locked into a contract that forbids them from working anywhere else, no opportunities for pushes (they believe they'd just be mid-card jobbers), etc. Lots of reasons.

Well, I saw that question too, and like I said in it, no, wrestlers do not need to be in WWE to be an Icon, Sting did it in WCW, his accomplishments in WCW is what made him an Icon, I could say the same with Ric Flair!

If Sting ever went to WWE it would be for nostalgia purposes and entertainment only, he wouldn't be there to become an Icon, and the only reason WWE would sign a man Sting's age is because he is already a legend and an icon! Sting would obviously be used for a dream match against Undertaker, maybe a few other WWE Stars, but he wouldn't be there to win championships, especially World Championships, he has already done that!

Honestly, why would WWE sign a 50 + year old man, and give him a huge contract, unless he was a legend, an icon, and could be a big draw for the company, and the answer to that is simple, they wouldn't, WWE might take a young 20 something under their wing, who is a nobody, and try to make them somebody, but Sting isn't a nobody, and if he was, WWE would have no interest in him, which means he is something huge in this business, he is an Icon, it isn't just a slogan! Guys who aren't Icons don't main event PPV's against Hulk Hogan, guys who aren't icons wouldn't have so many fans wanting him to go head to head with The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, that match may never happen, but fans do want to see it!

BQ: They just found their way to the top somewhere besides WWE, Sting was able to do it in WCW, Flair too! WCW is gone, but some stars are still attempting to make their way without WWE, in companies like TNA and ROH!

Sting accomplished more then Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock? What? Are you stupid? The WWE is the biggest wrestling sports entertainment company in the world. If you are in this company, and have been at the top of the company for years and years, you are an icon. This is like saying you've accomplished more in the Swedish Elite League then an MVP and Stanley Cup Champion in the NHL.

WWE is the number 1 company. Whether people like it or not. Sting has accomplished stuff outside of the WWE. He could be considered an icon for his WCW days, as well as the rest of the star WCW wrestlers. Though he isn't a bigger star then any WWE star because he was never there. The only star whos never been in the WWE, and could be considered an Icon is Aj Styles.

BQ: A bunch of people came from WCW to WWE. Sting seen how they were all treated in terms of their character and success, and didn't want to be treated that way.

It's called Decades of Brainwashing by The WWWF/WWF/WWE. There are many great Professional Wrestlers who have never wrestlled in The WWE and those of us who follow other Professional Wrestling Promotions the Wrestlers you named above all wrestled for other Professioanl Wrestling Promotions, you just don't hear The WWE talk a lot about their Non-WWE Careers.

Part of the reason many Wrestlers don't work for The WWE is the fact that they want to spend more time with their Friends and Family. Moreover, although WWEconsiders Wrestlers and Divas to be Independent Contractors for Tax purposes, they do not like them having Non-WWE Projects.

Is extremenetor saying that AJ Styles is a bigger star than Sting? if so that is just not so. Sting is a legend or icon without doubt, he doesn't have to work for WWE to be that

edit: I have nothing against AJ I am a fan of his work but there is no way he is a bigger star than Sting

I ask questions for opinions, not to rant. I don't believe Sting is an "icon" but that doesn't mean I'm a brainwashed WWE fan.

Wwe is so called #1 for me icon is the best performer

Because WWE, no matter how badly you bash it and criticize it, it still remains the planet's most watched and most well known wrestling show. We must not take this lightly, if you go outside to the hundreds of wrestling fans, they will (most of them) say that WWE is their most watched wrestling show, and this excludes the more learned fans (those who know wrestling outside the boundaries of WWE only). So why would Sting, abeit being such a renowned wrestling in pro wrestling, never reach the likes of WWE's stars? Very simple: lack of credibility. I agree that Sting berng in the top fighters from all the world, but WWE is the place where their legacy will shine the most. Just look at guys like Stone Cold, The Rock, Big Show, Chris Benoit etc. hell if they were ever in shows like TNA, NJPW etc do you think people would actually care? No. The very reason they have gone so far in their career in terms of popularity is due to the fact that they worked for the WWE.

A recent example would be Daniel Bryan, I saw him wrestle at ROH before he stepped into WWE, he was a great wrestler back there, but you never heard his name mentioned here much, neither did you hear him in wrestling forums as such, but after his bursting into the WWE, look where he is now. He is known by the greater masses of wrestling (and WWE fans) than he was ever before. Why? Because I think what WWE does is "distributes" the fame and achievements of the wrestlers and makes them well known. They extensively advertise the wrestler until even the most recent wrestling fan can say "Oh I know Daniel Bryan, he's the guy who works at WWE...."

But this cannot be said for Sting, the only reason he is talked about so much is because of his impact at WCW and eventually getting back into the business with the help of TNA, but aside from that, very few people "know" Sting's legacy in pro wrestling. The first thing that comes up in their mind is a flashy guy with a jacket and facepaint, thats all. I'm not saying EVERYONE think of him this way, but trust me, a whole majority of "wrestling fans" do, especially WWE fans. Me myself, I got to know more about Sting through research, you really think I could know so much through what I just watch on the TV alone? Never. Its kinda weird because I used to confuse Jeff Hardy with Sting (mainly due to the facepaint), but you see? If Sting, as you said, even if he worked for a year, heck maybe even half a year, and he got distributed well (advertisement, memes, blogs etc.) he could've been a major attraction to a whole lot of fans.

Its not necessarily "being in the same league", because we both know that Sting IS in the same league as the guys such as Stone Cold, Cena, Hogan, but its more of a "getting well known" factor. In today's world EVERYTHING depends on how well know you are, from musicians to celebrities, everything depends on how and to what reaches your influence goes. So far as we know, WWE is the world's most well known wrestling plant, how can Sting, being such a historic wrestler, achieve great success like The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels without stepping in the business? He can't.

So for conclusion, Sting, unfortunately, despite his great career at WCW, didn't get to be in WWE, or else I'm sure he would be far more credible in the eyes of many wrestling fans than he is now. And he doesn't belong in Top 10 most well known wrestlers of all time. You can ask non wrestling Fans and I believe none of them would know who Sting is.

You might disagree and give me thumbs down for saying this, but this is an actual truth. You can't deny the fact that WWE is the biggest and largest Pro Wrestling promotion in the world today and without working there, there's no way you could be in the same league with Pro Wrestling greats and popular all over the world. It had absolutely nothing to do with Vince McMahon's brainwashing. You can read all my example and explanation above to understand.

BQ : It depends on the wrestler himself. But, for Sting, it's both. Sting will never ever work for the man who killed his company, WCW. Sting had always been a WCW loyalist and WCW was the company which made him a Legend. He will never work for a man who killed WCW.

And also Sting never trusted Vince McMahon Jr would treat his gimmick well. Sting had seen enough of Vince burying former WCW wrestlers such as Booker T, DDP, and hell even Ric Flair. Vince McMahon made Ric Flair a jobber who lost to wrestlers not on his level such as Finlay, MVP, etc and made Ric Flair look like a joke.

L0l Sting hasnt acomplished more than Undertaker,HBK,Stone Cold,The Rock,And he hasnt of MANY others, he has of a few others lol WHAT SPORT ARE YOU WATCHING MAN!? EXPECIALLY FOR YOU TO LIST UNDERTAKER IN THAT LIST - IS STING 20-0 AT TNA'S WRESTLEMANIA I DONT THINK SO!!!!!!!!!!!!

WWE is not the only promotion in the world.