Report: Sting 'has sent feelers WWE's way'

One of the biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling to never work for Vince McMahon may be deciding to take that leap. There has been subtle flirting for months and even years now, and it looks like that may finally blossom into a full blown relationship.

Sting could be coming to WWE.

During last night's (July 1, 2013) episode of Monday Night Raw, WWE played a video package celebrating former WWE and world heavyweight champions. And look who was showcased as a great former world champion:

That, combined with the fact that WWE has been very good to Sting for years now, including giving him a profile on WWE.com and naming him the greatest WCW superstar in history and the greatest superstar never to work for WWE, has led to a lot of speculation over what exactly is the purpose behind it all.

Because it certainly seems like the company is trying to butter him up.

The reason they would need to do so comes from Sting's longstanding mistrust in how his character would be used. After WCW was bought out by McMahon, the members of the WCW roster who immediately made the jump to WWE instead of waiting out their contracts were treated second rate. Sting himself claimed this was a big reason he never went into business with the promotion.

"After all the years that I've put into wrestling at that point, it just seemed like a gamble to me. I didn't trust how I would be used."

That was over a decade ago and in the time since, Sting has worked exclusively for TNA, a company that has repeatedly given him sweetheart deals and featured him prominently as a top star. In fact, he was the very first wrestler inducted into that promotion's Hall of Fame, a move he found both flattering and a tad bit insulting.

From an interview with VOC Nation Radio:

"Last year when I was inducted I had no idea that it was going to be me. I was an active wrestler. (I wondered why) they didn't go with the Jeff Jarretts of the world. If they're going to use an active guy, why not AJ? He's been with the company since the beginning. I took it as an indication that they thought I was done. But it was a night that I will never forget, and it was awesome."

On top of that, he was recently booked in a match with TNA heavyweight champion Bully Ray that would see him do the job and forfeit the ability to ever challenge for that title again, yet another decision he didn't quite understand.

From the same interview:

"It's a question I've asked myself and thrown out a few times here and there. I've wondered what (the TNA booking team's) intentions are. When I was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I asked Dixie if she was putting me out to pasture and she said 'absolutely not.' I'm giving you a straight up answer: It (all of these actions) makes me wonder."

Combine all that with WWE being overly warm to Sting and speculation is running rampant. His contract with TNA comes up in January and he's openly admitted to some heavy petting with the folks in Stamford, Connecticut, mostly because he has stated more than once that he would like at least one match at WrestleMania, and he really wants to work a match with Undertaker.

In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reveals Sting has sent feelers to WWE on a possible move to the company.

"There's also a reason there in the sense that Sting's opened up negotiations with them or I shouldn't even [say that], that might be too strong, but he's um, Sting has sent feelers their way, so there's a lot of confidence on their side in that Sting will be with them, so you know there's something there, so that was part of it."

At 54-years-old -- 55 by March of next year -- if he's going to make a move and have a short run with WWE to close his career before a surefire Hall of Fame induction, now is the time to do it. There's no telling how much gas Undertaker has left in the tank either, so if that match is going to happen, it needs to happen soon.

It sounds like we're as close as ever to Sting making his way to WWE.

Thoughts?