By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

TNA star Sting covered several subjects in a new interview with Kevin Eck of the Baltimore Sun promoting the DVD release of his recent "The Encounter" movie.

-- Sting talked more about his near-debut in WWE earlier this year and his reaction to WWE airing the 2/21/11 videos while the two sides were still talking about a potential deal.

"Yes, I was contacted by WWE people. The vignettes I can honestly tell you that I do not understand that one even now, unless it was some kind of deal where they were just trying to test the waters... I thought, 'Gosh, I wonder if they’re going to shoot themselves in the foot there by making this choice, because if things do not work out, why did they do it to begin with?' But, yeah, I was very, very close to going up there, and I believe there probably would have been something with Undertaker. That was the word at least."

-- Regarding his future in pro wrestling, Sting acknowledged he's been year-to-year for the past four years and thinks he's closer to the end after his current run in TNA.

"I think I’ve smartened up a little bit. When I know it’s done, I’ll know it’s done. I’m going to go as long as I can, but, honestly, whether I want to or not, I cannot see going too much farther," Sting said.

-- Sting chose his words carefully discussing the infamous 90-second TNA Title match with Jeff Hardy in March and the issues Hardy is struggling with.

"I’m hoping he can come back because that guy is so talented, but he has personal issues in his life and it just became too much for him, too overwhelming, and he just couldn’t cope and didn’t know how to handle it," Sting said. "So he made some bad choices and he’s having to deal with those choices and the consequences now. I hear he’s doing much, much better."

-- When asked if the "adult content" that often-times makes up TNA Impact concerns him, Sting said, "Absolutely. There’s no question about it." Sting added that, as a Christian, he believes he has a witnessing opportunity despite the TV content and he often shares his faith with other wrestlers who ask him questions.

Regarding his specific involvement in TV storylines that seem more adult-oriented, Sting said, "As far as the content goes, I will only involve myself in situations that will not jeopardize my walk or my witness. You won’t hear vulgar things coming out of my mouth or sexual innuendos and all that kind of stuff."

In a follow-up question, Sting was asked about incorporating his faith into the storyline with Hulk Hogan trying to "set him on the right path" to becoming the babyface Hulk Hogan again.

"You know, there’s probably a thread of that in there for sure. Most of my storylines do have some sort of a redemptive quality to them. Vince Russo is writing a lot of this stuff, and many people may not know this, but he also is a believer," Sting said. "The other thing, too, is I really believe that because of the nostalgia of Hulk Hogan...wrestling fans all over the place would love to see the story line for real. I think they want to see him come back and just be Hulk. I’d like to see it."

-- Also in the interview, Sting discusses Lex Luger's improved health, his role in "The Encounter" movie, trying to appear in other movie projects in-between wrestling commitments, and other topics. The full interview is at baltimoresun.com.

Caldwell's Analysis: There's a lot here to break down. There has always been a sense of Sting continuing to work for TNA "out of loyalty" to Dixie Carter, but the interview adds some color to Sting's relationship with head writer Vince Russo. It was good to see Sting address the question of how he balances his faith with being involved in a company that presents lewd, questionable, and degrading content on a weekly basis. As a Christian, I'm not one to question another person's personal faith, but I often question how TNA's product can take on the properties of an X-Rated program when it's spearheaded by Russo. Overall, talking to wrestlers in TNA over the years, Sting has made a difference in the locker room, even if it hasn't translated to sustained growth in the business. That fits TNA, where the main objective is to create a positive working environment over trying to make money.

As far as Sting's acting goes, he looked very comfortable in his role in "The Encounter." The movie aired on TBN earlier this month and Sting looked much-more natural in his role than he typically looks on TNA programming, where the direction of his character often isn't clear. When Sting is motivated and given a clear objective for his character, he seems to have developed the acting chops to pull off a role.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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