AEW's Underrated Manager Has Been Gold
An aspect that makes AEW's programming feel like a living, breathing ecosystem comes from the depth of characters found across its programming. Over the relatively short time Dynamite has been on the air, there have been all sorts of small characters and cameos that have added some extra layers to the All Elite Wrestling's world. A proverb that emanates throughout professional wrestling is maximizing minutes and making the most of what is given to you. That is exactly what 'Smart' Mark Sterling did.
What started as a bit part during AEW's time based in Daily's Place has become a frequent presence on AEW television, and it's all down the Sterling's natural charisma and sense for character. Whilst connections with certain names might have gotten him a foot in the door, Sterling has turned that opportunity into becoming one of the best managers AEW has on their books.
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Smart Mark Debuts As MJF's Lawyer
'Smart' Mark Sterling first appeared on AEW programming during MJF's feud with the then world champion, Jon Moxley. MJF is the product of the Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy, run by Pat Buck and Brian Myers, and graduated in the same class as Sterling. So, when the rivalry with Moxley called for a brainy lackey to do his bidding, Sterling was an obvious choice.
With MJF running his quest for the AEW World Championship like a political campaign, Sterling was brought on board to act as MJF's lawyer, making sure that the stipulations for All Out were going to be 'fair'. Sterling was set to work petitioning for Moxley's Paradigm Shift DDT to be banned, with it presenting a dangerous threat to MJF. For Sterling, this led to a match with Moxley, and being dropped on his head by that very move for his efforts.
After MJF's failed challenge for the title, Sterling disappeared from AEW for some time. He did make an appearance on IMPACT Wrestling as the same character, briefly acting as a lawyer for Brian Myers. But, soon enough, another opportunity came knocking. Demonstrating his abilities as an intelligent-yet-fallible minion to a bigger star, Sterling found himself paired with the hottest prospect in all of professional wrestling.
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Representing Jade Cargill and Tony Nese
After an emphatic in-ring debut in early 2021, teaming with Shaquille O'Neal to defeat Red Velvet and Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill began to be approached by various managers and stables in AEW, looking to recruit her into their ranks. Months after his stint with MJF, 'Smart' Mark Sterling returned to AEW, making his own play to represent Cargill. Where other managers already had a collection of talent under their watch, the story saw Sterling pitch himself as ready to build 'The Jade Brand', with her at the center of his efforts.
Together, Sterling has been able to assist in elevating Cargill to the top of AEW. In addition to helping Cargill ascend to the TBS Championship, Sterling as a performer has only helped to make Cargill feel like a bigger deal. Sharing the load in promos has allowed Cargill to maintain her bold presence on the show, with Sterling handling the A-to-B whilst Cargill brings the spice and flair with her cocky closing statements. Plus, with Sterling providing a ringside presence, it has offered up more creativity in Cargill's matches, giving opponents even more to worry about, only adding to the unbeatable energy surrounding Cargill.
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In addition to managing 'The Jade Brand', Sterling has excelled so much in AEW that he has even been paired with another recent signee. Joining the company in late 2021, Tony Nese debuted continuing his 'Premier Athlete' character. However, with other free agents being snapped up that were arguably much bigger additions than Nese, such as Keith Lee, Swerve Strickland, and Buddy Matthews, the new shine on Nese quickly faded. In order to boost interest and provide some more direction, Sterling was paired with yet another Long Islander as he linked up with Nese.
Whilst the combination of Nese and Sterling is still early in its lifespan, it has already bore fruit. For many, one of the biggest highlights of Double or Nothing was the Buy-In tag team match that saw Nese and Sterling face off against the super team of HOOK and Danhausen. More than capable in the ring, Sterling perfectly plays up the comedy whenever physicality is involved, drawing on Andy Kaufman with an over-the-top neck brace.
Coming out of Double or Nothing, it looks like Sterling might have a tumultuous time ahead, not only needing to recover from the curse laid upon him by Danhausen, but also having to contend with the arrival of Stokely Hathaway. With Hathaway joining The Baddies as their publicist, who knows if he and Sterling will have a similar vision for 'The Jade Brand', or if two great minds can come together and make something wonderful. Whatever may come, 'Smart' Mark Sterling certainly has the skillset to weave any opportunity into gold.
