10 Best Gimmick Changes in Wrestling History

Since 1996, Sting has been widely known for his black and white face paint, long dark trench coat and trademark baseball bat. However, this was not always how he was presented.

For the first decade of his career, Sting came to the ring with brightly-coloured face paint and a big smile on his face. This persona, paired with his ability to perform in long epics, won over the crowds and positioned him as the top babyface everywhere that he went. Older fans will remember his work against the likes of Ric Flair and Lex Luger, as well as his multiple World Championship reigns. However, in 1996, the rise of Hulk Hogan and the New World Order saw a change in audience preference.

The days of painted muscular men were beginning to come to an end, and Sting needed to find a way of captivating the growing global audience. As such, he began to grow out his hair, replaced his bright attire with dark colours and hung out in the rafters. This mysterious, mopey character quickly won favour with the WCW viewership, fighting against the evil nWo and attempting to defend WCW from them.

28 years later, Sting still portrays the ‘crow’ gimmick, taking it from WCW to TNA, WWE and now AEW, with his retirement in March 2024. Although ‘The Icon’ had a spectacular career before his moody transition, it’s clear to see that the decision to change course was an intelligent one.