Without Sting, it's unlikely that the New World Order angle would have achieved such extended, industry-changing success. The nWo's dark nemesis was originally a bright, cartoonish figure, bearing little resemblance to the iconic figure that would become an instrumental part of WCW history. The change was a gradual one. In 1996, Sting began to grow out his flattop hairstyle, and often exchanged his traditional bright colours for black. The cheery facepaint remained, but even that would go towards the end of the year. Taking inspiration from 'The Crow''s Eddie Draven, the Stinger began wearing a black singlet, trenchcoat, and striking white facepaint. This new look immediately caught on, and Sting quickly became the ultimate WCW loyalist, determined to end the nWo's reign of terror. It remains one of the most complete image changes in wrestling history, although the less said about his TNA run as a direct Joker rip-off, the better.
