10 Best WCW Moments Ever
2. Starrcade '97 Blows WrestleMania Out Of The Water
For years, WCW fans regarded Starrcade as their own version of WrestleMania. It's true that the NWA had been promoting Starrcade since 1983, preceding the first 'Mania supercard by close to two years. It was still hard to shake the feeling that WrestleMania felt bigger than Starrcade though, even when top guys like Hulk Hogan signed with WCW in 1994.
That all changed in 1997, and Eric Bischoff can rightly pat himself on the back for showing remarkable restraint. Remodelled, Sting morphed into a darker character inspired by Brandon Lee's performance in The Crow. This happened in 1996. Sting didn't wrestle a match until the last pay-per-view of '97.
Built around an epic showdown between Sting and Hollywood Hogan, Starrcade 1997 was a much bigger success than the WWF's WrestleMania 13. The highest-grossing event in WCW history, the show managed to outshine 'Mania that year.
What a massive achievement, Bischoff had used one of his greatest ideas (the nWo) to eclipse anything happening under the watchful eye of Vince McMahon. That had to feel good.