10 Greatest WCW Champions Ever
1. Sting
Wrestling requires the vanquishing of evil via good, despite the mangling of the two traits in the modern era. In a performance art reliant on live audience response and television audience investment, the old methods are still the most reliable. Sting - with one irritating exception - was always the hero WCW fans desperately needed whenever he took ownership of their prestigious prize.
Defeating Ric Flair in 1990 was intended as a torch-passing on a par with their legendary Clash of the Champions battle two years earlier - the Hogan/Warrior for the discerning wrestling fan. Finally overcoming Big Van Vader was an effort in overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Toppling Hulk Hogan at Starrcade 1997 was literally presented as a lone vigilante saving the company from an evil dictator within.
A horribly misguided 1999 heel turn aside, Sting's stewardship over WCW was the steady hand the organisation always needed but so rarely sought. He was a lord protector and inadvertent advocate of wrestling's most poisoned chalice.