10 Most Controversial Wrestling Match Finishes Ever

Even before he was unsuccessfully auditioning for You've Been Framed, Hulk Hogan was no stranger to controversy, albeit largely limited to his professional machinations.

A Machiavellian politician with a Mugabe-esque lust for power, like the Zimbabwean dictator, the similarly superannuated Hogan would stop at absolutely nothing to cling onto his peak position.

Wrestling history is littered with examples of 'The Hulkster's' legendarily self-serving style oppressing the fortunes of his contemporaries, but few were as so seemingly visible as his contest opposite a returning Sting at WCW's Starrcade '97 supershow.

Since the formation of the nWo, former WCW symbol Sting was notable by his non-committal to either side of the intra-promotional 'war'. Instead, he took to hanging about in the rafters, wearing face-paint, and acting like a moody teenage goth. After months of silent gestures and general oddness, the transformed Stinger eventually made his motivations clear: he wanted to wipe out Hogan and the nWo. WCW's hero had finally returned.

The match was booked for the company's traditional December blow-off, and with fans desperate for an end to Hogan's hegemony, there seemed only one rational outcome.

Except it wasn't so simple.

Instead of allowing Sting to shine, Hogan dominated the encounter, making the supposed saviour look like a busted flush, The Stinger's comeback barely materialised, and 'The Hulkster' looked just as dominant as always.

The finish made poor Steve look even worse.

Originally - in a hackneyed attempt to echo the Montreal Screwjob and capitalise on the recent travails of a freshly signed Bret Hart - Sting was scheduled to succumb to a fast count, only for 'the Hitman' to contest the decision, after which WCW's prodigal son would claim victory on the restart.

Apparently, Hogan had other ideas. Though the match technically went as planned, it's alleged the Big Orange Machine privately instructed ref Nick Patrick to count the fast count, um, slowly. So a slow fast-count, then. Whatever the reason for Patrick's regular slapping of the mat, it appeared as if Hogan had registered a perfectly legitimate win, and when a livid Bret emerged to argue the call, 'The Stinger' was made to look like a right pudding. Instead, Double-H looked cheated in defeat, and Sting's returning momentum was summarily buggered.