It'd seem that Steve Borden enjoys using movies to influence his characters: not only did he use Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight as inspiration during his TNA run, but - more famously - the man used nuances of Brandon Lee's character in The Crow. A dark vigilante designed to repel the nWo, Sting drastically altered his appearance in late-1996. Gone was the bleach blonde hair and colourful make-up - not to mention the garish tights the man had worn for years - and instead, Sting now favoured long, dark hair, black and white make-up, and an outfit to match his new persona. Truthfully, Sting had been growing his hair out for a few years, but it was still striking to see such a difference in the once flashy character. This new gimmick involved Sting largely watching from the shadows, waiting almost a full year before he once again stepped foot inside the ring to face Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Title. Given that he rarely appeared, never wrestled for a year, and didn't say a whole lot, this was a tremendous risk for Borden and indeed for WCW, who jeapordised one of their only true home-grown stars. Thankfully, the risk paid off, but the character of Sting should, by all accounts, have been a bit of a disappointment for long time fans. This is a classic case of when patience won the day. Which of your favourite gimmicks do you feel should have been tossed on the cutting room floor, never to see the light of day? Are there any omissions from this list you feel should be in there? Let us know in the comments section below!
