10 Sting Matches You Must See Before His WWE Debut

6. Sting vs. Hulk Hogan (Starrcade 1997)

The WCW Championship match between Sting and Hulk Hogan in December 1997 was not only the hottest match in professional wrestling, it was the most anticipated bout in the history of the company. Built on the back of Sting's crusade against the New World Order for over a year, the match was epic in a way that few matches ever approached. It was theater on a grand scale, a tale of good versus evil playing out in an 18x18 ring for the world to see. Sting stalked toward the ring with fire in his eyes and the hopes and dreams of all in WCW on his shoulders. A loss would have crushed the company and allowed the NWO to take over without incident. A win, however, would breathe new life into the once-proud organization and give it some much-needed momentum in its war with the vile invaders. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x74slx_hogan-vs-sting-starrcade-1997-part_sport From a quality standpoint, the match is nothing special. Sting was out of ring shape after a year of sitting on the sidelines while Hogan was more than over the hill at that point. It was a very punchy, kicky affair that featured too much overbooking and one of the most controversial refereeing performances of all time by Nick Patrick. Still, for historical purposes, it is hard to find another match from WCW that incorporated so much energy and excitement. Sting won the match, celebrated with his fellow wrestlers and gave WCW the happy ending it was in desperate need of. At least for the time being.