6. WCW Get A Year Of Mileage Out Of Non-Wrestling Sting
Sting's transformation from bleach-blonde 'surfer' to monochrome 'crow' is legendary. It was Scott Hall who recommended the shift, and the character became the iconic opponent for the dominance of the New World Order. In 1996, Sting changed dramatically, it was a new horizon for Steve Borden. Incredibly, he also wouldn't wrestle for around 12 whole months. Eric Bischoff, Sting and the creative squad showed remarkable restraint with the storyline. Instead of having Sting simply blast his way through members of the nWo, he was booked to almost stalk Hollywood Hogan. Of course, Hogan was the crown jewel of the heel faction, something Sting was only too aware of. Take down Hogan, and the rest of the nWo would fall. That's how the man's agenda was painted on WCW TV, and it worked a treat. By the time Sting faced Hogan at Starrcade 1997, fans were aching to see him work a match again. The character remains vital to the nWo story, without Sting things wouldn't have meant as much. It was a drastic change for a long-running member of the roster, and utterly compelling television.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
