10 Worst WCW ‘On A Pole’ Matches

5. Sting Vs. Jake Roberts - Halloween Havoc 1992

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Object atop: a coal miner's glove.

The worst thing about the dreaded Coal Miner's Glove match was its unrealised Bullseye what-you-could-have-won promise. The match between Sting and Jake Roberts was a Spin The Wheel, Make A Deal affair - the antecedent to Raw Roulette, in that the eventual stipulation was only revealed on the night via game of (supposed) chance.

The choices were thus: Texas Bull Rope; Spinner's Choice; Russian Chain; Dog Collar; I Quit; Barbed Wire; Cage; Lumberjacks With Belts; Prince Of Darkness; Texas Death; First Blood; or, as was depressingly decided, Coal Miner's Glove.

Fans wanted to play 21, but they were dealt 22. In effect, WCW dangled the carrot of crimson and lacerated flesh - and instead lumbered its audience with a match far heavier on psychology than excitement. Even that assessment is a stretch; when Sting climbed the pole at the midway point, he was some ten feet above the concrete. Roberts, the vicious heel, should have sent him crashing at that point, but gently lowered him down because he didn't want to paralyse him in real life, understandably. The pole match, even out of Vince Russo's hands, defied suspension of disbelief. Perhaps that's why he loved it so.

The finish saw Sting retrieve and strike Roberts with the glove, which in turn confused a snake into biting Roberts' face. That was the intention, anyway; the spot, like everything else, looked naff. The contrast between it and the Randy Savage cobra bite a year earlier was telling. And that cobra was fake.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!