10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Nov 26)
8. Gary Michael Cappetta Came Up With Sting's WCW Intro Out Of Fear
Before David Penzer became WCW's top ring announcer in the mid-1990's, Gary Michael Cappetta was the man fans would hear introducing wrestlers as they made their way down the aisle. Armed with a distinctive voice, Cappetta had a higher-pitched delivery than the WWF's Howard Finkel during his run.
Talking with the Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast, the ring announcer claimed this occasionally made it difficult for him to ring out a wrestler's name. For example, someone like Sting didn't leave much room for elongation. More of an immediate sound, Sting's name required something that could lead into it.
By complete accident, this led Cappetta to come up with the now-infamous, 'This Is Sting' introduction. Later, this became a huge part of Sting's act, even being used by WWE during his latest run with the promotion.
Gary Michael Cappetta didn't come up with it because the phrase sounded cool, he was simply trying to make his job easier. Afraid that he'd sound stupid if he tried to bellow the name Sting, having a lead in allowed him to go higher pitched on the word 'is' and then let Sting ring out naturally.