When his fellow WCW wrestlers accused him of joining the hated New World Order in the war between the two organizations, Sting walked out on his associates and friends, disappearing from television without as much as a word. For months, fans would wonder where their favorite star had gone and when he would be back. When he finally did pop back up, he did so sporting long brown hair, black and white face paint similar to that of the comic book and movie The Crow. He watched from the rafters, overseeing the ever-changing landscape of WCW, a landscape dominated by the renegade invaders of the nWo. Then he began to act, descending from the rafters and unleashing his fury on the likes of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and the Giant. It was done to tremendous fanfare, especially when the Stinger was able to punish and pummel his enemies on his own, with or without the assistance of his trademark black baseball bat. He would even occasionally lay out WCW stars that made the mistake of questioning his loyalties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47hYJ7G-wM Whatever the case may be, the entire ordeal was leading to one match: a gigantic showdown with Hulk Hogan that the company had built for an entire year. Fan anticipation was high for the match between the biggest turncoat in wrestling history in Hogan and WCW's silent protector Sting. Those fans got their wish in December 1997 at Starrcade when the two industry icons clashed in the main. After a year of stalking the nWo, Sting paid off the angle by capturing the WCW Championship and ending the event on a high note. No matter how much Nick Patrick tried to mess it up.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
