10 Wrestling Storylines That Started Hot But Ended Terribly

Branded 'The Match Of The Century', Hulk Hogan vs. Sting at WCW Starrcade '97 should've been just that. The 18-month build represented pro-wrestling storytelling at its pinnacle. Hogan, as the New World Order's "third man", had helped anchor his group through an era-defining storyline that saw WCW establish complete dominance in the ratings war. They were on top of the world, and it looked like nobody could stop them.

Sting was one of the first men to stand up to the invaders, but disappeared from television in 1996. The nWo introduced their own 'Fake Sting' during this period, but the real thing eventually returned carrying a baseball bat, clad in black and white corpse paint, and ghostly silent.

'Crow' Sting was born, and he finally declared his loyalty to WCW at Uncensored 1997, taking out the nWo one by one. This all led to Starrcade, where him and Hogan would face for the WCW Championship, with logic dictating that Sting would go over, give Hulk and his group some long overdue comeuppance, and send the fans home happy.

Things didn't quite go to plan. A botched fast count non-finish sucked the life out of the building, and while Sting eventually triumphed, his victory came with a massive caveat. Hulk had supposedly refused to put him over cleanly. This led to him "submitting" without ever tapping out, and the destruction of what should've been WCW's ultimate feel-good moment.