The franchise player of World Championship Wrestling, it is no surprise that he would be featured as heavily on its Monday Nitro program as he ultimately was. What was a shock to many was the character transformation he would undergo before finally finding his feet in the New World Order era of WCW. Gone was the bottle blonde hairdo and the bright colors that once adorned his ring gear. In their place was black-and-white face paint and long, black trench coat. He did not make a traditional entrance, instead repelling from the rafters and into the squared circle, prepared to swing his black baseball bat at anyone he believed to have wronged him. He was dark, unpleasant and looked eerily similar to title character from the 1993 film, The Crow. It was so cool and fit in perfectly with the demographic Eric Bischoff and WCW was desperately trying to maintain. The year-long build to his Starrcade 1997 match with Hulk Hogan, and his performance within, ranks among the greatest stories ever told in the world of professional wrestling. Dismayed, betrayed and slighted by the company he was so loyal to for so long, Sting retreated into the rafters, watching from afar as WCW was overtaken by the degenerates, the ruthless and the corrupt. In many ways, he was the silent guardian of the promotion. When the time was right, he descended to the ring, fended off the nWo and returned to his stoop, poised for the next time that he had to help back up the men of Ted Turner's company. After a year-long wait, he finally returned to the ring to face Hulk Hogan. Despite a screwy false finish, Sting ended Hollywood's reign, giving fans and stars of WCW something to celebrate as the year came to an end. Sting would remain a top star in WCW until its dying day. In fact, his match with Ric Flair on the March 26, 2001 episode of Nitro was the last in the show's history. And rightfully so. No two men meant more to the legacy of WCW than those they.
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.
