20 Most Horrifically Stupid Things That Ever Happened In WCW

4. Sting's Revenge

When Hulk Hogan turned his back on WCW, joining with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the New World Order, WCW looked to its stalwarts for support - chief amongst them Sting, who had always worn the white hat for the organization.

However, when the nWo suggested that Sting was their mystery partner in Fall Brawl 1996's War Games match, the doubt their accusation fostered led 'The Stinger' to feel betrayed by former friends such as Ric Flair and Lex Luger. He left active competition in the company, adopted a new look inspired by the film The Crow, and mysteriously loomed in the rafters of arenas nationwide, his true motives unclear.

Finally, at the Uncensored pay-per-view event in March 1997, Sting revealed his allegiances by attacking the nWo - WCW's hero was back. At Starrcade 1997, Sting would finally get what he really wanted - a chance at revenge against WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hollywood Hogan.

In his first match in over a year, many expected Sting to decimate Hogan, win the title, and end the nWo, giving the story the happy ending that it demanded. Instead, Hogan pinned Sting after his signature legdrop. Heel referee Nick Patrick was supposed to make a fast count, which in turn would bring out new WCW acquisition Bret Hart to restart the match, which Sting would win. However, Patrick's count was timed properly (allegedly at Hogan's real-life behest), so the restart seemed unfair and Sting's victory seemed tainted. The WCW World Heavyweight Championship was immediately declared vacant, which it would remain for two months until Sting reclaimed it in a rematch.

By then, though, the concept of Sting saving WCW had lost its momentum. The nWo fizzled throughout 1998, 1999, and into 2000, never receiving the payoff the storyline deserved. Starrcade 1997 could have been a magical night that saw the fans of WCW get their money's worth. Instead, it's often seen as the very beginning of the end for WCW - and undoubtedly, one of the company's stupidest moments.