35 Years Of WWE WrestleMania Mistakes

5. WrestleMania 31 - The Misuse Of Sting

The demise of WCW resulted in a huge number of dream scenarios for '90s wrestling fans. Though the Invasion angle was a bust, Monday Night War-era viewers were still treated to the spectacle of the failed Atlanta promotion's biggest stars jumping ship. The likes of Ric Flair, Booker T, Scott Steiner, and DDP all turned up on Raw, but one name was conspicuous by its absence: Sting.

For years 'The Icon' resisted overtures to work for Vince and, put off by WWE's risqué product, was content to work a lighter schedule in TNA. But when the company ran into financial difficulties in 2014, a potential spot in the Hall of Fame and the prospect of a WrestleMania match meant Sting could refuse WWE no more.

Sting was the last star of wrestling's boom period never to set foot in Vince's territory, and there was a palpable sense of excitement amongst wrestling fans after a largely prosaic decade with only one promotion in town. Looking to the big event, there could only be one opponent for the Stinger's long-awaited debut: The Undertaker. Though The Undertaker's sheen had been tarnished by the end of the streak, a potential match with 'the Franchise' rendered the fact irrelevant. It was undeniably the bout everybody wanted to see.

Except Vince McMahon.

The Undertaker was relegated to a throwaway squash over Bray Wyatt, and for Sting? Captain Ego himself, Triple H. Despite WCW being defunct for fourteen years, the contest was billed as the final decider in the Monday Night Wars, with Sting having apparently remained loyal to his old employers like a dog waiting at its master's grave.

The opponent wasn't ideal, and the setup was ludicrous, but it could still be a spectacle. And the match itself was. The involvement, however preposterous, of the nWo and D-Generation-X made for an exciting, nostalgia-fuelled smoke-and-mirrors bout of the highest order - until the finish. For reasons beyond comprehension, Triple H felled 'the Stinger' with his sledgehammer and claimed the win. Sting's much anticipated WWE debut ended in defeat, allowing the company the hollow, meaningless opportunity to finally say WCW was dead and buried.

To add insult to injury, Triple H extended his hand to Sting after the match to share in the babyface reaction. With 'the Icon' suffering a serious neck injury later in the year, WWE had blown their one big chance to put on the dream Undertaker-Sting match - and thrown away millions of dollars in the process.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.