3. Sting vs. Hulk Hogan (Starrcade 1997)
This was the most anticipated match in WCW history. Sting had been waging a year-long war against the nWo, lurking in the rafters and descending via cable to take them out individually and in groups. The hype for this match was off the charts. WCW's franchise player, the conquering hero returning to reclaim the World Championship from Hogan's slimy clutches. So where did it go wrong? Well, to begin with, Hogan and Sting just don't have great chemistry in the ring together. Sometimes even the best workers just don't match up well with each other. Then you have to take into account that Sting was somewhat out of shape. He had been wrestling in dark matches occasionally during his inactive period, but he hadn't performed in a big match on a major show in well over a year. But all that could have easily been overlooked if it hadn't been for the ending. The actual plan was for Hogan to pin Sting with a quick 3-count from crooked referee Nick Patrick. The WCW's newest superstar acquisition Bret "The Hitman" Hart would then make his way down to the ring and demand a restart. The problem is that Patrick's count wasn't fast at all. In fact it was perfect. So when Hart came down to protest the injustice, even fans who were solidly behind the Stinger knew there was no injustice at all. Conspiracy theorists will tell you that Hogan arranged for Patrick to make a normal count. Patrick himself claims to have only vague memories of the match itself, which is impossible to believe. Regardless of whether it was a deliberate attempt at sabotage or just an honest mistake, it sucked ALL the wind out of WCW's sails and ruined the biggest match in the company's history.