This three-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion has defeated some of the toughest opponents in the wrestling world. Sting was also the first WCW BattleBowl Champion and winner of the European Cup Chamionship. This 6' 3'', 252-pound tower of intensity is unquestionably in the prime of his professional wrestling career. He most recently teamed up with pal Lex Luger to defeat Harlem Heat for the WCW Tag Team Title, moreover he was called best wrestler of the year 1995.
His career began in 1985 as part of a four man team in California known as Powerteam U.S.A. Justice and Rock, two of Powerteam U.S.A., moved to the independants and formed a team known as the BladeRunners. Together, they tore up the scene until a mutual split. At that time, Rock left for World Class Championship Wrestling and became the Dingo Warrior, later the Ultimate Warrior. Meanwhile, Justice left for the UWF and changed his name to Sting. So the Sting saga had begun.
While in the UWF, Sting formed a friendship with Rick Steiner and won the UWF tag team titles. This relationship did not last, and the two became entangled in a heated fued and they left for NWA. Sting waited until a title opportunity came and he defeated Mike Rotundo March 30, 1989 to win the TV title. He held the belt for a few months until the Great Muta won it by controversy.
After the TV title loss, Sting was befriended by the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Two months after Halloween Havoc '89, where Sting and Ric Flair fought Terry Funk and the Great Muta, Sting defeated Flair in the finals of the Iron Man competition at Starrcade to receive a World title shot at Flair. In order to avoid giving Sting the shot, Flair invited him into the Four Horsemen, but Sting still wanted the shot. On Feb. 6, 1990, the Horsemen kicked Sting out of the group. Later the same night, Sting injured his knee trying to climb a cage to get at Flair. That injury would require surgery and keep Sting out for four months. vLater in that year, July 7, 1990, Sting came back from the injury to defeat Ric Flair for the World title at the Great American Bash '90 in Baltimore. Sting immediately became the focus of the fans; he had comics written about him, his merchandise became top-sellers, and he sold out arenas everywhere. In short, Sting became the man!
Flair eventually reclaimed the crown on Jan. 11, 1991 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Still, Sting was the hero of the fans, despite the title loss. 1991 would prove to be a pivital year in the career of Sting. He parted ways with his best friend Lex Luger and then won the United States title with a tournament victory over Steve Austin while Luger won the World title. Finally Luger cost Sting his U.S. title by injuring Sting's knee before a defense with Rick Rude. In December, WCW held its first ever Battlebowl, a two ring tag-team elimination tournament followed by a battle royal amongst the tag winning teams. The last two left in the battle royal were Luger and Sting, which Sting won (a great match in my opinion).
On February 29, 1992, Sting would meet Luger at Superbrawl II for the WCW World title. Luger dominated a lot of the match, but then Sting took over. Sting hit Luger with everything and eventually won the title with a flying bodypress off the top rope. Sting was the man once again. He eventually lost the title on July 12, to the hands of Big Van Vader. Right after the loss to Vader Sting began a fued with Jake "the Snake" Roberts which culminated in the two meeting in a "Spin the Wheel, make the Deal" match at Halloween Havoc of 1992. At the end of that Coal Miners Glove match, Jake brought out a cobra and tried to bite Sting with it, but instead Jake's own snake bit him!! WCW banned all animals from ringside after that incident. Early in 1993, Sting won back the World title from Vader, but lost it back to him six days later. For the rest of 93 and early 94, Sting remained in the hunt for titles but never won any, until April of 94.
WCW held their first ever Spring Stampede PPV that year, and Sting was involved in a fued with WCW International champ Ric Rude. Rude would not give Sting a shot at the belt until a young woman asked Rude for an autograph during a TV taping. What Rude actually signed was a contract to face Sting at the Stampede. And there Sting won the WCW International title. Also around the same time, Hulk Hogan was signing to compete in WCW and he wanted the World title. So in June of 94 at the Clash of Champions, WCW unified the WCW World and International titles when Sting met Ric Flair. Flair cheated his way to victory over his rival Sting that night, and Sting disappeared from the title picture for about a year.
Though not in the hunt for a title belt, Sting did manage to win the one and only "King of Cable" tournament at Starrcade in 94 with one of his few pinfall victories over Vader. Early in 1995, the U.S. title was declared vacant and once again a tournament would determine a new champion. Sting gained the right to wear the U.S. title again be defeating Meng at the Great American Bash. Sting would hold the title until October when he was upset by Japanese sensation Kensuke Sasaki. Down but not out, Sting rebounded and gained revenge on Sasake at Starrcade. Though the title was not up for grabs, pride was as WCW faces new Japan in the World series of Wrestling, a best-of-seven between WCW stars and new Japan stars. Sting won the deciding seventh match over Sasake, thus claiming WCW as the best Wrestling in the world.
1996 would prove to be a transition year for the Stinger. He would enter the year as the blonde haired hero everyone loved but end it with a new look and his loyalty under heavy scrutiny. Early in January of 1996, Sting won the World tag team titles with his buddy Lex Luger. At the time, Luger was on the fance between face and heel. Fans told Sting not to trust him, but he did. It was the first time when fans were not fully supporting of the Stingers actions, it was very hard for him. It would get even harder later in that year. Luger deserted him before their match with the Road Warriors at Uncensored, but Sting kept the tag belts with the aid of Booker T of Harlem Heat. Luger then began to wise up, and just in time, because on May 28, Scott Hall reared his head on Nitro. Sting was the first one to meet his challenge head on.
THE BIRTH OF THE NWO
At Bash at the Beach on July 7 three men of WCW, Sting, Luger and Macho Man, fought Hall and Nash, the Outsiders, and their mystery partner Hulk Hogan. On that night the nWo was born!
Sting focused his attention on Hogan and the rest of the nWo. The nWo grew in size in the weeks following Bash at the Beach. They convinced the Giant to join the nWo and then one week before Fall Brawl where WCW would meet the nWo in the War Games Main Event, the nWo pulled another surprise. Lex Luger was wrestling a match that night when Nick Patrick ran out and told Luger that Sting needed his help. Luger ran outside and looked for Sting, then "Sting" came out of the nWo's Limo and beated Luger up. The nWo found an impostor Sting to fake out Luger. Even when the real Sting tried to explain it to Luger, Luger wouldn't hear it. All this right before War Games. Sting was so upset, he refused to help WCW at first, but then he come out like a ball on fire. Sting tore apart the entire nWo and then he left for them to defeat WCW. The next night on Nitro, Sting came out and addressed the crowd for the last time. He said that fans booed him and fans cheered him, but he didn't care anymore. If no one will trust him, then they can "Stick it!" From there Sting went into seclusion.
THE BIRTH OF THE STING WE KNOW NOW
Sting did speak one other time after that night. The nWo fake Sting was wrestling when the real Sting came out dressed in a black overcoat and black and white facepaint. Sting attacked the fake and out came the nWo to offer him a chance to join. Sting politely said "The only thing is for sure about Sting, is nothing's for sure". Then he disappeared. In the following months, Sting would pop his head in whenever someone was talking about him. Jeff Jarrett insulted him, and he paid for it. So did Rick Steiner, Jim Duggan, and Lex Luger. These attacks led everyone to believe that Sting was part of the nWo. When Macho Man Randy Savage showed up this January, Sting sided with him. Macho then joined the nWo and everyone thought Sting was next. It even got to the point of Hogan giving Sting a hug on Nitro and claiming he had joined, but Sting didn't hug back. Then on March 17, at Uncensored, the questions were finally answered. The nWo won a special challenge match against two other teams that night, and as they celebrated, Sting dropped from the rafters on a cable.
Thinking Sting was there to congratulate them, nWo members entered the ring, where they were met with a baseball bat! Sting dropped all of them and challenged Hogan, who he then too dropped. Sting had returned to WCW after all!! Since that night, Sting has still not been around all the time, but when he does show up, it is to aid WCW in their war with the nWo. Now the time is drawing closer, Sting will eventually meet Hollywood Hogan in the ring for the WCW World title. When he does, the Sting legacy will once again rise.
The StarCade
Hogan and Sting met at Starcade. There they fought only to find themselves each other's equals. Hogan rolled Sting up only to be dismissed by a PROVEN fast count. Before the bell could be rang, Bret Hart came and stopped the bell claiming the fast count. He knocked out the NWO referee and threw Hogan back in. Sting eradicated Hogan and applied his finishing move, in which Hogan submitted. The whole WCW celebrated.....
The Betrayal...
Shortly after, WCW called out Hogan and Sting, telling them that the belt was in the air and would be held there until SuperBrawl. Speaking out loud, Sting told Dillon that he had no guts...and that Hogan..was a dead man.....
The Decision..
The Final Battle
