Sting's Full Wrestling History
One of the best-known stars in professional wrestling is Sting, whose hometown is Venice Beach, Calif..
Charismatic charm, flamboyant costumes and face paint, along with incredible athletic ability, make the Stinger
a major fan-favorite. Outside the ring, Sting's heart is as big as his biceps. He is actively involved with charities
that grant wishes to both chronically and critically ill children across the country. In the words of the Stinger: 'The
feeling is overwhelming when you see a look of joy come over a child's face.'
Sting is also the co-owner with his buddy Lex Luger of two highly successful Main Events fitness centers located
in Atlanta. In his spare time he enjoys riding his Harley Davidson and water skiing. Sting has also enjoyed
success as a star (Hammerhead) on Hulk Hogan's TV series Thunder in Paradise seen on TNT, unfortunately
the rumor that he plays a role in the movie "Liar, Liar" isn't true. But his fans can see him in the movie "The real
Reason" which was announced by Eric Bischoff on Nitro (11/10/97).
His motto: 'We're having fun now! Owwwwwwwww!'
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
Titel, 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.
Later 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. 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.
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!!
On December 28 1997 at Starrcade the match of the century took place: Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan. The arena
in Washington DC was sold out within three days - 16.000 tickets!!!! At Starrcade it happens, what every real
Stinger fan always knew: Sting cared for justice by defeating Hollywood Hogan and winning back the World
Title. Here's the report about this match:
Sting d. Hollywood Hogan (World Title Match)
The most anticipated match of the decade, Hogan vs. Sting did more than drive the MCI Center crowd into a
wild frenzy. Meeting for the first time since the Stinger's transformation over a year ago, the two superstars
proved to be formidable and equaly matched opponents. Sting was free of ring rust and fear; Hogan exhibited
the skill and strength that made him wrestling's most legendary champion. After Sting missed a Stinger Splash
and struck the rail on the outside, Hogan managed to set up his opponent for his trademark leg drop. Referee
Nick Patrick -- a 'former' NWO member-- gave a lightning-fast three-count and signaled for the end of the
match. But Bret Hart, making his second noteworthy appearance for the night, ran to the ring and told Hogan
that he would not allow an official cheat a wrestler again. Hogan tried to leave, but Hart threw him back in the
ring, allowing Sting to strike again. Vicious and Delicious tried to stop the continuation, but were thwarted by
both Hart and Sting. After several Stinger splashes, the Silent One applied his Scorpion Deathlock and got the
submission. Hogan had been defeated and WCW had recovered its esteemed World Title. Post-match, WCW
wrestlers flooded the ring to congratulate their champion. Sting responded by climbing the ringposts and ending
his silence with his trademark Stinger screams.
On Thunder (January 8, 98) JJ Dillon declared the title as vacant and at Souled Out 98 Roddy Piper decided
that Sting would have a match against Hogan at Superbrawl. At Superbrawl 98 Sting defeated Hogan and won
the title back and at Uncensored 98 Sting was also successful by defending his world title against Scott Hall
who won a title shot at WW III. But unfortunately Sting had some problems during the match against Savage at
Spring Stampede 98 and lost his title due to the interferences of Miss Liz (who was stinger splashed by Sting
after hitting him with a chair) and Kevin Nash.
For the next Pay Per View, Uncenscored, Sting and the Giant challenged Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to a tag team
match for the WCW World Tag Team titles. Sting was hit with a bit of a dilema, when his tag team partner, the
Giant, joined NWO Hollywood one week before the pay per view. He and Giant went on to win the match and become
the new Tag Team champions, after Scott Hall turned on his own partner, and beared his true colors, black and
white. Sting was then asked to join NWO Hollywood and stand united with his partner. But Sting was a wanted
man, as he was seeked by NWO Wolfpac as well. We waited for a few weeks to see where Sting would go. With
three options at hand, he dropped from the rafters one late spring eve, wearing the white and black shirt of
NWO Hollywood. He stepped forward to embrace Hulk Hogan, only to pull back and clothesline him down to the
ring floor. He ripped of the black and white NWO shirt to reveal his true decision....a red and black Wolfpac
NWO shirt. With Sting and his tag team partner on opposing sides, they set up a match for The Great American
Bash that would put Sting and his partner, the Giant, against one another, in a winner takes both belts and
chooses a partner match. Sting walked away victorios, and the following night on Nitro, announced his new
tag team partner to be none other then Wolfpac leader, Kevin Nash. They defended the belts well together,
with Lex Luger filling in for Nash occasionally when he was not available. On Monday, July 20th, at Monday
Night Nitro, Kevin Nash and Sting lost their tag team belts to the Giant and Scott Hall, with some assistance
and interference by Bret Hart.
All credit for this information goes to Susanne Rothenhoefer!Thank you! Please visit her page to let her know how much we Sting fans appreciate the work she did to research and create this history!!
Sue's WCW Page
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Email: mimi@tznet.com
