Bob Ryder

The current war between Sting and Vampiro might be one of the best feuds we have seen in several years, and it has provided some of the more entertaining moments on recent WCW programs. Vampiro is emerging as a force to be reckoned with, and his character has developed more in the last month than at any time since he joined WCW a few years ago. At the same time, the feud has prompted a resurgence in Sting's career and has brought out an intensity we haven't seen in the Sting character since 1997.

What is it about these two guys that has made this feud so entertaining? Is it because they are so much alike, or because they are so different? Maybe it's a little of both.

The most obvious similarity between the two is the face paint, but it goes much deeper than that. Sting emerged as a dark and brooding character in 1997 in the months leading up to his Starrcade match with Hulk Hogan. He spent a great deal of time in the rafters and lurked in the shadows. Vampiro has emerged in recent weeks as the same kind of character. You don't get much darker than Vampiro. Just ask Mike Tenay, who appeared visibly shakened by his encounter with Vampiro during the interview that aired on Thunder.

The differences between the two characters are less obvious, but those differences form the foundation of the feud. Sting is one of the most popular characters in the history of wrestling. Despite the move to a darker persona, Sting continues to receive cheers from his fans. He is still considered a super-hero good guy by most fans. Vampiro doesn't care if he is booed or cheered. His darker side has more of a gothic and evil slant. In that way he is actually the anti-Sting.

In this feud, Vampiro is trying to pull Sting over to the dark side and wants him to embrace the darkness. The feud is about good vs. evil. That's as simple a concept as has ever existed in wrestling. Good guy against bad guy. It's a simple concept, but when done properly it always works.

Vampiro and Sting will face off in the "House of Pain" steel cage on Nitro. The match will take place at the very beginning of the show at 8 PM ET. Vampiro says he is out to destroy Sting and that this will be Sting's last match. I'm sure Sting will have something to say about that. Could this be the last battle between Vampiro and Sting? Maybe so....but is the battle between good and evil ever really over?

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