''It had been an issue for quite some time'' – WWE Legend's friendship with Sting declined because of his backstage problems

Steve Borden, better known as Sting, is one of the most beloved superstars in the history of the business. He has been a positive influence wherever he has gone. However, he faced a dark phase in his career in 1998 when he held the WCW World Championship. It was around this time that his friendship with Eric Bischoff started declining.

Borden recently wrote for The Player's Tribune, where he elaborated on the troubles he faced in his personal life while he was the face of WCW. Sting revealed that while everything looked perfect, he felt miserable due to addiction issues.

On the 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff spoke about that time of Sting's career. Bischoff said he was good friends with Sting up until the end of 1997. However, Borden's backstage issues led to a decline in their friendship.

The former WCW President said he had some idea that Borden was going through a tough time but didn't know its extent. Speaking about Sting's run as WCW Champion in 1998, Bischoff said:

"When I said I could tell that Sting wasn't ready, this is what I meant. And I wasn't about to say anything publicly. Sting chose to. But in that point of time in March 1998 didn't just happen within 90 days. It had been an issue for quite some time." (from 1:26:00 to 1:26:30)

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Did Sting have an underwhelming run as the WCW World Champion?

Steve Borden was one of the top-most babyfaces in WCW because of his Crow-inspired character. The Icon finally defeated Hulk Hogan and won the world title in 1998. However, his run is seen as underwhelming. One reason could be his backstage battles with substance issues.

Borden is one of the few superstars to have competed for WCW, TNA, WWE, and AEW. Even at 63, he continues to impress with high-risk spots and great in-ring action.

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Please give credit to SportsKeeda and 83 Weeks if using the quotes.