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The 1980s and 1990s are now looked back upon as a sort of pro wrestling renaissance. With the territorial systems in a shambles, promoters quickly tried to consolidate power in the sports entertainment industry.
Of course, the most dominant promotion was the WWE (then called the WWF) but this was also the heyday for many great wrestling federations. Most fans are familiar with the National Wrestling Alliance, the bulk of which was owned by Jim Crockett Productions. JC Productions sold their share of the NWA to Ted Turner, who used it to build WCW in the early nineties.
It was during this era that the career of the man called Sting began. Born Steve Borden, he and friend Jim "Ultimate Warrior" Hellwig were bodybuilders who were drafted into pro wrestling in the California territories. With little training in the sport, they were quickly turned into a tag team called Power Team USA.
Hellwig would head to the AWA, while Borden wound up working the NWA territories. His mix of athleticism, cardio conditioning, and surprising strength and agility quickly put him on the pro wrestling map.
It was Ric Flair who came in to mentor the young Sting. Flair saw in Sting a future world champion, and worked a program with the rookie where they wound up wrestling on the first-ever Clash of the Champions.
Though Sting came up short on that occasion, he was cemented as a legit contender for any championship in the NWA. From there, his star continued to rise, and he forged a unique path in sports entertainment which would eventually culminate in his first, and only, Wrestlemania appearance.
Along the way, he had some pretty excellent matches. Some of them are still talked about today. Here are ten Sting matches that every wrestling fan should see.
#1 Sting vs. Nature Boy Ric Flair: Clash of the Champions I
In 1988, the WWE prepared to offer Wrestlemania IV, featuring a tournament to determine a new WWE World Champion. On the same night, Jim Crockett Promotions aired the first-ever NWA Clash of the Champions live and free on the TBS Network.
The main event of the first Clash featured Ric Flair vs. Sting for the NWA World Championship. A match stipulation had judges at ringside, so that a winner would still be determined even if the match went to a time limit draw.
Sting is honestly pretty raw and green at this stage of his career, but Ric Flair does an excellent job of covering up the Stinger's shortcomings in this fierce clash. While many believe this was their first match, they actually faced each other before but the bout was not televised in its entirety.
In the final moments of the match, Sting had Flair trapped in the Scorpion Deathlock, but Flair manages to hang on without submitting until the time limit expires. The judges at ringside render a split decision, awarding the bout to Flair.
Why this is a must-see match: This is the genesis of Sting, the match that made him a main event star. While Sting is green at this stage, you can see that he will become great.
#2 Sting vs. Big Van Vader: Superbrawl III
After Ted Turner bought Jim Crockett Productions and changed it to WCW, one of his priorities was hiring international wrestling talent.
Among the stars that Turner managed to snag for a WCW contract was the legendary Big Van Vader. At this stage of his career, Vader weighed in at well over four hundred and fifty pounds. Despite this, he was capable of pulling moves like the moonsault, and Sting didn't enjoy much of a speed advantage over the Mastadon.
In order to spice up this match, WCW made it a "White Castle Strap Match," but really, it's just a normal strap match. If you're into technical wrestling clinics, this match isn't for you. However, if you enjoy brutal slugfests and plenty of vicious attacks with the leather strap, then this match is going to be one of your favorites of all time.
Why this is a must-see match: Here you have two legendary wrestlers in the prime of their careers doing their best to put on a memorable pay per view main event. It's good vs. evil in all its glory.
#3 Sting and Lex Luger vs. the Steiner Brothers--Superbrawl I
After Ted Turner purchased JC Productions and turned it into World Championship Wrestling, the first thing he did was expand the company's pay per view schedule.
One of the first 'new' PPVs set to join Starrcade and the Great American Bash was Superbrawl. The WCW pay per view was main evented by a rematch pitting Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Nature Boy Ric Flair for the WCW World Title.
But fans were in for a rare treat when WCW pitted two babyface tag teams against each other; The Steiner Brothers, the World Tag Team Champions, defended their belts against the duo of Sting and Lex Luger.
Though this match is only eleven minutes long, it's one of the most thrilling contests from WCW's early era. You might have a hard time believing that Lex Luger is involved in a five star match, but he works extremely hard and this match is almost without flaw.
Why this is a must-see match: Sting and Ric Steiner were friends for years and came up through the NWA territories together, and they have rare chemistry that makes for an excellent match. Scott Steiner was in the prime of his life and was pulling off acrobatic moves and suplexes left and right. Even Lex Luger manages to put in a stellar performance.
#4 Sting vs. Cactus Jack (Mick Foley)--Beach Blast 1992
Sting was enjoying his reign as WCW World Champion when he ran into a roadblock named Cactus Jack Manson.
Cactus Jack Manson is, of course, better known as Mick Foley, the hardcore wrestler who is known for using three disparate gimmicks during his career. At this stage, there is none of the humor Mick Foley later became known for. This Mick Foley is a sadistic extremist who wants to hurt people and is darn good at it.
It should be noted that during this era WCW Executive Jim Herd removed all protective pads at ringside. So when Cactus Jack and Sting fight on the outside, they are taking vicious bumps right on the concrete. Ouch!
Why this is a must-see match: Cactus Jack was not hindered by an entire career of nasty injuries, and Sting plays the do-gooder superhero to the hilt. Not a technical wrestling masterpiece, but one heck of a brawl that goes all over the arena.
#5 Sting vs. The Great Muta--Great American Bash 1989
Sting's first championship in pro wrestling was the NWA World Television Championship. The Stinger chased after long-reigning champion Mike Rotunda until he finally managed to capture the title, to much fanfare and celebration.
But Sting would soon face one of his most celebrated rivals, the Great Muta. Muta brought a lot of things to the wrestling game that pro wrestling fans in North America hadn't seen at that point, including the moonsault and stiff martial arts strikes. He also had the enigmatic green mist which he could use to blind foes.
Muta went on a tear through the NWA, racking up an undefeated streak until he ran into Sting at the Great American Bash 1989.
Why this is a must-see match: Sting and The Great Muta were both young up and coming stars in the pro wrestling world, and they were eager to prove themselves and steal the spotlight from the much anticipated Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk bout. The two young stars even utilize the second wargames ring to great effect.
#6 Sting vs. Steve (William) Regal--Great American Bash 1996
In 1996, Sting was sort of in limbo in WCW. Hulk Hogan, the long-time WWE stalwart, had joined Ted Turner's organization and immediately became the company's top babyface.
This meant that Sting had to move down the card. He couldn't fight Hulk Hogan since they were both 'good guys,' and he couldn't be in the main event picture since Hogan was already playing the top babyface role in the company.
WCW responded by putting Sting into a lot of tag team matches, especially with Lex Luger, but at the Bash in 1996 Luger was set to challenge The Giant (Big Show Paul Wight) for the world title. Sting was bundled into a one-off match against Steve Regal that was essentially filler.
No one told Regal or Sting that their match was filler, however, as the two put on a classic contest.
Why this is a must-see match: First, it's thrilling to see two icons of the sport like Regal and Sting face off. Second, Regal's grinding mat and submission game contrasts well with Sting's polished strength and agility assault.
#7 Sting's Squadron vs. the Dangerous Alliance--Wargames 1992
Wargames was conceived as 'the match beyond,' a twist on the classic cage match that involved a double ring, two cages, and no less than ten pro wrestling Superstars facing each other at the same time.
Originally the match was associated with the Four Horsemen, but Wargames continued after their split from WCW. At Wargames 1992, Sting took on the Dangerous Alliance heel stable with the help of his friends, including WWE Hall of Famer Ricky The Dragon Steamboat.
This match is remembered both for the awesome array of talent present in the cages and for the insane amount of blood. Almost every competitor winds up donning the proverbial crimson mask during this contest.
Why this is a must-see match: Here we see the perennial loner Sting enlisting the help of WCW's top babyfaces to defeat the top heels of the Dangerous Alliance. Fans of smashmouth southern wrestling should definitely check this one out.
#8 Sting vs. Ravishing Rick Rude--Clash of the Champions XVII
Ravishing Rick Rude had held the WWE Intercontinental Championship, but he wanted to be in the main event scene. When it looked like Rude was being pushed aside for the advent of the Ultimate Warrior, the Ravishing one took his services to rival WCW.
He was quickly bundled into a feud with Sting, which would go on for some time and involve the world title at several points. However, one of their earlier encounters is still one of their best when they faced each other at Clash of the Champions seventeen.
Rick Rude is an underrated technical wrestler, and in WCW he dispensed with the 'lady's man' gimmick and was all serious business in the ring. His villainy was a great contrast to Sting's heroism, and this match is proof of that.
Why this is a must-see match: Sting and Rude would fight each other for higher stakes than this, but this is an athletic and brutal encounter that cements both men as top tier professionals.
#9 Sting and Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk and the Great Muta--Halloween Havoc
During the late 1980s, the level of interest in pro wrestling hit a fever pitch. The rivalry between WWE and the NWA was also at its hottest level ever.
In order to compete, the NWA devised the Halloween Havoc pay per view and created a new steel cage match type; The Thunderdome. The main premise was that the cage would have a roof, and certain sections would be electrified.
Former rivals turned allies Sting and Nature Boy Ric Flair teamed up to face the international duo of Terry Funk and the Great Muta at the first-ever Halloween Havoc. This was over a decade before Hell in a Cell, and fans hadn't seen this type of cage match before so it was a real treat.
Why this is a must-see match: Ric Flair, Sting, Great Muta, and Terry Funk. 'Nuff said, but then you factor in the steel cage and the x-factor of Ole Anderson, and you have a pure classic.
#10. Sting vs. Triple H--Wrestlemania 31
When WCW lost the Monday Night War and was subsequently purchased by rival WWE, many fans rubbed their hands together in glee anticipating the talents who could now wrestle on Vince McMahon's show.
Chief among these was Sting himself, but alas, it was not meant to be. A combination of Sting's Christian moral code and his desire to recast himself as an actor rather than pro wrestler kept him out of the WWE for a long time.
Sting wound up wrestling for TNA/Impact for years, and while he did well in that role fans still felt cheated that Sting never laced up the boots in a WWE ring.
That moment finally came when Sting took on Triple H at Wrestlemania 31.
Why this is a must-see match: First of all, it's Sting's first and most likely only Wrestlemania appearance. Second, you have the NWO, Degeneration X, and two wily veterans finally locking horns and putting the Monday Night War to bed at last.
There you have it; Ten Sting matches wrestling fans must watch. What's your favorite memory of the Stinger? Please comment and let us know, and as always thanks for reading!
