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Wrestling legend Sting has had a variety of different looks over the years. Here's a look at his evolution.
#1 The Beginning of the Stinger: Powerteam USA
When Sting made his debut, he lacked any kind of facepaint or even a real gimmick. As part of Powerteam USA, his gimmick was he was a muscle-bound athlete from Venice Beach, California. He let his manager do most of the talking.
Quickly, Sting and frequent partner Rock -- Jim "Warrior" Hellwig -- stood out as the true talent of the group. They soon formed their own tag team and ditched the other members of Powerteam USA.
#2 The Blade Runners
After leaving Powerteam USA, Sting and Hellwig became the Blade Runners. Their look and antics were meant to mirror the Road Warriors, who were arguably the most popular tag team in wrestling at the time.
Managed by Dutch Mantell, and then Eddie Gilbert, the team didn't last a full year before disbanding. Hellwig went to WCCW, and Sting joined the UWF before transitioning to Jim Crockett's NWA.
It was in the NWA where Sting's legend truly began.
#3 Sting's debut in the NWA
When Sting debuted in 1987 for the NWA, gone was the bleak, new wave facepaint and heel persona. This Sting dressed in bright colours, painted his face wildly, and had a laid-back 'surfer dude' mentality.
Sting was an instant hit with the fans, from his "OWWWWW!" shouts to his Stinger Splash. He was still evolving into a complete wrestler in the ring, but he had picked up a great deal by working with legends like Ric Flair.
And speaking of Ric Flair...
#4 Sting says Ric Flair made him at Clash of the Champions
Sting was such a sensation that JC Productions wanted him pushed to the main event level quickly. Ric Flair cautioned against such a move, saying Sting was still too green and needed refinement.
The two worked out a compromise, where Sting would make a run for the NWA Heavyweight title held by Flair, but not quite pull off the upset win. Sting and Flair main evented the first Clash of the Champions, which was a free show meant to compete with Wrestlemania.
Clash was a huge hit, and Sting became a household name. Though it would be years before Sting would actually beat Flair for the title, the match cemented his status as a main event talent.
#5 His first World Title
Sting was poised to take the belt from Flair in 1989, when injury struck at Clash of the Champions. Sting tried to climb into a cage, but landed awkwardly and tore his knee badly.
After being kept out of action due to the surgery -- and a much ballyhooed, much-ridiculed team up with Robocop -- Sting finally got his chance at Flair for the NWA World Championship. In order to keep the Horsemen from interfering, as they had countless times in the past, Sting's friends were spread around ringside, and Ole Anderson was handcuffed to seven foot El Gigante/Giant Gonzales.
Sting finally captured the title in a brutal contest that left both men battered and bruised -- just look at the Stinger's chest! Those are Ric's hand prints emblazoned upon his scarlet skin.
Sting cemented his status as an icon, and one of the greatest of all time with his championship win.
Then a little phenomenon called the nWo appeared, and Sting radically altered his look once more...
#6 The Advent of "Crow" Sting
In 1996, Eric Bischoff had a problem; Sting was the most widely loved babyface in WCW, and the company really couldn't stand to lose him. However, Sting had already used up all of his wrestling appearances for the year.
Strapped for cash because of huge money hires like Hall, Nash, and Savage, Bischoff came up with what is often referred to as the "Crow" Sting gimmick, so called for its resemblance to Brandon Lee's character in the namesake movie.
Sting hung out in the rafters, and rarely spoke. Part of this was to build mystery as to whose side he was on -- WCW or nWo. But it was also to conceal the fact that the wrestler Steve Borden was actually sitting at home! Body doubles were used for many of Sting's appearances.
When the year was up, Sting was available to compete again -- but the angle had picked up so much interest and momentum that it was kept going. Sting came out as the dark vigilante who regularly disrupted the nWo's schemes, culminating in his victory over Hollywood Hogan at Starrcade 97.
Sting would undergo another change a year later...
#7 nWo Wolfpack Sting
Eventually, the nWo split into two factions; the original nWo led by Hogan, and nWo Wolfpac, which consisted of Nash, Sting, Konnan, Luger, and Randy Savage.
Sting started speaking again, and donned a new red and black makeup. Some critics say Sting looked like a big tomato, while others liked the new look. In any event, it didn't last long as Sting was soon on the shelf due to an injury.
#8 The final Nitro
In 2001, Vince McMahon finally ended the Monday Night war by buying out his competition. Sting and Flair had both been on the shelf with injuries, but returned for the final Monday Nitro for one last, great contest.
Sting donned his 'crow' makeup for the last time in WCW to bid a fond farewell to the house many say he and Flair built. It was a bittersweet moment in both their careers, and Sting picking his 'crow' makeup meant he believed that was his most iconic look.
But Sting's story doesn't end here... he had another transformation to make.
#9 TNA Champion at 47
Though Sting made a few sporadic appearances for TNA, he didn't really join the roster full time until 2006. Originally, Sting was meant to be a special attraction and work a limited schedule, but when he made his return to the ring, he impressed everyone so much he was ultimately made the world champion.
Sting's look in this era seemed to combine all aspects of his previous personas -- red and black makeup, a decorated robe a-la Surfer Sting, and his trademark bat. The fans chanted "You've still got it!" enthusiastically to his exploits.
Sting was in his late forties during this run, and while his work was impressive for any wrestler of any age, he knew he was slowing down. He made yet another change to his look and character...
#10 The "Joker" Sting
In 2012, Sting's work for TNA had become mostly an ambassadorship, with few in-ring appearances. However, the company still wanted him to have a strong television presence. Going back to the proven adage of ripping off Hollywood, Sting debuted his 'joker' gimmick, based heavily on Heath Ledger's character from The Dark Knight.
This iteration of Sting is perhaps the least popular. While Sting tried his best, his over the top antics came across as more forced than insane. Thankfully, this chapter didn't last too long.
But Sting would change one final time...
#11 Sting's first, and only, Wrestlemania appearance
Hell finally froze over, and Sting actually did wrestle for WWE!
After years of turning down millions of dollars -- mostly because of the WWE's focus on sex and lewd content, which went against his Christian faith, Sting finally agreed to work for WWE. The company's new PG centric era was most likely what made him change his mind, or perhaps he didn't want to retire without having wrestled on the biggest stage of all -- Wrestlemania.
Sting took on Triple H in his first, and only WrestleMania. For this match, he came out as a toned down version of his TNA persona, and used a remix of his WCW theme song which seemed to hint at a kabuki heritage.
Sting has changed many times over his career, but one thing has always remained -- the love for the man under the make up. Sting is arguably the biggest star of the 1990s, just as Flair was the biggest star of the 1980s and John Cena is the biggest star of the 2000s. Thanks, Stinger, for so many great memories!
Here are a few bonus avatars of the Icon himself from the various movies and shows he's been a part of:
