What if Hulk Hogan had refused to join the nWo?

4. Sting vs. Hogan at Starrcade 1996

Sting and Hogan headlined Starrcade 1997 but easily could have main evented a year earlier.

WCW wound up building to a huge showdown between Sting and Hulk Hogan at Starrcade 1997, including over a year of intrigue as Sting isolated himself, cast off his trademark bright colours, and teased even joining the nWo. In the end, his serious Crow-inspired character was a perfect foil for Hogan’s big heel personality, and even though the blow-off match didn’t deliver, the rivalry leading up to it was iconic.

Had Sting taken the mantle of nWo leader instead of Hogan, there’s reason to believe WCW still would have tried to cash in on Hogan’s stature by booking this match. The intriguing difference is that Sting would have walked in the heel, Hogan the hero defending WCW.

It would be interesting to see if Hogan’s popularity would have surged standing opposite a cool heel version of Sting, or if that might have been the final nail in the coffin for the Hulkster as the face of WCW.