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Sting is one of the biggest icons in the history of wrestling, but one of the most interesting dimensions of his legacy is that he built it almost entirely outside the WWE umbrella.
Sting was a defining and steadfast star of WCW. After WWE bought its longtime competition, Sting didn’t follow suit with every other star close to his caliber, who wound up for at least a stint in WWE. He spent most of the decade to follow, and the last of his full time wrestling years with Impact Wrestling. Finally, he came to WWE only to tie a bow on his career, mainly with a WrestleMania match and a Hall of Fame induction.
But what if history had gone down differently? Like most top guys, it’s fair to presume Sting always would have run out his big money Time Warner contract before signing with WWE. It’s not unrealistic that he could have wound up in WWE in 2002, though. This article speculates what may have been had he made that choice.
#5 Sting vs. The Undertaker
Sting vs. The Undertaker is the defining dream match that never happened for a generation of wrestling fans. The two men her stalwart, iconic stars for their respective companies, not to mention that the Crow and Dead Man gimmicks had their dark parallels.
We conceivably could have gotten The Icon vs. The Phenom at WrestleMania 31, but WWE probably made the right call in booking Sting against Triple H in a match with fewer shades of gray and more chance of being good for The Game’s mobility at that point relative to The Undertaker.
Had Sting signed in 2002, though, we can rest assured WWE would have cashed in on this dream match. Maybe it would have meant Sting going against The Big Evil heel biker incarnation of The Undertaker. Otherwise, it may have been the face vs. face encounter fans tend to imagine.
#4 Impact Wrestling doesn’t make it
Jeff Jarrett was a co-founder and perhaps the wrestler most synonymous with the Impact brand. AJ Styles was the top home grown star, and Kurt Angle May have been the company’s biggest score. There’s a real argument, however, that in its formative years, Sting was Impact’s most important star.
While he was past his prime, Sting was nonetheless still ready to go as a full-time wrestler for most of his Impact tenure. His star power was crucial in securing TV deals, advertisers, and investors because he was one of wrestling’s most recognizable figures, and certainly the cream of the crop of guys who weren’t working for WWE.
Impact has survived a lot and it’s a surprise to plenty of critics that they’re still around today, well over 15 years after launching. Change a few key pieces of company history, though, and they may have had to close up shop. Sting never signing because he went to WWE May have ruined Impact’s prospects.
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#3 The InVasion 2.0
The InVasion was an infamously poor angle that saw WWE squander first-time dream matches and the unique intrigue of WWE’s top stars squaring off with WCW’s. One of the cardinal flaws of the story was the absence of WCW’s biggest stars beside a select few guys like Booker T and Diamond Dallas Page.
After the InVasion angle wrapped up at Survivor Series 2001, Ric Flair debuted as an authority figure. He was followed by the New World Order, and the next year and change would see Scott Steiner and Goldberg make their way to the WWE locker room, too.
Sting arriving in 2002 could have marked a turning point for WWE to have tried a program centered on WCW invading again. It’s tough to say if things would have worked out any better the second time around, but it could have been interesting to see, and probably wouldn’t have been any worse.
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#2 Sting vs. Vince McMahon
In the aftermath of the Attitude Era, Vince McMahon transitioned from an authority figure who fought most of his battles by proxy to more of a part-time wrestler in his own right. Over the years to follow, he would have major feuds with talent including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Bobby Lashley.
Sting would have been the caliber of star McMahon worked within the ring during that era. Moreover, there would have been a natural story to tell about Sting representing WCW opposite McMahon as the chairman of WWE, paying off years of leadership roles on opposite sides of the Monday Night War.
This match probably wouldn’t have been great from a purist’s perspective but could have been a fun enough spectacle, perhaps inviting a scene similar to Sting’s match with Triple H at WrestleMania 32, complete with extensive outside interference.
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#1 Sting vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania
On one hand, Sting vs. Ric Flair happened a lot in WCW, and by 2002, both men were past their primes. On the other hand, WWE is all about making moments, celebrating nostalgia, and cashing in on big money match scenarios.
Had Sting signed with WWE in 2002, Flair vs. Sting may well have been a special attraction WrestleMania match, booked only once under the WWE banner. Perhaps we would see the added bells and whistles of the loser having to retire, and more than likely Arn Anderson and other Horsemen might have gotten involved in at least the build to the match. Whatever the case, this bout would likely have felt like a fitting coda to their storied rivalry and indeed WCW on the whole.
Instead, by the time Sting did sign with WWE, Flair had already retired.
The guys played out what was left of their story on the more paltry stage of Impact Wrestling packed into the background of another program between Sting and Hulk Hogan.
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