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Text By Neil CathanWhat if...Sting Beat Hogan Clean at Starrcade '97?
Part I
Our story begins on the 28th of December, 1997, at WCW's annual flagship show, Starrcade, where the WCW roster has promised that the New World Order will finally get their comeuppance.
And after the blinding opener between Eddy Guerrero and Dean Malenko, WCW has its first chance to live up to its promise, when the Steiners and Ray Traylor battle Scott Norton, Vincent and Randy Savage of the nWo. Try though the nWo contingent may, they are overpowered, and it isn't too long before Virgil is dropped for the three count by a Steinerizer. Buff Bagwell's bout with Lex Luger goes a similar way, Lex dominating much of the match before putting Buff away with the Torture Rack. With Bret Hart refereeing the match and keeping the nWo at bay, Larry Zybysko is able to defeat Eric Bischoff for the WCW presidency. All of which is a fantastic revenge on the group that has run roughshod over WCW for a year and a half, but none of which is as important to the fans as the showdown a year in the making: Hollywood Hogan's world title defence against the man they call Sting.
Hogan struts arrogantly to the ring, air guitaring away on the title belt as ever. Sting, by contrast, simply walks to the ring, as though nothing exists in the world but his need to defeat Hogan. A little of the pride and confidence seems to leave Hogan, making room for fear as he stares at Sting, and the bat Sting brings with him, which he places down at the bottom of one turnbuckle. Hogan passes the belt to Nick Patrick, the nWo's dirty ref, who holds the prize both men will fight for high above his head, before passing it away, and calling for the bell.
The two icons pace the ring in a circle, looking for an opening. Hogan is the first to step forward, raising his hands for a test of strength. Sting raises his own, and they lock hands above their heads. The two push with all their strength, and Hogan begins to give ground to WCW's icon. Hogan opts to end the test by kicking Sting in the stomach, before wearing him down with a headlock. Sting powers out of this, however, bouncing Hogan against the ropes, before striking him with a powerful clothesline. Hogan finds his feet, only to be rewarded with another clothesline. He starts to rise again, but sees Sting waiting, and opts to roll outside the ring instead. Sting follows, but is tripped to the ground as he steps off the apron. As Sting attempts to stand, Hogan stands over him, raining punches across his back and head. Sting tries to fight back with elbows, but has his head slammed into the ringpost instead. Hogan whips Sting towards the guardrails by the next corner, but Sting is able to turn the whip around, sending Hogan crashing into them instead, before following him with his patented splash, crushing Hogan against the steel. Hogan is hurled violently back into the ring, before Sting enters by climbing the top turnbuckle, catching Hogan with a crossbody as he stands, getting a reluctant two from Nick Patrick. Sting pulls Hogan up by his head, only to be struck with a low blow that Nick Patrick pretends not to see, and sent into a corner. Hogan follows, propping Sting atop the turnbuckle, and delivering a superplex. With Sting down, Hogan hits the opposite ropes, and attempts his legdrop, only for Sting to roll away. As both men stand, Hogan's back is to Sting, a dangerous mistake which allows Sting to quickly score his Scorpion Deathdrop DDT. Sting covers, but Nick Patrick does not count the pin, sticking to his nWo loyalties.
Sting drops Patrick with a fierce clothesline, before going to his corner, and grabbing the baseball bat. Hogan stands, and is dropped by a shot between the eyes. The nWo arrive in force now, the entirety of their group turning up, with the exception of Hall and Nash. They storm the ring, only to be put down one by one by Sting bat shots. Numbers chip away at Sting though. Hope is on the horizon, however, as out come Lex Luger and Bret Hart, still in his referee's uniform. Luger and Sting begin to brawl with the assorted nWo members, giving Sting time to recover. The combined force of the three heroes is more than enough to clear the ring. Luger stands at the apron, watching for nWo member who may still try to enter, while Bret's continued presence in the stripes suggests he is taking over officiating duties for the match. Sting and Hogan brawl for a while, trading punches. Hogan kicks Sting in the gut to end the fist fight, and bounces him against the ropes, before going for his big boot. Sting ducks the boot, and as Hogan turns around, repays him the favour of a kick to the gut. This kick sets up a piledriver, Bret Hart looking on with approval at the crisp execution. Sting then drags Hogan to the centre of the ring, and places him in the Scorpion Deathlock. It isn't long before the cowardly Hogan is screaming in submission, and slapping the mat repeatedly with his hand to the joy of the crowd. Bret passes the belt to Sting, who holds it aloft. Elated, the WCW locker room swarms the ring, driving the nWo members from ringside, and crowding around Sting, celebrating him as their hero. Sting, however, pushes his way roughly through the throng of bodies, and walks silently up the ramp alone instead. He stops for a moment to stare at the prize he has won, before he steps behind the curtain and out of sight.
December 29th, 1997: WCW Monday Nitro
Nitro opens with the nWo crowding the ring, to cut one of their trademark group promos that so often start Nitro off. Randy Savage is the first to speak
"Ohh Yeah! Now I know all of you might think the New World Order might be pretty quiet after last night, yeah. But that ain't so! See, we're just gonna be coming up stronger than every before, and we're taking over! 1998 will be the beginning of the end, yeah! This war ain't even started yet!"
Scott Hall, who has been looking increasingly impatient and frustrated through Savage's speech, put a hand on his chest, pushing him back, and raising his own microphone.
"He's right. He can't win a match, can't none of them win a match, but he's right. You shouldn't get too comfortable. Especially not you, Sting. Because the bad guy's got himself a title shot he won at World War III. So enjoy all your little parties, boys. Drink to your champ Sting as much as you can, yo, because at Souled Out, I'm taking him out, and I'm taking his belt."
Hogan turns to Hall, a look of anger in his eyes
"Now, listen here, brother. I'm the leader of this group, and I'm the only one that's gonna get that title, jack."
It's Nash's turn to step forwards, looking Hogan in the eye.
"He's earned that shot. Don't forget who started this war, brother. This was me and Scott's fight first. We weren't even at Starrcade. You guys told us you had it in the bag, that you were gonna send them running. Well, we saw how that went, right Savage? Virgil? Scott? Buff? Eric? Hogan? Wait, that's right. You all got your asses kicked by the same guys me and Scott have had on the run for over a year now. So step aside, old man."
Hogan steps forward, pushing his forehead up against Nash's. The two stare angrily at each other, trash talking. Bischoff is quick to step forward and make peace, for the sake of keeping his unit together.
"Whoa! Whoa, guys, guys. Let's not forget who we are. We're nWo for life, right? We're all on the same side here. Look, let me think this out. I've always been the planner, right? We can fix this next week. I'll have it sorted by then, okay? Just, chill, okay?"
Hogan reluctantly steps away from Nash, who laughs, and turns back to face Scott Hall, grinning and shrugging his shoulders. The men named by him as losers look reproachfully at The Outsiders as the nWo all make their way up the ramp, The Outsiders hanging at the back, chatting to each other and joking.
Towards the end of the show, after its main event, we see Bret Hart walking down the corridor, dressed casually. Coming the opposite way is Lex Luger, who stops him briefly.
"Hey Bret, thanks for the help last night."
"No problem. I guess I just hate seeing someone else screwed out of the title."
"Yeah, I bet. Hey, we did pretty good against those chumps, right? Well, I don't care what they say, we're finally winning this war. You and me, we should team up and clean house on them. What do you say?"
"Sorry Lex. I'm just here to compete with the best. I don't care about the nWo. Just not my problem, you know? On which note, I gotta get to the ring. Got something to say."
"Right. Before you go, you seen Sting? Man's damn near impossible to find."
Bret laughs a little, asks Lex jokingly if he's "tried the rafters", and heads on in the direction he was headed.
It's not long before his music hits the speakers, and he makes his way down the ramp to the ring, soaking in the adoration of the crowd, microphone clutched in hand. He slides under the ropes, and begins to pace slowly. He waits for the crowd's noise to die down, then stands in the middle of the ring, and raises the microphone.
"It's great to be here in WCW! I've faced everyone back where I came from, I've beat everyone back where I came from, and now I'm here, there's new competition, new opponents, new titles, I can't wait! But there's just one thing. Just one little thing that bothers me. I get into that locker room tonight, and all I can hear is how someone's been talking trash about how I can't call myself the best there is, was, and ever will be. I look around to confront the little maggot who wants to talk behind my back, and what a coincidence, he ain't there. So, Ric! If you've got something to say to me, why don't you just come down here and say it?"
The crowd pop loudly at the prospect of Ric Flair coming down and facing Bret Hart, and they're not disappointed. Sure enough, the organ opening of Also Sprach Zarathustra comes across the speakers, and out comes Flair. Flair takes in the rapturous response to him as he heads to the ring. He stands across the ring from Bret, and extends a hand to take the microphone from him. Bret passes it over willingly, and Flair gives his response.
"Bret Hart! Wooo! The best there is, was and ever...but you can't really believe that, can you? You want me to say what I have to say to your face? Well, okay, here it is. You can say you're better than Harley Race. You can say you're better than Lou Thesz. You can say you're better than Ricky Steamboat, than Wahoo McDaniel, than whoever you damn well please! You can even believe it, if you want to! But you cannot say, you cannot believe, not even in your wildest dreams, that you are the best. Not when I'm right here in the ring with you. You want to prove you're the best?"
Bret snatches the microphone away from him, and interrupts
"I don't just want to prove I'm the best. I want to prove I'm the man. Which I guess means I'm going to have to beat the man."
Flair grabs the mic back from him, and quietly utters
"You're on. You and me, at Souled Out. I'm gonna show you why I'm the man around here."
Flair extends his hand to Bret, who grasps it. The two shake hands, and we can see each of them stare the other in the eye. The announcement that these two men in the ring, arguably the best two wrestlers in the world, will face each other at Souled Out on the 24th of January is how the last Nitro of 1997 ends.
January 5th, 1998: WCW Monday Nitro
Following a cruiserweight battle that saw Billy Kidman pick up a win over Rey Misterio Jr., we cut backstage to see Eric Bischoff in his office. The door is shoved open without warning, and in strides Kevin Nash. Nash would loom over Bischoff when the two were both standing. With Nash on his feet, and Bischoff off his, to say there is an intimidating size advantage to Nash would be to say the ocean is wet. Bischoff looks puzzled at Nash's sudden arrival, but Nash gives an explanation before one is asked of him.
"I'm just coming here to make sure you do right by my boy Scott tonight. Because if you don't, I'm going to have to pay you another visit."
His point made, Nash doesn't bother waiting for a response, simply turning his back on Bischoff and leaving.
Later in the show, Lex Luger makes his way to the ring, holding a microphone, evidently with something to say. He steps between the ropes, and wastes no time in speaking his mind.
"Sting! I'm tired of looking for you! Show yourself! I've got things to say to you!"
As if in answer, the lights go out all over the arena. A light then illuminates the ring, showing Lex Luger standing in the middle of it, looking puzzled. Another light then comes on, lighting up a section of the rafters, where Sting stands, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship secured firmly around his waist, and a microphone in his hand. Luger faces towards the figure in the rafters.
"I'm tired of you acting like you're better than the rest of us, Sting! When you beat Hogan, in a match you would have lost if didn't have your back, we all came out to celebrate you because you'd done it. Just like we knew you would. You'd dealt the biggest blow to the nWo. But you shoved me, your oldest friend in this business, aside. What, do you think you're better than me? You needed me that night, Sting. You wouldn't be wearing that gold if it wasn't for me."
Sting raises his microphone to his mouth, eliciting a huge pop from the live crowd, this would be the first time in a year that he had spoken.
"I stand above and watch. I stand separate from the nWo. I stand separate from the rest of WCW. I stand here because you and the others would not trust me. Because you saw me as another one of Hogan's lackeys. And now you ask me why I didn't join your party? Because the sheer hypocrisy made me sick. You make me sick, Lex."
Luger looks enraged, and raises his microphone to respond, only for the lights to go out again. They all come back on, and Sting is gone from his perch, forcing Luger to settle for storming angrily from the ring.
The end of the show sees the nWo crowd the ring. There's an obvious tension within the group, as Hogan and Savage shoot angry looks at The Outsiders, who are lounging in a corner, watching Bischoff with cool disinterest. Bischoff stand in the middle of the group, and says his piece.
"Now, since last week, I've thought about what has been said. Hogan has made an impressive leader as champion. The nWo has been massively successful during his title runs, and it stands to reason it will do if he has the gold again." The crowd boo the Hogan praise, while Hogan plays it up, a man with an obviously high opinion of himself. He steps forward and tells Bischoff
"You made the right choice, brother, putting me against Sting at Souled Out."
Nash and Hall step forward angrily towards Hogan, drawing Randy Savage to Hogan's side to even the numbers up. Bischoff once again has to try and keep the peace.
"Hold on a damn minute! I'm not done yet. Hall has won a title shot. Hall started this war, and him and Nash have been kicking WCW's ass since they got here. So here's how it is. Neither of you are getting a shot at Souled Out."
The crowd cheer the news, while Hogan and Savage look outraged, and The Outsiders listen to here the 'but' that must be coming.
"But instead, Hogan, you will face Hall at Souled Out, with the winner being the first member of the nWo to challenge Sting. Now, since you're both team mates in the New World Order, I want you two to shake hands, and agree to this match, okay?"
Hogan extends his hand to Hall, which Hall slaps carelessly, before turning his back on Hogan to leave the ring. Hogan is enraged at the disrespect, and takes a furious step forward, only for Nash to stand in his way
"Wait until Souled Out, brother."
Nash backs off, watching Hogan, before following Hall up the ramp, as Nitro comes to an end.
January 12th, 1998: WCW Monday Nitro
Randy Savage beats Ray Traylor in a match early on in this week's edition of Nitro. He is walking through the curtain when Nash confronts him. Savage asks
"What do you want?"
"Don't know why, but I know you've been brown-nosing Hogan more than usual these days. And if you try to screw my boy Scott over at Souled Out, I'll make sure it's the last thing you do."
"What's with all this 'my boy' crap, Nash? What do you get out of it? What's your angle? I know you, you've got to have an angle."
"My angle is a watch his back, and he watches mine. Thought we were all meant to be watching each other's backs. But then, while me and Scott were watching Hogan's, he goes and buries a knife in Scott's by trying to step over him for the title. Scott's taking care of Hogan at Souled Out. If you stick a knife in mine or Scott's, we'll make sure you get the same treatment. Just wanted you to know, stay the hell away from their match at Souled Out."
Nash turns and walks carelessly away from Savage, who fumes silently.
Luger is backstage with Mean Gene Okerlund, who has a question for him.
"Luger, what's your response to Sting's words last week?"
"I'm angry, Gene, I'm real angry. I could tell you, but I've never been a words man. I'd prefer to show Sting at Souled Out. He can put the title on the line if he wants to. What I want is for him to put his damn pride on the line. What I really want is for him to come down from his damn perch, and actually fight me, if he'll condescend to that."
Later on in the show, and the ring is set up for a contract signing between Ric Flair and Bret Hart. Flair turns up dressed in a sharp navy blue suit, and walks proudly to the ring, marking a distinct contrast from Bret, who turns up wearing a leather jacket over a white t-shirt, with his trademark reflective sunglasses on. He slouches in the chair opposite Flair. Mean Gene, who is stood between them, hands Flair the contract. He signs it, never taking his eyes off of Bret. Bret pulls it away from him, and lazily signs his name on the contract, before tossing it back onto the table. Flair looks livid at the disrespect Bret is showing him, and slaps him across the face, the sound echoing around the arena.
"Goddamn you! You will show some respect when you are around a legend such as myself! This is my home, you're just an uninvited and unwanted guest, you little punk!"
Bret's response is to push his chair slowly backwards, and stand, a red welt still marking where Flair slapped him. Bret tells Flair to "make me respect you next Saturday", before leaving the ring.
January 19th, 1998: WCW Monday Nitro
Eric Bischoff stands outside Hollywood Hogan's locker room. He knocks on the door, and waits a few moments before Hogan opens it and answers him.
"Hey brother. What's up?"
"Just letting you know I got you and Hall a match together tonight.""Can't me and Scott wait until Saturday?"
"Not against each other, Hulk. Together. As a team. I figure Luger's run his mouth enough since Starrcade about how he wants a war with us, about how we're dead, about how we have no chance. I figure you and Scott can warm up for Saturday by taking out him and his partner, if he still has any friends left to be his partner."
Hogan looks frustrated. "Shouldn't have done it, Eric. I don't much want to see that punk."
Bischoff shrugs "Can't be helped. It's done now."
Hogan sighs, and shuts the door on Bischoff's face.
Later on in the show, and Mean Gene Okerlund is backstage with Ric Flair.
"You might wonder why I asked for this interview, huh, Mean Gene?"
"I was curious, I'll admit."
"Well, Gene, you see, it's like this. Lex Luger has to find himself a partner for tonight, and I'm here to say that that man is me. Now Lex, it's nothing personal. I don't want to be your new best friend now Sting won't return your calls. Don't get me wrong, I got no love for Hogan, and Hall's nothing but a no good punk! But it's not about you! And it's not about them! It's about Saturday night, baby! Woo! Because I'm the best wrestler in the world, but on Saturday night, at Souled Out, I go one-on-one with the second best wrestler in the world! And if he's just real lucky that night, he's going to look like he's better than me. And that just ain't true! So tonight is about having a match to warm me up for Bret on Saturday. I'll see you three in the ring, woooo!"
Flair struts away from Mean Gene, ending the interview.
Hall and Nash are warming up in their locker room when Bischoff walks in. Hall throws Bischoff a lazy look.
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"Just letting you know you've got a match with Hogan tonight. Together. As a team. I figure Luger's run his mouth enough since Starrcade about how he wants a war with us, about how we're dead, about how we have no chance. I figure you and Hogan can warm up for Saturday by taking out him and Flair."
Nash smirks at Hall "That sounded rehearsed to me."
Hall grins back "Yeah. Sounds like he'd been preparing it for a while."
"You'd think he could come up with something better, given that he put time into it."
"Yeah, I was pretty disappointed."
Hall seems to notice that Bischoff is still standing there.
"What are you still doing there? Yeah, I'll do the match. Run along now."
Angry, Bischoff opens his mouth to speak, but thinks better of it, and heads out, slamming the door behind him on his way out.
The time of the match comes around as the main event for the night. Kevin Nash and Randy Savage each stand in the nWo's corner. Commentator Mike Tenay tells the audience viewing at home that Luger vs Sting for the title has been confirmed for this Saturday. Flair and Hall start off, circling each other. Hall slaps Ric across the face, then tag himself out, and Hogan in, before Flair can look to repay the favour. Hogan doesn't look much pleased at being sent in to receive Flair's wrath, but has no time to argue with Hall, as as soon as he's stepped through the ropes, Flair starts lighting his chest up with chops. Hogan is pressed into his corner, where Hall puts his hands up, making no offer of tagging Hogan out. Flair whips Hogan into another corner, and proceeds to work on his leg. Hogan fights back with punches, causing the pair to trade shots in the middle of the ring. Eventually, Hogan throws a right with such force as to send Flair staggering backwards several steps. Flair and Hogan both seek to make up the distance by charging in with a clothesline. Both connect, and both men go down, and head towards their corners for a tag. Flair reaches Luger, but Hall drops from the apron to talk to Nash, making Hogan unable to tag him. Luger closes in on Hogan, and bodyslams him, before slapping on a chinlock. Savage argues with Hall, telling him to get back up on the apron,which he obliges, standing on the apron, putting a toothpick into his mouth and lounging casually against the turnbuckle. Hogan powers out of the chinlock, and starts to throw elbows into Luger's midsection, then throw punches once Luger is doubled over. Luger stunned, Hogan turns around and slaps Hall across the face to make the tag. Hall steps in, clotheslines Luger down, and heads back to his corner to spit his toothpick in Hogan's face. Hogan tries to step into the ring, but Charles Robinson stands in his way, telling him to go back to their corner. Hall uses the distraction to give the rising Luger a low blow. Hall works Luger over for some time now, while Flair and Hogan both fume on the apron. Luger starts to make a comeback, and throws forearms at Hall. Each forearm makes him take a step backwards, and Luger drives away with the forearms, too focused on getting revenge to notice he's driving Hall back into his own corner. Even with Hall in the same corner as Hogan, and taking this beating, however, Hogan doesn't help him out by tagging in, Hogan putting hands up, mirroring Hall's refusal to help Hogan against Flair. Hall uses a thumb to the eye to interrupt Luger, and then throws a punch to send him staggering. Just as Hall has things back in hand, Hogan slaps Hall on the back, bringing himself back into the match. Hogan and Luger brawl for a while, the action working its way close to the ropes, at which point Luger lariats Hogan with enough force to send them both tumbling over the top rope, landing near Randy Savage. Luger has landed atop Hogan, and is raining punches onto the helpless Hogan, causing Savage to step in and attack Luger. Charles Robinson calls for the bell to end the match on a disqualification. Flair steps back into the ring, and starts to brawl with Hall, who he still hasn't paid back for the slap across the face at the start. Nash storms the ring to help his friend out. Sting drops down on his harness from the rafters, detaches himself from them, and proceeds to go after Savage and Hogan, evening out the odds for Luger. Bret like wise storms the ring to help Flair fight off the Outsiders. The ring and ringside area quickly break into a wild brawl, during which Hogan draws a steel chair from under the ring, and downs his fellow nWo member, and opponent on Saturday, Scott Hall with it. It is on this chaos that the final Nitro before Souled Out ends.
January 24th, 1998: Souled Out
The first match of the triple main event at Souled Out is the clash between Scott Hall and Hollywood Hogan over number one contendership. Predictably, Kevin Nash walks to the ring with Scott Hall, while Randy Savage accompanies Hollywood Hogan. Scott Hall uses his wrestling proficiency to keep Hogan from building up momentum at the start of the match. Hogan is able to power out, and start to build up steam, however. Hall is able to cut off the beating with a thumb to the eyes, which draws a similar cheap shot from Hogan. The two begin to brawl in the ring, an exchange which ends when Scott Hall is able to superplex Hogan. Hall hoists Hogan up onto his back for the Outsider's Edge, only for Hogan to drop off, landing on his feet behind Hall. Hogan dazes Hall with punches, before hitting the ropes for a clothesline. As he does, however, Nash grabs his legs, tripping him, and causing him to stumble forwards. Hall takes advantage of Hogan's loss of balance to kick him in the gut, and deliver the Outsider's Edge successfully this time. He lies across Hogan for the pin, only for Savage to roll in and break it up by landing a running kick on Hall. Nash slides into the ring, and begins brawling with Savage, as Charles Robinson is left with no choice but to call for the bell. The ring announcer calls out that the match has been ruled a no-contest due to interference.
Next up is Bret Hart's wrestling dŽbut with WCW, against Ric Flair. Flair is angry at the lack of respect Bret has shown him, and it shows, as the match starts off with a flurry of vicious knife edge chops. After the initial surprise, Bret is able to return with forearms of his own, which stagger Flair. Bret comes charging in with a clothesline, only for Flair to duck, and clip Bret's knees out from behind once Bret has run past him. Flair proceeds to work Bret's left leg, keeping him grounded and setting him up for the figure four later on. Bret is able to reach the ropes while in a leg lock, and Flair is forced to break the hold. Bret reaches his feet, and the two circle each other, Bret obviously favouring his right leg. The two tie up, and Bret is able to slip behind and execute a back drop suplex, bridging for a two count. Bret pulls Flair up, and scores a backbreaker. As Flair lies on his front on the mat, Bret drops an elbow onto his back. Not letting up his assault on Flair's back, Bret drags him to the turnbuckle, and sets him up for a superplex. As the two jockey for position on the top rope, Flair thumbs Bret in the eye, giving him enough opportunity to kick him off the top rope to the apron. Flair waits for Bret to regain his feet, and flies through the air with a crossbody, hitting Bret with the manoeuvre, much to the shock of Mike Tenay. It only gets a two count, however. Flair sets to wear Bret down with a front face lock, which initiates a series of reversals on the ground. Both men stand from their chain wrestling clinic on the ground, and circle each other warily. Bret lunges in for the tie up, only for Flair to duck under his arms, and hook Bret's leg out from under him. Flair drags Bret away from the ropes by the leg, and sets to apply the Figure Four. Bret is able to leverage himself forwards, however, grabbing Flair by the head, and pulling him into a roll-up. Charles Robinson dives to the mat, and makes the count: 1, 2, 3! Both men stand as Bret's music plays, and Flair paces away from Bret, running a hand through his hair and looking frustrated at the loss, as Bret raises his arms and heads up the ramp.
Which leaves only Sting and Luger left on the card. Their match is a straightforward back and forth exchange of power moves, each taking the best the other has to offer. Eventually, Sting is able to score the Scorpion Deathdrop, and cover Luger for the three count. After the match, Luger offers Sting a handshake, only for Sting to walk silently away from him with the World Title over his shoulder.
To be continued...
