83 Weeks - Sting's 1998 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today on 83 Weeks we’re going to be discussing Sting’s 1998.

Before we do, Eric, can you believe that Sting turned 63 years old on March 20th (yesterday?)? This guy went from being retired and not medically cleared to work in the WWE to jumping off balconies and going through 4 tables for AEW. Do you think this is how Sting envisioned his career coming to an end?

Sting begins 1998 as coming out of Starrcade as World Champion after the finish between him, Hulk Hogan, Nick Patrick and Bret Hart and if you haven’t already make sure you go check out in the Archives at AdFreeShows.com or youtube.com/83weeks the classic Conrad - Eric discussion…argument…whatever you want to call it about the finish if you haven’t already.

As we begin 1998 for Sting - do you have no confidence in him at this point as World Champion?

Meltzer would say this, “It would be a great phrase to say that 16 months of work was exposed about halfway through Sting's walk down the aisle and before he ever got in the ring. The mythical super hero turned human right before the fans' very eyes. It wasn't as if it was a bad wrestling match that did it, although the match itself was bad. But you could see the big initial pop after all the hype and special effects didn't even last until Sting made it to the ring. The match itself was a struggle.”

Would you agree with that?

Thunder is set to debut in early 1998. Is Sting slotted to be a big part of that launch?

WCW debuts at the Georgia Dome on the first Nitro in 98 and Sting isn’t seen until the end of the episode where he comes to help Lex Luger fight off the nWo. Once the chase is all over for Sting and he becomes champion - how do you find a way to keep the character going?

Was that an issue?

The debut episode of Thunder features JJ Dillon announcing the WCW World Title is vacant because of what’s happened and it’ll be decided at SuperBrawl between Hulk & Sting. Why skip Souled Out and push it back to SuperBrawl?

Is Hulk not excited to work Sting again?

Do you talk to Sting and be like, “Hey pal, make sure you get a tan!”

Is Sting’s ring work after being out for a year still not up to par?

Souled Out ends with Lex Luger vs. Randy Savage on top and the nWo attacks and Sting saves and the show goes off the air with Sting having Hogan in the Scorpion Deathlock. Are there any issues or signs of issues with Sting at the time?

Sting vs. Hogan isn’t dead by any means. The company sets a crowd and gate record for a non-televised event in Boston at the Fleet Center getting 18,134 paid for $325,154 with Hulk vs. Sting in a Cage as the main event. It’s also the first ever Internet pay-per-listen event as well. You really were on the cutting edge of everything weren’t you?

Sting gets the win after both bleed (Meltzer speculates that both got away with blading against company policy) with Randy Savage mis interference and a reverse DDT. It’s reported that Hogan got a better reaction than Sting in terms of a crowd pop. Was the crow Sting losing its luster once the bell rang as Bruce likes to say?

The numbers come in for Starrcade according to the Observer and it’s quite impressive. When you compare Starrcade 96 with Hogan vs. Piper to Starrcade 97 with Hogan vs. Sting…let’s break it down Eric:

Estimated average attendance 12/96 3,911*

Estimated average attendance 12/97 7,649 (+95.6%)

Estimated average gate 12/96 $48,165*

Estimated average gate 12/97 $138,837 (+188.3%)

Average cable television rating 12/96 2.3

Average cable television rating 12/97 2.4 (+4.3%)

Major show 12/96: Starrcade (9,030 sellout/8,327 paid/$113,049/est. 0.95 buy rate/est. $2.85 million)

Major show 12/97: Starrcade (17,500 sellout/16,052 paid/$543,000/est. 1.90 buy rate/est. $6.85 million)

That’s a 100% increase in buy rate and 150% increase in overall revenue. Do you attribute that just to Sting?

The entrances for Sting keep getting higher and higher as at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio Sting is in the main event against Randy Savage and he comes down from about 40 stories high. Did Sting ever bring up any issues with these high up places?

It’s reported in the Observer that coming off of Mike Tyson being announced for WrestleMania there was a negotiation that went nowhere to get Evander Holyfield to referee Sting vs. Hogan at SuperBrawl in the Cow Palace. Any truth to that that you remember?

On Nitro from El Paso a classic angle where the nWo drops a net on Sting and Luger and they beat the shit out of them to give Sting a weakness going into Superbrawl. It was time to go back to old school heat for Sting as working from underneath instead of this superhuman character right?

From the Observer regarding SuperBrawl: “J.J. Dillon came out for an interview and said that no charges had ever been brought against Nick Patrick and after reviewing the tapes they saw no evidence of wrongdoing and he was reinstated. Patrick still acted like a heel even though he kissed Gene Okerlund and hugged Dillon. Patrick then acted like he was going to ref the main event, but Dillon said he wasn't going to ref the main event. Then Patrick wanted to find out about his back pay. The original plan here was to get a famous lawyer from the most famous trial in recent history involved who would show up at the PPV and legally "bully" Dillon into reinstating Patrick for the main event rather than Dillon having to basically reverse positions with no logical reason at all (other then the logic of Patrick never fast counting in the first place). Johnnie Cochran was the first choice, but when that didn't materialize, they completed a deal for Robert Shapiro (I'm not making this up). Anyway, a few days before the show, Shapiro must have been talking with someone about doing it and the person told Shapiro how associating with pro wrestling would affect his image so he backed out at the last minute, leaving WCW with no way to transition angle A to angle C. After Shapiro nixed the deal, WCW made a last-ditch attempt to get Cochran, who claimed to have liked the idea and would have been willing to do it, but darn those previous commitments.”

What could’ve been right Eric?

I have a feeling Eric you & Conrad will be covering this SuperBrawl show next year but in regards to the main event:

“10. Sting regained the vacant WCW title beating Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) in 16:32. Since Hogan books his own programs, it was no doubt his own insistence to swerve people at the last minute. But since he was doing the job, he dominated virtually the entire match. The negative of that is his offense is beyond bad. Match was saved by having a very good storyline. Sting missed the Stinger splash on the floor and crashed into the guard rail. But back in the ring, Sting used a Stinger splash and got the scorpion on, but Hogan made the ropes. Sting went for another Stinger splash, but ref Charles Robinson got caught in the middle and that was the end of him. Of course Patrick came running down, while Hogan legdropped Sting. Patrick counted and Sting kicked out. Hogan got mad at Patrick for not counting fast. Hogan started throwing punches and Patrick stopped Hogan from throwing them. Most of the rest of the match saw Hogan go for pins, not get them, and argue with Patrick about them. Finally Sting made the superman comeback with two Stinger splashes and went for the reverse DDT. On the way down, Hogan kicked Patrick, who went down. At this point the NWO stooge squad of Konnan, Norton, Bagwell and Vincent ran out, with Sting taking them all out. While this was going on, Savage hit the ring and KO'd Hogan with a spray can. Patrick revived and counted as Sting pinned Hogan. Hogan sold the blow for several minutes allowing Sting to spray paint "WCW" on Hogan's back as the show went off the air. 1/2*”

Is this the finish that should’ve been at Starrcade in hindsight?

Uncensored is announced as Sting defending his title against Scott Hall. Coming off the big show like SuperBrawl and coming a couple weeks before Mike Tyson will be in the main event of WrestleMania between Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels - do you feel like the show is destined to go down just by circumstance?

Nitro sets its all-time record with a 5.1 rating and a 7.49 share for a 3 hour share running unopposed since Raw is off on February 16th. The main between Luger & Sting against Hogan & Savage gets a 5.5 rating. I feel like it’s lost that WCW in the beginning of 1998 - even though you’d have the 83 Week streak broken in a couple of months - that the company was so red hot it was ridiculous…do you agree with that?

Sting teams with Randy Savage as Savage has begun his split from the nWo against Hall & Hogan in a main event of Nitro is billed as the first time a WCW wrestler and nWo wrestler teamed up with each other but there is little to no crowd heat. Is it tough to get a reaction for the babyfaces here?

Another record is set on a Nitro when Sting, the Giant & Randy Savage team up to take on The Outsiders & Hulk Hogan has 4,188,000 homes watching. Even with the crowd reaction being down, TV ratings being up is certainly a good thing for a television company right?

The SuperBrawl PPV comes out and it’s good for a 1.1 buy rate.

It’s reported in the Observer that Sting is scheduled to start back on the road in late April. What goes into making that decision? Is it you, talent, or collectively?

At Uncensored Sting gets the win - clean as a sheet - over Scott Hall but it’s not in the main event as it’s underneath Hogan vs. Savage. What say you in regards to the World Title not being in the main event?

The next night on Nitro in Panama City Sting comes down from a helicopter after you make the mention that there’s no rafters to be coming out of. Where does this idea come from or who’s idea was it?

I bring this up Eric because Sting recently wrote an article for the Players Tribune and really everyone should go out of their way to read it as it’s really great. But he brings this up directly and then says this, “This time we’re in Panama Beach for a special Spring Break edition of Nitro, and there’s no rafters. There’s no roof. They put on the whole show at an outdoor beach club, right in the middle of all the Spring Break madness. So there’s no way that Sting is coming down from the heavens to haunt the nWo tonight, right?

Schiavone is selling it. Bischoff is selling it. Hogan is selling it.

He’s on the microphone, taunting the fans. “There’s no way Sting is showing up tonight, bruther.”

That’s right when the helicopter starts circling the ring. The wind starts to pick up, and everyone’s hair starts blowing. Bichoff literally flies out of the ring, and 10,000 people look up into the sky at the same time.

It’s a bird. It’s a plane.

“It’s Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!”

And I’ll never forget that feeling, that sound. The helicopter starts descending, and I’m slowly rappelling down into the ring, and Hogan and Macho Man are the size of peanuts, and they’re pointing up into the sky in disbelief. The roar of the fans is coming up, and the roar of the helicopter blades is coming down, and it was like all the sound met in the middle, and I couldn’t even hear myself think.

Rrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I felt like a real life superhero. Even in the Marvel movies, if you’re Captain America, there’s a stunt double, right? There’s CGI. There’s no live audience, losing their minds. But I actually got to wear the cape. I actually got to save the day.

I had money. I had fame. I had power. I had an amazing family waiting for me at home. I had every earthly thing you could ever want. And you know what? I was completely and utterly miserable. I was spiritually empty. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I was an addict. The only time I was sober was when I was doing my job. The other 20-some hours of the day, it was a steady diet of painkillers, muscle relaxers and booze. A never-ending cycle. It was only a matter of time before I was dead. I knew it. But the physical and mental addiction to the opioids was so intense at that point that stopping was unthinkable.”

Did you know at the time what Sting was going through? Does it make more sense reading that now why Sting may not had been at his best at the time?

On Nitro Sting is scheduled to have his first title defense on television and it’s used an experiment. He’s scheduled to take on DDP at the beginning of the second hour to combat Raw starting. It works as when Raw starts it normally takes a full rating point from Nitro but this time it actually climbs to a 5.4. Sting does get the win but the real win is in the ratings isn’t it?

Meltzer calls it Sting’s best match in forever. Was there ever a point where you thought you had the whole package of Sting back?

Nash & Savage beat Sting & Luger on a Nitro in Chicago at the United Center when Brutus “the fucking Barber” Beefcake…I mean the Disciple hits the Stunner on Luger to give Nash the win. Meltzer would report Sting hurt his hip during this match. At this point Sting is merely a backdrop to the impending split in the nWo right Eric?

Was the injury serious as just a few nights later Sting only does a couple of minutes with Savage?

The 83rd week Nitro would win in its streak has the main event of Sting vs. Kevin Nash and it’s the most watched match up until that point with head-to-head competition with 4,243,000 homes watching. That’s quite the accomplishment isn’t it?

This is also reported in the Observer, “There was actually tremendous backstage heat late in the week because of the feeling that Sting wasn't really hurt and was trying to take time off, citing that he played 18 holes of golf when he was supposed to be hurting so bad.”

Do you remember this or is this just Meltzer writing fiction because someone got in his ear?

The next week Nitro loses to Raw for the first time in 83 weeks when Steve Austin and Vince McMahon are scheduled to wrestle in the main event of a Raw in Philadelphia - although it never actually happens. The Nitro counter? A rematch of Sting & Kevin Nash from the week before. Do you think Sting being champion led to the loss of the streak?

Randy Savage has a torn ACL going into Spring Stampede and his title match against Sting at Spring Stampede…AND WINS THE TITLE! From the Observer: “Randy Savage captured the WCW title from Sting in 10:08.

So much to unpack here Eric. Giving the title to Savage who has a bad knee, taking it off of Sting, Hogan & Nash interfering. Why was it time here to take the belt off Sting?

The nWo Wolfpack is formed between Kevin Nash, Randy Savage and Konnan. Did you know when that group is formed Sting would be joining?

Sting ends up challenging Nash & Savage for a World Tag Team Title match. How is Savage working through all these knee injuries?

It’s reported in the Observer that Hogan suggested turning Sting heel and Sting refused. From the Observer: “Sting refused to turn heel which was Hogan's idea since Hogan figures he needs a top guy to do tag matches with against Hall, Nash, Savage, etc. Sting probably didn't want to make the switch because it would kill his merchandise sales, although the marketing of the Goldberg stuff has resulted in that happening anyway”

Was it obvious that in Goldberg’s rise he was already ahead of Sting?

Was Sting upset that Goldberg’s merchandise getting hot cut into his?

Sting & Giant win the tag belts at Slamboree in what is voted by the Wrestling Observer readers as the worst match on the show over Hall & Nash when Hall turns on Nash. It is the main event of the show though but it’s just a flat ending to the show wouldn’t you agree?

The next night on Nitro the Giant joins nWo Hollywood and calls out Sting in the main event to make a decision if he would join and stay a champion with him. Sting spit at Giant and gets jumped by the nWo before Nash saves. Does this make the tag titles look like shit?

Lex Luger joins the Wolfpac the week on Nitro and teams with Sting in the main event to take on a returning nWo Hollywood Sting & the Giant. Sting gets the pin over nWo Sting and the show goes off the air with Sting being offered a Wolfpac shirt. Is this the only way to freshen up what is really a dead character at this point?

Sting does join the nWo Wolfpac after coming out in the nWo Hollywood shirt to SWERVE Hulk Hogan…who’s idea was it to put Sting in the Wolfpack? Was anyone against it (besides Hulk according to the Observer.)

Along with him revealing the Wolfpac shirt he also smiled for the first time in what seems like 2 years. The switch to the Wolfpac and the red face paint that would come with it…was really a fresh paint of coat as Bruce would say wouldn’t you Eric?

Sting vs. Giant is the main event of Great American Bash in a singles match and the winner gets the WCW Tag Team Titles. Tag Team Titles defended in a singles match…Sting gets the win and its the build to Nitro to announce his partner. Sting and Giant working together…what did you think of those two in the ring together?

Sting announces the next night his partner was Kevin Nash…

The Giant no-shows a house show in Pittsburgh and Sting puts over Goldberg in their first match together in 3 minutes. According to the Observer it was Sting’s idea and volunteered for it to save the situation after the Giant messed around with his flights and couldn’t make the show. When you hear something like this do you talk to Sting and thank him for that type of veteran leadership?

What was Sting & Goldberg’s relationship like do you know?

Goldberg beats Hogan for the title at the Georgia Dome and Meltzer brings this up afterwards. “The current plans are for Goldberg to keep the title for the time being and not to do a quickie back to Hogan because of the feeling that Goldberg could be the man in the business, and to not screw it up as they did Sting (and truthfully, a lot of that problem wasn't just the way the Hogan feud was booked but because Sting himself had no fire in the ring when he returned).”

How big a difference are these two scenarios and did you ever think you & Dave would be on the same side of this argument regarding Sting and Starrcade?

Bash at the Beach 98…why Was Sting just chosen not to be on the show?

Two weeks later on Nitro Sting & Nash drop the tag team titles to Giant & Hall when Bret Hart interferes to help Giant & Hall get the win. Are you excited about the idea of a Bret Hart vs. Sting program? The battle of the sharpshooter vs. the scorpion deathlock!

Sting appears with white paint randomly on a Nitro to team with Bret Hart. The Observer would have this to say, “Seems Sting is still Wolfpac, but the mean dangerous Sting comes from the ceiling in black and white. The dual personality Sting is actually a Bischoff idea copied from the success of both Keiji Muto and Great Muta in Japan.”

Is that where you got it from?

From the Observer regarding that Nitro: “The legit heat with Kevin Nash with Hogan and Bischoff reached a new level during and after this television show. Nash apparently believes, and the booking does bear this out, that they are doing everything to make Wolfpac look bad and apparently Nash wasn't aware of what they were doing with Sting until it happened. Some would say it's almost poetic justice because Wolfpac is simply this year's version of the Four Horseman in the same face spot made to look impotent against the heels even though they are over with the crowd. Nash was supposed to do an interview on the show and refused when he found out Wolfpac was going to be whipping boys on the show, that the members wouldn't be helping each other when getting beaten on in angles making the unit look bogus (similar to the Horsemen last year), and that the PPV match was just to set up Goldberg and Giant's issue and he'd again simply be background to get others' over.”

The long rumored political heat between you & Nash & Hogan…was it ever as bad as was reported or do you remember this situation in particular being messy?

From the Observer in late August: “Sting signed a new seven figure contract and no longer wants to work on Thursdays.”

Was that part of those contract negotiations?

Thanks for a couple lawsuits WCW had filed against them we did find the contract in the research. Sting for 1998 earned $936,190 in payroll, $85,331 in licensing, $43,420 in merch for a total of $1,064,940. His new contract was due to start January 1st of 1999 and it would include a $100,000 signing bonus and the base pay for the next two years was $1,500,000 with a max of 175 days a year.

What was Sting like to negotiate with? Did he use an agent?

It’s also reported in the Observer that a production company Jason Hervey’s mother is an integral part of wants to develop a movie for Sting. Do you remember anything about this?

Sting is a part of the War Games that features Team WCW of DDP, Roddy Piper & the Warrior against nWo Hollywood of Hogan, Bret and…Stevie Ray and team Wolfpac of Kevin Nash, Sting & Lex Luger. It’s pointed out by Meltzer that Sting attempted one of his old school spots of running and diving from one ring to the next but couldn’t clear it. Do you know if Sting’s issues had come to your attention by this point?

Sting vs. Goldberg is put out as the main event on Nitro the night after War Games and goes head-to-head against Steve Austin vs. Ken Shamrock. Goldberg gets the win after Hulk Hogan interferes to help Goldberg. This is a pretty damn good singles match for Goldberg that goes for 8 minutes. Did Goldberg need a guy like Sting to get over the hump of being a 2-3 minute squash champion?

September 28th would see Sting take on Hollywood Hogan when Bret Hart completes his heel turn to join the nWo and get the program between the two jumpstarted.

Bret wrote in his book he wasn’t excited to be turned heel and thought it was stupidity or sabotage. Do you think Sting got the sense from Bret that he was unhappy?

Sting vs. Bret takes place on the go-home Nitro - when it’s already been announced for Halloween Havoc. They go 4 minutes and the match ends when Bret grabs the ropes while in the Scorpion Deathlock and Sting refuses to break. Do you know why the logic here would be to have Sting & Bret face off on TV this close to the actual pay-per-view?

From the Observer regarding Halloween Havoc:

“10. Bret Hart retained the U.S. title pinning Sting in 15:04. Started slow and never really picked up. Sting got the scorpion on but Hart made the ropes. This time Sting broke the hold. Hart acted as if he had blown out his knee, but then recovered and pulled out a foreign object. Before Hart could use it, Sting got it away from him. When he went to use it, the ref stopped him, and Hart gave him a low blow. As Sting recovered, he "accidentally" elbowed ref Billy Silverman, and Hart legdropped Silverman. Sting superplexed Hart off the top and Hart actually landed on Silverman's legs. Sting went for a Stinger splash but overshot Hart and hit his head on the metal and was knocked out. Hart then hit Sting five times in the upper back with a baseball bat, a few of them hard enough to make a thump. Hart then came off the top rope with a baseball bat to the throat and revived Silverman, and put Sting in the sharpshooter. With Sting "out," Silverman called for the bell and awarded it to Hart. Sting wound up doing a stretcher job. It was amazing how literally nobody in the crowd took the stretcher job seriously. Not even the lightest polite applause as he was being wheeled out, and they eventually took him out in an ambulance. That stretcher and ambulance stuff has been done so much on both shows that nobody even reacts to it anymore. *½”

Was it overkill? I mean knowing what we know now…Sting was out for 6 months after this so it had to be a statement job … but had wrestlers being taken out on stretchers really been killed when no one even makes a noise for a top babyface being wheeled out?

Did you know at the time this was going to be Sting’s “sendoff” as you will?

Sting wrote in the Players Tribune that he had to get off pills and alcohol and he was quitting cold turkey. Is this when he left to go do that?

Are you in agreement - after just signing Sting to this contract - that he goes home and gets himself right?

Was Sting changed when he returned in 1999?