The downfall of the WCW is one of the biggest stories in wrestling history, one that is reiterated over and over again by those involved with the company and those who witnessed the collapse. Each tale is sprinkled with a bit of bias, especially from those who were instrumental in the death of the company, but there are a few points where there is a general consensus, with events such as the Finger Poke of Doom, the singing of Vince Russo, and the Bash at the Beach 2000 debacle often singled out as the leading causes of the collapse.
Each incident was doomed from the very start and fans never had any real expectations, but there is one more botch of epic proportions, one that fractured the foundation and accelerated the demise of the company. This botch took place on the highest-grossing WCW event in history, Starrcade 1997, and the match was supposed to be one for the ages, Sting vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
The buildup and history of this particular match-up are well known, even to those who were not WCW fans. At Bash at the Beach 1996, Hogan turned heel and the NWO became the focal point of WCW throughout the year, stirring much chaos and looking to take over the company.
Starrcade 1997 Was The Biggest WCW Event of All Time
Meanwhile, Sting was the face of WCW, and as NWO began to poison the company, Sting underwent a metamorphosis, becoming a darker character who would watch over from the rafters. Sometimes, he would descend and deliver beat downs on the enemies of the company. The motives of Sting remained somewhat of a mystery, but the fans were hooked and all signs led to an epic showdown between Sting and his nemesis, the leader of the NWO, Hulk Hogan.
Sting made his intentions clear during WCW Uncensored in 1997. After disposing of the members of the faction, he pointed his weapon of choice, a bat, in the direction of Hogan and the fans in the arena went wild as the challenge was laid out. The match was made official for Starrcade of the same year and given the buildup and hype attached, WCW was looking at a goldmine. However, the company botched the biggest match in history and did so for a reason beyond human comprehension.
The finish of the match is as infamous as the build-up, even if for all the wrong reasons, and was in place for months. Hogan was supposed to get a fast count by the referee, Nick Patrick, but then Bret Hart would emerge, restart the match and Sting would beat Hogan clean to finally put an end to the feud, with good triumphing over evil.
Nick Patrick, however, counted a normal pin and to those watching the match, Hogan pinned Sting clean. Hart did come out to restart the match, and Sting did make Hogan submit, but the damage was already done. Fans were perplexed, as there was no reason to put together a dusty finish to the biggest match in history. This question persisted for decades and finally, Eric Bischoff, then-president of WCW, disclosed the reason as to why the match ended the way it did on a podcast titled “83 Weeks”.
According to Bischoff, before the event began, Sting and Hogan were in his office to discuss the match. Bischoff stated that Sting did not look excited, seemed deflated, and much smaller than usual as he had stopped working out. Most importantly, Sting did not have a tan. That was what rang the bells in the head of Eric Bischoff. Sting did not have a proper tan, so therefore, he was not prepared for the match and that missing tan warranted an alternation in the plans that were set in stone for months.
Once Sting left the room, Hogan and Bischoff had another meeting, and Hogan mused that Sting was not ready for the match or the aftermath, given how enormous the match was and the effort they had put into the buildup. Bischoff agreed and the rest is history.
A Literal Tan Was To Blame For The Screwy Finish
After that amazing revelation, Bischoff tried to deflect blame on his part, stating that he was never really involved in the finish of the matchups and that he left it to the stars, in this case, Hogan. He then went to say that Hogan had no nefarious motives, despite being known as one of the biggest politicians in the history of the business.
WCW continued to exist for the next couple of years and even after Starrcade, the company was in the lead when it came to the ratings war. But the fact that WCW ended up botching the finish to the biggest match, on the pretext of a tan, or lack thereof, is sufficient proof that the company was destined to fail.