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Earlier this week, WWE announced Sting for the 2016 Hall of Fame. It created the question of whether Sting, a WCW guy, will actually be the headliner for this year’s HOF ceremony.
Throughout Sting’s debut run in WWE, the narrative has been about Sting’s loyalty to WCW, that it was a badge of honor to “go down with the ship.” The “loyalty” trait resonates with Vince McMahon, who makes the call on the Hall of Fame. It might seal Sting as the headliner despite spending 98 percent of his career outside of WWE.
But, loyalty to another promotion only goes so far when it comes to booking. Sting’s first WWE match was a loss to Triple H (the WWE guy) at WrestleMania 31, reinforcing the message from the Monday Night War series that “WWE won, WCW lost.”
In interviews and speaking engagements since WM31, Sting has said all the right things about just being glad to have a WrestleMania match and being part of the event.
However, Sting’s former colleague in WCW, Scott Hall, offered a different perspective on Sting’s first venture to WWE in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.
“I was there and obviously involved in his match at WrestleMania last year. We’re rehearsing the match in Cali last year at Levi Stadium, and it’s the Kliq and the New Age Outlaws out there, and we all know each other. And then there’s Sting, who doesn’t know anybody. He’s an outsider. I just think he never felt comfortable there. Being hurt was answered prayer for him–just let it end,” Hall said.
As for WWE deciding to have Sting lose his first match in WWE, Hall said he and Hulk Hogan were stunned by the gameplan when they rehearsed it.
“You need to remember that Vince is never going to go with something he didn’t create,” Hall said. “But we didn’t get anything done at the rehearsal the night before, so WrestleMania day, there were tents in the parking lot set up with rings for rehearsal. So we’re all in there again, and I’m next to Hulk on the ring apron and Triple H is going over the match and then he goes, ‘Okay, he’ll break the sledgehammer, then I’ll hit him with the sledgehammer, and cover him, 1-2-3.’
“I looked at Hulk, and Hulk looked at me, and I was thinking, ‘Sting, what kind of lawyer do you have, bro? You’re coming in the door doing a job? You weren’t even guaranteed to go over?’ That’s Vince just reminding you who won, even if he’s going to make money the other way.”
I know I’m probably in the vast minority, but Sting should not be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Yeah, it’s just make believe (like wrestling), but he did nothing to deserve it. 3-4 months? Come on.
Seriously Wcw Lifer. Nothing to deserve it? The same hall of fame the Freebirds and Abby the Butcher are in? He’s Sting. Its the Hall of Fame,. Enough said.
Freebirds are not in yet
It’s not a real HOF. It’s the WWE. ‘Nuff said.
Vince’s ego. ‘Nuff said.
That man doesn’t care how much money he flushes down the toilet, just as long as he can gloat over winning some promotional war 15 years ago.
WWE is a media conglomerate. They include any wrestling and entertainment which they own. That’s why Drew Carrey is in the HoF. Sting is apart of the history owned by WWE.
As bad as all of that was, I think the real issue was that awful un-Sting like entrance, while HHH had that ridiculous one that at least fit his character.
Why wouldn’t they spring for Sting’s music? It’s iconic. They used it for the video game commercial. Heck they had a good entrance idea with the violins and Sting-alikes in orchestra for the commercial, all they had to do was have that done on a grand scale for WM.
Then just have Sting lose cleanly, who cares, it makes HHH look bad for doing it anyway. But with the bad entrance then all the run-ins, it was just bad for Sting. Oh well.