Credit: WWE.com

Ranking the 8 Greatest Sting Matches of All Time

Erik Beaston

Sting's return to pro wrestling with All Elite Wrestling has The Icon's name on the lips of wrestling fans around the globe.

And while longtime followers know why the face-painted vigilante of sports-entertainment is a big deal, there are those unfamiliar with his work and why he is one of the few legends who still generates excitement for his appearances.

Beginning with an epic encounter against Ric Flair in 1988, he is responsible for unforgettable battles that helped establish WCW as a national wrestling entity while strengthening his own status.

A larger-than-life personality, with an explosive in-ring arsenal and an ability to work with opponents of different styles, Sting was the definition of a star at his peak.

As he prepares to give back to an industry that has been so good to him by preparing a new generation of stars to carry the mantle, let's relive eight defining matches from The Stinger's Hall of Fame career.

8. Sting vs. AJ Styles (Bound for Glory 2009)

Sting may not have been as good as he once was, but at Bound for Glory 2009 against TNA world champion AJ Styles, he was as good as he needed to be.

The main event of the premier pay-per-view in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Sting vs. Styles was less about a classic wrestling match and more about The Icon passing the torch to The Phenomenal One. It was his opportunity to announce to the world that Styles was the future of the industry.

He did just that.

Though The Icon was slower than he used to be, he pulled out one more great showing as he attempted to keep up with the best wrestler in the world.

Styles would ultimately win the match with a springboard splash, but it was the sign of respect between the two men afterward that really put him over as the man in the industry.

It remains, arguably, Sting's finest performance under the TNA umbrella. 

7. Sting and Ric Flair vs. Great Muta and Terry Funk (Halloween Havoc 1989)

Two of the top feuds of 1989 combined in an epic Thunderdome match in the main event of that year's Halloween Havoc as rivals-turned-associates Sting and Ric Flair battled The Great Muta and Terry Funk.

Held in the confines of an electrified steel cage and ending only when one of the teams' representatives threw in the white towel, the match was wholly unique and thoroughly awesome.

Late in the bout, Flair applied a Figure Four to Funk. With Muta out of the equation, Sting delivered a top-rope splash to further torture Funk, all while the dastardly Gary Hart refused to throw in the towel on behalf of the Funker.

One punch from Ole Anderson led to the towel flying through the air and earned the babyfaces the hard-fought win.

Great action, fantastic storytelling and four of the best wrestlers of their generation delivering in a hotly anticipated PPV main event makes this a surefire addition to the list.

The fact that Sting shared the ring and continued to learn from the three men he was in there with only helps solidify its position on this countdown.

6. Sting vs. Diamond Dallas Page (WCW Monday Nitro; April 26, 1999)

Of any match on this list, the April 26, 1999 WCW World Championship Match between Sting and Diamond Dallas Page was the most unexpectedly great.

A match made earlier in the show, it came out of nowhere to captivate both the live and television audience.

DDP was in the midst of both his first title reign and a heel turn while Sting was still smarting after a controversial finish to the Spring Stampede pay-per-view that left him on the outside looking in at the title picture.

In a masterpiece of crowd manipulation, Sting countered a late Diamond Cutter attempt out of the corner and dropped his opponent with the Scorpion Death Drop for the win.

The pop accompanying Sting's victory was awe-inspiring, as was the quality of the match. At that particular point in time WCW was not necessarily known for delivering with its main events so for Sting and DDP to go out and have the quality of match they had was a major surprise.

Kind of like Page regaining the title later in the show.

Still, despite WCW shortchanging Sting a genuine title reign, there is no denying how extraordinary the short television title bout was and just how expertly The Icon and DDP worked a match that kept the fans on the edge of their seats.

A hidden gem and one of either man's truly great performances.

5. Sting vs. Ric Flair (Clash of the Champions I 1988)

Without the main event of the inaugural Clash of Champions event on March 27, 1988, there would be no list of Sting's greatest matches. In fact, it's likely the young performer would have been a footnote in wrestling history, another body guy with a great look and gimmicky face paint.

That night inside the historic Greensboro Coliseum, Ric Flair took a young kid with a ton of potential and turned him into a star in a 45-minute time limit draw that aired opposite WWE's WrestleMania IV on PPV.

It was an epic encounter that silenced critics concerned with Sting's ability to keep up with the best wrestler on the planet. For the challenger to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, it was an affirmation that those in power had made the right choice by hitching their wagon to the eccentric personality in hopes that he would become the company's franchise player for the foreseeable future.

Sting didn't leave with the title, but he didn't have to.

On that night in 1988, when management was looking to see what it had in the charismatic young star, he performed up to the moment and, thanks in part to the expert work of Flair, elevated his star in the process.

4. Sting vs. Vader (Starrcade 1992)

Everyone touts Sting's matches with Ric Flair as the most significant of his career but if there is a 1-A in this scenario, it would be his showdowns with Vader.

The punishing, bruising heavyweight brought a level of physicality and tenacity out of The Icon that was absolutely key to his evolution as a performer. 

While The Stinger was already the established lead babyface in WCW by the time he worked with Vader for the first time, there was no denying his rival's strong style was going to further benefit Sting as he continued his career on top of the No. 2 promotion in the world.

Like Cactus Jack had done for him earlier in the year, Vader presented Sting with a challenge to his throne and demanded a level of aggression from him if he hoped to emerge victorious.

A heavyweight clash that served as the best of that particular style in the country at the time time, Sting and Vader delivered a Match of the Year candidate in the finals of the King of Cable Tournament at Starrcade 1992 that concluded with the babyface catching Vader midflight with a powerslam for the win.

It was the first of many battles between two men who would become the faces of WCW in the early 1990s and further proof of Sting's development as a wrestler. He had proved he could work a more traditional match with Flair, brawled around the arena with Jack and went punch-for-punch with the hardest hitter on the roster.

At a time when fans and company officials demanded the most out of Sting, he again delivered a fantastic performance that silenced any remaining doubters.

3. Sting and Lex Luger vs. the Steiner Brothers (SuperBrawl I 1991)

Four of the most popular performers in WCW history took to the squared circle for a hotly anticipated showdown for the tag team championship as Rick and Scott Steiner defended against Sting and Lex Luger.

The two babyface tandems masterfully worked a match that won over a crowd unsure of who to cheer for. There were no long stretches of heat, as the competitors instead opted for a back-and-forth formula that allowed both teams the opportunity to shine.

Late in the match, it appeared Sting would win the match for him and Luger, but interference from the evil Nikita Koloff left him unconscious and allowed Scott to make the pin for the win.

A fantastic match that was hampered only by a few ugly spots, it was a near-perfect example of how to work a babyface vs. babyface match and further proof of Sting's growth as an in-ring performer.

He was undeniably the biggest star in the contest and knew exactly when and where to work in his spots while still putting the opposition over as the top tag team in wrestling.

2. Sting vs. Cactus Jack (Beach Blast 1992)

Cactus Jack immediately targeted Sting upon his arrival in WCW, popping out of a giant gift box and attacking the company's franchise player in an angle that would pave the way for their Falls Count Anywhere match at the 1992 Beach Blast pay-per-view.

A physical encounter that proved Sting could brawl with the best, it also proved to be a breakout performance for Jack.

A tough, punishing encounter, it was the perfect resolution to a feud that had engulfed the company and forced Sting to discover aggression that fans had never seen out of their favorite.

Sting would win the match, but both men came away from the encounter better for having worked together. A five-star classic that is often forgotten when discussing either's greatest performances, the match deserves recognition for just how important it was to the careers of the men involved.

1. Sting's Squadron vs. the Dangerous Alliance (WrestleWar 1992)

Sting vs. The Dangerous Alliance is one of the more underrated and undervalued rivalries in WCW history, a program that culminated at WrestleWar 1992 in a WarGames match.

The Icon led a team featuring Nikita Koloff, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham into battle against Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Bobby Eaton, Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszco. 

A match with that much talent would surely be superb, right? Right.

The violent battle inside the two-cage setup was everything it needed to be in order to accomplish what it set out to. From Windham biting a bloody Austin's head right in front of the camera to Sting gorilla-pressing Rude into the roof of the cage, the match featured a number of barbaric spots that put over the hatred between the two teams.

In the end, Zbyszco errantly blasted teammate Bobby Eaton with a steel turnbuckle and Sting tapped out the former Midnight Express member with an armbar for the win.

An all-time great WarGames contest, it was the perfect ending for Sting: A quality win over the hated Dangerous Alliance and a reminder of the brilliance of every performer involved. Just fantastic stuff and easily his greatest match.

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