[1991-12-21-WCW-Pro] Sting and Rick Rude

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Sting finishes a squash as Rude is interviewed by Jim Ross elsewhere in the arena. Sting grabs the mic in the ring and interrupts, and wants Rude in the ring. Paul E. tries to keep him back, but Rude wants in and away we go. They have an impromptu brawl and Sting puts the scorpion on Rude. Paul E. tries to pull him off and can't. Jobbers come out and can't do it. Referees come out and can't do it. Finally, the ring fills with other babyfaces who throw them all out to cheer him on! Awesome! Crowd is rabid for this. Amazing what Rude's arrival in WCW did to revitalize Sting and this is a great segment. Still, I hate that WCW would run angles like this and never speak of them again.

[BackToBionic]

"I've got 2 words for ya: Come here pal!......well I guess that was 3"

 

I love this spot with the babyfaces cheering him. Seriously though, what were the Dangerous Alliance doing back there? PN News beat them out there!

[Kevin Ridge]

Rude doesn’t think Sting can get the Scorpion Death lock on him. Sting’s charming goofiness continues as he has two words for Rude. “Come here.... pal”. Rude gets the quick advantage but Sting fights back and does indeed get the Scorpion Death lock on. Wrestlers from the locker room empty to try pull Sting off. He finally lets up. Things have picked up more between these two.

[PeteF3]

"I got two words for ya...COME HERE, PAL. I guess that was three!" I know it's been quoted twice but it bears repeating. Really hot segment where Rude no-sells the idea that Sting can apply the Scorpion Deathlock, but gets trapped in it anyway and sells it like his career is ending. Great eye-for-an-eye booking to set up the idea that for house show rematches it will be Rude coming in injured.

[soup23]

Really sad that Stings line has been beat down to the ground as it made me legit lol. The sequence was great and this has been a life saver feud in WCW with the crowd reacting well and common tropes not being executed.

[garretta]

I thought the other faces were trying to pull Sting off, alveit half-heartedly. I remember JR saying that they were rooting for him to break Rude's leg, though, and you never see that from a group of faces. I was paying more attention to the amount of people who simply could not pull Sting off of Rude. I counted Medusa, Heyman, and at least one (maybe two) referees. I'm not even sure El Gigante could have done the trick, though.

 

I loved the idea of Rude's big yap getting him in trouble, and of Heyman practically prostrating himself trying to stop Rude, but Rude ignoring him completely. Rude actually got the advantage for a second with another of his patented clips, but it didn't last long at all.

 

Why is Rude taking press slams on his stomach? Is that a way for him to tell fans that his washboard abs are for more than just show, or is he having back trouble?

 

JR got more than a bit mouthy at the very beginning of this. I guess his disgust for Heyman (both real and kayfabed) drove his mouth to overtake his common sense. Let's just hope it doesn't become a pattern, at least where Rude's concerned. Heyman he can insult till the cows come home.

 

I wasn't surprised that the troops didn't come down to save Rude; who wants to wade into the middle of a crowd of bloodthirsty babyfaces and risk permanent injury? Besides, Rude got himself into this with his own big mouth, so let him dig himself out.

 

"Come here, pal!" was a good line, but it would have been much better if Sting hadn't realized what he'd said right afterward.

[dawho5]

Sting keeping the Scorpion on as long as he did was a great bit of booking, as was him not immediately on the receiving end of a heel beatdown. Good stuff.