[1998-03-23-WCW-Thunder] Sting vs DDP

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[soup23]

Sort of WCW's answer to both the momentum being gained by WWF and to Austin vs. HBK from the standpoint of up and comer possibly being his time vs. a established vet that is presented as the most dynamic performer in the company. This really should have headlined a PPV. They cut a great pace and the match centers around counters. Sting goes for the deathlock early on and DDP rushes to the ropes. Ditto for his Diamond Cutter attempts. They keep things friendly but not boring and both are out to achieve the goal of winning the match. The chinlock in the middle of this is some particularly engaging chinlock work with lots of escape attempts and desperation from DDP. Sting has a better reaction than most of the year and I think that is also a testament to DDP. In the end, he gets greedy and goes for one too many Diamond Cutter's. It is reversed by Sting into the Scorpion Death Drop. They embrace afterwards and it feels like a moment of WCW gaining some momentum again. I really enjoyed DDP's tv match with Hogan from last year but this was better and the best TV match in the US so far this year we have seen. (***1/2)

[Loss]

This was a very good match, and it was the type of heavyweight match between stars that's actually good that WCW needed to deliver more often. I do think Page was the one who brought most of the good stuff to this one, but I will give credit to Sting for carrying himself like a champ in terms of being the primary aggressor. Great finish too. This is the most excited I've seen a WCW crowd about anything other than Goldberg all year. Maybe Sting could have found his groove as champion with more motivated opponents like this.

[Childs]

As a good, solid match between top guys, this felt weirdly out of place on Nitro. I kept expecting Savage and Hogan to run in. Sting looked the best he had since he started wrestling again--easily. I think back to the DDP of the early '90s and it would've been hard to imagine that guy as a consistent in-ring standout in such a talent-rich promotion. But the dude deserves serious credit for how much work he put in. The finish here was excellent, with Sting countering the diamond cutter straight into the death drop. Man, it's almost sad to see this in the midst of all that garbage.

[Zenjo]

Not in itself a memorable bout, but looking back you can see the building blocks were there for their '99 Nitro classic. They had some nice exchanges and the chemistry between the two of them was evident. It was well worked within the face vs face format. For a non-PPV event it felt semi-important. On the downside it was too short, and having 3m of chinlocks in a 10m bout is plain lazy. Whatever happened to being worn out after a big match? It's not like I'm someone who is bothered by rest holds either when used in moderation.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Charles, do you think Hogan and Savage were not motivated in their Sting matches. Hogan is not going to bump around for Sting, but he is not going to bump around for anyone face or heel. I think there has been ways to have good matches within the Hollywood Hogan formula and Sting just did not try to sell or fire up. Savage flew around for Sting like a lunatic and Sting was the one who looked plodding. Did Sting look more invested in this match? Yes! I don't think it was DDP was more motivated than the other two. It was because for some reason Sting was motivated.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting vs WCW US Champion Diamond Dallas Page - WCW Nitro 3/23/30

 

DDP is in that period of being a super hot midcard act like Austin in 97 or Rock in 98 that is useful to creating some really dynamic booking and fun matches. What I love from a guy like DDP in this spot is that he has a enough natural buzz and charisma that he generates a lot of interest and heat going up against one of the top dog in spite of the fact he is most likely going to lose. He still gains plenty of momentum from just being shown as an equal to the World Champion and there is no booking anxiety stemming from his jobbing.

 

DDP does a great job throughout the match expressing through his body language and actions how important this match is. He is focused and determined to prove that not only he belong with Sting that he was a very credible threat to being World Champion. The intense lock up and just his posture made you believe he was taking this match very seriously/ Larry Z added a ton to this match by commenting that DDP may have jacked himself up too much and that the calmer, more experienced Sting may be able to take advantage of this. You see just that as Sting almost hooks the Scorpion Deathlock on a overzealous Page. Page sells how quickly it all could have been taking away. He doubles down and goes for the Diamond Cutter, but is thrown off. They hook each other in chinlocks and I am not too enamored with either of them going for it. I did not think either one needed to use the chinlock. Sting has looked the best he during this stretch because he looks to be trying harder on offense and also wrestling he did before the Crow gimmick. I think he was just more comfortable with that level of energy, facebusters and the out of control splash. Not everyone can reinvent themselves in the ring and once he got back to doing what brought him to the dance, he felt more natural and interesting. His selling still left a lot to be desired. I liked DPP getting the knees up on the out of control splash and he goes for the Diamond Cutter out of the corner, But Sting reverses into the Scorpion Death Drop to a huge pop. I loved the beginning and the finish. They definitely would go on to build off this foundation to have an all-time great WCW match the following year on Nitro. ***

[PeteF3]

A very good 10-minute match, and maybe even the best TV bout we'll see in 1998 though I know Foley/Funk could be a strong contender for that spot in a weak year, or maybe some random cruiser bout I don't remember. Even the chinlock worked--it wasn't an ideal way to go but Sting could afford to slow things down being the champ, and Page worked great from underneath, constantly flailing and fighting to avoid having his shoulders pinned. DDP moves this along but Sting works hard, even busting out a top-rope splash attempt for the first time in forever. The hot crowd also helps this, as they're not just into the stars but into the psychology and transitions and key spots of the match, like a tried-and-true Louisville wrestling crowd. And of course the great finish, so good that they'd recycle it in '99. No question there needed to be more of this on Nitro and Thunder from week to week, not just from a quality standpoint but as a point of difference from the WWF.

[TravJ1979]

I loved this match. Likely WCW MOTY to this point. Looking forward to the one from next year.