[1999-04-26-WCW-Nitro] Sting vs DDP

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

You know, I just said that the cruiserweight 4-way was my pick for best Nitro match ever. I remembered liking this match. I didn't remember liking this match this much. I thought this was an absolute classic, pretty easily the U.S. MOTY. It's easy to put it all on the heat, but this is something very special - not just a loud crowd, but one that is hanging on every move and cares just as much about the small mini-victories within the match as they do the finisher teases and end result. They lift this up to something really special that stands out like a sore thumb in an otherwise dying company. This is a well laid-out match anyway, with Sting looking good to start before DDP takes over with a series of hot moves and close nearfalls at the end. And they do a nice mix of tried-and-true spots that always pop a WCW crowd, like reversing the tombstone piledriver and Sting's spot where he accidentally falls on the other guy's crotch, with sequences that even if they aren't fresh *feel* fresh because this wasn't a matchup WCW exploited, DDP had just turned and Sting had just returned from a months-long absence. Magnificent match.

[tim]

I had never heard this match talked about before but god damn is it great. The ending stretch is like a workrate heavy contemporary WWE main event but with finishers protected, a bigger feel and a much, much better crowd. But that stuff is even built up to well -- most of the match isn't really in that vein so it feels like an even bigger deal when they get to the end. This is great from the beginning, the opening feeling out stuff is great and sets a great tone for the match. DDP is great in control, getting big heat and keeping things interesting and getting lots of sympath for Sting. DDP is also great at milking kick outs here, shooting his shoulder up at the last moment and not telegraphing it. Perfectly worked and layed out, BIG time heat, super big match feel, an awesome ending that feels like a real big moment. On the level of the great US main events from the 90s to now.

[Tim Evans]

I know I've seen this before but I don't remember it being this good. The crowd helps a lot but the work is real solid. Especially Sting hitting a modified ganso bomb on DDP and DDP kicking out.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Sting - WCW Nitro 4/26/99

 

GOOD GOD! I know this match had a rep as one of the last classics in the history of WCW, but this hangs right up there with pretty much the entirety of the 90s as a great title match. It is easily the best WCW World Championship since Hogan arrived in WCW in 1994. I have been raving about DDP for a while now so I am not surprised at all that he had this in him. He just rules at these Clash of the Titans matches. I will say what is special about this is how it demonstrates how good a heel DDP was. It is easy to overlook this when he was one of the best babyfaces on the roster that in a month he was totally over as a heel and still capable of rocking it in the ring. Sting on the other hand I thought sucked out loud in 1998, but here Sting looked The Franchise again. He pretty much reverted back to the Sting we know and love with all the pep of a kid hopped up on sugar and I mean that in this the nicest way possible.

 

Everything in this match just felt huge and it was laid out perfectly to get that Fargo, ND to pop huge. It was a great feedback loop. The wrestlers presented situations that would pop the crowd and the wrestles fed off this energy meaning bigger pops and so on so forth until that absolutely INCREDIBLE EXPLOSION at the end of this match. We start off early with a long and strong babyface shine. DDP is constantly making Sting look great by taking bump, selling his punches and powdering. You really get the sense that DDP is overwhelmed by Sting. DDP is still getting offense in here and there, but he simply can't get anything going, which only makes Sting look stronger with these mini-combeacks. To Sting's credit, he is interacting with the crowd and he is creating movement and energy to send those good vibes out to the Fargo crowd. I love a good finish tease early. It shows both men are looking to win the match and that is at the forefront of both men's mind. Sting's attempt at the Scorpion Deathlock gets a massive pop and DDP sells it perfectly by urgently crawling for the ropes. DDP's Diamond Cutter attempt is met with anxiety from the crowd and a quick push off. I like DDP looking to walk out because he is frustrated and is nervous. It is good heel work. I hate the late 90s arena brawl, but this was fine for what it was and it did not last long. Now, we get into the heat segment, which was just as strong as the shine sequence. Sting looks for the ten punches in the corner, but as he turns to the admonishing ref, DDP nails a low blow. DDP was vicious using point of the elbow liberally to punish Sting's body and his foot to choke Sting. It never got tiresome because Sting was peppering in good hope spots (the webble wobble headbutt to the groin is always over in my house.) to break it up. DDP looks to use the post to work on Sting's legs, but when Sting still have enough strength to kick him into the railing. He understandable freaks out and realizes he needs to end this sooner rather than later. He looks to hit the Diamond Cutter, but Sting hooks the ropes so DDP goes down by himself. Sting hits a top rope Stinger Splash, 1-2-NO! But you can tell he is feeling it! Between this and the SuperBrawl VIII match, DDP was on the cutting edge of workrate with a ton of hot nearfalls. Unlike, in today's product, the nearfalls actually build to crescendo rather than going 2-3 nearfalls too many. I really loved the struggle late in this match. These guys were pulling out all the stops to win this match and you really felt how much each wrestler wanted to win the match whether it was from quick cradles to big bombs like Powerbombs and Piledrivers. Funny enough, I think Sting picked DDP up the for the wrong kind of piledriver, realized it, hit a modified GANSO BOMB~! and then did it again so they could do the awesome WCW tombstone reversal spot. The finishing spot was awesome with Sting holding on with all his might to avoid the Diamond Cutter to only comes out of the corner and hit a Scorpion Deathdrop and THE ROOF BLOWS OFF THE PLACE!

 

I loved this match so much just a great Clash of the Titans feel with a huge finish stretch. Both men played their roles to perfection and the crowd responded in turn. I noticed a couple awkward moments from Sting and the arena brawling drag this down from being a perfect match, but definitely right there with Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio for best WCW match of the last half of the decade. ****1/2

[soup23]

We will track this as we go along and if 2000 gets completed, but right now I am ready to declare this as WCW's last shining moment where they at least still had some life on the wrestling landscape and could have PERHAPS turned things around. Great moments will still happen probably although I suspect they will be fewer and farther between. Having two home grown WCW talents come out and work a match that feels like an updated NWA title match version with holds, reversals and some brawling was extremely fitting. I don't think Sting was ever as over maybe in his career as he was here. His win feels like a crowning moment that completly eclipses GAB 90 and Starrcade 97. This made me optimistic in a way but in hindsight also sad as this was the last glimmer of a promotion that had been relevant for decades before. ****1/2

[Zenjo]

Here we have it; the best match in the history of Nitro. I'd say it stands comparison with any US TV match from the decade. At the time it didn't get its dues for whatever reason, probably the Godawful booking later in the night. I've seen a whole lot of love from people rewatching the era. The benefits of hindsight.

 

A career highlight for Page, who was outstanding in his role as the heel. Early on he was wrestling defensively to try and stall Stings momentum. His jaw-jacking really got the fans riled up. After weathering the early storm DDP worked the challenger over with an offensive repertoire drawn straight from the cheating heel playbook. With Sting being such a great babyface they got the fans totally hooked. The atmosphere was electric throughout. A full length 20m encounter with strong pacing and clever strategizing. All very well thought out and executed. They utilised not only big moves but the threat of them too. A sophisticated stretch with excellent near falls. The tombstone spot always worked a treat and the finish was tremendous. Sting becoming World Champion was a feelgood moment. MOTYC.

[JKWebb]

#132 - placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-150-101/

 

I totally agree. I think this is the best match to ever take place on an episode of Nitro. It blew my mind when I first saw it, and blew my mind again when I revisited it years later. I had forgotten how good it really was, and I remember feeling shocked with jaw to the floor the further along it got. The reversals and amount of fire they had in this thing. I think it was sort of forgotten, just because WCW was going downhill so fast. But, these guys really brought it on this night. I have it at ****1/2 as well. It's a personal favorite match of mine. Likely the last classic to come from WCW and probably Sting's last classic match as well. I love this match.

[PeteF3]

And I'll throw my hat into the ring as well. Best Nitro match ever and a U.S. MOTY and something I hope to place in the worldwide year-end list. Page being Page, is one of the only guys on the WCW roster still working with pride and he clearly set out to put on a great match on this night. That's not to knock Sting, who could have coasted on this, but Sting is more of a guy willing to go with the flow at this point than a guy who's going to push others to perform at a higher level. With a motivated DDP, though, he brings the goods, even busting out the old top-rope splash. There are some terrific near-falls out of the various piledrivers here, and even though the finish is recycled from their previous Nitro match, it's a great finish and built up to a lot better. Even Schiavone's enthusiasm sounds genuine for the first time in awhile, as he seems to be having flashbacks to classic NWA title matches of better times. Against all odds Nitro is putting together a bit of a hot streak.

[Makai Club #1]

Incredible title match. Clear forerunner for the company MOTY. This was laid out with a great DDP performance on top with Sting more than matching it with great underneath work. DDP was meticulous and methodical, not leaving much room for error while working over Sting’s lower body area. Sting would slowly get more and more in the match each time before DDP came up with a crafty counter and regained the advantage. And they eventually climaxed with Sting hitting the Scorpion Death Drop and winning the WCW title to a mega pop. This could've been another turning point for WCW but you know. ****1/4