[1995-06-18-WCW Great American Bash] Sting vs Meng

[Superstar Sleeze]

Sting vs Meng - WCW Great American Bash 1995 Vacant US Title Match

STING DID A COFFIN DROP ON MENG!!! THERE WAS A PROPHECY AND IT WAS FULFILLED! 

I think something wrestling fans get hung up on that US Title and IC Title should be on the Next Big Thing. I dont disagree that is a valuable use of the titles. I think more importantly they should be on people that are over and near the top of the card. I think it is more valuable they are whoever is #2 or #3 on the depth chart of the babyface or heel side. I actually think this is a great use of US Title. Sting for better or for worse has been shut out the main event scene by the a pretty powerful foursome of Hogan, Vader, Flair and Savage. So giving him the US Title keeps the title on top and gives Sting something to do in third from the top match. 

For once an announcer is not using hyperbole when they declare this is so-so's biggest match of their career because it is actually true for Meng. For all the mystique and cult like following around Meng, he was never given many shots near the top of the card. He was a little short to be a Hogan opponent in the 80s, but credit to WCW they got him over a killer from this point on. I remember you could pretty much re-heat Meng any point and get a reaction out of the WCW faithful. I am surprised he didnt get a Hogan title shot around this time. Meng is not yet Dungeon of Doom 4 Life, but it is in the last vestiges of the Studd Stable with Col. Robert Parker. I believe Buck & Slater are still around the tag title scene against Harlem Heat. 

The match is worked as a mini-Sting vs Vader match. Now Meng is not as good as Vader so it is not as a good as those matches. However, Sting thrives in this formula. Thus this match is significantly better than Sting/Bubba, where Bubba plays a much more vulnerable, stooge Southern-style heel. Here Meng is playing the role of a Martial Arts, Mystical Badass that is hard to get off his feet. That plays to Sting's strength because Sting is very good at the desperation comeback. 

Pretty much no shine. Meng works the Martials Arts gimmick, thrusts, barefoot, chops, and kicks. Meng applies a long choke on Sting to show he is a Wildman! Sting throws a couple of dropkicks to create space and give the crowd some hope. Parker calms Meng down. Sting goes flying over the top rope and gets into it with Parker and the distraction gives the Meng opening he needs to consolidate control. I like Sting hurling his body as a weapon there. There is plenty of Tongan Nerve Pinches, BUT there is also a sick Powerbomb and Shouldertackle. Sting's hope spots and comeback is right out of the Vader playbook. There is just a way he does it and that is so compelling. Man when does get Meng off his feet the whole place comes unglued! I felt it 30 years later too. The Coffin Drop was a sick spot. Just hurling your body with reckless abandon. The best part is it got Meng off his feet, but Meng got up first. To quote the Jesse The Body at Starrcade 1992 from Sting vs Vader, "It is gotta be depressing as hell when you do the move and your opponent gets up first". Meng hits a diving headbutt and The Brain declares it is over. Sting starts his comeback in earnest. It just feels hot and electric in a way that the Bubba comebacks did not. Scorpion Deathlock, but Meng breaks it. Top Rope Stinger Splash! 1-2-NO! It was a leaping DDT that earns him the win. 

Sting needs to work on his finish stretch. It is a bit too rote. We need some wrinkles. Some better transitions. It just feels like three high spots strung together, but other than that as a poor man's Sting vs Vader this was a ton of fun. Given that Haku/Meng is a bit of a cult-like figure and those who like Sting really like Sting (I am middling on the Stinger), I am surprised this is not held up more as "HEY! Sting can have a very good match on his own against someone that is not known as all-time worker.". I wanted to do a quick scan of Cagematch Matchguide for Meng, but it looks like it is down. I took some notes a couple months ago on this. So according to my notes from September 2024, it looks like the Benoit matches are considered better and this Sting match is the 3rd best match of his career. So I think of I have seen the Benoit matches and I would say they are in the same ballpark so I will have to watch and see. Definitely a contender for the best Haku/Meng match of all time. *** 1/2