1. WCW's Avenger and the Road to Starrcast 1997

His allegiances questioned by WCW despite unwavering loyalty throughout his career, Sting walked away in October 1996, calling himself a free agent and leaving fans questioning whether he may turn to the New World Order as the faction rose to prominence.

Instead, he watched from the rafters, keeping a close eye on the goings on in an ever-changing wrestling landscape.

With a completely different look than the one fans had become accustomed to, inspired by the 1994 film The Crow, Sting ultimately reaffirmed his loyalty to WCW, attacking the NWO and making his desire to challenge Hulk Hogan for the world title apparent.

A year-long storyline in which the face-painted vigilante of WCW said no words, communicating only through the use of his eyes and body language, culminated at Starrcade 1997 with his victory over Hogan.

Throwback Time<br><br>Clash of the Champions XXXV<br><br>Stings Crow entrance theme with the monologue debuts and as Sting is up in the rafters looking down at the nWo, he's holding a Vulture. Calm as you like, he didn't show it, but he got the last laugh on the faction.<br><br>Great Character. <a href="https://t.co/GCoagah4F8">pic.twitter.com/GCoagah4F8</a>

The story is not only the best thing that Eric Bischoff and WCW ever created, but it's also the best work of Sting's career.

Here was a man who was the franchise, only to be doubted and questioned by the same fans he worked for his entire career. He was disenfranchised and took a step back, but he proved himself to be the dark knight the company needed to thwart the mounting success of its invaders.

He was the hero WCW deserved and needed and proved as much.

The images of him holding a vulture while staring down the NWO from the rafters, and the angle in which he stared down seven or eight members of the faction and proceeded to beat them all down on his own, are unforgettable.

Pointing his baseball bat at Hogan, acknowledging that the match with Hollywood was the one thing he wanted, still brings on goosebumps.

This is one of the great stories in pro wrestling history and the moment Sting went from the franchise to The Icon.

2. The First World Championship (WCW Great American Bash 1990)

Sting had battled Flair numerous times ahead of the 1990 Great American Bash pay-per-view in Baltimore but had failed to relieve him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. But that changed at the annual extravaganza as he caught Flair with a roll-up to finally attain the title.

The post-match celebration only solidified what fans already knew: it was a coronation of The Stinger as the man for WCW in the new decade. He would have other world title victories, including the win against Hogan, but that first one is tough to top.

3. A Debut We Thought We Would Never See (WWE Survivor Series 2014)

For years, Sting cited concerns over Vince McMahon's true intentions with him as the reason he never made the jump to WWE. He was worried that there were no real plans for him; that McMahon only wanted to spite WCW.

That was no longer a worry by 2014, when Sting did what many thought he never would and debuted at WWE's Survivor Series. Walking to the ring and thwarting injustice by laying out Triple H and setting up Dolph Ziggler's pinfall victory over Seth Rollins, he left his mark on the broadcast and set in motion a story that would culminate with his first (and only) WrestleMania match against The Game the following year.

The less said about that and the creative surrounding it, though, the better.

4. The Final Monday Nitro

Sting and Flair dedicated their professional lives to WCW, seeing it through the best and worst of times. It was only fitting then that they were the two called upon to wrap things up in the main event of the final Monday Nitro telecast.

Hand-picked by Vince McMahon, according to Sting himself in the 2015 Sting: Into the Light documentary produced by WWE, it was a testament to just how far-reaching his status as the franchise of the company was.

Here was the rival promoter, overseeing the final show in the company that tried to put him out of business, acknowledging that Sting was the guy in WCW and one of two stars he felt best suited to close things out.

An emotionally surreal day, it was a stamp of approval for all he had done for the company, even if may not have appeared that way at the time.

5. Winter is Coming (AEW Dynamite, 12/2/2020)

Forced into an early retirement following a neck injury, Sting appeared to be gone from the wrestling world.

Then came an opportunity to return to the squared circle with the upstart All Elite Wrestling. Unsatisfied by how his career ended, he signed with the promotion. And after weeks of teases, he debuted at the Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite on December 2, 2020.

An unforgettable moment and the biggest in the company's short history to that point, it was a chance to end things on his terms. It also served as recognition that AEW was a legitimate competitor in the pro wrestling industry.

It sparked a run that saw Sting continue to perform at a high level while competing against the future stars of the industry.

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