I spent a shower earlier today thinking about what could happen if Sting had been the third man. Here are my thoughts.
- Bash at the Beach '96. Hogan refuses to do the heel turn. Backup plan. Sting doesn't get to tag in all match, it being mostly Nash/Hall vs. Savage/Luger. Sting finally gets the hot tag... then kicks his own partners in the nuts. The Outsiders pass him a bat and he uses it to break Savage's ankles (this is where Sting gets his interest in bats in this version). His initial promo is very different from Hogan's, saying he's done this because of interlopers like Hogan, like Savage, who know nothing of WCW. And he just met these two guys who came to where the Big Boys Play, but instead of big boys found only decaying old men. So he's left this new WCW behind... and the New World Order has taken over! If this sounds like something you'd cheer... trust me, we'll get to that.
- Sting's new look is a more subdued version of his surfer paint, and all in greyscale. He takes to wearing sunglasses too because that's awesome.
- Hog Wild '96. A double main event of Hogan vs. Giant (Hogan still wins the title, even while remaining a babyface) and Sting/Hall/Nash vs. Some Faces. Post-Hogan/Giant, Giant turns face himself, saying "someone's gotta stop these guys".
- You're thinking we need a fourth man for Fall Brawl '96, right? Well, hear me out: DDP. He's not doing too much anyway, but is growing in popularity. And he's a Bischoff favourite so would be a realistic guy to push. It does mean we lose the real Sting/fake Sting angle but that may be part of the problem with the nWo. Too many jobbers. Anyway, Fall Brawl. Team Hogan (him, Savage, Giant, Luger) vs. nWo. Sting gets the fall by targeting Savage's ankle and making him tap in the Scorpion Deathlock. Notably, Hogan is not involved in the finish. But per the stipulation, Sting gets a shot at Hogan's title. You'll notice the lack of Four Horsemen. That's for later.
- Also we get the introduction of Bischoff as a corrupt authority, Trillionaire Ted as the financier (which should lead to some fun clashes with Hogan, call back to '88 because it's what WCW did best) and Syxx, even though there's seven members. Syxx wins the CW strap in short order.
- DDP wins the US Title off Ric Flair. No idea how it happens, but hopefully it puts Flair on a path that he doesn't hurt his shoulder and have to miss Starrcade '96. Eddie Guerrero (with whom DDP was feuding at the time before he joined the nWo) becomes a babyface and a Horsemen associate. Associate because there's already four, but he's in the tag matches so Mongo doesn't have to wrestle.
- Halloween Havoc '96. The US and CW champs defend, Nash/Hall take the tag straps, and in the main event... Hogan/Sting. Hogan would try to play politics, but would ultimately have a lot less leverage given that he isn't involved with the hottest act in the company (I'd imagine nWo merch far outsells the red and yellow stuff). So he can't get out of this loss. He tries to bury Sting throughout, sure, but the result doesn't change. This is the moment where they spray paint nWo on the belt.
- World War 3 '96. Hear me out... Ric Flair wins. This means the Horsemen and nWo are clashing. Sting is trading on an idealised version of what he thinks WCW once was, while Ric and the Horsemen are representative of the true heart of WCW. This leads to Starrcade '96, that classic Sting/Flair matchup, but with the roles reversed, with Flair as the babyface. Sure would be better than Hogan/Piper wouldn't it
- After that it's all fuzzy but I have some ideas of matches that could happen in future. Sting/Luger - they've got historyl Sting/Savage would just be a really good match, playing on him being the guy that Sting brutalised to solidify the heel turn. Run that for Slamboree. Sting vs. Giant for a B pape, maybe Uncensored so they can do a plunder match and hide Giant's green-ness.
- Also you don't get new people joining the nWo every week, that's stupid. Maybe like... three in the months between Starrcade '96 and GAB '97.
- Gradually it's the intended reaction that yes, the nWo are cool, and the babyfaces are lame. They're the trappings of the past, but the nWo is the present. And that's why we re-introduce Hogan. He's doing his thing, let him face Piper on the undercard I guess. Hogan gets a pin over Sting at GAB '97 in some sort of tag match and I'm thinking this doesn't go over well with the crowd. His tactics are becoming somehow even dirtier than usual babyface Hogan, and he seems more paranoid. Leading to...
- Bash at the Beach '97. Hogan vs. Sting 2. In a shocking turn of events... Hogan wins, with the assistance of Eric Bischoff! It's a double turn! Now Hogan really is a heel! They reveal on the next Nitro that it was all a business deal. Hogan wants the gold again, and Bisch is starting to see these guys as a real threat to his authority. Hogan is now going by Hollywood Hogan and starts to form his own faction, "Team Hollywood" to counter the nWo. Shit I just booked myself back into face Sting beating heel Hogan at Starrcade '97 just like real life, didn't I. Fuck
- By the way, both sides try to court a certain rookie sensation, one who's winning matches on the trot recently. He refuses them both. He answers to no one. And when he's ready for the title... it won't matter who's next.
I know it sucks and is inaccurate okay, this was just the product of a shower