Eric Bischoff reveals how former WWE Superstar got Sting to embrace The Crow gimmick
The man called Sting. The Franchise. The Icon. He was one of the pillars of WCW, seeing it to the end and didn't even come to WWE till much later. The legend of Sting only grows year by year, as like some of the greats of his time, his body of work was impressive with a fan following that still remembers him for all the right reasons.
While The Crow Sting endeared for years, he first started with a Surfer gimmick that was reflective of the times. As WCW embraced a realistic or edgy look and gave birth to the nWo, Sting had to change as well. Like The Undertaker, Sting was able to evolve, but he needed some convincing to get there.
Most wrestling fans are aware that Scott Hall was the guy who suggested to Sting to paint his whole face with white as he had already donned those colors. What many don't know though, is that Scott Hall took the time to sit down and give his point of view.
Eric Bischoff, on his 83 Weeks podcast, said that Sting was already transitioning from his 'Surfer' gimmick to a more realistic one. His hair was no longer blonde, and he had let it grow out a bit. As noted, Scott Hall was the man who suggested the change and got Sting excited about it.
Bischoff also described Sting as someone willing to listen to the idea as well as the passion and inspiration behind it. He also said: (H/T 411 Mania)
"Scott, in that very inspired, lucid, hour and a half or two hours that we probably spent discussing this new character, painted a picture that Sting, he was just drooling, he couldn’t wait to launch this character. So there was no inhibition, there was no second thoughts, or he wasn’t doubting himself or second guessing himself. The way Hall laid it out, the opportunity that that character clearly had with its relationship to the NWO, and how that story could play out, we were all just chomping at the bit to do it, nobody more than Steve Borden.”
Sting became a huge draw on WCW Nitro and never looked back. While his time in WWE was timid compared to his runs in WCW and TNA/Impact Wrestling, he will forever be held in the same league as some of the greatest of all time.