“Except for That Night…”: WWE Hall of Famer Reveals Backstage Information About Infamous WCW Starrcade Match Between Hulk Hogan and Sting in 1997

One of the major reasons for joining WCW for Hulk Hogan was having creative control. He wanted the freedom to express any ideas about his character in the ring. Even though The Hulkster never massively exercised his creative rights in WCW, the one time he used it became a memorable moment. 

In the recent WWE Legends: NWO biography episode, Eric Bischoff, Sting, Hogan and Kevin Nash shed light on Starrcade 1997. We widely remembered the WCW World Championship match between Hulk Hogan and Sting for its last-minute change.

Bischoff recalled the incident saying, “Hulk looked at me and said, ‘Not today’. Furthermore, Sting added how he wanted to stick to the original plan. He also wanted to deliver what they had planned rather than the “last minute stuff.”

Hogan further stated, “I had a problem with it, because if you’re gonna beat me you get this type of momentum. This is about making money.”

He added, “Where if you beat somebody you beat in a way that they are better off after the beat you than they were before. Eric wasn’t really sure what we’re going to do with this thing.”

After The Immortal One, Nash’s video package arrives. Big Daddy Cool was straight forward saying Hogan “had creative control”. As per Diesel, nobody should give creative control to wrestlers. If that happens, the star won’t do things he doesn’t wish to.

Read More:- When Did Hulk Hogan Start Wrestling?

Hulk Hogan used his creative control only on Starrcade 1997 night!

Eric Bischoff, who had dealt with Hogan’s contract in the early 90s, shared that he never used his right until that night. The former WCW official said, “Despite the fact Hulk Hogan did had creative control and he never exercised it and never threaten to use it.”

Bischoff added, “He never applied any mind. It was was there but it was not, expect for that night. Because Hulk wasn’t feeling, he called inaudible and match scrambled.”

The Hulkster claims their feud had caught a lot of attention at the time. Sting was supposed to win, but Hogan had some other plans and said, “I’ll put him over, no big deal. We’ll figure out.”

New plans stated Sting losing via quick pinfall, resulting in a rematch, which, unfortunately, didn’t happen. Nevertheless, after the 12-time World Champion’s plans failed, they had to change the finish on the spot. ‘The Icon’ won the title, but the crowd’s reaction wasn’t the same as they had expected it to be.

Furthermore, Sting also shared that nobody knew what to expect, even after walking out of the curtain. He added, “And even then it’s like anything can happen.”

What are your thoughts on the same? Share your opinion in the comments.

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