[1991-03-10-WCW-Main Event] Sting vs Larry Zbyszko

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This was a terrific short match. Great heat and action. These two match up really well. Sting loses by DQ for refusing to release the scorpion, and after the match, he still won't let go. He keeps tossing referees outside the ring. This followed by the Warrior segment is interesting -- that's twice that the guy who they tried to build around the previous year is used in a much better way.

[shoe]

This really was great. A real fun brawl. Larry Z was great, and you have to give Sting credit for getting out of his comfort zone. It's a shame we don't have more footage of this feud because the preceding angle and this match are great step 1 and 2 in a feud. You see this a lot with Sting. When he gets challenged by getting out of his comfort zone he really delivered. You saw it here, with Regal, with Foley etc.

[PeteF3]

A stunningly intense brawl that's a credit to both guys--Larry Z for working hard, Sting for working hard and willing to give the old guy a bunch of the match, not to mention the win. There are ways for a babyface to get DQ'd that don't make him look like a complete buffoon like in that Eaton match with the Scorpion shit. Sting was a fucking maniac here rather than a dumbass.

[Kevin Ridge]

Sting show a lot more fire than he did through the Scorpion feud and losing title to Flair. He attacks Larry before match starts to let him know he got Sting’s attention. Didn’t like the chinlock by Sting so soon after the initial brawling. But he really loses his temper later in match and gets disqualified while holding the Scorpion Death Lock!! Larry was under his skin. Good little match.

[Guest TheGreatPuma]

I loved the energy of this match. Sting was always great for that. Whenever I think of this match, it makes me think of a personal fav Sting vs Buddy Landell bout where Sting goes through him very quickly with Paul E doing a terrific job of putting over what a big accomplishment it was to do so.

[soup23]

Credit has been given to Sting here and I did love the way he acted throughout this match, but Larry Z may be one of the most underrated workers of all time. He still gets a perception of being a stalling, by the numbers heel. He is sprinting in this match and working really hard to make it a raucous, out of control match with great crowd heat.

 

Zbysko has been such a revelation to me the past year with the 94 Regal feud, 90 Saito match, AWA stuff, and now this match.

[garretta]

I agree with Soup about Larry Z here. He's really had his big-league working boots on for his two in-ring appearances that we've seen in WCW, and he's also been great in the booth. This is so much of a change from the AWA Zbyszko whom all of us know and a lot of us find boring that I'm tempted to wonder if Verne knew how badly he was underestimating what Larry was capable of. If he'd been booked like this in the AWA, it wouldn't have necessarily saved the promotion, but the belt and the legacy would have gone to their eternal reward in much better shape than they did.

 

The Stinger showed much more fire than he ever did against a Horseman; Zbyszko's attack has truly gotten his dander up, and he's not afraid to hurt the old man to prove his point. Unfortunately, Larry has him so angry that that anger costs him the match. I actually liked seeing the normally placid, laid-back Stinger this upset, and I wish we had more stuff from this angle on tape, because it seems like we could have had quite a few more good TV bouts between these two, though not necessarily a pay-per-view match.

 

Nice to see Tony with a TBS gig; JR doing all three shows had to not only be tough on him, but also the viewers. Ultimately, I'd be fine with someone else doing the Power Hour as well, which would free JR up to do WCWSN, the Clashes, and of course the pay-per-views. which he still excels at.

[Migs]

 

 

Nice to see Tony with a TBS gig; JR doing all three shows had to not only be tough on him, but also the viewers. Ultimately, I'd be fine with someone else doing the Power Hour as well, which would free JR up to do WCWSN, the Clashes, and of course the pay-per-views. which he still excels at.

 

I liked that aspect too, but I believe this was a one off - I've been watching a lot 1991 WCW and all the other Main Event matches have had JR solo. It's the worst.

[Loss]

Torch subscribers can look through the archives around this time and find an interesting column by Bruce Mitchell on Jim Ross being way too visible on WCW TV.

[JKWebb]

I love this match, and I really love the finish. Sting won't let go - he's tossing the ref's out - just perfect. I saw this for the first time a few years ago and loved, and it didn't disappoint today. Larry Z is so animated, and Sting is relentless. It's a great combination. I'm a big Sting fan too, so that just makes it that much more enjoyable for me.

[dawho5]

Sting can really deliver as a fired up babyface. It's just a shame he never had that going when it mattered. Great stuff from both guys and I wish there had been more of this from Sting during the last year.

[drew wardlaw]

This perfectly plays into Stings strengths and hes great in short bursts like this where he doesnt have to be on offense for extended periods of time. Larry Z with some great heel work to counter it, looking for the opportunity to sneak in a knee or something. Good finish too, Sting is just too fired up to let go and destroys some refs for good measure.