Tony Schiavone Thinks WCW Made This Huge Mistake After Starrcade 1997

Starrcade 1997 is viewed by many fans and wrestlers alike as a night that may have started the beginning of the end for WCW. Sting was booked to defeat Hulk Hogan clean for the WCW Heavyweight Title in the main event of the show. However, when Hogan believed that Sting's head wasn't in the game, he convinced WCW President Eric Bischoff to change the structure of the match. The new plan was for Hogan to get a fast count — that wound up not being fast — on Sting, but Sting would still ultimately win. Despite winning the battle, the way Sting won did not make him look like a credible champion.

Former WCW commentator Tony Schiavone said recently that the finish was not the only mistake WCW made that week, as he discussed his thoughts on doing Sting versus Hogan the following night on "Nitro." "Of course it was," Schiavone said on "What Happened When." "It was a mistake for anybody who said, 'Well, I bought the pay-per-view,' right? They're giving away this for free."

Sting and Hogan wrestled for less than six minutes prior to "Nitro" running out of time, resulting in a no contest. Sting's reign as champion only lasted 11 days despite the title change being built to for more than a year. WCW continued making questionable decisions over the next few years before the company was purchased by WWE, WCW's competitor in the Monday Night Wars.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "What Happened When" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.