Sting Vs. Meng: How The Stinger Faced The Bloodline's Toughest Member (& Won)
WCW went through an awkward period in 1995 prior to the nWo hostile takeover where Hulk Hogan and his legion of Hulkamaniacs was still running wild, though the gimmick was clearly losing steam. Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen, along with Kevin Sullivan (The Taskmaster) and his Dungeon of Doom were wreaking havoc across WCW in their mission to destroy Hulkamania. Somehow, in the midst of all that cartoonish, whacky, and downright silly storyline, the WCW United States Championship had been vacated, and a tournament was held with matches taking place across WCW television. The finals of the tournament featured Sting and the hard-hitting, seemingly unstoppable monster known as Meng, known to wrestling fans as Haku from WWE.
Between WCW Great American Bash and their rematch at WCW Bash at the Beach, Sting and Meng put on some decent matches that showcased Sting's heart and endurance, while showing off just how durable, strong, and powerful Meng could be.
Facts & Stats |
Sting |
Meng |
---|---|---|
Height: |
6'2" |
6'1" |
Weight: |
250 lbs |
275 lbs |
Billed From: |
Venice Beach, CA |
Tonga |
Age: |
65 |
65 |
Debut: |
November 25, 1985 |
1978 |
Retired: |
March 3, 2024 |
N/A |
Finisher(s): |
Scorpion Deathlock Scorpion Deathdrop Stinger Splash |
Tongan Death Grip Superkick |
Meng arrived to WCW in 1994 and was originally billed to be a bodyguard to Col. Robert Parker and his Stud Stable, a man dressed in all black, sporting black shades and never speaking a word. His first real feud came at Super Brawl V in 1995, as he attacked "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan after Duggan had beaten Bunkhouse Buck. Col. Robert Parker later announced that Meng was now a wrestler in WCW and no longer a bodyguard, as he went on to defeat Duggan at WCW Uncensored one month later.
Meng was a terror throughout WCW and was truly an unstoppable force, as WCW wanted to capitalize on his Samoan heritage and his real-life toughness, as he virtually no-sold just about any offense from his opponents. After a brief rivalry with Road Warrior Hawk had ended, Meng was an entry in the WCW United States Championship tournament. In the tournament, he defeated Marcus Bagwell in the quarter-finals and Flyin' Brian Pillman in the Semi-Finals. The finals of the tournament took place at WCW Great American Bash, where he would face none other than the man called Sting!
As names continue to be announced for this year's Hall of Fame Class, rumors are circulating that Haku might be joining the 2024 group.
The finals of the tournament took place at WCW Great American Bash. The match featuring Sting and Meng was a hard-hitting contest, with Meng giving The Stinger everything he had in his arsenal. This was a defining moment for Meng and was his biggest challenge to date. As for Sting, this was one of his toughest challenges, considering the sheer durability, strength, and power that Meng possessed.
Despite all of these credentials, Sting was able to weaken Meng enough to force him to submit to the Scorpion Deathlock, as the franchise of WCW was able to conquer a man who was deemed to be a deadly killing machine and become the new WCW United States Champion. The match was fairly exciting, as many had felt Sting may have met his match, but that was proven to be false. They had a rematch at WCW Bash at the Beach one month later. The rematch progressed a bit more on the slower side, as Meng came close to defeating Sting at several points. However, Sting surprised Meng with a quick roll-up to catch him off guard and retain his United States Championship.
All in all, the matches were pretty good and while they may not be some of Sting's best matches in WCW, they stood out as an underrated rivalry that helped establish Meng as a credible threat in WCW despite his two back-to-back losses.
The Great American Bash has been a mainstay across WWE, WCW and NWA. Which iterations of the PPV rank among the best?
After the brief feud between Sting and Meng was over, Meng went on to join the Dungeon of Doom and later formed a tag team with The Barbarian, as they came to be known as the Faces of Fear. Meng continued wrestling primarily as a tag team star and a mid-carder in WCW until his departure from the company in late 2000, when he'd returned to WWE for one last run as Haku.
Sting continued his WCW career, as he began to transform his persona from the neon-colored warrior to the mysterious Crow Sting by late 1996, as his war with the nWo and Hollywood Hulk Hogan began to take shape during that time. He went on to become one of the biggest stars in the wrestling industry, while Meng (Haku) faded away, outside a few one-off appearances for WWE in later years.