The Game versus The Vigilante: It’s Showtime Folks!
Doug Maynard

A/N As we all know, Triple H and Sting are scheduled to wrestle against each other at Wrestlemania. As of now, there are no stipulations for this match. It’s just another match. But what if Sting decided to use this match as a means to bring back WCW for a final show. What if…? Well, maybe it’d go something like this…
Triple H is sitting at his desk in WWE Headquarters going over the outline for the upcoming edition of Monday Night RAW when he’s interrupted by a knock at his office door.

“Come in”, Hunter called out.

Looking up from his desk, Triple H saw former WCW Superstar and current head WWE Producer, Arn Anderson standing there.

“Double-A”, HHH smiled. “What can I do for you Arn?”

“Well, I hate to bug you, but I’ve been talking to Sting”, Arn said quietly.

“Sting?”, HHH scowled. “What the hell does he want now?”

“Well, that’s just it”, Arn said. “I don’t know for sure, but I think he’s planning on coming to RAW Monday night and will be calling you out.”

“Calling me out? About what?”, HHH said. “He got his damn match at Wrestlemania 31 and I’m going to kick his ass all over the arena. What more could that Crow-reject want?”

“I don’t know”, Arn said. “I tried to get a heads up on what he’s thinking, but he was very evasive when it came to talking about wrestling and his plans for his career here in the WWE.”

“I hope he’s not making too many plans for his future because after Wrestlemania, he won’t be here anymore. And that’s a fact!”

“Hunter, I have to warn you, don’t take Sting lightly. Ric tried to tell you and I’m telling you. Sting’s best weapon is that people underestimate him and end up on their ass as a result. You’re too smart for that. Don’t fall into that trap.”

“Double A, let me assure you that I am not underestimating anyone”, HHH said. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve watched the tapes. I’ve watched the history with Sting and yourself, with Sting and Ric, hell with Sting and everyone. I’ve got both my eyes wide open and no matter what Sting’s plans may be or whatever he tries to get into my head or under my skin, it won’t work.”

“Just be careful. That’s all I’m saying”, Arn responded.

“I am”, HHH said. “So Sting is planning to show up at RAW and call me out. Have you heard anything else?”

“Nope”, Arn said. “Like I said, Sting wasn’t very talkative.”

“What were you doing talking to Sting anyway?”, HHH asked suspiciously.

“We talk every few weeks”, Arn said. “Mainly about the families and to relive some of our old stories about the days on the road in WCW. I’ve known the man since 1985 and he’s a good guy. A good friend!”

Noticing the look HHH was giving him, Arn quickly added, “But that’s friendship and this stuff between you and he, that’s business. And I know how to separate the two.”

“I know you do Arn”, HHH said as he reached over and patted Arn on the shoulder. “And I thank you for the heads up about Monday. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what Sting is up too.”

“Just watch yourself Hunter”, Arn said. “And don’t take Sting for granted or you’ll end up regretting it.”

“I won’t”, HHH smiled. “Is that all?”

“Well, I have some notes from the house shows that I wanted to drop off”, Arn said as he laid a stack of papers on HHH’s desk.

“I’ll look those over later tonight”, HHH said. “Thank you Arn.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later then”, Arn said as he nodded towards HHH. “I promised Reigns I’d work with him on his promos and he’s waiting for me downstairs. I guess I should get on down there.”

“Have fun”, HHH smiled as Arn walked out the door.

As the door closed behind Arn Anderson, HHH’s smile quickly turned into a frown and scowl.

“Sting wants to come to RAW and call me out?”, he thought to himself. “Well, give it your best shot Sting and be prepared for the consequences!”

<<< break >>>

Monday night at WWE Monday Night RAW…

HHH and Stephanie McMahon walk to the ring. HHH gets the mic.

“Okay Sting, I’ve been hearing all weekend that you were going to be here. That you were going to call me out. Well, here I am so where are you at? I don’t have all night so let’s get this over with. Come on Sting!”

And the lights began to flash and Sting’s logo came up on the Titantron. The arena goes dark and seconds later, when the lights come on, standing there in the middle of the ring is the Vigilante, the man they call Sting.

“So you’re here!”, HHH said. “I’ve been hearing all weekend that you wanted to call me out. You want something? Well, here we are. What do you have to say Sting? What?”

Stephanie touches her husband on the shoulder and says, “Let me take care of this!”

Walking over to Sting, Steph gets right in his face.

“Who the hell do you think you are, Sting?”, she asks. “This is the WWE. This is the house that McMahon built… my father, my grandfather, my brother, Hunter, me… and I don’t care who you were in WCW or what kind of reputation you had fifteen years ago. This is our house, the WWE and you are nothing here. Do you hear me?”

And with that, Steph rears back and tries to slap Sting, but moving quickly, Sting grabs her hand before it connects. Shaking his head “No”, Sting releases her hand and steps back and pulls a black metal bat from inside his trench coat. Steph and HHH move back across the ring quickly.

“Hold on a second”, HHH says. “Don’t think that bat makes you a big guy. I can snap my fingers and have the entire roster from the back out here in a second and that bat won’t do you a bit of good. State your business and what you want before I decide I’ve had enough and come over there and kick your ass now!”

Sting nods slightly and then points towards the back with his bat. The fans go crazy as we see, for the first time since 1996, the “Total Package” Lex Luger comes out from backstage and walks towards the ring. Luger steps into the ring and shakes Sting’s hand. He reaches out to shake the hand of Triple H, but just gets a glare for his troubles.

“Lex Luger… The Total Package”, HHH says. “Another washed-up WCW piece of crap reject! What do you want here Luger?”

“Well”, Lex replied. “I’m here to act as the spokesman for my long time friend, the man known as Sting.”

“He’s right there. Why can’t he speak for himself?”, Steph screeched.

“He can”, Lex smiled, “But I’m going to do it.”

“So what’s the deal?”, HHH sneered. “What’s the point of all of this?”

“Well, as the fans already know, it’s already been agreed… you agreed to wrestle Sting in a match at Wrestlemania 31.”

“Yeah, we’re going to have a match and I’m going to kick Sting’s ass. What of it?”, HHH said.

“Well, we’re here to up the stakes a notch if you will”, Luger replied. “Sting versus Triple H at Wrestlemania. A match for the ages and a main event anywhere in the world. It’s a dream match brought to reality!”

“Yeah, so…”, HHH said.

“Well, why don’t we up the stakes a bit. You’ve been talking about this match as the last WCW versus WWE battle and talking like it’s a part of the Monday Night Wars…”

“Which the WWE won when we put WCW out of business”, Stephanie interjected.

“True”, Luger smiled once more. “The WWE won and WCW went out of business… But it’s not dead. There are still millions of fans out there who remember WCW, who remember Sting, who remember the ‘Total Package’, who remember the Steiners, who remember The Horsemen, Dusty, The Midnight Express, Buff, Goldberg, and so on… For those fans, WCW is still alive in their hearts and memories.”

“Only because we allow it”, HHH responded. “We have the Network. We own the video library. WCW and it’s legacy, small as it was, is ours to control and is in our hands. We won the war and the people you mentioned only have a legacy because we allow it.”

“Do you really believe that?”, Luger asked.

“I do… because it’s the truth!”, HHH said. “Now what do you want? What does he (pointing to Sting) want?”

“Well, how about a stipulation for your match at Wrestlemania?”, Lex said.

“What kind of stipulation?”, HHH asked.

“Well, if you win, Sting leaves the WWE forever. No questions asked and no complaints. WCW’s last soldier is gone and the WWE… you, Hunter, mark that final notch on your belt. You win!”, Luger said.

“And if by some fluke miracle, I happened to lose… not that it would ever happen?”, HHH asked.

“WCW gets their own show on the Network and operates as a seperate, but equal brand of the WWE.”

“That’s not going to happen”, Stephanie interjected. “WCW couldn’t survive as a brand in today’s market and it would cost millions of dollars to even attempt to do anything with such a spoiled and ruined name.”

“Besides, who would be there to work on the WCW roster even if we did agree to it, Luger? You? Booker? WCW died fifteen years and all the dinosaurs that were roaming the land back then, the so-called WCW Superstars… would all be too old. We’d have to break everyone out of the rest homes. No deal!”, HHH replied.

Luger looked at Sting who nodded with a small smile.

“Well, we figured that would be your answer and truthfully, we didn’t expect that you’d be confident or brave enough to put so much up on just one match. But we have an alternative offer and stipulation for the match, one that as the C.O.O. of WWE, you could easily approve and make happen.”

“And what is that?”, HHH said.

“Well, if you win the match at Wrestlemania 31, then Sting is gone from the WWE forever. He leaves and you put the final nail in the coffin of WCW. You win the war for the WWE and come home the victorious hero.”

“Okay, I’ve got that. I win and Sting is gone”, HHH said. “And…?”

“And if Sting wins, we get one night on the Network… one show to have a special event. We get to have a WCW One Night Stand event.”

“No”, HHH said. “We’re trying to build the Network and the WWE and make money. We do what’s best for business and as much as I’d like to round up all of the old WCW stars and single-handedly go and pedigree every single of one of them, and give them all the beatdown they deserve, it’s not going to happen… not on my watch.”

“I get it”, Lex spoke up. “You’re afraid that when Sting beats you, you’d have to face the truth. That the 83 weeks that WCW decimated the WWE, it wasn’t a fluke. WWE management won the war, but so far as the talent and wrestlers go, the boys, WCW was better.”

HHH bowed up and got into Luger’s face.

“Let me tell you something right now Luger. No one cares about WCW and no one cares about you and no one cares about Sting! WWE was better then and is better now and always will be. And I should beat your ass right now!”

As those words left HHH’s mouth, he felt cold steel as Sting pressed the baseball bat up against his head. Quickly HHH put his arms up and backed away from Luger. Sting moved up and took the mic from Luger.

“Don’t worry about it! HHH is just scared. He’s a coward”, Sting said.

“What the hell!”, HHH snapped. “Nobody calls me a coward! Do you hear me Sting? I’m Triple H. I’m the Game and the C.O.O. of the WWE. And you want your stupid stipulation? You got it! If you win, you get a WCW reunion show and it’ll be on the Network. But when I win… and have no doubt that I’m going to kick your ass and hurt you badly at Wrestlemania, you will be out of here and gone from the WWE back to wherever you’ve been hiding for the last fifteen years. You’re gone forever!!!”

HHH moved towards Sting, but stopped when once again confronted with that black steel bat in his face. HHH backed off and Stephanie grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back even more. The lights flashed off for a moment and when they came back on, both Sting and Lex Luger were gone. HHH and Stephanie looked at each other and Steph whispered something into her husband’s ear. And with that, they left the ring and headed towards the back as RAW went to commercial.

<<< break >>>

The night of Wrestlemania 31…

HHH is in his private dressing room getting ready for his match against Sting. Also in the room are Stephanie and his father-in-law, Vince McMahon.

“I’m going to beat his ass!”, Hunter muttered to himself as he warmed up. “There will never be a WCW show again here in the WWE. WCW is dead!”

“Are you okay Hunter?”, Steph asked as she put her hand on HHH’s shoulder.

“I’m fine! I’m just ready to get to that ring and get this over with. It’s time to put an end to this whole Sting thing once and for all!”

“Well”, Vince interrupted. “Even if you do win, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Sting will be gone forever.”

“What do you mean Daddy?”, Steph asked. “That’s the deal tonight. When Hunter wins, Sting is gone from the WWE forever.”

“He won’t be back at the shows or pay-per-views”, Vince noted. “But to do commentary for our DVD’s and maybe in a few years, in the Hall of Fame. That’s all still definitely in the realm of possibility.”

“No!”, Hunter scowled. “When the match is over and my hand is raised in victory, Sting is gone from the WWE forever. No DVD’s and no Hall of Fame. Nothing!”

“But what if Sting wins?”, Vince asked. “Should I go ahead and call Dusty and Eric Bischoff and have them start making plans for a WCW reunion show?”

“That’s not going to happen! I promise you that!”, HHH said bitterly.

“Well, I’m going to hold you to that”, Vince said. “And by the way, you’re on your own tonight. If anyone gets involved, be it on your behalf or on Sting’s, it doesn’t matter. They will have to deal with me. Have you got that?”

HHH glared at his father-in-law.

“Fine!”, he finally said.

“Great”, Vince smiled broadly. “It’s one on one and may the best man win. It’s what’s best for business. Good luck out there Hunter. I’ll see the two of you later.”

And with that, Vince walked and exited the room. As Vince closed the door behind him, HHH grabbed a chair and flung it across the room.

“Damn it! Damn you Vince!”, he snarled.

“Don’t worry about it Hunter”, Steph said. “You can beat Sting on your own. You don’t need any help.”

“I know that”, HHH said. “But it never hurts to have a back-up plan and I had one set and ready to go. Now, thanks to your father, it’s a moot point.”

“What were you planning?”, Steph asked curiously.

“I was planning on having Big Show, Kane, Seth and J&J Security, all of the Authority, with me at ringside to provide a distraction or two and keep any of Sting’s friends from getting involved. Now, I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, I’ll be at ringside”, Steph said. “I’m one of the few people Daddy can’t intimidate or tough. And we’ll take care of Sting… together.”

HHH smiled a small smile.

“Yes, we will Steph. Together! And tonight, Sting and the legacy of what was WCW dies forever.”

Steph and Hunter shared a kiss.

“I’d better finish getting ready”, HHH said.

“Fine”, Steph smiled. “I’ve got some last minute work to do anyhow. I’ll see you in at Gorilla before the match.”

And with another kiss to her husband, Stephanie McMahon Helmsley walked out of the room.

HHH watched her leave and then began to do some more exercises.

“In just a little while”, he thought to himself, “Sting is gone forever!”

<<< break >>>

Both men made their way to the ring as the fans screamed and cheered, as many boos as cheers for both Sting and HHH. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL are at ringside, ready to call the action. Referee Charles Robinson calls both men to the center to give them their instructions. HHH is talking trash, as he keeps throwing threats and insults at Sting.

“You’re through. No more career and no more WCW. Tonight, I’m taking you down for good!”, HHH says. Sting just remains silent and the intensity is glaring in his eyes as he waits for the referee to call for the bell. Charles Robinson calls for the bell and it’s on.

HHH quickly moves in with punches and kicks. Sting seems to be reeling, but reverses a whip into the ropes and catches HHH with a dropkick to the chest. HHH rolls from the ring, stunned. Stephanie, who is at ringside, quickly moves to HHH’s side to check on him.

“I wasn’t expecting that”, HHH muttered to his wife. “See if you can distract him.”

Steph nodded and moved to the far side of the ring and began to talk trash to the WCW icon. Sting turned to Steph and pointed at her as HHH quickly moved into the ring and tried to attack Sting. Sting turned at the last second and caught HHH with a hip-toss and another dropkick. HHH rolled again to the outside.

“When did Sting start using dropkicks?”, HHH thought to himself. “He hasn’t done that in twenty years.”

HHH yelled at the referee to move Sting back and slowly got back into the ring. As he glared at the Stinger, HHH moved in and quickly locked up with Sting. A forearm shot and several chops by HHH and Sting was finally on the defensive. More punches by HHH and a big suplex. HHH gets a quick two count as Sting kicks out. More punches and kicks by HHH and Sting seems to be dazed. A whip into the ropes by HHH and he catches Sting with a bone-crushing spinebuster. HHH rises and starts to feel confident. Kicks and stomps by HHH and he throws Sting over the top rope to the floor. HHH follows and moves in, preparing to throw Sting into the guard-rail at ringside. Sting manages to block the attempt and HHH is the one to feel the metal rail as he crashes hard into the unforgiving steel. Sting rolls into the ring to break the referee’s count and then rolls back out to the floor. He pulls HHH up and goes to whip Hunter into the ring-post, but HHH reverses and Sting goes head first into the steel pole.

HHH takes Sting and rolls him into the ring. Kicks and stomps at Sting as HHH continues to dominate. A whip into the ropes and a running knee to the face by “The Game”. Sting is down and appears to be out on his feet. The fans are really getting into the match and screaming for Sting. HHH pulls up Sting and delivers another kick to the guy and sets him up for the pedigree. He hesitates for a moment to scream at the fans. “Here is your hero! He’s going down!”, HHH screamed. Pedigree by HHH and he drops down for the pin. Two count and Sting just barely gets the shoulder up. HHH is amazed and the fans are going nuts! HHH reaches down and pulls Sting back up, preparing for another pedigree. As the last second, Sting manages to shift his weight and backdrops HHH to the mat. Sting crumbles to the mat as HHH lands on his back. Both men are down and the referee begins to count.

By the count of seven, both men have made it to their feet and it’s time for the fists to start flying. HHH appears to be getting the best of the exchange, but then it’s time. A chop by HHH and Sting no-sells it. Another chop and another no-sell by Sting. Sting starts beating on his own chest and lets out a big yell to the crowd. “Ooooowwww!”, Sting screams. HHH can’t believe it! More punches by HHH and a whip into the ropes. Sting reverses and HHH goes into the corner hard. A kick by Sting and Sting runs across the ring before coming back, diving in with the Stinger Splash. Another whip across the ring and Sting dives in with another Stinger splash. Sting moves in and grabs HHH by his head, setting him up for the Scorpion Death Drop. Sting drops HHH on the back of his head and goes for the pin. HHH rolls a shoulder up at 2 9/10ths. The match continues.

Sting shakes his head and grabs HHH’s legs, turning him over and moving him into position for the Scorpion Deathlock. HHH screams in agony as Sting bears down and puts all his weight on HHH’s back. HHH is trying and crawling and reaching for the ropes, but he can’t make it. He’s just inches away and it looks as if he’s going to have to tap out when Stephanie is there, reaching in and grabbing HHH’s arms, pulling his hand to the rope. With this bit of help, HHH makes the ropes and the referee orders Sting to break the hold. Sting waits until the very last second and the threat of a disqualification before finally releasing the hold. Kicks and chops by Sting on HHH, who is still favoring his back and trying to pull himself together. A whip into the corner by Sting and he hits HHH with another Stinger-splash. Sting pulls HHH to the center of the ring and once more locks in the Scorpion Deathlock. Sting cinches the hold in as HHH screams in pain.

Suddenly, Stephanie McMahon is up on the ring apron and trying to get into the ring. The referee is trying to stop Steph from entering the ring and goes to get her off the apron. Sting sees Steph and releases the hold on HHH and goes over towards Steph, to make her get off the ring apron and get back on the floor. As Sting and referee Charles Robinson deal with Stephanie, HHH crawls over to the other side of the ring and grabs his sledge hammer that Stephanie had placed on the ring apron before moving to the other side of the ring to provide the distraction. HHH pulls himself up and cradles the sledge hammer in his hands. Sting notices that HHH is back up and moves over to go back after his opponent. HHH sees Sting coming and swings the sledge hammer, but Sting is faster and more observant than HHH had expected and manages to block and catch the sledge hammer before it can hit him. A kick by Sting and HHH drops the hammer to the mat. Sting picks up the hammer and glances over, noticing that Steph still has the referee’s attention. Whammo! Sting nails HHH with the sledge-hammer. HHH is down and out. Sting reaches down and pulls HHH up as Stephanie finally drops to the floor off the ring apron and referee Charles Robinson is back in the match. Sting with the Scorpion Death Drop on HHH and a cover. Steph tries to get into the ring to break the count, but isn’t fast enough. The referee counts three and calls for the bell. The winner: STING

The referee raises Sting’s arm in victory. Steph has entered the ring and is on her knees, trying to console HHH who is sitting there, on the mat, stunned as realization begins to set in.

As they watched from backstage, Vince McMahon turned to Dusty Rhodes, Michael Hayes and Arn Anderson who were standing there watching the action with him.

“Well, I guess that WCW is back at least for one night. Dusty, start making the phone calls and see what you can get started. You too Arn. It’s time to get things going for a WCW One Night Stand event… Damn it!”

“Lord help us all”, Michael Hayes added.

<<< break >>>

Things moved quickly from there and personalities from the roster of World Championship Wrestling were contacted and booked. The Phelps Arena in Atlanta, GA was booked and a date was set. Surprisingly, Dusty Rhodes decided to not be the booker of the event and thus, the team of Kevin Sullivan, Terry Taylor and Paul Heyman were given the duties. The line-up for the show and the details were kept under wraps from everyone including Vince, Steph and HHH. Heyman promised them that they would enjoy it more that way and they decided to trust him. Tony Schiavione, Scott Hudson and “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko were brought in as the announce team with “Mean” Gene Okerlund and former NWA / WCW valet “The Perfect Ten” Baby Doll handling interviews. The name, after much discussion, was decided upon. It’s WCW Starcade 2015: The Reunion.

The show starts and “Mean” Gene Okerlund is standing in the middle of the ring and welcomes the fans & viewers to the show. And he introduces his guest, Eric Bischoff. Eric comes to the ring, smiling and waving to the crowd. He’s in charge for the evening and mockingly tells some fans in the front row that “I love you too!”. Eric talks for a few moments about the legacy of WCW and how they “kicked the WWE’s ass” before introducing the man that everyone is waiting for. Here is Sting!

Sting comes to the ring and hugs Eric. Before Sting can start talking though, we hear familiar music and WWE C.O.O. Triple H, followed by Stephanie McMahon, The Big Show, Kane, Seth Rollins, Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury come to the ring to confront Sting and Eric Bischoff. Mean Gene quickly departs the ring as it begins to fill up with The Authority.

HHH gets the mic. He may have been forced into allowing this farce of a show to go on the Network, but he’s not going to allow Bischoff and Sting to talk trash about his company, the WWE. He and the rest of The Authority are stopping things right there and are ready to lay out both Sting and Bischoff. Sting remains silent, but quickly produces his baseball bat and is ready to fight. Eric just smiles that big shit-eating smile and steps up to HHH.

“Hunter, this show has already been approved by Vince McMahon and it’s going to happen tonight no matter if you like it or not. And since you’ve decided to make an appearance here in the ring, let me tell you something else. I kind of expected something like this and I’ve got a contract with Vince McMahon that says I’m the boss tonight over all the talent. And tonight, you and the rest of the Authority… you’re talent. If you had stayed in the back and just enjoyed the catering… which is very good by the way. But then again, you already know that since you’re the one paying for it…, if you had stayed back there, I wouldn’t be able to do this, but since you came out here and decided to get involved in the show… my show, you’re going to wrestle tonight.”

“What are you talking about, Eric? You don’t have any kind of authority over me or The Authority. Maybe we should just beat your ass right now!”, HHH scowled.

“But you’re wrong. I have a contract and agreement and if you touch me, I’ll sue your ass so fast, you won’t know what hit you. I think tonight, we’re going to have a match as our main event. I think we’ll have The Authority wrestle in an eight man tag match, no disqualification against four WCW Superstars.”

“That’s fine”, HHH said as he glared at Eric. “But doesn’t that ruin your whole WCW theme having the best of the best from the WWE in your main event against some of your nursing home rejects?”

“Not really”, Eric smiled. “After all, both you and Big Show are WCW alumni. After all, Big Show got his start as The Giant here in WCW and who can forget this?”

Eric pointed to the Titantron that was set up for the show and a pictue of HHH, from the time he wrestled in WCW as Terra Ryzin, popped up on the screen.

“You may claim to be Mr. WWE and all of that, but who can forget the ominous presence that once was… Terra Ryzin?”, Eric laughed.

“Ha Ha. Very funny”, HHH scowled once more. But lets see you smile after The Authority stomps a mudhole in your ass and beats the hell out of all of your WCW retreads.”

HHH moves towards Eric, but Sting is there with the bat and blocks his way. HHH glances at the bat and backs away. The rest of The Authority seem ready to go after Sting anyhow, but HHH signals them to move back and exit the ring. HHH speaks on the mic once more.

“So tonight, it’s the Authority versus your little band of seniors. Who do you have? Who is your team?”

“You’ll see… later tonight”, Eric smiled once more as he stood there next to Sting.

“It doesn’t matter”, HHH said. “Tonight, the legacy that was WCW is gone forever and whoever decides to step into the ring against us, The Authority… well, we’re not responsible for what happens.”

As HHH and the Authority head towards the back, Eric raises Sting’s arm for the cheering fans and we go to Schiavone, Hudson and Zbyszko. The announcers speculate on who will be Sting’s partners tonight and what other kind of surprises can we expect for the night. Things are just getting started and we go to the ring for the first match. It’s time for some madness and craziness as some of the best tag teams in WCW history are here for some four-corners tag team action. Gary Michael Cappetta does the ring introductions.

Four Corners Tag Team Match
The Boogie Knights (Disco Inferno & Alex Wright) w/ Tokyo Magnum versus The West Hollywood Blondes (Lenny Lane & Lodi) versus Three Count (Shannon Moore & Evan Karagias) w/ Shane Helms versus The Faces of Fear (The Barbarian & Meng) w/ Jimmy Hart

Before the match, Disco Inferno gets the mic. He knows that everyone in the live audience of nearly twenty-thousand people… and all the people watching on the WWE Network, just came to see “the Disco Inferno and Alex Wright dance!”. Disco proposes that instead of a match, they have a “dance off” instead. Three Count and The West Hollywood Blondes seem okay with that. Jimmy Hart and the Faces of Fear are not happy though. Disco tells the folks in the back to hit his music and he, Alex Wright and Tokya Magnum do their dance thing as the fans boo. They dance for about a minute and then it’s Three Count’s turn. They take formation and do their boy-band dance routine. The fans boo again. Lenny and Lodi shrug their shoulders and start doing a provacative Miley Cyrus type of twerking. As they begin, the fans really get loud and Jimmy Hart signals his guys to attack. Barbarian and Meng attack and go after the Blondes, tossing them from the ring. The match has began.

It’s a mixture of fast paced action as Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias fly around the ring. Lenny and Lodi do a mixture of power and speed as do Disco and Alex. And Meng and Barbarian just use power and size to get the job done. It’s action personified and lots of back and forth action. Finally, we see Meng lock the Tonga Death Grip on Alex Wright. Karagias and Moore make him break the hold with a double-dropkick to the back that sends Meng to the floor. Lodi hits Moore with a power-bomb as Lenny uses a clothesline to take Karagias to the floor. Barbarian kicks Lodi and sends him flying. Barbarian turns around and Disco hits the “chart-buster” and gets the pinfall.

Winners: Disco Inferno & Alex Wright w/ Tokyo Magnum – The Boogie Knights

We go to the back and Baby Doll is talking to Sid Vicious. Sid is in full psycho-mode and puts out a challenge to anyone to fight him in the ring tonight. We look over and here is the man they call Vader. He looks at Sid and says, “It’s time!”

Back to the ring and we seel Col. Rob Parker, along with Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck. Parker starts to talk about his time in WCW and the memories of managing Steve Austin and the battles against Brian Pillman and Harlem Heat. Here comes Madusa to the ring. Parker sees her and starts to sweet talk. “My oh my, you’re still looking so good! How’s my little butter bean?”, he says. Madusa doesn’t say a word, but slaps the taste out of Parker’s mouth. As Slater and Buck try to pull Madusa back, Parker flees to the floor and heads to the back. We go to the announcers who inform us that word has come from the back and that former 5-time WCW Champion has agreed to be one of Sting’s partners tonight against The Authority. We then go back to the ring and announcer Gary Michael Capetta for the next match.

Juventud Guerrera w/ Tygress versus Billy Kidman w/ Torrie Wilson

Juvi and Kidman shake hands. Torrie waves to the audience. And the bell rings, but just as they start to lock up, here comes Silver King and LaParka from the back and they climb into the ring. Juvi asks them what’s going on in spanish and the four men (and two women) gather in the middle of the ring. After a brief conversation with the referee, we see Juvi and Kidman nod. The referee goes down and says something to Capetta. Capetta gets on the mic and says that instead of a singles match, we’re going to have a tag match.

Juvi versus Kidman… NO CONTEST!

Juventud Guerrera & Billy Kidman w/ Tygress & Torrie Wilson versus La Parka & Silver King

The bell rings and it’s fast paced, hard hitting action all the way. Lots of high flying and great wrestling. In the end, La Parka tries to live up to his reputation as the “Chairman of WCW” and brings a chair into the ring. Kidman ducks the chair and lands a great dropkick that sends La Parka back hard into the corner. As Juvi and Torrie distract the referee, Tygress sneaks into the ring and goes charging into the corner and nails La Parka with “a face full of stuff”. Kidman with a DDT and tag off to Juvi who nails La Parka with the Juvi-Driver to pick up the pinfall.

Winners: Billy Kidman & Juventud Guerrera w/ Tygress & Torrie Wilson

To the back again and Baby Doll is with former WCW World Champion Ron Simmons. Before they can talk, we see Col. Robert Parker run into the scene. “You got to hide me! She’s crazy!”, Parker whines. Parker then looks behind him and lets out a yell before running off. In comes Madusa. “Where is that white coat KFC wannabe?”, she scowls at Baby Doll & Simmons. “I’m going to kick his ass!”. Madusa stomps off looking for Parker. Baby Doll looks at Simmons and shrugs. Ron looks at Baby Doll and says the words that are on everyone’s mind. “DAMN!” Baby Doll sends it to the ring and Mean Gene.

Now it’s back to the ring where Mean Gene is with the most elite wrestling organization of all time, The Horsemen. It’s Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Tully Blanchard, James J. Dillon and Steve “Mongo” McMichael. Ric and the other members of the Horsemen talk about their legacy, WCW, being the Horsemen and being the best. It’s classic Horseman goodness at it’s finest. And here comes “Above Average” Mike Sanders and the Natural Born Thrillers, Mark Jindrak, Shawn Stasiak, Chuck Palumbo, Johnny the Bull and Reno into the scene. Sanders makes some cracks about a break-out at the old folks home and starts to rag on Ric and the rest of the Horsemen. The Horsemen were old news fifteen years ago and are old news now. It’s all about the Thrillers and they’re ready to make their own history by eliminating the stain on WCW that was Flair and his cronies. It’s getting heated and it looks like tempers will be starting to flare when “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes comes out.

Dusty talks about the legacy of the Horsemen and his own history with Flair and company. Then he talks about The Thrillers and the impact that they made in pro wrestling and WCW during their short time with the company. Dusty offers a solution to this conflict of interests between the Horsemen and the Thrillers, a match. How about The Horsemen pick two of their members and the Thrillers pick two of their guys and we have a match tonight at WCW Starcade 2015: The Reunion. The wrestlers quickly confer among themselves and agree. It’s on. For the Thrillers, Mike Sanders says that Chuck Palumbo & Mark Jindrak will represent their team. Ric, Arn and the others confer among themselves. It’s going to be Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham as their team. J.J. Dillon waves for a referee to come out and their match is now.

Mark Jindrak & Chuck Palumbo w/ Mike Sanders, Shawn Stasiak, Reno & Johnny the Bull (The Natural Born Thrillers) versus Barry Windham & Tully Blanchard w/ Ric Flair, James J. Dillon, Arn Anderson and Steve “Mongo” McMichael (The Horsemen)

Palumbo takes the early advantage, using his size and power to keep Tully down. Tully manages to side-step a dropkick and moves in with a single-leg takedown. Punches and a suplex by Tully and Windham tags in. Barry and Palumbo match up and Barry goes after the leg. A thumb to the eyes and Palumbo tags out to Jindrak. Windham manages to catch Jindrak as he’s coming in and dominates until a distraction by Stasiak outside of the ring allows Jindrak to take control. Jindrak with a powerslam for two. Jindrak is going up top, but Mongo is on the apron and distracts the ref. Flair nails Jindrak with his shoe and Windham gets a two count. Lots more back and forth inside the ring while tensions outside the ring are getting heated. Flair and Sanders having a shoving match and the referee goes to the floor to keep the Horsemen and The Thriller’s seperate. Meanwhile, as the ref is distracted on the outside. Palumbo is beating on Tully. He turns around and there is Arn Anderson who has climbed into the ring. A whip into the ropes and picture-perfect spinebuster by Double-A. Arn quickly slides out of the ring as Barry is back in and nails a bulldog on Jindrak as he attempts to climb into the ring and help his partner. The referee is back in and we see Tully get Palumbo for the slingshot suplex. A cover and a pin.

Winners: Tully Blanchard & Barry Windham w/ Ric Flair, James J. Dillon, Arn Anderson & Steve McMichael – THE FOUR HORSEMEN!

The referee calls for the bell and the Thrillers storm the ring to go after Tully and Windham. Arn, Flair and Mongo climb into the ring and quickly dispatch the Thrillers, sending them to the floor. James J. Dillon climbs into the ring and the Horseman unit gather in the middle of the ring and in unison, raise their arms (and those infamous four fingers) into the air as the fans scream and cheer and the Thrillers watch from the outside.

As the ring clears and order is restored, we go to the announcers who talk about the stars of WCW who are no longer with us. We get a tribute video for those men and women who have passed away.

We come back to live action and it’s time for another match. Gary Michael Cappetta introduces Mr. Jim Cornette. Cornette comes to the ring and does a classic Cornette promo on WCW, the WWE, the legacy and history of his team, The Midnight Express, in WCW. It’s three minutes of Jim Cornette at his very best and then Jimmy introduces his team, “Sweet” Stan Lane, “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey and “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton… the Midnight Express. After the Midnight Express get into the ring, Capetta starts to introduce the opposing team, but Cornette cuts him off. He’ll introduce the other team too since they’ve been a thorn in his backside for over thirty years and he knows them better than anyone… besides, Capetta would probably mess it up anyhow. Cornette takes the mic and in a strongly praising, but still insulting introduction, calls out their opponents, Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson… The Rock & Roll Express. Both teams get into the ring, trade some trash talking and the referee calls for the bell. It’s on.

The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey & Stan Lane) w/ Jim Cornette & “Beautiful” Bobby versus The Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)

A typical, by the numbers Express match. Stan and Dennis dominate over Morton to start off with and do some beating and greeting. Morton manages to make the hot tag to Gibson who comes in and cleans house. A kick by Lane and Gibson is down. Eaton distracts the ref while Lane holds Gibson and Cornette is up on the apron winding up with the tennis racket. Cornette swings and Gibson ducks and Cornette nails Lane by mistake. Gibson with the pin while Morton stops Condrey from making a save.

Winners: The Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)

We go backstage once again and find Baby Doll talking to Ernest “The Cat” Miller, Stevie Ray & “The Laughing Man” Hugh Morris. They all get a few words in about what a great time they’re having and what being a part of WCW meant to them. Lash Leroux & Chavo Guerrero are there are well. They make a joke about Cpl. Cajun and Lt Loco and their roles as part of the Misfits In Action. It’s back now to Mean Gene who has three very special guests.

Mean Gene is in the ring and introduces his guests, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash… the nWo. Hall decides to conduct a little survey for the fans. Are they here to see WCW? A mixture of cheers and boos. Or are they here for the nWo? Cheers. Hall says one more for the bad guys. Nash and Hogan talk about the legacy of the nWo and what it meant to them and to WCW. Hogan teases a match for the nWo, but then says, “psyche”. No more matches for Hogan or his team. And now, back to the ring for the next match.

Sid Vicious versus VADER

We start off with the stare-down as Vader and Sid go nose to nose, talking trash. A shove by Sid. A shove by Vader. And then the punches start and it’s on. Sid tries to slam Vader, but the legs go out and Vader comes crashing down for a two count. Vader is up with a slam and he goes to the second rope. A splash by Vader. And now, he’s heading up to the top. Backflip by Vader, but Sid manages to move the last second. The crowd is on their feet with a “Holy Shit” chant. Sid pulls Vader up and goes for the power-bomb. Vader shifts his weight and Sid only manages to get him about half-way up before dropping Vader to the mat. Cover and a two-count as Vader rolls the shoulder at the last second. Punches and kicks by Sid and he’s trying to get Vader up for another power-bomb. Vader counters with the backdrop. Clothesline by Vader and Sid is staggered. Another clothesline by Vader and both he and Sid go over the top rope crash to the floor. The referee starts to count. Both men hit hard and are slow to get up. At the 9-count, Vader manages to roll into the ring. Sid tries to make it, but is just a second too slow as the referee’s count reaches ten and he calls for the bell.

Winner by count-out: VADER

We go back to the announce table where Schiavone, Zbyszko and Hudson inform us that Diamond Dallas Page has agreed to be the third man in Sting’s “Team WCW”, who will be taking on HHH and The Authority at the end of the night in the main event. Larry Zbyszko informs us that he “is not” the fourth man for Sting’s team. Time go go to the ring for another match.

Scott “Flash” Norton & Buff Bagwell (Vicious & Delicious) versus Chris Jericho and Lance Storm

Buff starts off by posing and strutting. Storm gets the mic and introduces himself by asking if he can be serious for a moment and telling everyone that he is from Calgary Alberta Canada. Jericho welcomes everyone to Starcade Is Jericho and Norton just stands there looking like a monster. After all the posturing and flash is over, Buff and Storm lock up and the match is on. It’s move versus counter move and lots of fast paced wrestling. Buff gets outwrestled by Storm and asks for Jericho to tag in. Jericho tags in and he and Buff trade moves and try to out-show the other. Buff is frustrated and tags in Norton who just goes into strongman mode and tosses Jericho around. He tosses Storm around too, but then gets nailed by a double-team by the former Thrill Seekers. Norton goes to the floor in disgust and tags in Buff again. Buff and Storm go at it and Buff gets the advantage off a distraction by Norton. Norton tags in and throws Storm around again. Storm tags off to Jericho and it’s still all Norton. Norton and Buff are getting cocky. Norton powerslams Jericho and tags out to Buff who stalls and takes his time getting back into the ring. Buff goes to the top to set Jericho up for the Buff-buster, but jumps right into a codebreaker by Jericho. Jericho covers as Storm cuts off Norton from making the save. Jericho gets the pin.

Winners: Chris Jericho & Lance Storm

Norman Smiley and Roddy Piper are backstage with Baby Doll. They both talk for a moment about WCW and their careers and time in this company. Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes marching into the interview area. He cuts a typical Duggan promo and closes the segment by hugging up to and posing with Piper and Smiley as they all put their thumbs up and say, “Hoooooooooo!”

We cut to Col. Parker still running around and trying to hide from Madusa. He is in a hallway and trying to open different doors, but they’re all locked. Finally, he gets to one last door and opens it… and there, sitting around a table is “The Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan, Captain Mike Rotundo, Rick Steiner. The Zodiac (Ed Leslie), James Vandenberg, PN News & Johnny B. Badd. Parker looks at the assembled crowd sitting there, drinking beverages. He gulps, “Excuse me!”, and backs away, slowly closing the door behind him. Sullivan speaks up as the door closes and asks the others, “What’s his problem?”

We go back to the ring. We see a shot of David Arquette sitting at ringside. Gary Michael Cappetta makes the introductions for the next match.

“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes versus Vampiro

More fast paced action as Dustin and Vampiro put on a wrestling clinic for the fans, going back and forth. Dustin is using the power moves and we see a lot of vintage Goldust moves in his actions as well. Vampiro responds with a clothesline and goes after the neck of Dustin, hitting a neckbreaker and then a belly-to-back suplex. Vampiro seems to be in control, but telegraphs a backdrop and Dustin responds by dropping down and nailing Vampiro with a stiff uppercut punch. A whip into the corner and Dustin catches Vampiro with the running bulldog to get the pinfall.

Winner: Dustin Rhodes

It’s back to the back once more and we have Baby Doll talking to “The Total Package” Lex Luger & Magnum TA. Magnum talks about WCW and what it means to him and thanks the fans for keeping it and his legacy alive. Lex talks about his buddy Sting and the main event against The Authority. He wishes he could still wrestle and get in that ring. He can’t but he knows that Sting, Booker and DDP can take care of business and put HHH and The Authority in their place. Baby Doll asks if Lex knows who the partner for Sting’s team will be or are they planning on going in there for a 3 on 4 match. Lex just smiles. He knows and soon the whole world will know… cause Team WCW versus Team Authority… they’re next!

We go now to the ring and Michael Buffer is here to do the introductions for the main event. First, he introduces the WWE Superstars, led to the ring by HHH, its The Big Show, Kane and Seth Rollins, accompanied by J&J Security, Jamie Noble & Joey Mercury. It’s The Authority. And next, it’s Team WCW. Buffer gives each man a seperate introduction: Sting, Booker T and Diamond Dallas Page.

HHH gets the mic.

“So this is it? Just Sting, Booker and Page? Looks like it’s going to be a bad night for you guys!”

Sting holds up a hand and signals HHH to be quiet. Sting has his bad and points to the back. We hear a familiar music. We see the fireworks and smoke. It’s Bill Goldberg as their fourth man. Goldberg is here! HHH’s jaw drops and the fans are going insane. Goldberg and the rest of Team WCW charge the ring and quickly clear it, sending Team Authority to the floor. The referee is here and it’s time for this match to begin.

But before referee Charles Robinson can call for the bell to start the match, Eric Bischoff comes out from the back and he has a mic. Bischoff tells Robinson to leave the ring. Bischoff has a special referee to handle the duties for this match. Eric waves to the back and out comes Bret “The Hitman” Hart wearing a referee’s shirt. HHH is pissed and nobody on the Authority side looks pleased. Eric smiles that big smile of his once more and says to HHH, “I thought you might like this! Have fun!” Hart goes to the ring and after casting some dirty looks at both HHH (and surprisingly) Goldberg, calls for the bell and the match is on.

Team WCW (Sting, Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page & Goldberg) versus Team Authority (HHH, Big Show, Kane & Seth Rollins) w/ Jamie Noble & Joey Mercury

The bell rings, but before anyone can get started, Bret points at J&J Security. He’s sending Noble and Mercury to the back and banning them from ringside. HHH and Rollins complain, but Bret isn’t backing down. It’s going to be fair and four on four and J&J Security have to go. They reluctantly head to the back and finally we have a match. It’s chaos and oingo-boingo action from the start. Kane and Big Show using their power to take early control over Booker T. DDP and Rollins going at it. HHH and Sting exchanging punches, kicks and just going to town. The action starts off hard and heavy and never slows down. Finally, Booker sends Rollins to the floor with a spinning kick, but eats a spinebuster from HHH as a reciept for his efforts. HHH falls victim to the Diamond Cutter as DDP makes him feel the bang! Dallas gets caught by Kane and it’s choke-slam time. Kane turns around Sting is there to deliver a scorpion death-drop to the big red monster. Sting gets leveled by The Big Show and the knock-out punch. And Big Show gets taken down by Goldberg and the spear. Goldberg lifts Big Show up into the air and it’s time for the jackhammer. Cover and pin and Bret Hart counts to three. WCW and Team Sting are the winners.

Winners: TEAM WCW (Sting, Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page & Goldberg)

Here comes J&J Security running to the ring. Noble runs into a spear by Goldberg and he’s quickly jackhammered into the mat. Mercury eats a diamond cutter and he’s down too. Bret Hart raises the arms of Goldberg, Sting, DDP and Booker T for their victory. Rollins is back in the ring and he’s screaming at Hart. Hart with a big punch and Rollins goes to the mat. Bret goes to lock in the sharpshooter on Rollins, but Kane and Big Show pull him back to the floor from outside the ring. Hart raises the arms of Team Sting once more and the fans are going crazy.

As Team WCW and Bret celebrate in the ring, HHH and The Authority quickly vanish and work their ways towards the back. And then we hear the sound of breaking glass. Yes, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is here and he’s coming to the ring where Team WCW is still standing. Austin gets a mic. Before there was a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, there was “Stunning Steve Austin” and he had long blonde hair and wore pink tights. And Steve Austin got his start in WCW. Austin didn’t leave WCW on the best of terms, but things worked out and he’s got a lot of good memories and good friends from his days as part of this company. It’s been a helluva show and he thinks they ought to end things with a little beer blast. Austin tells everyone to come out from the back and the locker rooms empty as all of the former WCW stars gathered come to the ring and quickly fill it up. Austin starts calling for beers for everyone and we’re having a regular party gone wild.

And then music hits and there’s “No Chance” that Vince McMahon isn’t coming out to join the party. Everyone quiets down as the Chairman of the WWE climbs into the ring. He gets a mic and talks.

“Is everyone having a good time?”, Vince asks. “Well, enjoy it because it will NEVER happen again. I let you all have your little reunion show, but that’s it. I still own WCW and I am the man who put WCW out of business. And….”

Suddenly, a kick by Austin and Vince is bent over. DDP with the diamond cutter on Vince McMahon. McMahon is down and out.

“I think Vince just felt the bang!”, Austin laughed as he called for another beer. More beer is tossed into the ring and the WCW reunion party continues as we go to the announce table one last time. We see Tony Schiavone standing there with Scott Hudson, Larry Zbyszko, Baby Doll and Mean Gene. Schiavone tells the fans thank you for making this all happen and for giving WCW a chance to go out in style. For everyone at World Championship Wrestling, who ever laced up a pair of boots or held a microphone or worked in the back, this day was for them to say good-bye and again, thank you to the fans.

Zbyszko and Baby Doll say they’re going to the ring to join the party and Gene says to wait for him. Hudson and Schiavone sign off.

The End!!