Everyone touts Sting's matches with Ric Flair as the most significant of his career but if there is a 1-A in this scenario, it would be his showdowns with Vader.
The punishing, bruising heavyweight brought a level of physicality and tenacity out of The Icon that was absolutely key to his evolution as a performer.
While The Stinger was already the established lead babyface in WCW by the time he worked with Vader for the first time, there was no denying his rival's strong style was going to further benefit Sting as he continued his career on top of the No. 2 promotion in the world.
Like Cactus Jack had done for him earlier in the year, Vader presented Sting with a challenge to his throne and demanded a level of aggression from him if he hoped to emerge victorious.
A heavyweight clash that served as the best of that particular style in the country at the time time, Sting and Vader delivered a Match of the Year candidate in the finals of the King of Cable Tournament at Starrcade 1992 that concluded with the babyface catching Vader midflight with a powerslam for the win.
It was the first of many battles between two men who would become the faces of WCW in the early 1990s and further proof of Sting's development as a wrestler. He had proved he could work a more traditional match with Flair, brawled around the arena with Jack and went punch-for-punch with the hardest hitter on the roster.
At a time when fans and company officials demanded the most out of Sting, he again delivered a fantastic performance that silenced any remaining doubters.
