#4 vs. #6 Contender Match for the UWF Heavyweight Title: Terry Taylor vs. Sting (5/31/87)

 

Hot Stuff is the special referee for this match, which is a very interesting thing here. Sting gets on the mic before the match and says that Gilbert cost them the titles by making a mistake and wants a new referee because he doesn’t want any more mistakes in his matches. Tommy Gilbert comes out and kicks Eddie out of the ring and Carl Fergie becomes the referee. Sting is the fan favorite here and uses his power to keep the advantage on Taylor early in the match but also shows his improvement as a wrestler getting an inside cradle for a nearfall. Taylor would go to the floor to regroup and when Sting tries to go after him, he gets tripped up and Taylor wraps his left leg around the ringpost. Taylor starts working on the leg and goes for the figure-four but Sting kicks him away. Sting would fight back quickly though and hits a clothesline at the commercial break. Taylor would try for the figure-four again but Sting would kick him off again this time sending him back to the floor with Sting rolling him back in. Taylor would try to suplex Sting but Sting counters with a sleeper. Sting would show his inexperience trying to stay in position for a backdrop too long and Taylor catches him with a swinging neckbreaker. Taylor tries to piledrive him but Sting counters with a backdrop. Sting then starts hitting Taylor with knees before a press slam for a nearfall. Sting would leapfrog Taylor and he would knock into Carl Fergie before getting clotheslined and Gilbert shows up giving him his boot as Sting rolls Fergie in the ring. Taylor then nails Sting with the boot and gets the victory. Sting grabs Gilbert by the hair after the match and starts beating his ass before Taylor shows up and takes him out. It’s 2-on-1 before Chris Adams shows up with a steel chair running them off and would form a bond with Sting. This was a really good showcase match for Sting and kicks his babyface turn in high gear. I liked this one a lot and I’m going to throw it on the block as a low-end nomination.

I didn't like this as much as KrisZ. I don't think it should end up on a disk. The match to me falls a tad short on being diskworthy. I thought both guys worked hard in the match. Sting seemed uncoordinated in spots, and didn't have the energy he would have later in his career. Taylor was great at carrying things here. The bump he takes from the attempted Fig 4 where Sting kicks him to the floor through the ropes into the guardrail was boss. It was a good match, but not good enough.

I wholeheartedly agree with shoe on this. I think at this point in his career, Sting was much better suited at tag matches with an ace like Eddie Gilbert and doesn't have his Ric Flair lesson under his belt to be featured in long singles matches. I would include this in a Sting comp to show his development but not on a Best of Mid South set. No vote.

This was fun as a fake Flair v. Sting match, Taylor's shoot looking headbutt ruled. Still there was some off looking spots here. I actually liked this better then the tag, but I think I am saying no as well.