Sting vs. Barry Windham - Goddammit, this was going great until Sting no-sold the back suplex. Anyway, really good solo Sting match with someone not named Flair. For awhile there, Sting wasn't shining, he was squashing Barry. However, when Barry was in control, the match was solid. Hell, Barry even juices. I didn't like this as much as the Nikita/Doc tag but I'll give it a low-level nomination.

I liked this a lot. Maybe not as fun as the tag earlier in the show, but it's 1988 Windham getting a main event showcase match with a carryable athletic rising babyface star and it's pretty much as good as you'd expect. I second the nomination, though more enthusiastically than you.

I'll give it a low end nomination. The 1st few minutes was some great stuff. Both guys are really athletic. Barry's heat segment was solid focusing on Sting's back. Whindham gave him a hope spot or 2. . They did a good job getting over Sting and Barry at the same time. Sting mounts a comeback. Windham is bleeding. Sting uses a rope burn on the cut. He punches it and then Sting locks on a slepper. Eventually Windham escapes and targets Sting's leg. The work was well executed here. Barry goes back and nails a belly to back which transitions into a pectoral claw. Sting escapes and we build to a finish.which was kinda blah though gets John Ayers over as enforcer ref for Luger-Flair.

US Heavyweight Title: Barry Windham © vs. Sting

 

Now this is an intriguing matchup and both men looked very good to start off with hitting some crisp offense. Sting was at that stage where he was full of potential with athleticism that was off the charts for a man his size and Windham had everything in the world going for him at this time and one of the best wrestlers in the world. It was funny though watching Windham work this like Flair including doing his version of a Flair Flop. Windham's ring smarts is the big advantage he had here over Sting and that helps Windham get the advantage as he takes Sting to the floor where he punishes him enough to get him weak so when it comes back to the ring Barry would be in full control. Sting tries to fight back but the work that Windham had done on his back has forced Sting's impact on offense to be weakened. Windham though would get too cocky and he missed a flying splash into the corner where he hit the ringpost and then Sting followed up by posting him twice on the floor which gets the color flowing from Barry's forehead. Sting then starts biting the cut and he is becoming vicious working him over like raking his back with his fingernails. Windham is in deep trouble as Sting gets a sleeper hold on him but Windham uses a kneebreaker ala Flair to turn the tide. Windham then started working over Sting's left knee and gets the figure-four with help JJ on the floor. Windham would hit the same backdrop suplex he hit earlier but this time Sting couldn't no sell it although it wasn't long after it though that Sting started fighting back including hitting a suplex of his own but Barry got the Iron Claw on his pectoral muscle as they went down. Sting fights back though and uses his momentum to send Barry to the floor then slingshots him back in the ring and Sting is now taking it to Windham but both men are selling fatigue as Windham accidentally hits Tommy Young with a cross body block sending him to the floor. Sting then would hit the Stinger Splash on Windham before locking on the Scorpion Deathlock but Dillon would come in with a chair which Sting intercepted. As this happened though, Windham caught Sting with the chair then covered Sting as Tommy Young counted but John Ayers jumped in the ring and told Tommy what happened so Sting won by DQ. Dillon got up in Ayers face and he was getting choked as Sting took out Windham with a dropkick as the fans went nuts. Another shitty finish but this match was really fucking good and a easy nomination.