On this date in WCW history: Sting joins the nWo Wolfpac on Nitro

The New World Order (nWo) was the hottest thing going in professional wrestling from mid-1996 all the way through the end of 1997. That's when Hollywood Hulk Hogan lost the world heavyweight championship to World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) biggest babyface, Sting, at Starrcade.

Realistically, the supergroup should have ended there, or at least started winding down. Instead, the powers that be decided to continue the progression of the nWo by having the faction, which had grown to massive proportions, split into two sides -- nWo Hollywood (the heels, led by Hulk Hogan and The Giant) and the nWo Wolfpac (the babyfaces, led by Kevin Nash and Randy Savage).

There was a big recruitment drive and gradually more and more members started migrating over to the Wolfpac. They were the new, cool group with the red and black colors that got all the big pops. Konnan, Curt Hennig, Miss Elizabeth, and Rick Rude all joined. Then Lex Luger ended his long alliance with WCW to join up on the May 25, 1998, edition of Monday Nitro.

By then, you see, there was really no choice but to choose a side and WCW really didn't have a horse in the race anymore. And one of the biggest names left, Sting, had yet to decide.

Both nWo Hollywood and the Wolfpac made their pitch, and on this date in WCW history (June 1, 1998), the Stinger made his decision. The main event of Nitro that night featured a match pitting Hollywood Hogan and The Giant against Kevin Nash and Lex Luger. They had an incredibly short and uneventful bout that ended via disqualification when Hogan grabbed the heavyweight title belt and hit both Nash and Luger with it.

This put them out of commission long enough for Sting to rappel from the rafters wearing his trademark black trench coat. This time, though, it was buckled up and when he climbed in the ring to take it off, whatever shirt he was wearing underneath would represent his choice. The black and white or black and red?

It was the former.

Hogan and the Giant celebrated by hugging each other before Giant went back to stomping on Nash in the corner. Hogan went over to hug Sting but when he went to pull away, Sting clotheslined him to a huge pop. Giant then turned around and walked right into a body slam, which caused the roof to blow off the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.

Sting then proceeded to tear off the nWo black and white shirt to reveal he was wearing a red and black nWo shirt underneath it. He was a member of the Wolfpac and the entire group hit the ring to celebrate as Nitro went off the air.

Watch it happen: