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Greatest Strap Match in Pro Wrestling History: Sting vs. Vader at SuperBrawl III

Greatest Strap Match in Pro Wrestling History: Sting vs. Vader at SuperBrawl III

Posted: May 8th 2013 By: mikeiles

If Sheamus and Mark Henry need a blueprint for a classic strap match, the Extreme Rules 2013 opponents need to study Sting vs. Vader at WCW SuperBrawl III.

That bloody, intense war was the most engrossing strap match that has ever been wrestled. Vader and Sting set the bar in 1993 and no one has been able to surpass them.

It was a well-hyped match that even had its own T-shirt.

It was during this match that the strap stipulation felt the most ominous. Sting, the valiant fan favorite, had to be tied to the monstrous Vader for an entire match. As Jesse Ventura said as the match began, "The strap changes everything. Nowhere to run."

The Asheville crowd watched as the underdog tried to vanquish the masked beast.

To win, one man must reach all four corners, dragging his opponent along and touching either each turnbuckle or ring post. It's a stipulation that favors the larger man, the one more likely to drag the other?and that's why Vader chose it.

In the match's opening moments, WCW champ Vader dominated Sting in their non-title match.

He tossed him around and chuckled. He drove his elbow into Sting's sternum. He pounced from the top rope and crashed down onto him.

Eventually, Sting gathered some momentum. Every bit of offense that Sting delivered caused the crowd to explode. They wanted so badly to see David defeat Goliath, for good to conquer evil regardless of its immensity.

The strap came into play in a most vicious fashion when Sting began to whip Vader's back. The big man's skin grew bright red and he began to ooze blood onto the straps of his ring gear.

The two men fought on until both were staggered and drained.

When Vader gained the advantage, he choked Sting with the strap, drove forearms into his head and clubbed him like a bear toying with his prey.

The size difference between Sheamus and Henry isn't as pronounced as it was between Vader and Sting. Still, the two WWE rivals can emulate how intense and personal this bout was as well as how it used a grinding pace to drag the drama along to the climax.

The strap was no mere prop; it was an instrument of theater.

Sting yanked Vader down from the top rope with it. Vader almost made his way to the four corners, but Sting wrapped his legs around the bottom rope and clutched that strap like a lifeline.

The enemies smeared blood on the mat and had the crowd sliding to the edge of their seats.

The match finally ended when Vader and Sting fought in a tug-of-war of sorts, with Vader struggling to get to the fourth corner and Sting desperately clutching the ring rope. Sting managed to kick Vader off him, but it caused Vader to fall in the corner for the win.

Vader and Sting is the magnum opus of strap matches.

If Sheamus and Henry generate a quarter of the excitement that Sting and Vader did at SuperBrawl III, WWE fans will be thrilled. Their goal at Extreme Rules should be to extract as much emotion from the welts, asphyxiation and dragged bodies of the strap match as champion and challenger did over 20 years ago.

 

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Supplemental Information

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Spotlight in History

  • 1972 Billy Red Lyons def. The Spoiler for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 1980 Mr. Hito & Mr. Sakurada def. Jose Lothario & Tiger Conway Jr. for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 1982 Ted DiBiase def. Junkyard Dog for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 1984 Gino Hernandez became the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 1989 The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller & Brian Lee) def. Jeff Jarrett & Mil Mascaras for the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
  • 2001 Big Daddy Moore def. Adam Lacroix for the OPW Oklahoma Television Title
  • 2001 Grenade became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 2009 Joshua Michael & Epic became the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 2023 Dustin Tibbs def. Thrash for the WFC Prime Title

Week of Sun 06-21 to Sat: 06-27

  • 06-21 1982 Junkyard Dog def. Bob Roop for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-21 1987 Al Perez def. The Dingo Warrior for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 06-21 2003 Kitty def. Manservant for the TPW Womens Title
  • 06-21 2008 Tim Rockwell def. El Super Colibri for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-21 2008 Li'l Joe def. Xavior for the GPCW Cruiserweight Title
  • 06-21 2014 Buster Cherry def. Havoc for the SWCW All-American Title
  • 06-21 2024 Big Sed def. Sam Adonis for the TexPro Heavyweight Title
  • 06-21 2025 Dan Webber became the LCW Lionheart Champion
  • 06-22 2005 Phillip def. Se7en for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 06-22 2018 Joe Cuedo def. Brock Baker for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-22 2024 Pastor Brent def. Daniel Aaron Michalles for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-22 2024 Daniel Aaron Michalles def. Pastor Brent for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-22 2025 Billie the Kiid def. Dan Webber for the ASP Heavyweight Title
  • 06-23 1972 Billy Red Lyons def. The Spoiler for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-23 1980 Mr. Hito & Mr. Sakurada def. Jose Lothario & Tiger Conway Jr. for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 06-23 1982 Ted DiBiase def. Junkyard Dog for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-23 1984 Gino Hernandez became the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-23 1989 The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller & Brian Lee) def. Jeff Jarrett & Mil Mascaras for the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
  • 06-23 2001 Big Daddy Moore def. Adam Lacroix for the OPW Oklahoma Television Title
  • 06-23 2001 Grenade became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-23 2009 Joshua Michael & Epic became the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 06-23 2023 Dustin Tibbs def. Thrash for the WFC Prime Title
  • 06-24 1972 Stan Stasiak def. Red Bastien for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 06-24 1974 Bull Ramos def. Rip Tyler for the TSW North American Title
  • 06-24 1977 John Studd became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 06-24 1985 The Dynamic Duo (Gino Hernandez & Chris Adams) def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2000 Great Bolo [2nd] def. Ichiban [2nd] for the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Title
  • 06-24 2000 Ichiban [2nd] became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-24 2005 Spoiler 2000 became the NWA-U Television Champion
  • 06-24 2006 Prophet SteVens became the AACW Television Champion
  • 06-24 2007 Matt Garza became the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Champion
  • 06-24 2016 Dynamic Shields (Justin Dynamic & Shawn Shields) def. Terry Montana & Mighty Mouse for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2016 Seth Angel def. Steven Cruze for the ComPro Showtime Title
  • 06-24 2016 Adrian Dell def. Nathan Estrada for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-24 2017 Drake Gallows became the ASP Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-24 2017 Excellence Personified (Duke Swellington & Dustin Heritage) def. Shawn Hendrix & Aaron Anders (substituting for Anthony Andrews) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2017 Dynamic Shields (Justin Dynamic & Shawn Shields) def. Big Smooth & Zakk Sinizter for the UWE Tag Team Titles
  • 06-24 2018 Shawn Sanders def. Chaz Sharpe for the ASP Inter-County Title
  • 06-24 2018 Canadian Red Devil def. Adam Patrick for the ASP Mid-American Title
  • 06-24 2020 Warren Powers def. Giganto for the BPW 365 Title
  • 06-24 2023 Stage Dive Mafia (Rook Tyler & Axel Savage) became the BCW Tag Team Champions
  • 06-24 2023 C. M. Burnham def. Lunchador for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-24 2023 Lunchador def. C. M. Burnham for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-25 2011 Sam Stackhouse def. Shane Morbid for the BYEW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-25 2011 The Sons of Ireland (Devan Scott & Shane Scott) def. The New Age Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders) for the BYEW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-25 2011 Chris Chaos became the BYEW Caution Champion
  • 06-25 2011 The Future Hall of Famers (John O'Malley & Brad Michaels) def. Bernie D & Aaron Neil (subbing for Max McGuirk) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-25 2016 Brian Breaker def. Zakk Sinizter for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 06-25 2017 The Cub Scouts (Grizzly Gates & Brock Landers) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 06-26 1961 The Bolos (Great Bolo 1st & Mighty Bolo) became the TSW Southwestern Tag Team Champions
  • 06-26 1987 Frankie Lancaster & Eric Embry def. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) for the WCCW World Tag Team Titles
  • 06-26 1999 Tarantula def. Original Renegade for the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Title
  • 06-26 2005 Li'l Joe def. Phillip for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 06-26 2009 Brandon Groom def. The Handsome Spoiler for the TOPW Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
  • 06-26 2009 Kevin James Sanchez def. Bobby Starr for the BYEW Entertainment Title
  • 06-26 2021 Most Wanted (Dan Webber & Reese) def. Los Loco Moscas (Elijah Sparks & El Greengo Loco) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
  • 06-26 2025 Microman def. Mini Abismo Negro for the EDW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-27 1969 Wahoo McDaniel & Thunderbolt Patterson became the WCCW American Tag Team Champions
  • 06-27 1971 Johnny Valentine def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-27 1976 Jose Lothario def. The Mongolian Stomper for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-27 2009 Randy Price def. Dustin Heritage for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 06-27 2009 Martin Justice became the OECW Southwestern Champion
06-23
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