Lex Luger has reflected on one of his most memorable moments in wrestling.
The retired wrestling star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as working on his recovery with DDP, being responsible for the death of Ms. Elizabeth, potential Hall of Fame induction, and more.
During the interview, the former WCW World Champion also discussed potentially his most famous moment in wrestling – the time when he body slammed Yokozuna. Lex Luger revealed that he was actually really nervous before the spot and it was Yoko who calmed him down:
“We’re supposed to be trash-talking, but I’m telling Yoko we can’t do it. I was panicking. I got no footing. Yoko actually was a cool as ice Samoan. We call him the dancing bear. He was so agile for a guy at 600 pounds. He looks at me and goes ‘No problem, brother. Just get a wide stance, I’ll do the rest.’”
Widely considered Lex’s star-making moment in wrestling, the spot happened in 1993 after the departure of Hulk Hogan. WWE was looking to replace Hulk with Lex and they tried to recreate the famous Hogan slamming Andre The Giant moment from WrestleMania III.
The whole thing took place aboard USS Intrepid where the nearly 600-pound Yokozuna challenged people to body slam him. After a number of WWF wrestlers as well as athletes from NBA and NFL failed to do so, The All American arrived on the deck by helicopter and finally did the impossible.
The Total Package revealed that they had done a walkthrough before but not practiced the actual spot. At the time of the actual performance however, Yokozuna took care of things:
“We did a walk through, but I’ve never slammed him. They didn’t want me in the walk through to hurt Yoko. I go hurt Yoko? What about me? I’m going to get double hernia trying to slam the guy. But we did it live first time in that ring, so I was really nervous. With no footing. Yoko just pushed himself around me.
I had to help turn him and that ain’t easy, so I played a part. I go, Yoko basically slammed himself. He was that agile. He flipped himself off of me by getting a wide stance. Unbelievable athlete. One of the best big men ever. He doesn’t get credit for one of the best.”
Apart from this, Lex Luger also talked about other memorable moments from his wrestling career including becoming the co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart and much more.
The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as the passing of miss Elizabeth, his relationship with Eric Bischoff, making his debut on the very first WCW Nitro and more.
During the interview, Luger went into depth describing his health issues and revealed the moment he finally asked for DDP’s help. The former World Champion discussed being present for Sting’s retirement match at Revolution 2024 in Greensboro, North Carolina:
“I saw DDP back at Sting’s retirement match that we both were able to go to, which was awesome. I just said, ‘Hey, D. You think we could do maybe a little bit of work on getting a little more movement? I’m pretty much in this chair full time, I’m having trouble just doing everyday stuff and brushing my teeth and to shower, my quality of life’s dropped quite a bit, my energy levels, everything.’”
Lex Luger discussed how he had actually regained a lot of mobility following his original 2008 spinal cord injury after spending 2 years in a rehab center. After he fell down a few times, the doctors convinced him to start using mobility devices to avoid further damage. This change however, led to him losing his confidence and he became dependent for even the most basic day to day tasks.
Revealing how DDP reacted to his request, the former WCW star said that he was more than willing to help and their friendship has only grown strong since then:
“You know DDP, all you got to do is tell him that he goes, ‘Brother, I’ve been waiting for you to come to me on this.’ So we went to work, and we made amazing progress that we were going to reveal to everybody for his incredible partner, Steve and him are documenting, kind of filming it and the progress, and it’s going to be pretty cool. I’m real excited and thankful for what he’s doing with me. Our friendship was always there, but our friendship is growing. So he’s a special guy.”
Lex Luger seems to be making great progress in his recovery with DDP. A recent video showed that the wrestling veteran is able to stand up on his own and move his body a lot freely than he did before. During the talk, Luger noted that he is able to do the basic tasks like brushing his teeth or getting into the bathroom by himself once again as well.
Lex Luger has refuted the notion that he ‘killed’ Miss Elizabeth, but acknowledged that his actions did play a role in her death on May 1, 2003. Luger was the one to call 9-1-1 to report that Elizabeth was not breathing, with her cause of death being ruled as an overdose.
For years, many have blamed Luger for Miss Elizabeth’s passing, as the pair had a toxic relationship, including a reported domestic dispute weeks before her passing. On the Insight podcast, Luger reflected on the notion that his lifestyle of drink and drugs killed the ‘First Lady of Wrestling.’
“People go, ‘Well, he killed Elizabeth.’ Well, I didn’t kill her. But was I a contributing factor to the lifestyle I was living and her being around me all the time and she overdosed? Absolutely.”
When asked if he takes responsibility, Luger confessed that this is the case.
“Absolutely. Sure, there’s always collateral damage to lifestyles like that, and she was part of it. So absolutely. Sadly.”
Though many would see Elizabeth’s passing as Luger’s rock bottom, that is far from the case. As Lex explained, the death of Miss Elizabeth would only speed up his spiralling into depression.
“I felt completely unlovable… I hate to admit it, who I was back then, Instead of being so grieving over the loss of Liz, I was grieving over what this would do to me and my career.”
Miss Elizabeth, real name Elizabeth Ann Hulette, was buried with a simple headstone in her hometown of Frankfort, Kentucky. Sadly, fans will never know what would have become of ‘Liz’ had the destructive nature of substance abuse sadly common in pro wrestling had not claimed her as a victim.
Sting and Lex Luger, who were once one of the most impressive tag-teams of their generation, were able to reunite at the 58th annual reunion of the Cauliflower Alley Club. On Twitter, Sting shared a photo of himself and his friend and former tag team partner.
Sting attended the reunion to receive the Cauliflower Alley Club’s Iron Mike award, the highest honor awarded by the club. The award is named after ‘Iron’ Mike Mazurki, a founder of the CAC, who was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler. Previous recipients include Alundra ‘Madusa’ Blayze, John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield, and current WWE RAW Superstar CM Punk. Several notable names attended this year’s reunion, including ‘Bowl Cut Kid’ from WWF and WCW pay-per-views in the 1990s.
Sting & Lex Luger
Sting and Luger first began teaming in April 1988 when Luger was without a partner for the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. Luger had previously been teaming with Barry Windham, who had betrayed Luger to join the Four Horseman. Despite not being an established team, Sting and Luger would go the distance and defeat Arn and Tully Blanchard in the finals.
The genuine friendship of Sting and Luger was no secret in wrestling, even when the pair found themselves on opposing sides in WCW. In fact, it was a phone call between the two in 1995 that resulted in Luger returning to WCW. Luger made his comeback on the debut edition of WCW Monday Nitro despite being offered much less than what he was making when he previously worked for the promotion.
What is the Cauliflower Alley Club?
Founded in 1965 by Mazurki and Art Abrams, the CAC serves as a fraternal organization that comprises of retired and active wrestlers and boxers. The name itself comes from the term ‘Cauliflower Ear’ which is a disfigurement to the ear suffered by those in combat sports. Trauma to the ear results in permanent swelling in tissue until the organ resembles the misshapen look of a Cauliflower, hence the name.
The CAC is more than just a way for wrestlers and boxers to keep in touch. The organization hosts an annual reunion dinner which has traditionally been attended by celebrities and wrestlers. The evening serves as a fundraiser with the money helping wrestlers and boxers who are struggling.
Matt Hardy made clear he’s grateful to be an American alongside some photos of himself and his family.
I am grateful to be an American. I feel fortunate that I was born into the United States. I still & will always believe in the American Dream because I was able to make it into a reality. I am blessed in so many ways that it doesn’t always seem real. I am unapologetically proud… pic.twitter.com/F8OrVzI03F
Lex Luger was one of several wrestling legends who were able to attend Sting’s final match and had a blast at the event. On a recent edition of the Busted Open Radio podcast, Luger made it clear that WWE had no issue with him attending, as long as he opted to keep off of the show.
“WWE is classy. They said you can go and everything, just don’t be on camera or be a part of the match. It was an incredible evening. A wonderful sendoff.”
“I love him to death but damn, he’s a different animal bro.”
Luger was similarly amazed by the work of the former AEW TNT Champion and said that Allin’s attempt to climb Mt. Everest later this month is “unbelievable.”
Lex Luger wanted to prove every one of his doubters in the World Wrestling Federation wrong when he jumped ship to WCW.
After three years with the WWF, Luger returned to WCW in 1995 and appeared during the debut episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Not only did Luger appear on Nitro, but due to the pre-taped nature of Raw, he also appeared on the WWF flagship show that was aired that same night.
Proving His Doubters Wrong
Luger’s arrival in Nitro was a shocking way for WCW to introduce their new show, and was deeply personal for Lex himself. Speaking in a WWE YouTube video about the best matches and moments of his career, Luger reflected on his Nitro debut being a closely guarded secret backstage.
“Nobody in WCW other than Hogan, Sting, only a handful of people knew I was going to be coming out at that match. And I walked into the position [backstage] and guys were like ‘What are you doing here? Aren’t you still wrestling for WWE?’ Not anymore. I wanted to make it all the way to the top, still I wanted to prove to all the naysayers in WWE.
“My contract was coming up. I had planned on resigning up until a couple of weeks before that with WWE. It would’ve been a new two or three-year contract. And then they [WCW] invited me to come under contract back home in WCW and debut in that show as a surprise. That was like lightning how that went down.
The White Shirt
For many, the most iconic moment of Luger’s appearance on Nitro isn’t what he did in the ring, but rather his puffy white shirt. Speaking about his choice of attire, Luger was just as perplexed as to why he was wearing the oversized shirt.
“It was a custom-made shirt for an NBA guy in Atlanta. Kevin Willis, played 23 years in the NBA, he made my suits and everything. People ask me about that moment, that shirt, all the time. Because I was always the guy with his shirt off so everybody’s expecting me to come down and no matter what, I was going to take my shirt off right? But the shirt stayed on. I’m honestly not sure why I kept the shirt on but I did.
“It’s unbelievable how people talk about that and want to see it in action figures and everything, the big white shirt, it’s crazy. I gave it to a young man I’m mentoring, who could be the next Total Package.”
Concluding, Luger appreciated the response fans gave him at the debut Nitro, which would set him up for a role as a headliner for WCW for years to come.
“Quite the response from the crowd at the Mall of America. I was like, man. I felt like if there was any wavering confidence at WWE at the time of where my direction of my character and career were going, when I got in that ring, it felt right.”
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
In 1995, after three years with the WWF, Lex Luger returned to WCW, appearing on the debut episode of WCW Monday Nitro.
On the show’s 100th episode, Luger would capture the WCW World Championship, dethroning ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan.
As a huge star, Luger worked with several people in WCW but did not impress Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff Comments
When Luger returned to WCW, Bischoff was running the show and continues to have a negative opinion about the former World Champion.
During the Busted Open podcast, Bischoff said that Luger didn’t treat those around him with respect and focused solely on himself (via Sportskeeda):
“I watched how he carried himself, number one, and how he treated other people, and that’s what turned me off because he was just so focused on himself. That was my perception because I didn’t know Lex.
“I just thought, man, this cat’s a jack*ss!”
Eric Bischoff on working with Lex Luger in WCW
“So you only know what you see, which is, you know, something I’m working on every single day, not to judge people by my first impressions. But I didn’t have that frame of mind at the time, so I just thought, man, this cat’s a jack*ss!”
Bischoff added that he doesn’t ever want to do anything again with Luger, but admitted that ‘The Narcissist’ was “never unprofessional.
Luger stayed with WCW until the company folded in 2001 and the WWF chose not to sign him.
Throughout his career, Lex Luger’s character was defined by his incredible physique.
In WWE, Luger was known as Narcissus, later ‘The Narcissist’ and was referred to as the ‘Total Package’ throughout his entire wrestling career.
Famously boasting just 4% body fat, Luger’s physique would continue to impress fans until he retired from the ring.
The Accident
While Luger signed with Vince McMahon in 1992, he did not initially plan on working solely as a wrestler.
Initially, Luger did guest appearances for McMahon’s bodybuilding promotion the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) until a near-fatal motorcycle accident ended all plans for him.
Speaking to A&E for their Biography: Legends episode, Luger recalled nearly losing his arm due to the crash.
“They were talking about amputating my arm.”
Lex Luger on his near-fatal 1992 motorcycle accident.
Luger told Sting that under no circumstance should he allow the doctors to amputate his arm.
The pair called Dr. Andrews, who has specialized in athletes’ injuries, who told Luger that it seemed unlikely he’d ever have full use of his arm.
Luger would be able to keep his arm, in what the former WCW World Champion called a “miraculous recovery.”
After the Accident
Less than six months after the accident, Luger would debut as Narcissus at the 1993 Royal Rumble.
WWE would capitalize on the accident, referencing the metal plate that Luger had in his arm, which he’d use as an illegal weapon during matches.
On-screen, Luger would be forced to wear a padded armband over the metal plate, which he would remove to cheat.
For years, Lex Luger was a wrestler who’s character was based on his incredible physique.
Famously boasting a 4% body fat, Luger was referred to in WWE as ‘The Narcissist’ but a series of medical issues, including a spinal stroke have taken their toll.
In 2014, Luger said he was using a wheelchair on a regular basis, though he was still able to walk short distances, but became completely reliant on a wheelchair for mobility last year.
The Hall of Fame
Luger has said he would work hard to walk again if he could walk onto the stage at the WWE Hall of Fame.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated released on Thursday, Luger spoke about his health and possible induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“I might pop out of the chair for that [a WWE Hall of Fame induction.] I would take that chance if that moment comes. That honor would be the cherry on top of my career.”
“I might pop out of the chair for that.”
Lex Luger on a possible WWE Hall of Fame induction.
The 64-year-old will be the focus of Sunday’s episode of Biography: WWE Legends on A&E.
Is an induction coming?
A former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Luger had a rich career in wrestling that certainly warrants a Hall of Fame induction.
Last year, Jim Ross said that Luger should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, saying that it would be a “popular decision.”
Mick Foley has also expressed support for a Luger induction.
Lex Lugar had a wrestling career spanning two decades across multiple well-known promotions. At 64 years old, the former WWE star says that it’s mind-boggling how good of a shape he is in.
The latest episode of Biography: WWE Legends on A&E will focus on the former world champion. He spoke to Sports Illustrated to promote the upcoming documentary.
During the interview, Lugar provided some updates on his health. He claimed that it’s a miracle of God how good of a shape he is in:
“It’s mind-boggling. I’m in phenomenal health, other than my mobility issues from my spinal cord issue, I’m very healthy, and that’s a miracle of God after what I put my body through. I usually use a wheelchair or a walker, but I can walk some.”
The former WCW star then mentioned that he has great mobility and he can drive. Though he also revealed some concerning issues:
“I have great mobility; I drive. But you know how your power will go out for a moment during a storm? That can happen to me, and I’m on the floor before I know it.
So I take a lot of precautions. I live totally independently, which wasn’t supposed to happen. I don’t look the same because I don’t hit the weights like I used to, but I’m healthy.”
The retired wrestling star commented on the potential of a Hall of Fame induction as well. Lex Lugar said that the honor would be a cherry on the top of his career and he might ‘pop out of the chair’ for it.
Former two-time WCW Champion Lex Luger has shared some unfortunate news.
Luger has taken to his Twitter account to reveal that his mother passed away this morning (May 25).
My dear sweet precious mom entered into heaven early this morning. Please join me in celebrating a remarkable life well lived. I love you mom?? I will see you again. Thank you Jesus!!! John 14:1-4 ?????? pic.twitter.com/A67B9aX0rT
“My dear sweet precious mom entered into heaven early this morning. Please join me in celebrating a remarkable life well lived. I love you mom. I will see you again. Thank you Jesus!!!”
“John 14:1-4.”
It’s safe to say that Luger made his mother proud given the career he had.
As mentioned, he captured the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice. He also had a two-year run with WWE.
While Luger didn’t make too many within WWE happy at the height of the Monday Night Wars, jumping ship to WCW, the two sides are at a much better place now.
Luger has appeared in several WWE video games, last being featured on WWE 2K19.
Luger has yet to enter the WWE Hall of Fame but Jim Ross and Mick Foley have called for his induction.
We at SEScoops send our condolences to Lex Luger and his family.
This summer, WWE announced that a documentary on Lex Luger would premiere on the WWE Network. It was supposed to air on July 4th to coincide with the anniversary of Luger slamming Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid. The documentary then just never premiered. According to a report from PW Insider, there are no plans for the Luger documentary or several others to ever air.
In particular, it was revealed that “Superfan: the Story of Vladimir” will never see the light of day. The documentary had been advertised but never aired on the WWE Network. There is no word on why the film is not expected to be released.
There was also a planned documentary on Ric Flair’s health struggles in recent years that is not expected to air. Also, a film on Money in the Bank was once planned but now appears to have been dropped as well.
The trailer for the Vladimir documentary is still on WWE’s official YouTube page:
“The relationship that Vladimir has with WWE, it’s part of his moral fiber,” Jeff Jarrett says in the Superfan trailer. “It is part of his identity, and that was taken away.”
“I felt like he was at just about every show that I watched,” Sam Roberts also said.
During a recent interview on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch, Chris Jericho noted that he thought a line from a recent MJF promo got the “wrong kind of heat.” MJF was addressing Sting and commented on his long-time friend Lex Luger being in a wheelchair.
“There was a line a few weeks ago that MJF used about Lex Luger being in a wheelchair to Sting. I don’t think that gets heat, I think it makes people feel uncomfortable. I think it makes people feel bad, and you don’t want that,” Jericho said of the comment.
Jericho continued to talk about the intricacies of using real-life issues in wrestling promos.
“There is a fine line between using real life issues, and going too inside baseball, where it’s like, ‘I don’t know what this guy is talking about, but it just doesn’t feel right.’ To me, that is the fine line of a pro wrestling promo.”
“That’s how I feel. I don’t think it gets more heat, I think it actually gets reverse heat, which has people going, ‘ugh. We know it’s a show.’ It’s like watching the new Star Wars movie and someone going, ‘Kylo Ren, your mom in real life had an abortion when she was sixteen.’ What does that have to do with Kylo Ren? It’s two different things. So, I think there’s a fine line to it. You can make things seem real with your intentions and the way you say things and the words you use. That makes it real.”
Chris Jericho is scheduled to team with his Inner Circle teammates against The Men of the Year and American Top Team at Full Gear. This week on AEW Dynamite, Dan Lambert power-bombed Jericho through a table.
Jericho noted in September that the year-long feud he had with MJF was the longest of his career and also one of the best. The angle evolved from MJF joining the Inner Circle and causing dissension, to a stable war between the Pinnacle and Jericho’s faction. Jericho took to Instagram to comment on what the angle meant to him. His comments are available in the link below.
The voice of wrestling, Jim Ross has spoken up on his Grilling with JR podcast about ex-WWE star Lex Luger. Focusing particularly on why he believes Luger Should be in the WWE Hall of Fame. During his time in the ring, Lex Luger held multiple championships. While he never truly succeeded in WWE, Jim Ross feels it’s only a matter of time before he is inducted.
“I believe that Lex Luger will be in the WWE Hall of Fame,” Ross said.
Recent talk of Lex Luger and a hall of fam induction have been backed by both Corey Graves and Mick Foley. The latter of whom wrote a lengthy post dissecting the matter.
During his podcast, Jim Ross spoke at length about how he believes Lex Luger deserves to be included, despite the history. He also resurrected his frustrations with how the Hall of Fame ceremony is conducted. Stating how he hoped Lex Luger would get the right amount of time needed to tell his story.
“I think it will be a popular decision when it occurs because he will be allowed his two or three minutes he’s allocated, which we’ve talked about before is ridiculous. Don’t induct so damn many people. Have a manageable number of people so that they have the appropriate time using common sense, logic, to tell their story. He’s got a hell of a story to tell.”
Jim Ross Believes the Time is Now for Luger to be Inducted into Hall of Fame
Jim Ross alluded to previous inductees who had a rocky relationship with the company. However, he believes Luger’s induction will be sooner rather than later because telling is posthumously just doesn’t work as well.
“If they want to tell stories and they want a visual, Lex is obviously, thank God, still alive. Here’s a guy that will be rolled onto the stage to tell his story, he’s in a wheelchair. If you’re looking for a story, this could be a great story and a story of success because Lex found true happiness in his faith. I think that he’ll be in and I think it will be a great induction, I truly believe that. I think that some old wounds just don’t heal as quickly as others when you embarrass the company to some degree.”
There are a lot of names worthy of being in the WWE Hall of Fame. Lex Luger is one of them. Hopefully, Jim Ross’s words will be heard, and the right call will be made.
When Hulk Hogan departed the World Wrestling Federation in 1993, the company looked to create their next top babyface out of Lex Luger. The man formerly billed as The Narcissist was repacked as ‘Made in the USA’ Lex Luger and traversed the United States in the “Lex Express” tour bus.
On July 4th of that year, Luger shocked the world by slamming the mighty Yokozuna onboard the USS Intrepid battleship in New York City. This set the stage for their clash over the WWE Championship at that year’s SummerSlam.
Luger recently appeared on Sean Waltman’s “Pro Wrestling 4 Life” podcast and spoke about Yokozuna’s legendary bodyslam challenge.
“We did a walkthrough the week before,” Luger said about the event on the USS Intrepid. “They didn’t allow me to slam Yoko because they didn’t want him to get hurt. I’m the one lifting 627 pounds, and they didn’t want him to get hurt. So, I was so nervous.”
“I didn’t have good footing when I got in that ring there. I had cowboy boots on, and Yoko calmed me down and said, ‘Don’t worry, I got this. Just get a wide base.’ I just got a good base and helped turn him, but Yoko, as you know, I called The Dancing Bear. Those island boys, so athletic and born to wrestle.”
Luger continued, “[Yokozuna] literally almost slammed himself off of me getting a good base and helping turn him just a little bit. He was that agile. I was so relieved after that. He was unbelievable.”
The Total Package recalls this as one of the most memorable moments of his storied career. The crowd reaction, the Manhattan skyline in the background and the overall atmosphere made this an extremely unique segment.
Lex Luger On Not Winning The WWF Championship At SummerSlam 93
Luger only defeated Yokozuna by count-out at SummerSlam, however, and Yoko retained the title.
“With that big of a buildup, as a babyface, you almost have to come through because it lets all the air out of your tires,” Luger said regarding not winning the title at SummerSlam that year. “I enjoyed the opportunity obviously, and it was a great promotion, but a lot of people thought it might have been more beneficial if you’re going to still go with Yoko to have the babyface win and have Yoko win it right back or something. It might have been good. I agree with that for sure.”
The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony airs Tuesday night on Peacock and the WWE Network. Several performers will take their rightful place in the Hall of Fame, but there are several wrestlers who are overlooked year after year.
Below we look at some of the top names still missing from the WWE Hall of Fame. They are listed in no particular order:
If you weren’t a WWF fan in the 1980s, it’s hard to describe just what Miss Elizabeth meant to the company at the time. Even though she barely spoke, her presence was something that was larger than life. She was the centerpiece of the year-long angle between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan between WrestleMania IV and V. Elizabeth’s class and elegance was unlike anything else wrestling had seen at the time or since.
Booker T recently spent some time on his podcast discussing his belief that Miss Elizabeth should be in the Hall of Fame.
“Lovely Elizabeth definitely deserves her spot inside the Hall of Fame,” Booker T said.
“Elizabeth, of course, she wasn’t a wrestler, but what she gave to the business and the footprint that she left is definitely something — we’re talking about it right now — it’s definitely something that’s going to be remembered for many, many years.”
“I don’t think there would’ve been a King Booker and Queen Sharmell if there wasn’t the Macho Man Randy Savage and the lovely Elizabeth. I just don’t think it would’ve been. The Macho Man, finger up in the air, and King Booker’s pinky up in the air, it never would’ve happened if it wouldn’t have been for the Macho Man and the lovely Elizabeth. So, I think it’s yes, she deserves a spot inside the Hall of Fame. Hopefully, she’ll get there.”
Lex Luger
There was a point in time when Vince McMahon hand-picked Lex Luger to be Hulk Hogan’s successor. He was decked out in red, white, and blue and traveled across the country in the Lex Express as if he campaigning to be elected as the new Hogan. He slammed Yokozuna on the 4th of July and was set to become America’s next big hero. It didn’t really take off, however, and it would be Bret Hart who would defeat Yokozuna for the title at WrestleMania X.
Mick Foley recently spent some time talking about why he feels Lex Luger should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“In the simplest terms, Lex Luger was far too big of a star not to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. He was one of the very biggest stars of his era, and during his heyday – 1987-1999 – he headlined more pay-per-view shows, sold more tickets, and appeared on more magazine covers than all but a select few superstars of his era,” Foley wrote.
“For comparison’s sake, I consider myself a pretty solid choice for the WWE Hall of Fame. I certainly don’t remember any type of outcry coming from people who did not think I deserved induction. My career covered the same general era as Luger’s – give or take a few years. I headlined 10 PPV main events in my career – about half as many as Lex. I appeared on the cover of PWI twice. And I was a pretty darn important guy in the business. But so was Lex – and unlike me, he had the pressure of carrying his promotion for months on end.”
Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen Hart will never go into the WWE Hall of Fame because that’s not what his wife and kids want. A reckless act robbed that family of Owen for the rest of their lives. Owen Hart is honored in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum in Texas, and the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame.
That Owen Hart will never be in the WWE Hall of Fame is a black eye on the company and the Hall of Fame itself. His glaring omission from it will always be present.
Owen Hart’s legacy is celebrated through the Owen Hart Foundation and the charitable work it does.
Demolition
Demolition
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was no more dominate a tag-team in WWE than Demolition. Ax and Smash set the record for the longest single reign of the WWE Tag Team Championships with a 478 day reign beginning at WrestleMania IV. It would be decades until New Day topped the record.
Demolition was a major part of WWE during their time in the company. Both were part of a class-action lawsuit against WWE regarding the impacts of traumatic brain injuries to wrestlers under its employ, however. The lawsuit was eventually tossed out but Demolition’s inclusion in it may be what is keeping them out of the HOF.
In an interview from 2016, Bret Hart spoke about several tag-teams omitted from the Hall of Fame and made special mention of Demolition.
“There’s so many people that they haven’t called forward to be in there. If you’re going to induct The Freebirds, and I have no objection to that, but what about Demolition?” Bret Hart asked when speaking to WrestleZone about the Fabulous Freebirds induction in 2016.
“It’s all great that The Freebirds did what they did down in Texas and whatnot. They never made history in the WWE so much as The Bulldogs, Demolition or The Hart Foundation.”
Woman (Nancy Benoit)
There is no secret as to why Nancy Benoit has not been honored in the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE does not seem interested in drudging up history that doesn’t reflect well on the company, even if it is to honor someone who deserves it. Nancy Benoit is not the only one omitted from the WWE Hall of Fame for this reason.
Nancy Benoit did so much during her 13-year career in wrestling. From debuting in Florida Championship Wrestling to her time as a valet with the Four Horsemen, Woman always brought a strong presence with her.
Last year, Mick Foley made a plea for Nancy Benoit to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“For the past thirteen years, Nancy Benoit’s life has been largely defined in the public eye by how she died. I think it’s about time we changed that way of thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could pause for a moment to remember instead, how she lived, how she worked, and to reflect on what her legacy in pro wrestling should be?” Foley wrote.
“Inducting Nancy Toffoloni into the WWE Hall of Fame is the right thing to do. Let us remember her, and define her for who she was and what she did in life.”
Mick Foley recently penned a column for Chris Jerichos’ website, WebIsJericho, about Lex Luger. Foley makes the case for Luger to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the piece.
“In the simplest terms, Lex Luger was far too big of a star not to be in the WWE Hall of Fame,” Foley wrote. “He was one of the very biggest stars of his era, and during his heyday – 1987-1999 – he headlined more pay-per-view shows, sold more tickets, and appeared on more magazine covers than all but a select few superstars of his era.”
Luger is a 2x WCW World Champion. He won the title for the first time in 1991, defeating Barry Windham in a steel cage match at the Great American Bash that year to win the vacant belt. He’d win the belt again in 1997 after defeating Hollywood Hogan on an episode of Nitro.
Wow Mick !!!
Thank you so much for this beautifully written kind and thoughtful article. I admire you as as a fellow performer but much more so for the positive difference you make in my life and so many others just by being who you are. Honored and grateful my friend 😊 https://t.co/s2MPL2I0Yv
“For comparison’s sake, I consider myself a pretty solid choice for the WWE Hall of Fame,” Foley continued. “I certainly don’t remember any type of outcry coming from people who did not think I deserved induction. My career covered the same general era as Luger’s – give or take a few years. I headlined 10 PPV main events in my career – about half as many as Lex. I appeared on the cover of PWI twice. And I was a pretty darn important guy in the business. But so was Lex – and unlike me, he had the pressure of carrying his promotion for months on end.”
Luger also had a run with WWE in the early to mid 1990s. He started with Vince McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation in 1992 before debuting as the Narcissist in 1993. Luger would be packaged as the All-American after that and entered into a feud with Yokozuna. He’d later form the Allied Powers with the British Bulldog before returning to WCW for the first-ever edition of Nitro in 1995.
“It is my hope that this article will get people talking so that even if it does not open the right eyes or change the right minds to facilitate a 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction, this article – and the buzz I hope it creates – might just serve as a reminder to fans of his era, just how good Lex really was, and perhaps introduce a new generation of fans to “The Total Package.”
Lex Luger replied to Mick Foley’s article, telling, him, “Wow Mick !!! Thank you so much for this beautifully written kind and thoughtful article. I admire you as as a fellow performer but much more so for the positive difference you make in my life and so many others just by being who you are. Honored and grateful my friend.”
Foley revealed that he’s been planning to write this article for several years.
Lex Luger recently spoke about his wrestling career with The Hannibal TV. During their discussion, Hulk Hogan was brought up. This prompted an anecdote from Luger, who recalled a tense moment between himself and Hogan when he first started in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
When asked what it was like to meet Hulk, Luger admitted that he hardly knew him and that their first night working together didn’t go too well.
He said that “[…] the first night didn’t go well because, when we got nose-to-nose on Nitro, we went to commercial break, and to come back out of it we would still be nose-to-nose.”
Luger explained that he was informed by the cameramen that they were off the air. When they told him, he did something that Hogan took issue with.
“I broke character a little bit. When you’re nose-to-nose, and there’s a live crowd there, and Hulkster’s all business, about his business, and I had never been around him…so I kind of smirked at him, and I’ll never forget, he looked at me, and he goes ‘Hey brother, take that smile off your face or I’ll knock it off.’ And I tried to walk up to him afterwards, and he kind of blew me off, and I said ‘I’m sorry Mr. Hogan sir, I didn’t mean it,’ and he goes ‘That’s okay man, but don’t ever break character out there, because that’s taking money out of my pocket.'”
The following week on Nitro, Luger tracked down Hogan to apologize once more, adding that from that moment on they got along great.
Rousey and Bayley’s banter is in reference to a simmering rivalry between WWE’s Four Horsewomen (Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Sasha Banks) and the Four Horsewomen of MMA (Rousey Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke). Both groups had a confrontation behind the scenes at the Mae Young Classic last year (sans Sasha, who was doing a media tour in Australia), but WWE didn’t follow up on it.
– On Saturday, it was exactly 21 years ago Lex Luger beat Hollywood Hogan on WCW Monday Nitro, making “The Total Package” the first WCW competitor to defeat the nWo’s leader for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
– Former WWE star Chavo Guerrero has offered to challenge John Cena at WrestleMania 34, who does not have an opponent officially set yet.
Guerrero, a one-time ECW Champion, four-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion, made the challenge to Cena on Wednesday via Twitter.
I hear many people putting their names into the hat to Face @JohnCena at Wrestlemania. Well here’s mine…Cena, The Guerreros help mold u, but we didn’t teach you everything…there’s still a lot in This Tank! 💪🏼 #topofmygame#luchaunderground#muchrespect
– Former WWE star Jillian Hall will be in action on Saturday, April 14 in Brooklyn, New York at Warriors of Wrestling’s “Women of Warriors V” event. She will be teaming with C-Bunny against Katred and Thumper.
Hall, a one-time WWE Divas Champion, wrestles on occasion these days after her announcing her retirement from wrestling in January 2014.
– Former WWE and WCW star Lex Luger has joined Funko’s “POP!” WWE Vinyl Figure line. “The Total Package” is part of a two-pack with Sting in his “Surfer Sting” persona (Funko previously released figures on “Wolfpac Sting” and Sting with black and white face paint). This product is being exclusively sold by WWEShop and FYE.
Former WWE & WCW star Lex Luger recently appeared on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, hosted by John and Chad. They sent in these highlights of what Luger said about:
If he thought Sting would ever make it to WWE’s Hall o Fame: “I wasn’t sure but I was extremely happy that he did. That was probably the only thing in such a stellar, amazing career spanning almost or literally three decades that he hadn’t been involved in with them and it was the cherry on top of just an amazing career. I was thrilled that he finished his career with the WWE.”
His Relationship with Sting: “He has been an amazing, loyal, faithful friend and I really can’t even put it into words. To this day our friendship is better and stronger than it’s ever been. We get to see each other every month or two in person and we stay in touch by texting mostly, we are both texters now. We have just a great friendship and relationship and are really just like brothers.”
What made them click as friends: “We actually didn’t “gel” right off the bat. I definitely pushed him away with my arrogance when we first met but thankfully he didn’t give up on me (laughing) and we ended up ironically close outside of the ring with our common interests such as how to train and workout. He taught me a lot coming from the body-building world because I came from football. He helped me out with my training and how to do more towards what the bodybuilders did and it was very helpful in my career and helped maintain my condition on the road. We ended up virtually spending all of our time outside of the ring together as well due to those common interests and forged that truly brotherly type friendship.”
How was he able to stay “over” with the fans either as a hated heel or loved babyface: “I can’t take any of the credit for that. The fans picked and maintained guys that were the generational type of stars and no matter how brilliant the promoter’s story-lines try to predict or predicate that and lay the ground work, it is the fans that really do it. It is one of the things that I think makes professional wrestling and the business and entertainment around it what it is being global now. It is because the fans end up in the long run picking the long term generational stars. No matter how hard they want to cram a guy down their throats as a good guy or make people hate them if the fans don’t embrace that I think there are a lot of intangibles and things that we don’t even know why that is. Some guys look like they are going to be great stars and have all the tools and never do achieve that and some guys look like a nobody but there is something about him and you guys nailed with the “it” factor and they become huge stars. It is pretty cool how the fans play such a huge enormous role in that.”
Shocking the wrestling world on the very first Monday Nitro: “Not surprisingly and behind the scenes it was Sting that arranged all that. I was just having a casual conversation with him on the phone and mentioned that my contract had expired with the WWE but I planned on staying with the WWE and we were trying to work out a long term agreement for me to stay there. He just asked me in a casual conversation how things were going and I was about to sign a new deal with them and when he asked if my contract was coming up, I said well it is up. My contract had expired in like February or March and we were trying to work out a long-term deal and I was looking forward to that. He said, so you are on their television and you are working their house shows and you are not under contract? He said you could literally come back here (WCW) tomorrow? He was blown away. He mentioned it to Eric Bischoff and at the time Bischoff didn’t feel I was the type of guy he wanted to bring in for whatever his reason are. Sting pressed the issue and Eric ended up embracing the idea and they both came up with the idea of bringing me on as the first big surprise on a Monday show. Why not give it a shot? Eric actually low -balled what he offered me because he really didn’t want to bring me in and Sting said take the offer because your salary will go up and you will be a huge hit here again and to go for it. So really Sting was behind the scenes and arranged all that and I came out and the rest is history.”
Did he hit his peak in WWE and did he feel Vince had lost interest in pushing him as a top star? “Well, we will never know now will we because I went back to WCW. If anybody is great at recycling or reinventing a character it is Vince McMahon so if I had re-signed with them who knows what would have happened to Lex Luger. I might have got repackaged as something totally different and maybe even become a bigger star than I ever became going back to WCW. I never lacked confidence so who knows and we will never know. I am thrilled with how it worked out going back to WCW. I feel like I had a great 15 year career and got to work main events and main event guys and there are always some periods where you are heavily involved and utilized more than others and sometimes a period or restart button can be great for a career. So who knows?”
On slamming Yokozuna nearly 23 years ago in the “Bodyslam Challenge “aboard the U.S.S Intrepid: “It was a magical moment. The buildup was incredible. I thought Vince was half crazy when he told me the idea of going from being a narcissist with the mirrors and Bobby Heenan to being like the big “Yankee-Doodle-Dandy” patriotic hero on July 4th on the U.S.S Intrepid. I was scratching my head but it turned out fantastic and just a very special moment. The crowd went insane when that happened and it was a very special moment for myself and for so many fans who were there and watching on television. It is definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
A preview of the show reads: “Former WCW World Champion & WWE Superstar, Lex Luger, talks about “instant fame & success,” life as a “Horseman,” his shocking debut on “Nitro,” Ric Flair’s chops, the spinal injury that nearly left him quadriplegic, and how he managed to kick his drug addiction & get his life back on track.”
– Cameron issued this message on Wednesday about her YouTube channel being deleted. She has plans to open another one and is asking fans to submit ideas about what she should talk about.
Former WCW star Buff Bagwell recently appeared as a guest on the “Steve Austin Show – Unleashed!” podcast and spoke about nearly getting paralyzed after taking a bad diving bulldog from Rick Steiner during an episode of WCW Thunder in 1998, his battle with drug addiction and the DUI that Lex Luger got that left him wheelchair-bound. Below are some of the highlights of the interview.
On thinking he was paralyzed during 1998 WCW Thunder match against Rick Steiner:
“At this point, I am 100% convinced, and that is a big, big statement, I’m convinced I’m paralyzed. I swear to God, my mind went, ‘you know what, you can do what Christopher Reeve is doing. You can go to schools.’ I really turned a negative situation into a positive situation in a matter of seconds.”
“We got [to the hospital] and they wheeled me out and I was all drooped over the wheelchair and as soon as I got into the waiting room, I popped up with a double bicep [pose]! And they were like, ‘oh my God! What happened? Why are you okay?’ and at that stage, they realized I had a bruised spinal cord.”
On his battle with drug addiction:
“I have severe sleep apnea. I did not know I had severe sleep apnea back in the day, so I would wake up and I felt horrible! So I would sedate to go to the gym. I would sedate to go to bed. I would sedate to get to the ring. I would sedate because I didn’t feel good. The word ‘sleep apnea,’ nobody knew what it was back then. It wasn’t a word yet, so once I got diagnosed with sleep apnea, then I was able to clean this stuff up. But back before I was able to clean it up, it created, long story short, sleep apnea created an unbelievable drug addict.”
On trying to stop Lex Luger from driving the night he got a DUI that left him wheelchair-bound:
“I really tried to help [Luger]. I said, ‘don’t leave. Please stay here.’ I said, ‘Judy will get us something to eat. Don’t worry about that.’ I said, ‘don’t do it’ and he just refused. And when he got in the car, and he smelled those hash browns, he took a couple bites of hash browns and there it was, nodded out and [went] out.”
“[I] just talked to him. [I] just invited him to the [The Good, The Bad & The Buff: The Marc Bagwell Journey] documentary coming up and really, just God bless him. He’s in a wheelchair. I mean, he [does not] even look like Lex and I’ve talked to him about this, I love him so much and I’m so proud of him. But still, it bothers me because he was, he is, ‘the Total Package’, Steve, and you know that. And for him not to be ‘the Total Package’ [anymore] bothers me and it upsets me.”
The WWE Fan Council issued the following survey to fans on possible DVD releases. Below is a list of potential titles under consideration.
Roman Reigns – Roman Reigns has burst on the scene to become one of the biggest superstars to date… but it’s no surprise as his historical lineage has set him up for greatness. Go behind the scenes with Roman as he prepares for the biggest match of his career – the main event of WrestleMania!
WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven – Tommy Dreamer and Raven had one of the fiercest rivalries in ECW… now get a chance to hear both sides as the two sit down with Joey Styles and discuss what worked, what didn’t worked and why their rivalry was so successful.
True Story of Tribute to the Troops – A behind the scenes look at what WWE calls the most important show of the year. Following its inception and with stories from those who traveled overseas each year and the importance of why it has lasted over a decade.
Booker T – An extended version of the network special – Booker T: Sentenced to Greatness. Get a behind the scenes look at Booker T, as he discusses his improbable rise from Prison to WWE Hall of Famer. PLUS a compilation of Booker T’s greatest matches, with commentary from the man himself.
Divas – The Women’s division in WWE has grown in leaps and bounds from the days of the Fabulous Moolah, to Sunny, to Trish Stratus, to Michelle McCool, and now to the future in Charlotte… hear from all the most important figures in history as they discuss how they changed the role of the female in a male dominated sport!
Lex Luger – A natural athlete, who played professional football in the CFL & USFL, then became one of the most popular wrestlers of the 80s and 90s, “The Narcissist” finds God and turns his life around, only to become paralyzed a short time later. Hear from the man himself as well as his friends and enemies as Lex’s remarkable story is told.
JBL: How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire – Follow a “day in the life” of JBL – a self-made millionaire, Texas born, New York refined. A former WWE Champion and currently a financial analyst, a political radio host, and commentator for WWE – JBL does it all, and now you can see and hear it all from the man himself!
Dudley Boyz Bio – Arguably the most successful tag team in the history of sports entertainment. Hear from Bubba Ray and D-Von as they discuss theirs trials and tribulations from the bottom to the top and what made they did that helped them become so successful.
OMG! ECW’s Top 50 Craziest Moments – OMG! It’s back and this time with by far the craziest moments to date, as ECW rears its head on this series. ECW was extreme and there is no shortage of OMG moments throughout its history. Hear exclusive interviews from ECW legends as they tell stories behind some of the craziest moments in ECW history!
Bruno Sammartino – For over 11 years there was no one better than Bruno Sammartino – WWE’s longest reigning champion of all time. Now hear from Bruno as he discusses his reign as champion in the ring and at home!
Sheamus Experience – Get a chance to follow Sheamus around on his daily routine to find out what makes the Celtic Warrior tick. Listen to him as he recalls growing up in Ireland as a fan, to beating John Cena for the WWE Championship in his first year in the WWE.
One Man Show: Stone Cold – Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the most popular athletes in one of the most exciting times in sports entertainment history, now hear from the man himself as he tells about his meteoric rise to the top. Steve discusses his life story in humorous fashion as only the rattlesnake can, live on stage!
Eric Bischoff – A rare look inside the man who ran WCW and almost put WWE out of business only to ultimately be defeated in the Monday Night War and become a WWE employee as told by himself and those closest to him.
WWE’s Greatest Rivalries: Eric Bischoff vs. Vince McMahon – Sports entertainment was at its peak during the 1990s, and was dubbed the Monday Night War, as the two hottest brands battled in a ratings war for supremacy on Monday nights. Now listen as the head of both shows sit down and discuss this pivotal time period in the industry.
The Best of 1996: Twenty Years Later – WWE goes in depth with one of the greatest years in sports entertainment – N.W.O. takes over WCW; The Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12; Steve Austin’s rise as Stone Cold, The Rock makes his Debut; and ECW has some of best talent in the business like Mick Foley, Steve Austin and Chris Jericho, but lose them all to the bigger companies. Listen to all the important players from one of the most important years in sports entertainment history!
Hulk Hogan: Immortal – Hulk Hogan is arguably one of the most iconic figures in sports entertainment history – it is now time to make him Immortal! Hulk Hogan gets his face cast as his body will become a bronzed statue – living in Immortality in WWE lore forever. Hear from the Hulkster himself as he talks about his early days as a guitar player in a band, to his legendary prominence as Hall of Famer.
