Grilling JR - Lex Luger in the WWF [Show Notes] (Patreon)

The next time you run into Lex again is at WrestleMania 9...your WWF debut! We’ve talked about it in the archives but how was it to see Lex again?

Lex is the “Narcissist” until that fateful day on July 4th when the Lex Express is born. He comes out of a helicopter, rushes past Bobby Heenan, slams Yokozuna and we’re...kind of off to the races? What did you think of this way to rebrand Lex as the new Hulk?

Did you...personally...ever see Lex Luger being the new Hulk Hogan?

The Lex Express criss-crosses the country...but he doesn’t wrestle at all. His first wrestling match after bodyslamming Yokozuna? For the USWA in Memphis, Tennessee at the Mid-South Coliseum where he defeats Yoko in a non-title match. JR did Vince have that much fear in putting Lex in the ring he didn’t?

What did you think of the Lex Express?

Was Lex Luger’s “I’ll Be Your Hero” one of your personal favorite music videos?

We’re here Jim. The moment Lex returns to the ring and is going to conquer that evil Yokozuna...from the Observer…

“10. A guy called Lex Luger, who lost so much weight he looked like he was really Stan Lane, showed up. Seriously, Luger looked right at 230, which is only about a 65 pound drop in the past year and 30 pounds down in the past few weeks. Yokozuna dominated most of the match and got one near fall after another. Finally Yokozuna missed the banzai drop, Luger hit a bodyslam, punched Mr. Fuji, removed his protective elbow pad and hit Yoko with a clothesline sending him to the floor for the count out finish, enabling him to keep the title in 17:58. Balloons were let loose and the Steiners and Tatanka hit the ring. A great video played with Luger largely from his bus trip, and after the video was over, Yoko was still KO'd and Jim Cornette was trying to revive him. They attempted to strongly not emphasize the idea that Luger hadn't won the title, although it was touched on in passing at the end of the broadcast. **¾”

I get it. The stipulation going in is that Luger signed a contract that he only gets one shot at Yokozuna and he’ll win the Rumble and get to Mania...but this isn’t WrestleMania and that’s when the big win is to happen but wow how do you miss this bad?

Luger’s heat is obviously well down afterwards and somehow gets himself involved with Ludvig Borga. What did you think of Luger vs. Borga?

Yokozuna and Taker are married together while Luger fights off the Unamericans and the Taker-Yokozuna program gets real hot and the cheers for Bret Hart are louder than Lex Luger and it’s pretty obvious Luger is no longer the next Hulk. When does this set in with you and when does it set in with Vince?

At the Rumble it’s the well remembered double winner finish with Lex & Bret both going over the top rope and landing on the floor at the same time. What did you think of that finish and do you think once again it showed Lex can’t win the big one?

The rumor and innuendo is that Lex ran his mouth about the WrestleMania 10 finish and how he was going over for the title...do you remember hearing that?

You’re out of the WWF by the time WrestleMania 10 rolls around but Luger again comes up short in his title match and he’s pushed off to feud with Mr. Perfect again which goes nowhere.

Is it safe to say Vince didn’t get what he thought he was getting in Lex?

Luger floats through the mid card fueding with the likes of Crush & Tatanka and is never pushed at a high level again in the WWF. Do you think Lex was just going through the motions at this point?

You’re back in the WWF and they put Lex & Davey Boy Smith together as a tag team called Allied Powers. Do you think they were a good fit together?

They defeat the Blu Brothers (Ron & Don Harris) at WrestleMania 11, but they don’t really work any programs until they feud with Owen & Yokozuna later on that year. What’s Lex’s attitude during all this? Sour?

Coming off of Summerslam 1995 Jim what is your role in the company?

Was Lex loud about his unhappiness in the company?

You’ve talked about your push to get guys like Mick Foley signed in 1996 so you can change the locker room culture. Was Lex part of that culture of just looking out for themselves and not the team?

Where are you the day Nitro debuts? At home?

Did you have any idea Lex appearing on Nitro as a possibility?

Were you watching Nitro?

Who’s the first person you call or does someone call you after Lex makes his now infamous appearance?

From the Observer…

“Even more strange about this deal is that in mid-August, McMahon and Luger had a meeting where Luger informed McMahon about the potential WCW deal and McMahon gave him permission to negotiate. Without Titan's permission to negotiate, any WCW approaches to Luger would have been illegal contract tampering and you have no idea how closely both groups watch their words in negotiations to avoid breaking that law and the ramifications because the penalties are so severe. Given the environment that the WWF/WCW situation has turned into, it is hard to fathom why McMahon would have given Luger the permission to negotiate at that point in time.

However, it is said that after the original negotiations fell through over a large difference in money, Luger informed McMahon negotiations fell through and was put in a semi-prominent position. He did the weird angle at SummerSlam and was a focal part of the Superstars taping two days later. Plans for Luger were to have been working the next several months as the No. 6 singles babyface (behind Diesel, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Bret Hart and Razor Ramon) before a possible or probable heel turn in early 1996.

The claim is that after Luger and WCW reached their verbal deal on 8/31, Luger called McMahon up the next day but never told him about any negotiations or informed him of anything. Luger continued to work the Canadian house shows through the Sunday night before he showed up on the Nitro show in Minneapolis. Luger never called McMahon after 8/31 and as of this past weekend, still hadn't called.”

JR...does this fall into the hands of JJ Dillon? Is this a similar situation like with Jeff Jarrett in 1999?

What was Vince’s reaction to all this?

Did the WWF lose anything when Lex Luger leaves?

Lex goes on to be a top WCW guy when the nWo angle takes shape and gets hot. Did Lex ever reach out to you during his time in WCW when his contract came up about making a move back?

WCW closes and it’s assumed that of the people on the roster, Jeff Jarrett & Lex Luger were definitely persona non grata considering their exits. We’ve covered Jarrett extensively as of late but what are the conversations about Lex Luger?

Was there ever an approach or a conversation had between the WWF & Lex Luger after WCW closes?

Do you think that Lex was ready to move on from the business at this point? There’s nobody else running in a big way besides Vince in 2001-2002 after WCW & ECW close. The knock was always that he wasn’t a wrestling guy but a money guy and there’s no other money out there really but Vince. Were you not surprised he faded out of the ring at that point?

He does a European WWA tour in late 2002, and wins their World Title from Sting before dropping it back to him. He made sporadic appearances with TNA as well.

Sadly Lex’s life would take a turn in April of 2003 when Miss Elizabeth and him were involved in a domestic dispute. Elizabeth and Luger were together at the time and he was charged with a misdemeanor count of battery and just two days after this was arrested for a DUI. When you hear this news do you reach out to see if they need help?

Sadly Elizabeth lost her life on May 1st in the townhome her & Lex shared. Lex was arrested after the house is searched and comes up with a number of illicit controlled substances, including anabolic steroids, oxycodone, etc. How do you remember hearing about this?

WWE Confidential at the time does a segment on Liz’s death including airing Lex Luger’s 911 call to police. What did you think about the decision to cover something like this and to air the call?

Do you think this had anything to do with a sort of vengeance regarding the way Lex left the company back in 1995?

Is this done in poor taste?

Have you spoken to Lex regarding Liz’s death at any point?

Lex said in an interview with Busted Open in 2011 that Luger is working behind the scenes with the WWE talent on training and health programs. "I actually work behind the scenes with them now again and with their wellness club, I council a lot of their athletes on nutrition, wellness, exercise, and taking care of their bodies.” Do you know how this comes to be and what the story is behind it?

Lex has gone through some medical issues including temporary paralysis from a spinal stroke. We wish him all the best obviously!

You did an interview on your old podcast with Lex...was that one of the first times you had spoken to him? How did he sound in your mind?

Do you think the rap on Luger is accurate? That he wasn’t all in on professional wrestling?

How would you sum up Lex’s career? What is Lex Luger’s legacy?

Before we get to the fan questions Jim the one thing we were asked more than anything was why do you think Lex Luger isn’t in the WWE Hall of Fame? Besides the fact that it’s completely subjective and on the whim of one Vince McMahon, do you think Vince still is holding a somewhat grudge towards him?