Lex Luger Deserves To Be In The WWE Hall Of Fame

When you look at the career of the one and only "Total Package" Lex Luger, through all his trials and tribulations he has gone through in his personal and professional life, one honor has alluded him and that is an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. While Luger's run in WWE had ended in

Highlights

  • Lex Luger, known as the "Total Package," had a legendary career in WCW, becoming a world champion and establishing himself as a top star alongside Sting.
  • Despite his success in WCW, Luger never won the WWE Championship during his time with the company from 1992 to 1995.
  • Luger returned to WCW in 1995, joining the NWO and later becoming a member of the NWO Wolfpac, solidifying his status as a top soldier in the war against the NWO.

When you look at the career of the one and only "Total Package" Lex Luger, through all his trials and tribulations he has gone through in his personal and professional life, one honor has alluded him and that is an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. While Luger's run in WWE had ended in controversial fashion, everything he has accomplished before and after during his tenures with WCW established him as a legend in the wrestling business.

With that said, why hasn't Lex Luger been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? Has the company been holding back on Luger, waiting for the right time to celebrate his career or is this a subtle jab towards Luger based on the way he conducted his business on the way out the door from WWE in 1995?

WCW

WWE

Other (Misc)

World Champion (2x)

Royal Rumble Winner (1994)

WWA World Champion (1x)

Television Champion (2x)

Slammy Award - "Most Patriotic" (1994)

PWI Rookie of the Year (1986)

US Champion (5x)

PWI Wrestler of the Year (1997)

Tag Team Champion (3x)

PWI 500 Ranked #2 (1991)

Lex Luger Was A World Champion In WCW

Early WCW Years (1987-1992)

Close

Coming off of having mediocre success as a football player and failing to join the Green Bay Packers, Luger made his pro wrestling debut for Championship Wrestling Florida, where he was trained by Hiro Matsuda in 1985. He spent a couple of years there training and learning his craft. Luger eventually signed with Jim Crockett Promotions. He adopted the nickname of the "Total Package" and later became a part of the Four Horseman.

RELATED: 10 Weird Moments From Lex Luger's WCW Career We Completely Forgot About

Lex Luger became the NWA United States Champion and held the title on and off throughout the late 80s. By 1989, Luger was exiled from the Four Horseman and began a successful rise as a singles star. In June 1991, due to the controversial departure of Ric Flair from WCW based on a contractual dispute with WCW Executive Jim Herd, Luger challenged Barry Windham instead for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at the Great American Bash, where he successfully captured the title.

Luger became the top star in WCW, alongside his rival and on again, off again best friend, Sting. The two men engaged in a rivalry throughout the remainder of Luger's tenure with WCW. Sting defeat Lex Luger at WCW SuperBrawl II in 1992 to capture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Luger exited WCW shortly thereafter and signed a contract with WWE.

Lex Luger Never Won The WWE Championship

WWE Years (1992-1995)

Lex Luger signed with WWE in late 1992. Luger aligned himself with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and became known as "The Narcissist", then began utilizing the Running Forearm as his finisher after suffering a real-life motorcycle accident, leaving him with metal plate inside his forearm that would cause more damage to his opponents. Luger debuted at WrestleMania 9 by defeating Mr. Perfect. The Narcissist gimmick would end by mid-1993 after the departure of Hulk Hogan.

RELATED: SummerSlam 1993: The Night Lex Luger’s WWE Main Event Potential Died

By July 1993, Luger's gimmick was changed to "The All-American" and gained stardom after body slamming the near 600 plus pound Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid. Luger went on to challenge Yokozuna for the WWE World Title at SummerSlam, winning the match by count out. He was the co-winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble alongside Bret "Hitman" Hart, thus earning him a WWE World Title match at WrestleMania 10.

Luger would fail to capture the title at the event. Throughout 1994 and into 1995, Luger feuded with The Million-Dollar Corporation and later formed a tag team with The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, dubbing themselves as "The Allied Powers". Luger's contract expired shortly after SummerSlam in 1995.

Lex Luger Returned To WCW In 1995

Was Part Of The NWO & NWO Wolfpac

Lex Luger rejoined WCW in September 1995 and made his surprising return to the company at the first episode of Monday Nitro, turning heel and establishing a feud with WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan. He teamed up with Sting and captured the WCW Tag Team Championship by 1996. Luger also continued his feud with Hogan and became an associate to The Dungeon of Doom.

RELATED: How Lex Luger Was Able To Sign With WCW Despite Being On WWE's Roster, Explained

When The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) made the jump to WCW and began invading the company, Luger became a babyface and aligned himself with Sting and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. After the birth of the n.W.o., with Hogan turning heel and the renegade organization running wild throughout WCW, Luger became one of WCW's top soliders in the war against the n.W.o. until 1998. Luger became a member of the n.W.o Wolfpac when the group initiated a split. He remained a member of the group throughout the end of the 90s until the n.W.o was officially disbanded by the year 2000.

Towards the end of WCW, Luger found himself teaming with Buff Bagwell and reignited his rivalry with Sting, then later Goldberg. When WCW was sold to WWE in March 2001, Luger's contract was not picked up.

Lex Luger Had A WWE Hall Of Fame Worthy Career

Recently Appeared On 'The Bump'

Luger retired from the wrestling business the mid-2000's after suffering a spinal stroke brought on from a nerve impingement in his neck. Throughout his tenures with WWE and WCW, Luger has become more than deserving of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Following a recent appearance on WWE's The Bump, speculation began on whether Luger could be inducted into the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame. Let's keep our fingers crossed on seeing Lex Luger get his well-deserved Hall of Fame induction by 2024.

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