Although Lex Luger never reached the pinnacle in WWE, he was often discussed as a performer on the cusp of breaking through to the next level. Various explanations for his career stagnation have been offered over the years, but Luger has his own ideas about what took place, as revealed on a recent episode of “Lex Expressed.”
“I was either a confident babyface or an arrogant heel,” Luger said. “I got switched back and forth a lot, which some people thought, ‘Wow, you never know where Lex is at.’ Maybe that was a hindrance in my career.”
According to Luger, creative officials often switched him between hero and villain because they knew they could rely on him to fulfill either role. When a top star got injured, Luger was often the person chosen to fill their position, even if that meant he had to shift his onscreen alignment once again.
“I enjoyed working both — maybe heel a little bit more,” Luger continued. “You have a little bit of autonomy. Usually we’d call things in the ring. Once Ricky Steamboat taught me how to call a match, I kind of liked doing that a little bit more.”
Luger spent a little under three years with WWE, but he was able to accomplish much more during his WCW runs that came before and after. In WWE, Luger is best known for the “Lex Express” period, which saw him adopt a patriotic gimmick and ride a bus around the country. Despite defeating world champion Yokozuna at WWE SummerSlam 1993, Luger won by count-out and never captured the top title in the promotion. According to WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard, Luger’s poor attitude at the time led to his lack of success in the company.
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