Lex Luger

name=Larry "Lex Luger" Pfohl

Wrestling career

NWA Florida

Luger began wrestling in the NWA Florida territory, and quickly came to dominate the area. He got his first victory on Halloween 1985 against Ed "The Bull" Gantner, and later won the Southern title from Wahoo McDaniel. In 1986, he fought NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair to a 60 minute draw.

Related Topics:
NWA Florida - 1985 - Wahoo McDaniel - 1986 - NWA World Heavyweight Champion - Ric Flair

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Towards the end of his run in Florida, Luger was involved in a now-legendary match with Bruiser Brody, where Brody stopped cooperating, leading to a quick exit from the ring by Luger. Some sources claim that Brody was annoyed with the exiting Luger's boasts about how much money Luger would be making when he left Florida, and decided to teach the youngster a lesson in respect.

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World Championship Wrestling

Luger's first appearance in WCW upon his return was his shocking appearance at the first WCW Monday Nitro on September 4, 1995. Luger first showed up during the very first match on Nitro between Sting and Ric Flair. Later that night, Luger appeared in the crowd and attempted to interfere in the Hulk Hogan/Big Bubba Rogers match. A week later, he wrestled Hogan for the WCW World Title but the match ended in a no contest when Kevin Sullivan's "Faces Of Fear" interfered. For the next several months, Luger played a tweener character who seemed to side with various wrestlers and feuded with others. Sting, who was a face, continued to stay on Luger's side due to their friendship.

Related Topics:
WCW Monday Nitro - September 4 - 1995 - Big Bubba Rogers - Tweener

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When the nWo split, he was a member of the nWo Wolfpac. At the time WCW was purchased by the WWF, Luger was a member of Ric Flair's heel group, The Magnificent Seven with his "Totally Buff" tag team partner, Buff Bagwell. The other members were Jeff Jarrett, Road Warrior Animal, Rick and Scott Steiner. Luger's WCW contract was not a part of the WWF's purchase of WCW's assets, and Luger collected the remainder of his guaranteed contract through a subsidiary of Time-Warner that had been set up to handle outstanding debts and business from WCW.

Related Topics:
NWo - Ric Flair - Magnificent Seven - Buff Bagwell - Jeff Jarrett - Road Warrior Animal - Rick - Scott Steiner - Time-Warner

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World Wrestling Federation

By early 1992, Luger was tired of wrestling in WCW. He sat out for several months before losing to Sting at SuberBrawl II in February. Luger negotiated a departure from WCW, but the terms of that agreement precluded him from wrestling for the rest of 1992. He planned to join the WBF (World Bodybuilding Federation), which was owned by Vince McMahon. He was slated to guest pose at a WBF pay-per-view event, but was injured in a motorcycle accident. By the time Luger recovered, the WBF was out of business.

Related Topics:
1992 - Vince McMahon - Pay-per-view - Motorcycle - Accident

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A metal plate was inserted into Luger's forearm after his accident, and Luger later used this misfortune to his advantage by making the metal plate a gimmick in the ring (he claimed that when he hit opponents with his elbows, he did extra damage).

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His initial appearances in the WWF were as The Narcissist, in which he posed before a full-length mirror before matches. After Hulk Hogan left in mid-1993, Vince McMahon needed a new "Real American," and Lex Luger got the job. In a memorable event, then-WWF champion Yokozuna challenged any American athlete to bodyslam him on the deck of the USS Intrepid in an event on July 4, 1993. After a series of professional athletes and wrestlers tried and failed to lift him, Luger arrived on the scene and successfully slammed the big man.

Related Topics:
WWF - Narcissist - Hulk Hogan - Vince McMahon - Yokozuna - USS Intrepid - July 4 - 1993

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Luger was booked to win the then-WWF World championship at WrestleMania X in the first match of a planned double main event involving Luger, Yokozuna, and Bret Hart, and lose the second match to Hart. However, he became heavily intoxicated at a bar before just before WrestleMania and told several people (including a local reporter) about the planned outcome. This information spread rapidly, and the WWF opted to change the booking of WrestleMania, with Luger losing to Yokozuna by disqualification, and Hart beating Yokozuna instead. Luger was never given any run with the WWF title.

Related Topics:
WrestleMania X - Bret Hart

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Luger remained in the WWF for another year. He put over Tatanka at SummerSlam and formed a tag team with the late Davey Boy Smith dubbed the "Allied Powers." Then in late August 1995, Luger got a call from Eric Bischoff asking him if he'd like to jump ship back to the WCW. In an interview with Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Luger claimed he was wrestling without a contract and could, therefore, leave unannounced. Lex Luger's last match for the WWF was on September 1, 1995 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Vince McMahon was very unhappy with this abrupt departure because Luger reportedly gave McMahon his "word" about staying.

Related Topics:
Tatanka - Davey Boy Smith - Eric Bischoff - Pro Wrestling Illustrated - September 1 - 1995 - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Years later, Eric Bischoff would admit that he was never a fan of Lex Luger's on a personal or professional level. Bischoff only made the decision to talk to Luger at the behest of Luger's longtime friend Sting. Bischoff then offered Luger 20% more of the money he was making in the WWF. Bischoff at first, believed that Luger was going to turn the contract down anyway but at the very least, Bischoff could go back to Sting and tell him that he "tried."

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Semi-retirement

In 2003, Luger's companion Elizabeth Hulette was found dead in Marietta, Georgia of a drug overdose. Luger was arrested in connection with her death, but was eventually released when the coroner ruled the death accidental. In 2005, Luger again ran afoul of the law, being arrested in Canton, Georgia and charged with driving under the influence.

Related Topics:
Elizabeth Hulette - Marietta, Georgia - Canton, Georgia

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In 2002, Luger toured Europe and Australia with the short-lived World Wrestling Allstars promotion.

Related Topics:
2002 - Europe - Australia - World Wrestling Allstars

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In November 2003, Luger had a tag team match with Jeff Jarrett against Sting and AJ Styles. Styles was able to secure a roll-up for the victory. Later that month he returned briefly to put A.J. Styles in the torture rack, but soon thereafter he left the company all together.

Related Topics:
November - 2003 - Jeff Jarrett - A.J. Styles

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On October 8, 2005, Luger headlined the launch of a new televised wrestling show called Action Wrestling Entertainment.

Related Topics:
October 8 - 2005

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