Now, admittedly, this was meant to be a thread between myself and the great CH David. This is going to be one of those mano y mano things, though anyone is welcome to join, should they choose. Many wrestlers have been billed from Chicago, either kayfabe or otherwise. This question seeks to answer one simple question.... Who is the best?
Now then, David, I want you to know something right now... I never intended to use what you're about to see come up as part of my post. I chose Chicago because I felt this was going to give us the absolute best debate, seeing as how you're from Chicago. I chose Lex Luger, because I feel that he is, legitimately, the best wrestler to be billed from Chicago. Now then, I promise you, I never intended to use this.... However, a long, long time ago, The Lariat built a post in which he asked us to consider a Hall of Fame Worthy Wrestler, and build their case for the Hall of Fame.
Naturally, I chose Lex Luger. And since the evidence is here, I do, in fact, intend on using it:
I'm sorry, CH David.... But the evidence is there. That is a history of one of the best career's in the history of professional wrestling. You can choose to either ignore it or accept it, but that's just some background.
Now then, allow myself to give more reasoning here.
1. He, along with Sting, Rick Rude, and Vader, kept WCW alive during a time when Ric Flair left, and took the WCW Championship.
Seriously, were it not for the exploits of these three men, it's very arguable WCW would have been sunk. In case you don't know the story, Jim Herd severely pissed off Ric Flair, by trying to put him in the background, and burying his character. At one point, Herd wanted Flair to dress up like a Spartan, and refer to himself as Spartacus. No joke.
So Ric Flair left. And took four things away from WCW, and Jim Herd:
1. The Heart and Soul of WCW.
2. The climax to the raging feud between Luger and Flair, in which Luger was to finally go over Flair, and win the WCW Title
3. WCW's top heel
4. And most imprtantly, the WCW Title.
So who was there to carry WCW, in its darkest days, and see to it that it didn't die a slow and painful death?
Yes, that would be Lex Luger. He turned heel, and became WCW's top heel, and World Champion, all in the same night. And for that year, Luger kept his head held high, and worked as champion, in a time in which WCW could've easily been sunk. He, Sting, Rick Rude and Vader are the only reasons WCW did not close it's doors. These four were the only stars WCW had at this moment, and this was a promotion that had lost plenty of legitimacy by losing it's world title. Legitimacy that was restored by the likes of four men. They, more than anyone else, saved WCW.
2. His Feud with Ric Flair is one of the most legendary in the history of the NWA/WCW
Seriously, for those that say Luger couldn't draw, I entice you to watch this entire feud. This was as great a buildup as there ever was. Their match at the Great American Bash was easily the best NWA Championship match of its time. And while Flair did get the upper hand in the feud, it still drew like wildfire, and brought plenty of attention to the NWA. The ending to the Luger/Flair match is still legendary to this day, and is possibly one of the loudest pops in the history of pro wrestling. Luger fought off the Horsemen, by himself, and was easily the best draw the NWA as a face at that point. Then, once again, in their feud in 1991, in which they were to fight in a steel cage match. However, since that match was pulled due to Flair leaving, we never got to see Luger get the upper hand on Flair. Still, he was a consistent draw as a face and both as the heelish US Champion (The longest reigning US Champion, in case you missed the earlier post)
He is responsible for igniting the Monday Night Wars.
It was his spur of the moment of appearance on Nitro that set up the foundation for where Bischoff wanted to take his program. He wanted a show that was unpredictable, in which always left you guessing. And absolutely no one knew that Luger was going to show up on Nitro. It was a showing to the wrestling world that WCW could, in fact, compete with the WWE. Lex left, went on to WCW, and was made a star. You don't think somewhere, Hall and Nash were watching, and conspiring?
Anyway, the point is, Luger showing up on Nitro was the "holy shit" moment Nitro needed. It gave them the shot in the arm, and the feeling that just about anything can happen. Anyone could show up on Nitro, and anything could happen.
All because of Lex Luger and Eric Bischoff.
4. He, not Sting, was WCW's MVP in the feud with the NWO
And as much as I'm a Sting mark, this is true. Think; how many times did Sting actually wrestle a match from late 1996-1997. Eric kept Sting out of the rin on purpose, but how could he keep that up? Basically, he had to have someone keep WCW alive until Sting came back, and was working matches. Someone needed to hold the fort, and keep WCW as viable competition to the NWO.
That man was Lex Luger. He went through the entire NWO in great matches, and drew a great story of having Hogan's number. I'm not sure if you heard, but that pop when Luger won the WCW Title was in-fucking-credible. He was the only wrestler to stay loyal to WCW that was a legitimate contender to the WCW Title. The Giant flip flopped too many times, Flair was being phased out (again) and Savage eventually turned heel. There was only one face that kept WCW as hot as it was throughout 1997, and still actually managed to get involved in the ring, where it mattered.
That face was Lex Luger. The best wrestler from Chicago.
Now then, David, I want you to know something right now... I never intended to use what you're about to see come up as part of my post. I chose Chicago because I felt this was going to give us the absolute best debate, seeing as how you're from Chicago. I chose Lex Luger, because I feel that he is, legitimately, the best wrestler to be billed from Chicago. Now then, I promise you, I never intended to use this.... However, a long, long time ago, The Lariat built a post in which he asked us to consider a Hall of Fame Worthy Wrestler, and build their case for the Hall of Fame.
Naturally, I chose Lex Luger. And since the evidence is here, I do, in fact, intend on using it:
Me said:Ladies and Gentleman, The Hall of Fame Candidacy of Lex Luger
A former athlete of the gridiron, Larry Pfohl came into the wrestling business with a chiseled physique and a massive amount of training from Hiro Matsuda. One of the toughest trainers in the entire world, Hiro is credited with training such great names as Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, and The Great Muta. He was given the ring name "Lex Luger", and from there, a career that would turn to become one of the most eventful in history had begun.
Luger started in humble beginnings, wrestling in the NWA's Florida territory. He quickly became a dominant force, wrestling the best the territory had to offer. Within a month of his debut in the territory, Luger had won the NWA Southern Heavyweight championship from the legendary Wahoo McDaniel. It was at this point that he had his first clash with another legend in the business, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. Their battle resulted in a sixty minute time limit draw, but Luger had earned the approval of the masses, and was set to begin a career of bigger and better achievements.
Luger quickly moved to Jim Crockett's World Championship Wrestling, which at the time was still under the NWA banner. He quickly became associated with the greatest stable in the history of professional wrestling, The Four Horseman. From here, he ignited a feud with one WCW's greatest stars, Nikita Koloff, over the NWA Unites States heavyweight title. He soon defeated Koloff for the U.S. title, and would go to become one of the most dominant title holders in the belt's history. He would finally lose the title at November's Starrcade, but it wasn't without controversy. J.J. Dillon, manager to the Four Horsemen, had thrown a chair into the ring, which backfired in a way that would cost Luger the match and the title. This planted the seeds for Lex's exodus from the Horsemen, and becoming one of the absolute biggest babyfaces the company had.
Slowly, WCW groomed Lex to be the one to dethrone Ric Flair as the NWA heavyweight champion. He and newly turned face Barry Windham defeated Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA Tag Team Titles. Unfortunately, the joy was short lived. Barry turned on his new found partner, choosing instead to antagonize Lex with the help of the Horsemen. Even then, during the Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup, Luger was soon teamed with a young upstart by the name of Sting. He and Lex were part of a tag team tournament for the now vacant tag team titles, ultimately defeating Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard.
From here, he went on to challenge Ric Flair for the NWA Heavyweight title, finally getting his chance against Ric at the Clash of the Champions in Baltimore, Maryland. Though he was attacked by the Four Horsemen before the match, being left bloodied in the parking lot, Luger courageously fought Ric Flair for the NWA Heavyweight Title, in match that ended in controversial fashion. The match was stopped by the referee as Luger had Ric Flair in the torture rack, citing "Maryland State Athletic Commission" rules about a cut that had opened up on Luger's forehead, "bleeding excessively". Dejected, lex did not walk out of Baltimore the champion. He did, however, earn the respect of the fans, and was seen as a major player in the future of WCW.
Soon, he defeated Barry Windham again, and reclaimed his second NWA US Title. He then went on to feud with some of the greatest names in ever in pro wrestling, including WWE Hall of Famers Michael "P.S." Hayes and Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, as well as a blossoming name you might have heard of, Flyin' Brian Pillman. Along the way, he went on to win the US title again, this time winning it against Hayes. He held the title for a record breaking 523 days. For 523 days, Luger defended the title, going on to become the single greatest United States Champion in history. But that simply wasn't enough for Lex, as he decided to move on to bigger and better things.
Lex Luger quickly became the number one contender yet again, this time beating The Great Muta to earn a title shot with Ric Flair. The match was set to take place at the 1991 Great American Bash. The match was to take place in a steel cage, with the stipulation being that if Flair lost by disqualification, as had been the case most times with Luger, Luger would win the title. Unfortunately, Flair left the WCW for the WWF, and so the main event was almost discarded. Barry Windham stepped in for Flair, leading to Lex and Barry meeting again, this time for the WCW Title. During the match, Lex turned heel in a shocking manner, piledriving Barry Windham during the match, which was at the time an illegal move, and finally winning the WCW Heavyweight Title.
Lex got over quickly as a top heel, defeating many an opponent that stepped up to challenge him. He stayed champion for 230 days, defeating any challenger that came his way, until he clashed with his one time friend, Sting, at Superbrawl. The two put on a classic battle, that will live as one of the best of the promotion WCW. Eventually, Sting defeated Luger, as Luger turned in a great performance in the loss. After having conflicts with those booking WCW, Lex left the WCW, and decided to take his tools to the World Wrestling Federation.
It was here that was shown again as a man with a massive physique, taking part in Vince McMahon's World Body Building Federation. a man of massive size and "the look", as well as the pedigree of being a former world champion, Vince would find a way to mold his new gem.
Unfortunately, Luger would soon be involved in a motorcycle accident, an accident that almost cost him his career. Lex would rehab, and against doctor's orders, he made an attempt to return to the ring, with a steel plate in his forearm. This dreaded steel forearm would become a new weapon for Lex to use in the ring, and added another dimension to his attack. This weapon became very useful to Luger, aiding him to several a win, including one against a WWE Legend, The Late Great "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig.
By the time Lex had returned, The WWE was in dire need of a hero. Yokozuna had begun a rampage, attacking all of the WWF's top faces, and again leaving a trail of broken bodies in his pathway. On July Fourth, on the S.S. Intrepid, Yokozuna and his manager, Mr. Fuji, offered an open invitation to anyone that felt they could slam the nearly six hundred pound monster. Many athletes from the NFL and WWF all tried, but all failed to live up to the task of slamming the behemoth. That is, except for one man, flown in by helicopter to redeem America's dignity. That man was Lex Luger.
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Shortly after this, Lex began a campaign to gain a title shot against Yokozuna, and at Summerslam, Lex was granted this oppurtunity. He was granted the chance to wrestle Yokozuna for the WWF Title, with the only stipulation being that this would be Lex's only chance at the belt. Unfortunately, Lex won by count out, after hitting Yokozuna with his steel plate in his forearm, and knocking Yokozuna out on the ringside floor. Lex had won the match and had won over the crowd, but lost his only chance at the title.
Or did he? Soon, Lex entered the 1994 Royal Rumble, and even though Lex was attacked by some of Mr. Fuji's henchmen backstage before the Rumble, Lex went on to become a co-winner of the Royal Rumble, along with the great Bret Hart. He was pushed as the top face, and had he not gotten drunk and blabbed that he was going to win the WWF title to a reporter, who knows how Wrestlemania X would have gone down? Unfortunately, Lex made on of the biggest mistakes of his career, and Bret Hart went on to win the WWF Title.
Lex would then make a bold decision in his career, and jumped back to WCW, immediately feuding with Hulk Hogan and playing the role of a tweener. He went on to win the Tag Titles again and win the TV title. As the nWo invasion began, Luger stood as a stalwart for WCW. He stayed loyal, battling off the threat of the New World Order, and remaining one of WCW's top faces. He challenged the leaders of the nWo, Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash, often times getting the upper hand. Luger's use of strength left him as one of WCW's last hopes to stop the nWo. At one point, Lex Luger even torture racked the five hundred pound Giant, showing just how strong he truly was. He soon earned a shot at Hollywood Hulk Hogan, though it was much believed that the nWo's interference would lead to an unsuccesful attempt. Then, on August 4th, 1997, Lex Luger indeed shocked the world. In what will go down as one of WCW's greatest moments, and certainly one of their biggest pops, Lex had done the unthinkable. When all had fallen to the power of the New World Order, Lex proved he was unstoppable, and proceeded to do something that no one in WCW had until this point.
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Lex Luger defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW Heavyweight Title, and proved that WCW could survive against the nWo. He struck the first major blow into the nWo, and started the WCW charge against the rougue stable.
Was Lex the greatest of wrestlers? Absolutely not. But he was one of the most over faces (and heels) when the time called for him to step. A former heavyweight champion, and one of the most unrecognizable faces in pro wrestling.
I'm sorry, CH David.... But the evidence is there. That is a history of one of the best career's in the history of professional wrestling. You can choose to either ignore it or accept it, but that's just some background.
Now then, allow myself to give more reasoning here.
1. He, along with Sting, Rick Rude, and Vader, kept WCW alive during a time when Ric Flair left, and took the WCW Championship.
Seriously, were it not for the exploits of these three men, it's very arguable WCW would have been sunk. In case you don't know the story, Jim Herd severely pissed off Ric Flair, by trying to put him in the background, and burying his character. At one point, Herd wanted Flair to dress up like a Spartan, and refer to himself as Spartacus. No joke.
So Ric Flair left. And took four things away from WCW, and Jim Herd:
1. The Heart and Soul of WCW.
2. The climax to the raging feud between Luger and Flair, in which Luger was to finally go over Flair, and win the WCW Title
3. WCW's top heel
4. And most imprtantly, the WCW Title.
So who was there to carry WCW, in its darkest days, and see to it that it didn't die a slow and painful death?
Yes, that would be Lex Luger. He turned heel, and became WCW's top heel, and World Champion, all in the same night. And for that year, Luger kept his head held high, and worked as champion, in a time in which WCW could've easily been sunk. He, Sting, Rick Rude and Vader are the only reasons WCW did not close it's doors. These four were the only stars WCW had at this moment, and this was a promotion that had lost plenty of legitimacy by losing it's world title. Legitimacy that was restored by the likes of four men. They, more than anyone else, saved WCW.
2. His Feud with Ric Flair is one of the most legendary in the history of the NWA/WCW
Seriously, for those that say Luger couldn't draw, I entice you to watch this entire feud. This was as great a buildup as there ever was. Their match at the Great American Bash was easily the best NWA Championship match of its time. And while Flair did get the upper hand in the feud, it still drew like wildfire, and brought plenty of attention to the NWA. The ending to the Luger/Flair match is still legendary to this day, and is possibly one of the loudest pops in the history of pro wrestling. Luger fought off the Horsemen, by himself, and was easily the best draw the NWA as a face at that point. Then, once again, in their feud in 1991, in which they were to fight in a steel cage match. However, since that match was pulled due to Flair leaving, we never got to see Luger get the upper hand on Flair. Still, he was a consistent draw as a face and both as the heelish US Champion (The longest reigning US Champion, in case you missed the earlier post)
He is responsible for igniting the Monday Night Wars.
It was his spur of the moment of appearance on Nitro that set up the foundation for where Bischoff wanted to take his program. He wanted a show that was unpredictable, in which always left you guessing. And absolutely no one knew that Luger was going to show up on Nitro. It was a showing to the wrestling world that WCW could, in fact, compete with the WWE. Lex left, went on to WCW, and was made a star. You don't think somewhere, Hall and Nash were watching, and conspiring?
Anyway, the point is, Luger showing up on Nitro was the "holy shit" moment Nitro needed. It gave them the shot in the arm, and the feeling that just about anything can happen. Anyone could show up on Nitro, and anything could happen.
All because of Lex Luger and Eric Bischoff.
4. He, not Sting, was WCW's MVP in the feud with the NWO
And as much as I'm a Sting mark, this is true. Think; how many times did Sting actually wrestle a match from late 1996-1997. Eric kept Sting out of the rin on purpose, but how could he keep that up? Basically, he had to have someone keep WCW alive until Sting came back, and was working matches. Someone needed to hold the fort, and keep WCW as viable competition to the NWO.
That man was Lex Luger. He went through the entire NWO in great matches, and drew a great story of having Hogan's number. I'm not sure if you heard, but that pop when Luger won the WCW Title was in-fucking-credible. He was the only wrestler to stay loyal to WCW that was a legitimate contender to the WCW Title. The Giant flip flopped too many times, Flair was being phased out (again) and Savage eventually turned heel. There was only one face that kept WCW as hot as it was throughout 1997, and still actually managed to get involved in the ring, where it mattered.
That face was Lex Luger. The best wrestler from Chicago.