How big/iconic/epic could this tag team match have been?

[AegonTargaryen]

I have been watching WCW ppvs from 1996-1998 lately and needless to say they're the best ppvs loaded with great wrestling and everything for everybody and even better than most Wrestlemanias. Today I checked out WCW World War 3 1997 and I'm astonished at the quality of wrestling matches. So most or many of these have Sting and Luger as a tag team and I'm a huge sting fan.

Now I find Lex Luger very entertaining to watch in the ring despite my initial prejudice of him being a "muscle man" and thus stiff and just as drab to watch in the ring as John Cena. I think he was very charismatic and okay on the mic based on what I've seen so far. For example:- In an interview with Gene Okerlund from World War 3 1996 (I think?) where he is asked about Sting's recent transmogrification into somewhat of an "obscure, mysterious" wrestler/person(kayfabe), he was very good on the mic, he talked swiftly and I didn't really find many "flaws" like people have always found and will find in Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns. (Though I do think when Brock is being himself he doesn't really seem awful though he cannot be said to be anywhere close to being a great talker).

Obviously, the late 90s in WCW was all about Hogan and the NWO and Sting and Luger could easily be said to be mostly in the background(which could also be said about Bret Hart). I was curious about Luger's future post-WCW and I was checking wikipedia and also google and I found this article/interview where he is asked about his "dream match". Here it is:-

DoG: I want you to book your dream match: Lex Luger at the height of his career vs. any wrestler in history, for what title, where and when, and how does the match end?

LL: Wow…I always dreamed of doing a tag match with Sting…in WWE. Maybe against Shawn Michaels and HHH. At Wrestlemania! I’d love to see Sting and The Undertaker. And then have him retire and go to the Hall of Fame the following year.

So I've never ever thought of this match before but on paper it seems like a blockbuster of a match for any ppv, let alone Wrestlemania. My obvious and plain question is:-

How epic/iconic/big could Sting and Lex Luger Vs HBK and HHH have been at Wrestlemania between 2006-2010 ? (Both Luger and Sting would be around 48 -50 at then).

As an incidental question:- What other tag team match that has actually happened(in either WCW/WWE) do you consider "iconic" ?
The only matches that come to my mind are HBK and John Cena vs Batista and Undertaker, and the matches in 2002 involving Hogan/NWO vs The Rock and Austin(though they happened on Raw). And please don't tell me any of those TLC matches with Hardys/Dudleys/EC are "iconic". By iconic here I clearly mean tag matches involving superstars of main event calibre or those that have transcended world championships. (I'd include Sting, HBK, Taker, Rock, Kurt Angle, Bret Hart in that echelon).

Notice:- The thread isn't about why this match DID NOT or COULD NOT have happened. The emphasis is on IF it did happen.

 

[TheICChampion]

Well, Sting and Luger vs. DX would have been pretty big, no question. HBK and HHH were still pretty much in their prime up until about 2008 so before then it would have been fine if Sting and Luger couldn't go as well as they used to because DX could easily have picked up the slack.

I think another iconic tag match in WWE would have been DX vs. Rated RKO. Take your pick of either Taboo Tuesday or New Year's Revolution. Both were good matches, fueled by many "personal issues" that made the matches interesting. It's too bad Trips got injured when he did (seriously, though, how bad does that have to suck? He injures one quad, then half a decade later, tears the other) or these guys could have had quite a few more battles.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Meh. Sting vs anyone WWE related would be iconic but throwing in Luger is just a drag on the idea. I'm not even that big of a Crow Sting fan but I think I understand Sting's place in history vs Luger's place. In fact most any tag match doesn't deserve the iconic blah blah.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

Stone Cold and The Rock Vs Triple H and Kurt Angle is one that springs to mind that actually happened. I don't really know much about Lex Luger or Sting to be able to pass comment on if that match had blockbuster potential just wanted to throw that nice little happening from 2001 out there.

 

[cornerdon26]

I think anything involving - DX (Michaels and Triple H), Rock n Sock and Brothers of Destructions would be great. But they were all a year or so apart.

I guess Brothers of Destruction vs Two Man Powetrip can be considered iconic especially due to all the titles involved, however I have never seen that match

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

On the RAW before Wrestlemania 18 there was a 3 on 2 tag match with the NWO against Stone Cold and the Rock. To my knowledge this is the only time in WWE history where Hogan and Austin physically fought one another in the ring. If you look at the names involved in that match and their significance in both WWE and WCW that is without a doubt a dream match. But they did it as a throw away filler main event on RAW. Ridiculous.

 

[cornerdon26]

Come to think of it - Hogan and Cena vs Roddy Piper and CM Punk would have been one hell of a WMXXX event. With Punk walking out and the fitness of Hogan/Piper in question it was unlikely but not completely out of the ordinary.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There was only one window this ever would have worked and that was in 1994 when Lex was already in WWE and they tried and failed to sign Sting.

Had they succeeded, then a WWE style "Lex & Sting USA" team would have been the order of the day. It would probably have killed Sting's career there before it began. If Sting had come into WWE at that time, he'd have been the Patriot in real terms.

Once the WCW thing happened there was no way either man was headed over to WWE, Sting clearly didn't trust them and Lex...

Well 2 things after 1995 would have killed it for Lex. First, you don't do what he did to Vince and show up on rival TV the way he did. Rick Rude got a pass as it was the day of the screwjob...Vince expected to lose some guys and that it was "only Rude" at that time was a bonus and he was known to be Bret's close friend. At that time, Vince was more worried about losing guys like Foley and Simmons and placating Undertaker than if Rude hadn't signed a deal...he couldn't wrestle at the time anyway.

Alundra/Madusa wasn't THAT damaging in the long term, indeed her leaving gave them the chance to go in the Divas direction with Sunny, Sable and Chyna...But EVERYTIME the first Nitro is mentioned, anything on the wars... Lex crossing over without notice, even if he was out of contract is there.

The second one is darker... Elizabeth.

Once Lex was "with Liz" it was murky waters for him with Vince. Whatever Vince's beef with Savage was, even if it was nothing to do with Liz, it would have been a reminder to have her around. It would have generated questions he didn't want to hear/answer, Lex would have wanted Liz there with him and the WWE fans wouldn't have bought it... then she died.

The way Liz died, above all else ruined any chance of Lex ever being back. They couldn't risk "you killed Liz" chant's breaking out...it's why he can't even now go in the HOF... that's even before his clear physical "dangers of wrestling" issues.

As a team they were a WCW thing... it never would have played properly over at Titan, fate and circumstance conspired to prevent it happening and probably rightfully so. Now if Shawn and Trips had moved to WCW? That could have worked, the only chance Shawn ever had of surviving a switch would be with Paul going too to keep him straight.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

I am unsure if that would work. The problem is Lex Luger was never a great in-ring performer. He always desired to be a Body Builder anyway - and he left WCW to be the co-host of Vince McMahon's WBF TV show (which bombed like the XFL and every single WWE Films project). Sting and Flair vs DX - that would have been something incredible in their prime years. But Luger would drag the match down.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

A few things I find funny about the original post:

1. Most wrestling fans around here don't find Lex Luger even remotely interesting. So hearing about how much you enjoyed him in the late 90's just struck me as funny.

2. WCW PPV's from 96 - 98 were very hit and miss. Most of the time they were an absolute mess, especially in terms of match quality. But every now and then you'd get a 4 star match from guys in the midcard.

As for Luger, the only time I really liked him was in the mid-90's in WCW when he was teaming with Sting as a tweener. He was a heel while in a tag team with Sting who was a babyface. I really liked this dynamic between the two.

As for "iconic" tag team matches that were main event calibre.. A few that come to mind:

WCW Super Brawl I:
The Steiner Brothers 'C' vs Sting & Lex Luger

WCW Bash at the Beach 1996:
Randy Savage, Sting & Lex Luger vs The Outsiders (Hall & Nash), & a Mystery Partner

WWF Backlash 2001:
The Brothers of Destruction (Undertaker & Kane) 'C' vs The Two-Man Power Trip (Austin 'C' & HHH 'C') - All Titles on the Line

WWF RAW 2001:
The Two-Man Power Trip (Austin & HHH) 'C' vs Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit

 

[FromGlasgow]

I think it would have been a great match especially around 1997/98 time, or even Sting, Warrior vs HHH, HBK or Nash, Hall vs HHH and HBK all would have been good matches too

 

[MrMojoRisin]

You picked a good time to watch Luger. That mid-late 90's WCW work was probably the best he ever did. I'm still a fan of his late 80's work, but admittedly, guys like Flair and Windham did a lot to carry him back then.

Your dream match at WM between 2006-10 doesn't work though. The only possible time he could have was in 2006, and he had a few legal issues that would have made working Wrestlemania a little challenging. After that? He had his stroke, and no way, no how could he ever have returned to the ring after that.

 

[FlairFan2003]

Luger was an OK worker but outside his matches with Flair & Hart I don't ever remember being impressed with him as an in ring performer, and although I think he worked real hard in those matches you have to wonder how much was due to the fact he was wrestling big matches against Flair & Hart, maybe two of the best big event performers of all time....

Luger was very popular and was a huge star, Sting-Luger vs DX would certainly have had major appeal. Storyline wise it wouldn't have worked in the 2000s as most of that time HBK was opposing a heel HHH and by the time they had their brief reunion Luger was way past his physical prime (he nearly died remember).

Sting-Flair vs DX would likely have been a more entertaining match just on performace ability and that one could have been staged up until the mid 2000s, in the late 90s it would have been epic. In the late 90s Sting-Luger as a team would have been huge against DX too though to be fair.

Luger to me had a great look and learned how to be good....he was never great, his career was big enough that I think he deserves a spot in the HOF but simply as an in ring talent, he was a C+ who could rise to a B+ or A- if matched with the right opponent.

Find some of Luger's work vs Hart, either 1994-95 WWE or 1998 WCW and you'll be impressed. Find his Starrcade 88 or Feb 1990 PPV matches vs Flair and you'll be amazed, he was awesome in those but those performances were the exception, not the rule with him.

 

[OYDK]

A couple quick points...

Firstly, I have to say I'm shocked that anybody found a Lex Luger match entertaining. Him and Sting used to make me want to gouge my eyes out in the earlier WCW days (95-97). I swear to God, I saw them use over 8 gorilla press slams in a tag match together. Sting improved a boat-load after becoming the Crow, but I could never get into a Luger match.

Secondly, WW3 97 ranks as one of my least favorite PPV's of all time. Just curious, was it the Mysterio/Guerrero and Perfect/Flair matches that hooked you or something else?

Anyway back on topic, this match would have made a lot of sense had it happened soon after the MNW. WCW's "closest friend combo" vs WWF's "closest friend combo". Luger and Sting coming to the WWE to take their revenge on the two "higher-ups". Two teams that could have matched up really well together with Sting/HBK playing the showmen and HHH/Luger playing the powerhouses. It really would have gone down as a marquee bout, but I have no doubt in my mind that HBK/HHH would have been the ones going over.

I don't know how iconic these tag matches would be, but they do include superstars who transcended titles:

Stone Cold and HHH vs Taker and Kane
Savage and Hogan vs Flair and Vader
Rock and Mankind vs Show and Taker

Attitude Era actually had A LOT of these teams.

 

[King Patrick Star]

Shawn Michaels and Triple H vs. Sting and Lex Luger would have been an epic match, but I don’t know if it would have been an iconic match. I guess if you base it only by the names, then it is iconic.

One match that I always thought was “iconic” was from Raw. It was D-Generation X vs. the Unified WWE World Tag Team Champions, Jeri-Show vs. the WWE Champion, John Cena and the World Champion, the Undertaker. Not only are these 6 of the biggest names in Professional Sports Wrestling Entertainment history, but there were 4 Champions in this Triple Threat Tag Team match.