10 Things You Learn From Watching 1993 On The WWE Network
2. The Entire Lex Luger Saga Was Untimely
At the turn of the year, Bret Hart was on top of the mountain as WWF Heavyweight Champion. Months later, none other than Hulk Hogan returned to the promotion and replaced him as the top babyface (at least in the eyes of management). Hogan's latest stint in the WWF didn't last long, he left following June's King Of The Ring show.
Instead of going back to Hart or trying something different, Vince McMahon attempted to continue Hogan's 'American Hero' guise by pushing someone else into the role. Therefore, Lex Luger retired his 'Narcissist' heel persona and turned into a flag-waving good guy.
In time for a push towards SummerSlam, Luger rode around in a bus called the 'Lex Express'. This was designed to build support for Lex, who would challenge Hulk's title successor Yokozuna come SummerSlam in August. Needless to say, the entire episode fell flat.
It was untimely of the WWF to attempt such a move, Hogan had only been gone a matter of weeks when Luger hit a slam on Yokozuna aboard the USS Intrepid on July 4. Expecting him to slip right into Hulk's shoes was unrealistic at best.