10 Times WWE Failed To Replace A Major Star
1. Hulk Hogan With Lex Luger
Lex Luger has been called overrated to that extent that he has somehow become underrated. Sure, his appeal largely came from aesthetics, and Luger definitely had his off-days in the ring, but he was a far better wrestler than most give him credit for. He receives a level of criticism that just doesn’t align with his all-round skill as a performer, and a lot of it stems from his failure in the top spot.
Nobody exemplifies WWE’s inability to replace Hulk Hogan better than Luger. His tremendous physique and heroic All-American gimmick made him a natural successor in Vince McMahon’s eyes, but Luger lacked the natural charisma to pull it off. Still, he enjoyed a sizeable push throughout the bulk of his WWE run, even though the company shelved multiple plans to make him champion.
Luger feuded with WWE Champion Yokozuna, and co-won the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart. He continued to hover around the title scene for the rest of the year, before forming The Allied Powers with Davey Boy Smith in 1995. The end was right around the corner, however: Lex became one of the first major stars to jump ship from WWE to WCW that September, and has remained on Vince’s personal blacklist ever since.