10 Toxic Real-Life Wrestling Relationships

2. Lex Luger & Elizabeth

Shawn Sunny
WWE Network

One of the first notable post-boom period wrestling tragedies, the 2003 death of Miss Elizabeth was a dark, depressing end to a life that so often portrayed as angelically light.

Elizabeth Hulette had seemingly escaped wrestling following her 1992 divorce from Macho Man Randy Savage, but made a surprising return in early 1996 following his migration to WCW.

Turning heel for shock value just weeks later, she made a surprisingly prosperous villain alongside the New World Order and later Lex Luger, whom she began a real-life relationship with following her divorce from second husband Cary Lubetsky.

Their union would prove fatal, following a series of ugly scenes ahead of her unpleasant demise. In April 2003, Cobb County police charged Lex with battery after a dispute in their home left Elizabeth with two bruised eyes and a cut lip. The pair were in trouble just days later when Luger rear-ended a car whilst driving under the influence with an intoxicated Elizabeth as his passenger.

Things reached a desperately sad conclusion a fortnight later, following a frantic 'Total Package' 911 call that was later exploitatively played on WWE television. Elizabeth had died at only 42-years-old from acute toxicity thanks to a lethal mix of painkillers and vodka.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett