10 WWE Matches That Were Meant To Be Epic (But Failed Miserably)
9. Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger (Summerslam 1993)
Lex Luger in WWE vs. Lex Luger in NWA/WCW were two completely different talents. Luger in NWA had been an awesome talent on the brink of main-event greatness from 1988 to 1992. His failure to achieve all that he was capable of could easily have been construed as a failure of the people that ran WCW to capitalize on his abilities. WWE seemed poised to take full advantage of what Luger brought to the table, but he was severely injured in a career-altering accident during the year he spent riding out his non-compete clause. He recovered and made a splash in WWE during the summer of 1993, flying onto a battleship via helicopter to bodyslam then-WWE Champion, Yokozuna. With Yokozuna playing up his anti-American status to the nines, Lugers donning of the stars and stripes gave him a golden opportunity to become in WWE what nobody in WCW ever gave him the proper chance to do be the conquering hero. The Total Package was an appropriate nickname. He certainly had the chops to be one of the defining superstars of the WWE New Generation. Unfortunately, Lex was not the same caliber of performer in 1993 that he had been before his accident. Summerslam 93 in Detroit featured a decent outing from Luger and Yoko, but it failed to capture many imaginations. It was a critical and financial disappointment, fueled by Lugers diminished skills, the fact that Yoko was increasingly trying to eat his way through the calendar, and the changing times in society. Luger vs. Yokozuna peaked when Lex slammed the 500 (+++) pounder. It never progressed.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
