20 Most Overdue WWE Hall Of Fame Inductions
4. Lex Luger
To quote the man himself, Lex Luger was one of the biggest legend-stars ever in this business, GAH!
His greatest accomplishments were in
WCW, in which he was a main event player for decades, including two World title
reigns. He also formed an on-again-off-again championship tag team with Sting,
as well as racking up (LOL) a number of secondary titles. He's also notable for
his WWE run, which was frankly a mixed bag. Lex never became Hulk Hogan II, but
he did give us plenty of memorable moments, notably the Royal Rumble co-win
with Bret Hart and the battleship face-off with Yokozuna.
Why He Isn't In: Lex famously appeared on the inaugural Nitro only eight days after SummerSlam 1995 (and ONE night after a WWF house show), a defection that history remembers as the first shot fired in the Monday Night Wars. After WCW folded, Lex suffered a litany of personal troubles, including drug problems, climaxing with the death of Ms. Elizabeth at his home. Soon after, Luger suffered a spinal stroke and became paralyzed, which would make him just about the worst possible public face for a company trying to distance itself from tales of drug addiction and broken bodies.
As of 2010,
though, Luger has been in recovery and working behind the scenes with the
Wellness Program. His induction is no longer such a risky proposition.