Ranking Every Major Monday Night Wars Jump From WORST To BEST

2. Lex Luger

X Pac WWE Debut
WWE.com

Lex Luger re-debuted in WCW on the launch of its new prime-time flagship.

Contractually well within his rights to do just that, this had an air of infraction about it at a time of captivating ignorance, something Luger put over, albeit unintentionally, by wearing Jerry Seinfeld’s puffy pirate shirt.

Luger observed the match between Sting and Ric Flair, arms folded, in an iconic visual that put over WCW—immediately—as the place to be. The endearingly naff mall setting was fitting, nonetheless: it put in mind the idea that fans could now shop around for the best pro wrestling product.

Luger returned during the main event, ostensibly to save Hogan from a beat-down, before a miscommunication nearly erupted in violence.

An early flirtation with blurred character dynamics, this set the tone of early Nitro’s must-see shock factor and, indeed, the storytelling approach that added the crucial substance to it.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!