Lex Luger spent a year in NWA Florida before his WCW debut in 1987; he was quickly spotlighted in an angle with the Four Horsemen, then won the United States Championship a few months later. Like the Ultimate Warrior, Luger would soon rise in the ranks, becoming WCW's champion, after which he feuded with Simmons and held on to the title, but disagreements with WCW brass led to Luger's refusal to appear for the latter months of his contract. He eventually lost the title to Sting, then joined the WWF. After a motorcycle accident, Luger bounced back as the Narcissist in 1993, and when Hulk Hogan left for WCW, Luger became the babyface All-American. His main event push could have begun here, but the WWF was already putting its weight behind Bret "The Hitman" Hart, and Luger never became a champion in the WWF, though you always had this feeling that he would. He was certainly on television enough. Luger's rise to megastar status happened even more quickly than the Ultimate Warrior's, so it's arguable that he didn't quite pay his dues, especially when compared to other top stars of his era. Since his debut, though, he's made himself a part of the wrestling landscape. He's not a Sting or a Hogan, but he never really had to be.
Check out "The Champ" by my alter ego, Greg Forrest, in Heater #12, at http://fictionmagazines.com.
I used to do a mean Glenn Danzig impression. Now I just hang around and co-host The Workprint podcast at http://southboundcinema.com/.
