Lex Luger is a wrestler strongly associated with the WCW product from the late 1980s and 1990s, much like other favourites Ric Flair, Sting, Booker T, Goldberg or Scott Steiner. Luger put in the effort at the gym and later had the added danger of having a metal plate inserted in his forearm.

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He held the Heavyweight Championship twice in the promotion in two different runs. In addition, he held five tag team belts and five US titles plus other awards. Fans will always have strong memories of his time in WCW from the Four Horsemen, his solo runs, to defending WCW or the nWo Wolfpac.

10 Holds Record for Longest US Title Reign

Lex Luger in WCW

Luger’s third US title reign lasted a staggering 523 days and he is well ahead of his nearest challenger Rick Rude at 378 days. He regained the belt from Michael PS Hayes, his former tag team partner after losing it in May of 1989 to start the run.

He went on to defend against the likes of Ricky Steamboat, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, Brian Pillman, Sting, Mark Callous and Sid Vicious while juggling a feud with Ric Flair for the Heavyweight Championship. Luger held onto the title until Halloween Havoc the next year for an 18-month reign, before finally dropping it to Stan Hansen at the PPV.

9 The Heavyweight Title Match With Flair That Never Happened

Ric Flair vs Lex Luger

Luger and Flair’s careers in WCW were quite connected. He became a Horseman and won his first US title with the help of JJ Dillon. Then formed a winning tag team with Barry Windham, before his friend betrayed him, taking his spot in the Horsemen. Flair and Luger had previous Heavyweight Title matches, failing to win the title due to dubious rules like excessive bleeding or at Starrcade getting the ropes used against him for the pin.

Luger did not get the blow-off with Flair scheduled for The Great American Bash 1991 in a steel cage. Flair walked out of WCW the company famously taking the big gold belt with him. This left Luger to beat his old friend and foe Barry Windham instead, now with the pressure of carrying the company as its top star.

8 Ran Down His Initial Contract In WCW

Lex Luger MSG

It was surprising during his run as champion from 1992-93 that Luger wrestled infrequently. He faced Ron Simmons at Halloween Havoc, had a mini-feud with Brian Pillman, and an extended feud with Rick Steiner on the house show circuit and at a Clash of the Champions. He also wrestled PN News in the occasional title match or on overseas tours.

In his last few months, he was in the Battle Bowl tournament at Starrcade '92 and beat Masahiro Chono at the NJPW Super Warriors Show at the Tokyo Dome in a title defence, before finally dropping the belt to Sting at Superbrawl 2. This was a disappointing run as champion, one altered by wrestling politics and economics. Luger stuck to his guns having fulfilled his contractual obligations for dates and departed for the WWE.

7 Eric Bischoff Only Offered Him 20% Of His Original WCW Contract

Sting and Lex Luger in WCW

After his good friend Sting put in a word for Luger to return to WCW, Bischoff felt compelled to make an offer but low-balled him hoping he would refuse. To Eric’s surprise, Luger accepted a salary that was a fraction of his previous WCW one, and Luger had been PWI's most popular wrestler in 1993.

Bischoff must have been congratulating himself in the end on the deal, as Luger brought eyeballs with his arrival on the very first Monday Nitro. Creating the very first big talking point about the newly formed Monday Night Wars, and the kind of publicity and water cooler moment that money cannot buy.

6 TV Title Reigns

Lex-Luger-Tv-Title

Luger won the TV Title twice, although not as early into his career as you would think, obtaining it in February 1996, during his second stint with the company. He defeated Johnny B Badd and the first title reign lasted only one day as it flip-flopped at consecutive house shows.

His second proper reign arrived weeks later, on an episode of Saturday Night with top-rope moves from Badd, before DDP interfered and giave the future Mr. Rena Mero the Diamond Cutter on the outside. Badd had stolen his girl Kimberly, shoving him back into the ring for Luger to steal the pin and the title. Luger held onto the title for a solid six-month reign until August, dropping it to Lord Steven Regal.

5 Wrestled Dennis Rodman on his Debut

Lex-Luger-Rodman-Bash-At-The-Beach

Luger teamed up with the Giant to face Hollywood Hogan and the outspoken Chicago Bulls basketball star Dennis Rodman at Bash at the Beach 1997. Rodman was nWo since Uncensored earlier in the year. This was to be his in-ring debut and he performed well. Rodman continued to make summer appearances for consecutive years, bringing mainstream publicity and credibility to the product.

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Luger won by making Hogan submit in the torture rack in one of the very few times when Hogan would tap in his career, to set up their upcoming feud. Luger memorably won the title in the run-up to the PPV months before Sting dethroned Hogan, making him submit again, but it only lasted 5 days with Hogan regaining it in a bait and switch at Road Wild.

4 The Feud With Bret That Never Happened In WWE

Bret-Hart-Lex Luger- US-Title

Luger got some short-lived redemption in WCW for the Wrestlemania 10 debacle for allegedly disclosing the result in the run-up to the PPV and altering its direction in an old urban legend. Bret and Luger had tied as winners for the Royal Rumble and both individuals had to wrestle twice at the showcase of the immortals. Fans never got this pairing on the grandest stage of them all due to Lex getting beat by Yokozuna via DQ.

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They feuded for the US Title with Luger defeating Hart on an August 1998 Nitro for his record-breaking 5th US title reign. It was a short-lived run, so you may have missed the switch. Luger lost it back to Hart the next night at the Thunder tapings attempting, as beating Bret twice in one week was too much.

3 The Rebirth of “The Total Package”

Total-Package-Lex-Luger-1999-Debut

“This is the beginning of the darkness that will fall upon you” rang the ominous words on the debut of his new persona. Fans got a dream sequence involving Luger’s funeral - a black-veiled widow and a spectral Lex rose from the coffin before moving to a gravesite where it was proclaimed Luger was n more.

The veiled character from the video walked to the entranceway and it was Miss Elizabeth with commentators stating they must now refer to him as “The Total Package”. The lights dimmed, and Luger appeared with futuristic music in the centre of the ring and subdued lighting, doing one of his famous poses strangely reminiscent of his WWE debut.

2 Formed Two Ridiculously-Named Tag Teams

Totally-Buffed-Tag-Team

Late in his career Luger had the misfortune of being part of two ridiculously named teams. The first involved Flair under the moniker “Team Package” reuniting these old Horsemen, in pursuit of bringing down Hogan. They reached the final of the tournament for the vacant Tag Team titles at Spring Stampede 2000, but were unsuccessful against Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell

Bagwell was in fact the partner in the second team, named “Totally Buffed” formed during the tail end of WCW’s existence in January of 2001. This team was not successful, failing to win the titles on three occasions against Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire, with this rivalry ending at the Greed PPV and Luger’s last appearance in WCW.

1 Final Heavyweight Title Shot Was Against Booker T

Luger-BookerT- Portrait

Luger got his last chance to win the Big God Belt in November of 2000, facing Booker T on an episode of Monday Nitro. Commissioner and cruiserweight wrestler Mike Sanders, set up the match when Lex convinced him it is all about ratings. Four percent body fat meant little to Booker T.

Scott Steiner was at ringside on commentary, getting irate with the thought of Luger leaving as champion and denying him his own title opportunity. Goldberg arrived with Steiner attacking him, and this allowed Luger to bring in the steel chair - he swung and missed. Lex ended up receiving a spear from Goldberg and Booker scooped up the win. This set up one of Luger’s last memorable feuds with Goldberg, and his final Starrcade.