WWE Hall of Fame 2025 inductee Lex Luger has looked back on one of the most memorable moments of his career, the time he body slammed the colossal Yokozuna aboard the USS Intrepid.
Speaking in an interview with Monopoly Events, Luger recalled the start of his major WWE push in 1993 and the challenge of lifting Yokozuna, who weighed approximately 627 pounds at the time.
On 4 July 1993, WWE hosted a special event on the aircraft carrier, where Yokozuna and his manager Mr Fuji issued an open challenge to any athlete brave enough to lift and slam the massive wrestler. Stars from multiple sports attempted and failed, unable to budge the sumo-sized competitor. Then, in dramatic fashion, Luger arrived by helicopter, stepped into the ring, and after a brief struggle, successfully lifted and slammed Yokozuna, kickstarting his 1993 push.
Luger recalled a conversation he had with Yokozuna before the event, where he voiced his concerns about executing the move while wearing cowboy boots, which provided little traction in the ring.
“I told Yokozuna, ‘We can’t do it, I’m on ice skates, I got no footing,’”
Luger said. However, Yokozuna reassured him, showing incredible agility for a man of his size.
“And Yoko, he goes, ‘No problem, brother, I got this, just get a wide stance.’ So he almost basically slammed himself, he was that agile. Those island boys could go, they could really go.”
What Did Lex Luger Say Was The Biggest Crowd Reaction Of His Career?
Lex Luger reflected on what he believes was the biggest crowd reaction of his career and named the time he defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Championship on the August 4, 1997, episode of Monday Nitro. Luger said that he didn’t know he was winning the match until just before he went out to the ring, and that the company kept the news a secret from everyone in the locker room also.
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