Lex Luger has spoken about whether he believed he could have been the next Hulk Hogan in WWE following Hogan’s departure in 1993.
Speaking on an episode of his podcast, Lex Expressed, Luger discussed long-standing comparisons between himself and Hogan and whether he felt pressure to fill the void left by wrestling’s biggest star.
“People mentioned that all the time, but there will only ever be, in my mind then and now, one Hulk Hogan,” Luger said. “I never felt in competition, or wanted to emulate or follow in his footsteps, or be the next Hulk Hogan, because I always felt there would never be another Hulk Hogan. I just wanted to be the best Lex Luger I could be with my character, so I never felt any pressure. A lot of the fans mentioned that, but my thought process never went there at all.”
Following Hogan’s exit, it was widely believed that WWE intended for Luger to become the company’s new top babyface to fill the void left by Hogan. He was swiftly repackaged as an all-American hero, complete with red, white, and blue ring gear to match his patriotic persona.
Despite the company’s efforts, Luger never fully captured the same level of mainstream appeal Hogan enjoyed and left the company in 1995 to join Hogan in WCW.
What Did Lex Luger Say Happened Before His Iconic 1993 Body Slam On Yokozuna?
Lex Luger recalled his iconic 1993 Body Slam on the massive Yokozuna at a WWE event aboard the USS Intrepid. Luger said that before he performed the slam, he expressed to Yokozuna that he was worried he wouldn’t be able to execute the move due to him wearing cowboy boots that provided no traction inside a wrestling ring. Luger said that Yokozuna told him to just stand there and provide a wide base for him so that he could help execute the slam.
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