2. Lex Luger winning the ‘Stars & Stripes Challenge’
With Hulk Hogan leaving the World Wrestling Federation, to film his TV series ‘Thunder In Paradise’, and Bret Hart – despite being a great WWF Champion – not being able to draw big numbers, they were in desperate need for a new All American Hero.
Yokozuna, a then 550 lbs Monster Heel (billed) from Japan, had just beaten the immortal Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Title at WWF King of the Ring 1993, on his way out, and needed a new Challenger.
So on Independence Day, July 4th 1993 – exactly 22 years ago today, mind you – they had a huge Bodyslam Competition called ‘The Stars & Stripes Challenge’ on board of a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the USS Intrepid.
Some WWF Wrestlers like Crush, Scott Steiner, Tatanka … aswell as some American Football Players, tried to bodyslam Yokozuna but failed to do so.
Then a Helicopter lands on the deck and out comes a – then still the Heel ‘Narcissist’ – Lex Luger with an american flag on his T-Shirt, challenges and finally bodyslams Yokozuna to save the day, thus turning Babyface at the same time, plus earning the opportunity to challenge Yoko for the WWF World Title at WWF Summerslam 1993.
Still hard to create a more patriotic moment than this one.
Now the World Wrestling Federation tried to put him over as the next Hulk Hogan, by having Luger tour the United States in a Tour Bus, called the ‘Lex Express’, which got them major media attention aswell.
Did Lex Luger have the chance to become the next Hulk Hogan, like they tried to turn him into? HELL NO!!! But did he have the chance to be a major Main Event Draw in the Future? Well, we will never find out, because he failed to win the WWF World Title in his highly anticipated Summerslam 93 Main Event Match against Champion Yokozuna, won the 1994 Royal Rumble (with Bret) and then again failed to win the World Title at WrestleMania X, only to become a mid-carder right thereafter.
