{"id":132309,"date":"2025-03-18T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=132309"},"modified":"2025-03-18T05:15:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T09:15:58","slug":"must-watch-lex-luger-wcw-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/03\/18\/must-watch-lex-luger-wcw-matches\/","title":{"rendered":"Must-Watch Lex Luger WCW Matches"},"content":{"rendered":"

In light of Lex Luger\u2019s recent inductee into the 2025 Hall of Fame announcement, WWE created another extended channel on their YouTube platform called <\/span>\u201cWCW\u201d<\/span><\/a>. As the name suggests, WCW on YouTube only posts WCW content, including full PPV events & TV shows, classic matchups,\u00a0 and much more. In a classy move, the channel\u2019s first post on their community tab<\/a> was a congratulations message to the Total Package on his recent induction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in WCW\u2019s heyday, in the 1980s and late \u201890s, Lex Luger was one of the primary mainstays of the promotion. The Total Package captured the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, holds the single longest reign for the then-WCW United States Championship, as well as enjoying successes in WCW\u2019s tag team and TV divisions. Luger\u2019s epic battles with legends of the game, such as Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Sting, are still remembered today by fans of the past century.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Luger\u2019s Hall of Fame induction drawing near, we thought it would only be fitting that we give him his proper salute as well. In this post, we will take a look at the most amazing, must-see matches from Lex Luger\u2019s WCW career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Breakout Performance Against The Nature Boy<\/h2>\n

Starrcade 1988<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Lex Luger entered WCW (formerly, Jim Crockett Promotions) in 1987, he immediately associated himself with the legendary faction, the Four Horsemen. The Horsemen was at the helm of WCW in the 1980s, with their leader Ric Flair on top of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, in late 1987, after losing the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship to Dusty Rhodes, Luger was ridiculed as the stable\u2019s weakling, subsequently leading to his exit from the Horsemen. It was around this time that Luger slowly established himself as an up-and-coming fan favorite, frequently taking on Four Horsemen members on television and house shows.<\/span><\/p>\n

It eventually turned into a rivalry with NWA World Champion Ric Flair, leading to a marquee main event for the title at Starrcade 1988. Luger went all out in his first big break as a top star, taking the Nature Boy to the absolute limit in a thirty-minute World Title bout.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flair pulled out all the tricks, going after Luger\u2019s leg to weaken the powerhouse. In the end, the \u201cDirtiest Player in the Game\u201d escaped with the win after pinning Lex with his feet on the rope. While Luger may have lost, this sole performance turned him into a WCW superstar forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lex Luger and Ricky Steamboat Stole The Show At The Bash<\/h2>\n

The Great American Bash 1989<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Great American Bash 1989 is widely regarded as one of the best PPVs, not only in WCW history but of all time. Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk, Sting vs. The Great Muta, and the annual WarGames extravaganza are only some of the magic that this show had to offer. <\/span>Nevertheless, there was one match in particular that managed to steal the show amid all those classics – an NWA United States Championship match between Lex Luger and Ricky Steamboat.<\/span><\/p>\n

At Clash of the Champions VII in June of \u201889, Luger attacked Steamboat after the latter was victorious in the main event, officially becoming a heel again. The Total Package was in the midst of his record 522 days as the US champ, while the Dragon just came off a spectacular program with Flair, otherwise known as \u201cHoly Trinity\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

These two were a wonderful matchup together, with Steamboat\u2019s quickness and agility gelling well with Luger\u2019s strength and power. At last, it was Luger who retained the belt, but only after the referee disqualified Ricky when he smashed Lex with a steel chair.<\/span><\/p>\n

The New Face of WCW – The Lex Luger Era<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Great American Bash 1991<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1991, WCW was struck with a disaster they couldn\u2019t have foreseen. Reigning World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair began a dispute with Head Executive, Jim Herd. It was incredibly heated that it caused Flair to quit the company and, in the process, took the world championship belt with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

A decision had to be made, which was to vacate the WCW World Heavyweight Championship until a new champion was crowned. It came down to the No. 1 and No. 2 contenders, Lex Luger and Barry Windham, respectively, with their match taking place inside the steel cage at The Great American Bash PPV in July.<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally, Luger was supposed to take the title from Flair, but plans have changed, and Windham is now the man to beat instead. This main event was nearly sabotaged by the Baltimore crowd, as they blasted \u201cWe want Flair!\u201d chants as the two competitors. But despite that, Luger and Windham would proceed to wrestle a highly professional, old-school-style cage match that brought the audience back to the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

At last, WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race came down to ringside to assist Luger in becoming the new world champ. Thus, we began a new period in Lex\u2019s career, as he turned to the dark side for only the second time in WCW.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luger Shocks The World By Defeating Hulk Hogan<\/h2>\n

Nitro 1997<\/b><\/p>\n

There were no wrestling fans in the \u201890s that did not know about the nWo. At Bash at the Beach 1996, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall joined forces to form arguably the most dominant stable in history.<\/span><\/p>\n

From that point on, the black-and-white faction kept expanding its following to become the largest group in pro wrestling. Soon, they took over WCW, and Hollywood Hulk Hogan became the WCW World Champion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The company was in desperate need of a hero to fight the nWo after Sting declared himself as an anti-hero. Enter Lex Luger. The Total Package led the war against nWo for most of 1997, getting a title shot against their leader on the August 4 episode of Monday Nitro.<\/span><\/p>\n

As expected, nWo members ran in to try hijacking the bout, but it didn\u2019t work this time. Luger stood tall, withstand the interferences, and put Hogan in a Torture Rack to claim the WCW World Heavyweight Title in front of an electrifying atmosphere at the Palace of Auburn Hills. It was one of Luger\u2019s greatest moments ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Winning His Record-Tying Fifth US Title<\/h2>\n

Nitro 1998<\/b><\/p>\n

When people talk about the United States Championship, there must always be a mention of Lex Luger. Indeed, the Total Package is one of the greatest United States champions we have ever seen. He held the US Championship for a combined 945 days.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the late \u201890s was far from his peak with the strap, Luger still enjoyed brief success with the red, white, and blue belt. On the August 10th, 1998 edition of Nitro, Lex made history, tying the record for the number of US Championship reigns, with five times he had won the title.<\/span><\/p>\n

This victory came against Bret Hart, his former rival in the WWE\u2019s New Generation era. Hart and Luger were far from their best days, but both men still had something left in the tank to deliver a solid match.<\/span><\/p>\n

These two worked well together, blending power and technical styles. Luger won his fifth US Championship as he put Hart into submission with a Torture Rack, much to the crowd\u2019s massive ovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/p>\n

Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the <\/span><\/i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/i><\/a> for more on Lex Luger, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

You can check out WWE programming on <\/span><\/i>Netflix<\/span><\/i><\/a> (Raw), <\/span><\/i>USA Network<\/span><\/i><\/a> (SmackDown), <\/span><\/i>The CW<\/span><\/i><\/a> (NXT), <\/span><\/i>Tubi<\/span><\/i><\/a> (WWE Evolve), <\/span><\/i>A&E<\/span><\/i><\/a> (WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments) and <\/span><\/i>Peacock<\/span><\/i><\/a> (WWE Main Event as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on <\/span><\/i>YouTube<\/span><\/i><\/a>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/span><\/i>WWE Speed<\/span><\/i><\/a>).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In light of Lex Luger\u2019s recent inductee into the 2025 Hall of Fame announcement, WWE created another extended channel on their YouTube platform called \u201cWCW\u201d. As the name suggests, WCW on YouTube only posts WCW content, including full PPV events & TV shows, classic matchups,\u00a0 and much more. In a classy move, the channel\u2019s first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5476,"featured_media":132537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,2192,4,3],"tags":[9248,691,9246,9247,250,9178],"class_list":["post-132309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-best-lex-luger-matches","tag-lex-luger","tag-lex-luger-wcw","tag-lex-luger-wcw-matches","tag-wcw","tag-wwe-hall-of-fame-2025"],"modified_by":"Chinyere Okafor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5476"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132309"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132536,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132309\/revisions\/132536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}