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The era of the Monday Night Wars was one of the most unpredictable periods of time in professional wrestling. Between WWE and WCW, major names went from one promotion to the other. Fans never truly knew where they would see someone end up on any given Monday night. Whether it was Scott Hall showing up on Nitro or Chris Jericho debuting on RAW, it was an exciting time to be a fan. However, the very first wrestler to do this was Lex Luger. He made his debut on the very first episode of Nitro, with some interesting circumstances happening surrounding his legendary appearance.
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Lex Luger's First WCW Run & Jumping To WWE
Luger was not unfamiliar with WCW before his appearance on the first Nitro. He had actually been a part of Jim Crockett Promotions, and the eventual WCW, since the late 1980s. There, he had been a world champion on a few different occasions. In addition, he also took part in feuds against some of the biggest names of the time, such as The Four Horsemen, Nikita Koloff, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Ron Simmons, and more. After leaving WCW in 1992, and a brief stint in the World Bodybuilding Federation, he eventually ended up signing with WWE in 1993.
Initially, Luger debuted in WWE with a gimmick known as “The Narcissist.” However, this was not the gimmick he would keep for most of his WWE career. Following Hulk Hogan’s own departure to WCW, Luger was given the pro-United States gimmick and was pushed by the company as a top name. However, WWE’s booking of Luger had failed in making him a fan favorite, and he never reached the heights that Hogan, or many of his contemporaries, did at the same time. Eventually, Luger decided that it was time to leave. This ended up leading to one of the most surprising debuts in professional wrestling history.
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Many Factors Played Into Lex Luger's Return To WCW
Luger’s way to WCW Nitro was not as simple as it might seem. His contract was coming to an end with WWE, but the night before he appeared in WCW, he had just wrestled for WWE the night before at a house show. Furthermore, Eric Bischoff did not have much interest in signing Luger to WCW. However, Sting had been close friends with Luger and this had brought discussions that much closer. In addition, backstage issues with Vader had led to a canceled program between himself and Hogan. Bischoff offered Luger a contract lower than his WWE contract, which he did not think Luger would take. However, the opposite happened.
On the inaugural episode of WCW Nitro, Luger made his first appearance by walking in during a United States Heavyweight Title match between Ric Flair and Sting. Nobody had expected this at all. Luger told Hannibal TV (h/t Fightful), that “I think Sting and Eric Bischoff. Maybe one other” had known that he was going to be making his debut that night. Later on in the evening, he also came out to defend Hogan from The Dungeon of Doom after his WCW World Heavyweight Title match against Big Bubba Rogers. He then made it known to Hogan that he would be challenging him for the championship.
The Impact Of A Legendary Appearance
Luger went on to have a long career in WCW after his debut. He feuded with Hogan at various points. He even defeated Hogan to become WCW World Heavyweight Champion. He also feuded with the nWo in WCW for years before he eventually became a member of the nWo Wolfpack in 1998. In addition, he also became a WCW US Heavyweight Champion. In the later years of WCW, he bounced in and out of many programs before the company was eventually purchased by WWE. In his post-WWE career, he also wrestled in World Wrestling All-Stars and Impact Wrestling. Luger wrestled his final match in 2006 and has not stepped back into the ring ever since.
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Of his WCW debut, Luger said, “The Mall Of America, the first show of the Monday Night Wars, was awesome.” It was a massive debut that surprised fans and was one of the most important moments in the Monday Night Wars. Surprising appearances in professional wrestling are a mainstay of the business and will always happen. However, few have the significant historical impact that Luger’s did not that premiere episode of Nitro. The first of many, it set the stage for what was going to happen in the years to come with the Monday Night Wars. With so many circumstances at play, it was a historical signing for WCW.
