Loss Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 The Luger story is actually a really terrible, largely self-imposed tragedy. He and Liz hooking up destroyed two marriages, completely ostracized him from his children and from there, there was a bad series of events that led to her dying. They both got so caught up in the drug and party atmosphere of WCW at the time that it wrecked their lives and continued to bring them down even after WCW was gone. That really brings me to a bigger point. Some of the guys who got lost in the transition had it happen because of WWE's narrow vision of what wrestling is, but the free-flowing money and drugs without being expected to perform at a high level took down a lot of people too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 And there, I'm referring to Nash mentioning how most Nitros ended with Hogan in the ring doing a promo and everyone else standing around, so most guys had the mindset to stay just coherent enough that they could remain standing during Hogan's promo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 And there, I'm referring to Nash mentioning how most Nitros ended with Hogan in the ring doing a promo and everyone else standing around, so most guys had the mindset to stay just coherent enough that they could remain standing during Hogan's promo. Nash's story about the Spring Break 98 Nitro is both hilarious and sad at the same time. The fact that his goal was to have Hogan with a beer in his hand so Bischoff would see it and thus not punish anyone illustrates how unprofessional the company could be during that time. The top guys were more concerned with partying and getting wasted at their job then,, ya know performing at their job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 I could be out of turn on this but Bagwell's a guy WWE could have picked up in the mid-90's, and probably would have had a good run, maybe even working to this day with them (maybe). But from the first time I saw him on Raw during the Invasion angle, I knew he'd be gone as soon as the next commercial break ended. He struck me as having a really swollen head from the push he'd gotten once he joined the NWO. I've said this before, but my theory is that if WWE was Prohibition during the steroid controversies of the 90's, WCW must have been the equivalent of the swankiest speakeasy in the South. They would never have as thorough a drug policy, because all one had to do is point out how much drug abuse was possibly going on in the Atlanta Falcons, Braves, and their NBA team. Add that to the massive paychecks and easier schedules, it's a wonder more people didn't defect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 The Luger story is actually a really terrible, largely self-imposed tragedy. He and Liz hooking up destroyed two marriages, completely ostracized him from his children and from there, there was a bad series of events that led to her dying. They both got so caught up in the drug and party atmosphere of WCW at the time that it wrecked their lives and continued to bring them down even after WCW was gone. Sorry to nit pick, but did it really destroy two marriages? Liz had long since split with Savage, had she gotten re-married since then? I still don't know what to make of Luger, I have gone back and forth on him over the years. He definitely had a fair sized bunch of good matches (not all of them with Flair), he was a solid promo, he seemed pretty over at different points in his career, why didn't he connect? Why could't he really follow through? Did it all boil down to that he didn't have a real love or dedication to the business? It reminds me of his shoot interview : he is intelligent, well spoken, personable, I don't recall him being particularly cagey or evasive, but he still comes out of it as an enigma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Liz was married at the time she was having an affair with Luger. Lex was also married at the time. That's what I meant. His kids still haven't forgiven him for I guess not only having the affair, but also being so open about it and even getting a place to live with Liz (don't recall if he rented or purchased) while still married. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I ignored Liz and him were married when they hooked up. Bad stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Liz was married at the time she was having an affair with Luger. Lex was also married at the time. That's what I meant. His kids still haven't forgiven him for I guess not only having the affair, but also being so open about it and even getting a place to live with Liz (don't recall if he rented or purchased) while still married. sure, I was just unaware that Liz had remarried after Savage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Lex's son hates wrestling with an absolute passion. He was a star basketball player in high school and anytime someone mentioned his dad being a wrestler he would bury it quickly it's funny I was watching the legends round table online last week and in the "Heat Seekers" episode Bischoff opines that Lex was embarrassed to be a pro wrestler. I think there's something to that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death From Above Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Lex's parents were both academia types. He was always the black sheep in his own family for going down the path he did, which must wear on a guy over an entire lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boondocks Kernoodle Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I was surprised to read that Lex didn't leave his wife for Liz until after WCW folded. I thought it was common knowledge that they were together from '99 on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 It was common knowledge. I don't know if he made his family think it was over or what. But when Sting took time off to save his marriage in late '98, he told his wife about Luger and Liz. Sting's wife told Lex's wife and it caused some problems between Sting and Luger for a while. Anyway, I'll split this stuff off. The topic is interesting on its own, but so is this. I don't want this to distract from the initial point of the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Wasn't there some WWE program around her death that essentially accused Luger of killing her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted February 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Yes, when they played the 9-1-1 call on Confidential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Yeah, that was one of the scummier things they pulled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Guitar Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Yeah, that was one of the scummier things they pulled. Or putting Melanie Pillman on live TV. Wrestling is some how capable of scraping the bottom of the barrell, and being the most thoughtless and tactless shit imaginable. Even when they have the oppurtinty to make themselves look good (or at least not look like complete cunts). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregor Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Was Juventud a trainwreck waiting to happen before joining WCW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomk Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 That's hard to say. Juve's dad has a rep as a partyer/partaker. The question with drug use in deviant subcultures is if someone can use drugs and still follow the norms of that community or are they an annoyance. If he had done as much drugs but was in a supportive drug culture would he have turned out better than being in one where guys entertained themselves by watching each other fall? There is no way to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 I'm with Tom. It's hard to tell. Backstage in that circle, it seemed to be a bit more weedhead before they headed to the US (starting with ECW) than coke and other dope. Not going to say it was 100%, because clearly Art had issues beyond just weed. But... What I saw backstage in 1996 from the youngins was different from 1994 and 1995. The specific show and memory... it was depressing at the time, and in hindsight now is even moreso. :/ Was Juve going to turn out to be like Heavy Metal regardless? Or even a Jerry Estrada version of "Functional Massive Addict"? Hard to tell. The US, easy money, way too much time on their hands, and not a whole hell of a lot of reason to give a shit... none of that probably helped. But to trainwreck to the degree that he did/has... certainly had it in him. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 It was common knowledge. I don't know if he made his family think it was over or what. But when Sting took time off to save his marriage in late '98, he told his wife about Luger and Liz. Sting's wife told Lex's wife and it caused some problems between Sting and Luger for a while. Anyway, I'll split this stuff off. The topic is interesting on its own, but so is this. I don't want this to distract from the initial point of the thread. Hey Mrs.Sting, stop snitching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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