[1995-02-27-WWF-Monday Night RAW] Lex Luger vs Tatanka

[Superstar Sleeze]

Lex Luger vs Tatanka - WWF RAW 2/27/95

It is the blowoff the world has been waiting for! I think more than anything, Luger should have known the writing was on the wall when this match did not get booked for WrestleMania. The fact that this had basically started right after WrestleMania X with DiBiase sitting and watching his match with Martel. There were weeks of buildup prior to Summerslam. This should have been a slam dunk WrestleMania match. The fact he got thrown into a tag team with British Bulldog he shouldve known it was over. I will say even though Vince bills this as the blowoff match it is not. It is actually a match that happens on Sunday Night Slam (had never even heard of this show until my research into Luger's WWF career). They have a steel cage match and after that, Luger is officially in the Allied Powers tag team with Bulldog. To put a little more stank on this feud, Tatanka attacked Chief Jay Strongbow so Luger has Strongbow with him. 

I thought this was Luger's best individual performance in a WWF match. The Diesel match is still the best match he has been a part of, but this is one where he looked like The Total Package Lex Fucking Luger. Besides his bizarre 2006 comeback, I dont think I have ever watched and reviewed Tatanka match so it is possible this is just how he wrestles, BUT he basically apes Ric Flair. They pretty much do the poor man's version of Luger vs Flair, but at least it finally feels like there some light in Luger's eyes. They do whole chop, No Sell, FLEX, Attack! That is just money. Ten punch in the corner, Flair...I mean...Tatanka goes for the Atomic Drop but Luger splays and decks Tatanka. Flair begs off shit I did it again, I mean Tatanka and he pulls Luger's trunks to have Luger crash to the floor. Tatanka does not even have an ounce of Flair's charisma so this drags a bit in the heat segment especially with a bearhug, but this is at least a template that Luger thrives in. Luger did a great job throughout match using the No Sell to build heat for the comeback. Luger uses the sleeper as a nod to Strongbow, which gets Tatanka yapping at Strongbow who hits Tatanka with some chops to the delight of the crowd. Tatanka keeps trying to run to the hills (Jericho would like that reference) but Luger pulls him back in. Clotheslines galore, Powerslam. he is going to rack him. Vince is going all in on Rebel Rack, terrible re-branding. Tatanka successfully runs to the hills and Lugers wins by countout, which is of course why they need a steel cage match on Sunday Night Slam, which originally I was not going to watch, but I did find and since it is Luger's penultimate program I feel I owe it to him to finish this out proper. We saw glimmers of the Luger of old in this one. ***