WCW legend Lex Luger spoke out on the latest episode of “Total Divas,” disputing WWE‘s Bruce Prichard’s assertion that Luger was always planning on leaving for WCW in 1995 when he appeared on the first episode of “WCW Nitro.”
Luger said that Bruce has a “sarcasm” about him. He said that he left WCW and asked Vince for a contract, but Vince also wanted him back at the same time too.
“After my wrestling career, I want to get into the fitness and nutrition side of things. Vince said he would be okay with this. We can keep my wrestling contract for wrestling, but I am going to do outside stuff.
I am fine with Vince owning my rights as we have an agreement that outside work can make money so long as it doesn’t interfere with wrestling.”
Luger and McMahon eventually came to a deal that Luger felt uneasy about.
“Vince wanted to do that,” says Luger. “But it went on and on with lawyers over months and months and months. I kept working without a contract, just on a handshake with Vince, because we got along so well.
And I wanted to stay there, but it got to the point where I didn’t know if he was going to let me do that to stay there.”
“After Vince McMahon expressed hesitation to letting Batista do anything away from the company, Batista had a light-bulb moment.
He realized that Vince wasn’t going to let him get involved with any other endeavors without first passing through a detailed contract. Batista felt like he couldn’t make that deal.”
Luger then described how he got into debt and had his personal and professional life destroyed before finally finding a job in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was employed from 1987-1992.
I had a conversation with Sting, who I was in Canada at the time, while I was discussing my status as an unsigned free agent. Sting laughed saying ‘You’re not under contract?’ I said ‘No, I’m not.’
He responded by saying, “Are you kidding?” before he told Eric about it. But Eric didn’t seem to be very interested, and told Eric he thought Lex wasn’t all that good.
For his first attempt at social media, Eric Turner was not successful. But when he realized that he may not be able to make it happen contractually, he went back to WCW and climbed his way back up the ladder there instead.
He began by working for free and once he realized how hard that would be, eventually had to take Eric Turner’s proposal, who offered him a show in return for the new social media idea.
While Luger was initially reluctant to come back on the first ever episode of Nitro, his appearance has become an iconic moment in wrestling history.
“I called Sting up, and he agreed to let me back,” Luger said. “Eric said, ‘Well, if he wants to come back, he can’t let anyone know.’ I said, ‘So you want to bring in a surprise? Vince and I are close beyond anything else.
Not telling word?’ It was that conversation that led me on the show where I explained that I am planning on re-signing with WWE because the idea of coming back is very exciting.
But right before Nitro aired, Eric suddenly flew me in and stuff just clicked.”
