AUGUST 2019 WRESTLING CHAT.

[Firebreaker Chip 421]

Gonna unironically post "Lex Luger was a better worker than Owen Hart" at approx 11:54 before the thread gets locked

[Smelly McUgly 2,992]

Oh, definitely Luger is underrated as a performer. I agree with @Oyajithat he was an inconsistent mic worker who liked to show off his Syracuse education a bit too much sometimes to the detriment of his promo work, but he pulled off a sort of "meathead with hidden depths" persona as a face or a heel that I think was pretty interesting. I would strongly argue that he's one of the best guys at doing versatile character work in wrestling history. He could be cowardly heel, a snobbish jock, a fired-up babyface, a disingenuous jerk with all the sincerity of a sleazy used car salesman, etc.

 

[nate 4,816]

7 hours ago, cwoy2j said:

Don't forget always pointing and making lines with his finger while doing promos. Tony Schiavone pointed that out while riffing on Luger in his podcast and I can't unsee it now.

They were Ls.

[odessasteps 11,418]

1 minute ago, nate said:

They were Ls.

Thats what i always thought. 

[West Newbury Bad Boy 10,440]

I like Luger in the ring, but man is he a drip on the mic sometimes. Watching a lot of WCW from the nWo era, and he's preaching about not bucking the establishment. Dude doesn't realize what year it is. 

But then he calls for a torture rack and I'm back on board.  

[christopher.annino 556]

Macho Man was constantly pointing and drawing lines in the air during promos. 

[LoneWolf&Subs 4,420]

11 minutes ago, Firebreaker Chip said:

Gonna unironically post "Lex Luger was a better worker than Owen Hart" at approx 11:54 before the thread gets locked

Well... Luger was over as a face, and a heel during certain periods of his career. While Owen was just a great punk kid heel, and nothing more.

[Elsalvajeloco 5,693]

4 hours ago, Stefanie the Human said:

- the way he yelled "DOW!" every time he was punched

You mean "DOUGHUWWOH"?

[Smelly McUgly 2,992]

32 minutes ago, LoneWolf&Subs said:

Well... Luger was over as a face, and a heel during certain periods of his career. While Owen was just a great punk kid heel, and nothing more.

Nah, Owen was also awesome as a babyface on a crusade post-Montreal Screwjob. 

[odessasteps 11,418]

33 minutes ago, LoneWolf&Subs said:

Well... Luger was over as a face, and a heel during certain periods of his career. While Owen was just a Nugget. 

 

[LoneWolf&Subs 4,420]

Just now, Smelly McUgly said:

Nah, Owen was also awesome as a babyface on a crusade post-Montreal Screwjob. 

For like maybe two weeks, and then he couldn’t keep it up after speaking on the mic as a babyface.

[Smelly McUgly 2,992]

9 minutes ago, LoneWolf&Subs said:

For like maybe two weeks, and then he couldn’t keep it up after speaking on the mic as a babyface.

I think I disagree, but I haven't seen that stuff in years now and couldn't tell you with certainty how good Owen was in, say, January of 1998 feuding with HHH. I only have my faulty memory. 

I remember enjoying him immensely in that role the last time I saw that stuff, though. I think he was better in that role for longer than two weeks. IIRC, he was down-pushed immediately after his initial match with Michaels on RAW and then turned quickly, which killed some of his heat. 

Edited August 31, 2019 by Smelly McUgly

[LoneWolf&Subs 4,420]

I went through a re-watch recently of Owen’s run as “The Black Hart”, and it works so well at the start. Owen is decimating the heels like he’s Crow Sting, but quickly the heels get their heat back, he cuts promos that aren’t as bad as “kick your leg from under your leg”, but he’s clearly hesitating when he cuts them, and he starts wrestling again like the clean cut babyface he was prior to turning on his brother. Plus you had the shadow of the Stone Cold era hanging over him. It was doomed to fail whether he succeeded, or not. I really couldn’t buy the whole getting revenge for Bret thing getting over with the fans, and that was the case. It might work in Canada, but not in the South. Especially after him, and his brother spent the better part of a year with Anti-USA stuff.

Edited August 31, 2019 by LoneWolf&Subs

[nate 4,816]

No idea how/why I've done a 45 min deep dive into this, but here I am, dishes still not done ...

http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/unknown-male-wrestler-3554.html

[Stefanie the Human 835]

1 hour ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

You mean "DOUGHUWWOH"?

I mean, that's probably more accurate, I wasn't going to try to spell it more than "dow" though.

[The Natural 25,068]

4 hours ago, RIPPA said:

Apparently during his Starrcast panel - Dean Malenko announced he was battling Parkinson’s

Sad news. My Grandad who was like a second Dad to me had Parkinson's disease longer than anyone where I live, 27 years.

[JonnyLaw 2,776]

2 hours ago, Smelly McUgly said:

I think I disagree, but I haven't seen that stuff in years now and couldn't tell you with certainty how good Owen was in, say, January of 1998 feuding with HHH. I only have my faulty memory. 

I remember enjoying him immensely in that role the last time I saw that stuff, though. I think he was better in that role for longer than two weeks. IIRC, he was down-pushed immediately after his initial match with Michaels on RAW and then turned quickly, which killed some of his heat. 

IIRC, constantly losing to HHH via Chyna interference kept him from getting over moreso than his promos.

[Execproducer 915]

7 hours ago, Stefanie the Human said:

- the way he yelled "DOW!" every time he was punched

He definitely didn't learn that from Brody. It took me time to warm up to Luger. But for all of the matches and character reasons already stated, I became a fan. I'll throw in the Tommy Rich match because I haven't seen it mentioned yet. For my money, he was a better opponent for Flair than Sting ever was.

[West Newbury Bad Boy 10,440]

I’m happy that this month’s thread got to end with a semi-lovefest for Luger’s work. Well done, everyone. 

[Johnny Sorrow 2,185]

I remember when Lex was THE guy we wanted to see who we only knew through the magazines. Then he showed up on Crockett saying, " I want to be a Horseman" after a squash and me and my friends were all in on Lex. I've always liked him because of those memories.

[Oyaji 7,728]

LexLugerPromo

Spoiler

Just a regular American like you folk.

 

[Dewar 2,153]

5 hours ago, Smelly McUgly said:

Nah, Owen was also awesome as a babyface on a crusade post-Montreal Screwjob. 

He was also a great babyface in Stampede. Carried the territory for awhile. 

[Johnny Sorrow 2,185]

I also was at a Crockett card at the Philly Civic Center in early 86 when Lex first came in. It was an amazing show, especially since they had to work with no bottom rope. During like the second or third match, the rope broke during Lex vs. Bob Armstrong.

[twiztor 782]

to tie two points together, did we ever get a Lex Luger vs Shaen Michaels match?  too lazy and/or drunk to look it up.

[Oyaji 7,728]

23 minutes ago, twiztor said:

to tie two points together, did we ever get a Lex Luger vs Shaen Michaels match?  too lazy and/or drunk to look it up.

Just a series of house show matches in February '95.