30 Years Ago Today, The Lex Express Crashed and Burned

[Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast]

30 years since Summerslam 1993 AKA the one that ended with the biggest celebration of a count out win ever.

[Aceorton]

"They'll love it, HA HA HA HA HA!" - Vincent K. McMahon

[Nosnorb]

One of the biggest bottle jobs in wrestling history.

[Celexa Bliss 54]

Can't link it at the moment, but Brian Zane put up his classic PPV review of the show today.

[SmashTV]

As a Brit I was pretty indifferent to this whole angle, but I still expected Luger to win after all the hype and hoopla. I actually felt a bit bad for Lex having to celebrate the countout like he was the all conquering hero. It was just awkward after the weeks of build up.

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

Even as an 8-year-old mark, I thought Lex's celebration of a countout victory was the Dumbest Thing Ever!!!!

[Eunös ✈]

Same vibe.

It' only later in life I see just how hard they were trying to make Lex the next Hulk Hogan.

Can you imagine if Vince had the same stubbornness back then that he had when Pushing Roman?

It's always interesting to think about what could have been.

[Milkman Norm]

They could have at least done and NWA type shmoz with Cornette and Fuji both interfering and maybe a ref bump. That way you can reach the same ending without making Lex look like such a geek.

[Sephiroth]

The thing that gets me in retrospect is that Luger made as much sense as anyone to chase the bent, but you fidget need to do the whole mister USA thing. A redemption style story of the heel Luger deciding that if no one else will, it has to be him would have been fine and probably would have played to life’s limited promo ability better..

[wildojinx]

Not to mention that he had zero matches until Summerslam, not even a squash to at least show that he's a threat. Even Yoko had matches building up to Summerslam (at the Summerslam spectacular he beat Hacksaw Duggan in Duggan's final WWF match).

[Ben Wyatt]

Aug 31, 2023 10:36:30 GMT -5 Sephiroth said:

The thing that gets me in retrospect is that Luger made as much sense as anyone to chase the bent, but you fidget need to do the whole mister USA thing. A redemption style story of the heel Luger deciding that if no one else will, it has to be him would have been fine and probably would have played to life’s limited promo ability better..

They realistically could have done both. Yoko wins the title at KOTR. The next night on Raw, Yoko issues the Bodyslam challenge. Luger, (still in Narcissist gear) cuts a promo after his match against whomever, make some comment about how he may have an ego, but he's an *American* first and he hates seeing someone trash his country. Yoko and co come down, and Luger falls victim to the salt in the eyes and 2 Bonzai drops. He's stretchered out. The USS Interpid event plays out as it did. The rest plays out as it did for the most part, except The Lex Express "Call to action" is less RAH RAH USA and moreso Luger trying to show the fans he's not the guy everyone thought he was. Luger has a match at Summerslam Spectacular vs say, Samu or someone and wins. 

Luger wins the title at Summerslam or there's a dusty finish w/ref bump that someone else mentioned. 

[Sephiroth]

Aug 31, 2023 13:40:36 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Aug 31, 2023 10:36:30 GMT -5 Sephiroth said:

The thing that gets me in retrospect is that Luger made as much sense as anyone to chase the bent, but you fidget need to do the whole mister USA thing. A redemption style story of the heel Luger deciding that if no one else will, it has to be him would have been fine and probably would have played to life’s limited promo ability better..

They realistically could have done both. Yoko wins the title at KOTR. The next night on Raw, Yoko issues the Bodyslam challenge. Luger, (still in Narcissist gear) cuts a promo after his match against whomever, make some comment about how he may have an ego, but he's an *American* first and he hates seeing someone trash his country. Yoko and co come down, and Luger falls victim to the salt in the eyes and 2 Bonzai drops. He's stretchered out. The USS Interpid event plays out as it did. The rest plays out as it did for the most part, except The Lex Express "Call to action" is less RAH RAH USA and moreso Luger trying to show the fans he's not the guy everyone thought he was. Luger has a match at Summerslam Spectacular vs say, Samu or someone and wins. 

Luger wins the title at Summerslam or there's a dusty finish w/ref bump that someone else mentioned. 

*pulls out fantasy booking pen* During the bodyslam challenge, you cut to backstage to show Luger still in narcissist mode, admiring his reflection in a mirror. Over his shoulder, he notices other wrestlers and still eyes limping their back backstage and he looks pensive. Later on you cut backstage again, now Luger is watching the goings on a monitor. After more failed attempts Fuji starts taunting the audience, cut backstage again and now Luger looks worked up. The camera follows him as he marches out to the ring and slams Yoko, casting off the narcissist persona to turn face. Less defending the honor of America, more Luger deciding “Somebody’s got to do this!”

[yokohamacpfc]

The aforementioned WwWr video has a shot of the go home Superstars show where the baby face locker room surrounds the ring with mini American flags and Yokozuna literally bursts into tears at the sight.

[A Platypus Rave]

Lex was absolutely getting over with the Lex Express stuff... at least enough to let him run with the ball and move on to more than just straight All American Luger... I can't imagine like him winning would have drastically changed much... but having him both win by count out... AND CELEBRATE like he just won the title (especially with the Never get a title shot again stipulation) absolutely cut him off at the knees.

Maybe it could be salvaged if Yoko falls out of the ring and Yoko starts getting back in and Cornette stops him causing the count out and Luger being pissed off and maybe forearming Corny who gloats about his genius and how he's still managing hte champion...

But having the faces carry him around as a conquering hero when he hasn't actually accomplished anything just made him look like a dumbass.

[cornettesracket]

I had rewatched it years ago and then watched it with Jim Cornette doing a watch along of the match and given he was at ringside it’s amazing to watch with his perspective and it makes it worse.

Luger was blowed up early in the match to the point he was on the rail around the ring and I was worried that the people would pass out for oxygen deprivation he was sucking wind so much. Also as the years have gone on I’ve gotten a new appreciation for how good Yoko was given his size. He moved amazingly well.

At the end Cornette says that the balloons weren’t the only thing dropping after the count out, he said enthusiasm was gone.

[The Rick Jericho]

Reminds me of Clash at the Castle Drew McInyre.

[HMARK Center]

Man, 8 year old me really resented the show basically demanding I accept Lex, who I only knew as an egotistical heel, as the new Hogan, who at the time I was hoping would return since I was a kid and didn't know a damn thing about backstage news. Helped me quickly arrive at Bret as my new favorite.

[Vice honcho room temperature]

It's weird how quickly they kinda flip flipped considering the house show circuit surrounding SummerSlam didn't show if Lex could draw

[jason1980s]

This was my first of many WWF PPVs I would get over the next 8 years. I don't recall even being interested in the Lex/Yoko feud. I liked undercard guys because I felt they were more talents. I almost always thought that.

I was interested in Razor's face turn and even as a kid I felt like this was Ted Dibiase's final match. I was into the 123 Kid's PPV debut and also interested to see how Marty would fare against Ludvig Borga. The six man tag match could have been a main event to me, it had so much talent. I thought for a first PPV for me, this had a great undercard. But all these years later, I don't recall even caring about Lex/Yoko.

I think Lex gets a bum rap because he was a WCW guy and he left WWF in 95 so the talking heads like Bruce will always piss on him. I can't see too many guys, even the nicest guys or company guys, enjoying being on the bus and doing the tour. Maybe Cena or Rock during the 2000s would have been cool with it but I can't think of more right now. So it's understandable Lex didn't like it. The A&E bio was pretty good and Lex has an awesome redemption story but WWE will still find ways to make the Lex Express/Summerslam failure his fault.

[Nosnorb]

Sept 1, 2023 23:43:08 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

I think Lex gets a bum rap because he was a WCW guy and he left WWF in 95 so the talking heads like Bruce will always piss on him. I can't see too many guys, even the nicest guys or company guys, enjoying being on the bus and doing the tour.

I've heard that many of the wrestlers in the company weren't too thrilled that while they had to share hotel rooms and in some cases, sleep in their cars, Lex had a top of the line tour bus for himself.