TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,807
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Aug 8, 2022 9:30:31 GMT -5
Did anybody else catch this last night?
I thought it was really well done. The show was a full two hours so nothing felt rushed or glossed over. From being the first wrestler to ever have a a guaranteed contract to the failed Lex Express experiment, they detail his entire career pretty thoroughly from all the highs to the lowest of lows. People always look at Jake "The Snake" as a living miracle, but when you realize the reckless life Lex was living for a while it is just as unbelievable that he is alive today as well and seems to be at peace.
WWE does a great job with their documentaries, but I can only hear the same Mondays Night Wars or Montreal Screwjob stories so many times. Lex was/is a huge name in the history of pro wrestling who has never had an in-depth look at his career like this so it was a refreshing change of pace.
Highly recommended for my fellow classic wrestling fans. đź‘Ť
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Post by MKSavage on Aug 8, 2022 10:13:51 GMT -5
It was good. For some reason, this was the biography that I was most interested in seeing this season (followed by the Monday Night Wars and Undertaker episodes). I was interested in seeing why they decided to go away from the Narcissist gimmick and make him the all-American boy. Seems it was really as simple as Vince wanted him to be the next Hulk Hogan, and he thought he could make it work. Shame, I feel that the Narcissist gimmick had more of a shelf life, and even fit Luger's personality better. Also, I always thought that Bobby Heenan was pronouncing the name Narcissist wrong at the Royal Rumble, he called him Narcissus, I just assumed he couldn't pronounce the word. We all have those words that for some reason we just can't say, and I thought this was Heenan's. But apparently, the original name for Lex was going to be Narcissus, they even show the printed name on the sketch drawings. Who knew??? I'm glad a lot of guys talked about how not giving him the belt at Summer Slam 1993 ruined his push (Nash, 123 Kid, Cornette, Bret, etc.) I think a lot of people look at that moment and think it was Lex who wasn't getting over, but I think if they put the title on him at SSL93 it would have helped his run in the WWF. They also discussed his moment in WCW winning the title over Hogan on Nitro, that Lex had earned that moment with his work ethic and personality backstage. I thought it was a pretty good episode.
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Post by MKSavage on Aug 8, 2022 10:16:46 GMT -5
Did anybody else catch this last night? I thought it was really well done. The show was a full two hours so nothing felt rushed or glossed over. From being the first wrestler to ever have a a guaranteed contract to the failed Lex Express experiment, they detail his entire career pretty thoroughly from all the highs to the lowest of lows. People always look at Jake "The Snake" as a living miracle, but when you realize the reckless life Lex was living for a while it is just as unbelievable that he is alive today as well and seems to be at peace.WWE does a great job with their documentaries, but I can only hear the same Mondays Night Wars or Montreal Screwjob stories so many times. Lex was/is a huge name in the history of pro wrestling who has never had an in-depth look at his career like this so it was a refreshing change of pace. Highly recommended for my fellow classic wrestling fans. đź‘Ť Yeah, I was really unaware of a lot of the trouble he got into, not sure if it was because I wasn't paying too much attention to wrestling or because the stories may have been more local to Atlanta/Georgia. I was always curious to hear how he got paralyzed, unbelievable that it wasn't anything major that happened, and that they don't really know how it happened. Sad to hear. Also, kind of scary. But with all that, the guy really seems to be at peace which is nice to see/hear. |
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,807
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Aug 8, 2022 10:27:19 GMT -5
Did anybody else catch this last night? I thought it was really well done. The show was a full two hours so nothing felt rushed or glossed over. From being the first wrestler to ever have a a guaranteed contract to the failed Lex Express experiment, they detail his entire career pretty thoroughly from all the highs to the lowest of lows. People always look at Jake "The Snake" as a living miracle, but when you realize the reckless life Lex was living for a while it is just as unbelievable that he is alive today as well and seems to be at peace.WWE does a great job with their documentaries, but I can only hear the same Mondays Night Wars or Montreal Screwjob stories so many times. Lex was/is a huge name in the history of pro wrestling who has never had an in-depth look at his career like this so it was a refreshing change of pace. Highly recommended for my fellow classic wrestling fans. 👍 Yeah, I was really unaware of a lot of the trouble he got into, not sure if it was because I wasn't paying too much attention to wrestling or because the stories may have been more local to Atlanta/Georgia. I was always curious to hear how he got paralyzed, unbelievable that it wasn't anything major that happened, and that they don't really know how it happened. Sad to hear. Also, kind of scary. But with all that, the guy really seems to be at peace which is nice to see/hear. Or the fact that he was apparently so discouraged towards the end of his WWF run that he went back to WCW on a deal that paid him 80% less than what he was previously making there several years prior. I don't care what anyone says, you have to be a special kind of miserable to take that kind of pay cut to do the same job somewhere else. Good on Bischoff for renegotiating his contract once he realized Lex had changed and was committed to being a team player. |
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Post by MKSavage on Aug 8, 2022 12:24:52 GMT -5
Yeah, I was really unaware of a lot of the trouble he got into, not sure if it was because I wasn't paying too much attention to wrestling or because the stories may have been more local to Atlanta/Georgia. I was always curious to hear how he got paralyzed, unbelievable that it wasn't anything major that happened, and that they don't really know how it happened. Sad to hear. Also, kind of scary. But with all that, the guy really seems to be at peace which is nice to see/hear. Or the fact that he was apparently so discouraged towards the end of his WWF run that he went back to WCW on a deal that paid him 80% less than what he was previously making there several years prior. I don't care what anyone says, you have to be a special kind of miserable to take that kind of pay cut to do the same job somewhere else.
Good on Bischoff for renegotiating his contract once he realized Lex had changed and was committed to being a team player.Yeah, I think he saw the writing on the wall, he was never going to be champion in that company, and with Bret, Shawn, Hall, Nash, Taker all babyfaces, he was slipping down the card in terms of importance. And I agree, I was surprised that Bischoff actually renegotiated the contract to help Lex, even though he did not have to - that was very generous of him (or Billionaire Ted, since it was his money)... |
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 27, 2024 2:28:56 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2022 13:44:47 GMT -5
i saw it. it was pretty dam good.
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PuroMasta
Superstar
Joined on: Jul 8, 2005 22:38:36 GMT -5
Posts: 702 
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Post by PuroMasta on Aug 8, 2022 15:31:37 GMT -5
I forgot about it being on. I’ve missed the episode for Kurt and now Lex’s. Have to catch them sometime. Still have part of Taker’s to go.
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Post by LA Times on Aug 8, 2022 18:54:46 GMT -5
It was great stuff and my most anticipated episode of the season. Its just awful seeing a guy who looked like such a superstar and you grew up watching end up being in a wheelchair but the adversity he faced made him a better person. He didnt seem like the nicest guy from the Lex Express behind the scenes footage they showed, LOL.
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,807
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Aug 8, 2022 19:31:04 GMT -5
It was great stuff and my most anticipated episode of the season. Its just awful seeing a guy who looked like such a superstar and you grew up watching end up being in a wheelchair but the adversity he faced made him a better person. He didnt seem like the nicest guy from the Lex Express behind the scenes footage they showed, LOL. That Lex Express footage was not flattering at all. I totally understand that the grind of the bus tour had to be brutal, but he came off like such a cranky bastard in those clips. Would even go as far to say that Lex was a borderline dick. Hearing Bruce Prichard openly admit that they made a mistake crowning him as the next Hogan is damning evidence. They probably realized pretty quick that he wasn't going to be "the guy," but the investment was already made so they were going to have to die on that hill. |
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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 8, 2022 19:48:27 GMT -5
This was my most anticipated episode and it didn’t disappoint. Lex is one of those Monday Night War legends that the WWE swept under the rug for so long that it was great to see them finally acknowledge his popularity.
The “Lex Express” stuff was interesting and you could tell Lex just wasn’t into the gimmick. Being stuck on a cramped bus for 3 months must have been hell knowing he had a wife and two kids at home and how the other performers were staying in hotels or going home every night. I think that played a lot on his attitude at the time. And while he says he wasn’t promised the belt, I agree with others in the program that not winning the belt sunk the character. Lex was over, especially against Yoko, and winning the belt at SummerSlam 1993 would have put his character over to another level. Instead, he was booked as someone who couldn’t get the job done and was basically toast by Survivor Series.
Great to see Lex turn his life around as well. Guy put himself through hell but luckily came out on the other end loving life. Being a father myself, I hope his kids give him a chance to one day redeem himself in their eyes as well.
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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 8, 2022 21:16:01 GMT -5
It was great stuff and my most anticipated episode of the season. Its just awful seeing a guy who looked like such a superstar and you grew up watching end up being in a wheelchair but the adversity he faced made him a better person. He didnt seem like the nicest guy from the Lex Express behind the scenes footage they showed, LOL. That Lex Express footage was not flattering at all. I totally understand that the grind of the bus tour had to be brutal, but he came off like such a cranky bastard in those clips. Would even go as far to say that Lex was a borderline dick. Hearing Bruce Prichard openly admit that they made a mistake crowning him as the next Hogan is damning evidence. They probably realized pretty quick that he wasn't going to be "the guy," but the investment was already made so they were going to have to die on that hill. Bret said in the documentary that Lex was a good guy at heart, but like others said, he had a bit of an ego as well. With a wife and two young kids at home, and with all the other performers either staying in hotels or going home to their families every night, I can see why Lex would be cranky/dickish. Being stuck on that cramped bus with Bruce and other producers for 3 months must have been hell. Sting put it perfect that Lex always felt there had to be something better, when he had it pretty great in the NWA/WCW. He worked close to home, saw his family almost every day, was already a top name, and got to live as “normal” a life as someone in this business could. Lex thought he was going to greener pastures, when in reality he saw his family less due to being on the road, was saddled with a gimmick he hated, was stuck on a cramped bus for 3 months, and ended up doing a lot of nothing following WMX. It’s no shock he was a “new man” once he got back to WCW. |
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,335
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Post by jason1980s on Aug 9, 2022 9:38:53 GMT -5
Why couldn't they just park the bus at the hotel and have him and the staff stay there?
Lex told Dave Penzer a few years ago that he didn't understand where it came from that he didn't enjoy the tour. He told Dave he enjoyed it but WWE sure got every possible instance of him being nasty and dismissive for this doc, from the tour. Bruce also seems pretty bitter, after all these years, that Lex didn't go all in on Vince's vision and leaving Vince for WCW with no notice which really fired off Nitro. It really seemed like a Warrior style documentary but I know it was supposed to be more of a "fall and rise" type of show.
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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 9, 2022 12:59:36 GMT -5
Why couldn't they just park the bus at the hotel and have him and the staff stay there? Lex told Dave Penzer a few years ago that he didn't understand where it came from that he didn't enjoy the tour. He told Dave he enjoyed it but WWE sure got every possible instance of him being nasty and dismissive for this doc, from the tour. Bruce also seems pretty bitter, after all these years, that Lex didn't go all in on Vince's vision and leaving Vince for WCW with no notice which really fired off Nitro. It really seemed like a Warrior style documentary but I know it was supposed to be more of a "fall and rise" type of show. Seems like there’s still a lot of animosity from the WWE side as the performers in the documentary spoke highly of Lex, even with his ego. Heck, even Bret said that Lex was a quality guy. The footage of the “Lex Express” tour is owned by the WWE. I can 100% understand why Lex came off as grumpy at points in the tour. Anyone would. But I find it hard to believe that there’s little to no footage of Lex enjoying himself over a 45 days period of meeting fans and doing publicity appearances. Seems more like the WWE picking and choosing what footage to show based on Bruce’s comments during the documentary. Whether Vince truly wanted to hold off on Lex’s big win until WMX, or he did change his mind on Lex being “the guy” during the bus tour, I think most can agree that the WWE made the wrong decision at SummerSlam 1993. The whole thing is seen as a failed-experiment by most fans today, and I do get the feeling the WWE has always deflected blame towards Lex (not saying Lex was a saint, but the whole thing was Vince’s idea). |
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Post by PJ on Aug 12, 2022 7:03:51 GMT -5
I dvr’d it but haven’t had the chance to watch it yet
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Warriah'
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 22, 2019 19:46:02 GMT -5
Posts: 3,261
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Post by Warriah' on Aug 12, 2022 15:40:58 GMT -5
Bruce seems to have a hate boner for Lex. Never gives him his due.
Lex was over as hell before SS93 and it's entirely on Vince that the push didn't work. He was STILL over until Mania, but after he lost to Yoko again that was all she wrote for Lex as a main event player. Even then he still stayed over as hell. Just listen to his RR95 pop.
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Post by K5 on Aug 12, 2022 16:02:36 GMT -5
would’ve loved if lex was one of the guys who hopped over in 2002/2003 and challenge hhh. total package gimmick was solid
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Post by The Brain on Aug 12, 2022 19:16:38 GMT -5
With this doc coming out and him lobbying for it, makes you wonder if he's getting the HOF nod next year.
Sting would obviously be the top choice for inducting em(if both sides can agree to it) but if not Barry Windham is a good choice
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Post by LA Times on Aug 17, 2022 10:42:45 GMT -5
Why couldn't they just park the bus at the hotel and have him and the staff stay there? Lex told Dave Penzer a few years ago that he didn't understand where it came from that he didn't enjoy the tour. He told Dave he enjoyed it but WWE sure got every possible instance of him being nasty and dismissive for this doc, from the tour. Bruce also seems pretty bitter, after all these years, that Lex didn't go all in on Vince's vision and leaving Vince for WCW with no notice which really fired off Nitro. It really seemed like a Warrior style documentary but I know it was supposed to be more of a "fall and rise" type of show. Seems like there’s still a lot of animosity from the WWE side as the performers in the documentary spoke highly of Lex, even with his ego. Heck, even Bret said that Lex was a quality guy. The footage of the “Lex Express” tour is owned by the WWE. I can 100% understand why Lex came off as grumpy at points in the tour. Anyone would. But I find it hard to believe that there’s little to no footage of Lex enjoying himself over a 45 days period of meeting fans and doing publicity appearances. Seems more like the WWE picking and choosing what footage to show based on Bruce’s comments during the documentary. Whether Vince truly wanted to hold off on Lex’s big win until WMX, or he did change his mind on Lex being “the guy” during the bus tour, I think most can agree that the WWE made the wrong decision at SummerSlam 1993. The whole thing is seen as a failed-experiment by most fans today, and I do get the feeling the WWE has always deflected blame towards Lex (not saying Lex was a saint, but the whole thing was Vince’s idea). If Lex Luger had won the WWF Championship at Summerslam 1993 though, he would've feuded with Ludvig Borga over the title throughout the fall that year and that would've been a disaster for all parties. |
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Post by cordless2016 on Aug 17, 2022 13:31:32 GMT -5
Seems like there’s still a lot of animosity from the WWE side as the performers in the documentary spoke highly of Lex, even with his ego. Heck, even Bret said that Lex was a quality guy. The footage of the “Lex Express” tour is owned by the WWE. I can 100% understand why Lex came off as grumpy at points in the tour. Anyone would. But I find it hard to believe that there’s little to no footage of Lex enjoying himself over a 45 days period of meeting fans and doing publicity appearances. Seems more like the WWE picking and choosing what footage to show based on Bruce’s comments during the documentary. Whether Vince truly wanted to hold off on Lex’s big win until WMX, or he did change his mind on Lex being “the guy” during the bus tour, I think most can agree that the WWE made the wrong decision at SummerSlam 1993. The whole thing is seen as a failed-experiment by most fans today, and I do get the feeling the WWE has always deflected blame towards Lex (not saying Lex was a saint, but the whole thing was Vince’s idea). If Lex Luger had won the WWF Championship at Summerslam 1993 though, he would've feuded with Ludvig Borga over the title throughout the fall that year and that would've been a disaster for all parties. I think it would have been better than what they went with. Lex celebrating like he won the belt when he didn’t killed his momentum. Sure, he was still getting decent pops and remained relatively over for the next two years, but he never reached that level of popularity again. |
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