TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 2, 2023 20:51:22 GMT -5
This week marks the triumphant 30th anniversary of Lex Luger flying in on a helicopter to slam Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid on July 4, 1993.
Most of us will agree that he should have won the title at SummerSlam that year, but does anybody have any memories of watching this Intrepid event live when it aired?
When that chopper landed, most of the people in attendance were expecting Hogan. Instead, they got Luger who up until that point had been presented as a pretentious heel.
Was there any immediate backlash? Did it feel too forced? Did you buy the new patriotic gimmick?
The summer of the Lex Express has always been one of my favorite wrestling topics ever since that is when I started to watch the WWF. It has always been a fascinating subject for me.
"I'll Be Your Hero!!!" 🇺🇲
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Post by MKSavage on Jul 2, 2023 21:21:24 GMT -5
I don't remember there being any immediate backlash. I think most people were okay with it, and Lex did get over. I think people started to tire of Lex after he couldn't win the big one, but initially the fans were behind him.
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 22, 2024 15:47:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2023 21:41:08 GMT -5
was a fun event
was super pumped to see luger come out
was hopin crush woulda done it tho
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Post by hbkjason on Jul 2, 2023 23:38:47 GMT -5
As I kid I so wanted Crush to be the one who did this! From not getting his revenge on Doink, failing to win the IC title and this, they really did Crush badly in 1993, killed all the momentum he built up in 1992.
I thought this whole thing was a ton of fun, Luger looked like a legit star and the Lex Express stuff was cool, especially that "Hero" music video they did! Him not winning the title at SummerSlam was so dumb! Then they had him look like a total moron during the whole Corporation angle. It has been discussed to death, but it should have been Lex that joined the Corporation!
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Post by Chicago on Jul 3, 2023 2:11:26 GMT -5
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 3, 2023 8:58:12 GMT -5
This is awesome stuff. Thanks for sharing! |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2023 9:25:34 GMT -5
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Post by CM Tusk on Jul 3, 2023 12:40:25 GMT -5
Call me when it’s the 30th anniversary of the great Yokozuna rightfully retaining his championship at Summerslam and proving the “I’m an American from America” beating the “foreign threat” should have stayed in the 80s. Rocky IV was the last time it was good. Rest easy, the true head of the table.
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 3, 2023 13:21:27 GMT -5
Call me when it’s the 30th anniversary of the great Yokozuna rightfully retaining his championship at Summerslam and proving the “I’m an American from America” beating the “foreign threat” should have stayed in the 80s. Rocky IV was the last time it was good. Rest easy, the true head of the table. Everything he did for this country and that's the respect you show to a true patriot? |
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Post by CM Tusk on Jul 3, 2023 13:58:30 GMT -5
Call me when it’s the 30th anniversary of the great Yokozuna rightfully retaining his championship at Summerslam and proving the “I’m an American from America” beating the “foreign threat” should have stayed in the 80s. Rocky IV was the last time it was good. Rest easy, the true head of the table. Everything he did for this country and that's the respect you show to a true patriot? The hero of the story was a Canadian boy! |
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Jul 3, 2023 13:59:40 GMT -5
The Luger turn came out of nowhere. I remember being a 12 year old kid watching the highlights on WWF Superstars and legit thinking that Crush would be the one to do it. I had never thought about Lex Luger being the guy because he was a heel, he was feuding with guys like Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect and Tatanka on the house show scene, and I just didn't see a turnover for Lex to be THE GUY as top good guy.
Though, it worked... at first. And if Vince would have let Lex win at SummerSlam and take the title, I feel he would have been accepted by the fans well into 1994 and 1995 and perhaps to the point where Lex Luger never even goes back to WCW.
But my feeling is that at the Royal Rumble, Vince didn't know who to pick. He still wanted to go with Luger for Wrestlemania X big victory, but he knew fans loved Bret. So have both men win, see who got the bigger reaction from the fans and go from there.
By 1994, we all knew and it was settled.... Bret "Hitman" Hart was our guy!
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 3, 2023 14:42:09 GMT -5
Everything he did for this country and that's the respect you show to a true patriot? The hero of the story was a Canadian boy! I mean, I'll take Bret over Lex any day of the week. Fair enough. 🇨🇦 |
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 3, 2023 14:48:21 GMT -5
The Luger turn came out of nowhere. I remember being a 12 year old kid watching the highlights on WWF Superstars and legit thinking that Crush would be the one to do it. I had never thought about Lex Luger being the guy because he was a heel, he was feuding with guys like Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect and Tatanka on the house show scene, and I just didn't see a turnover for Lex to be THE GUY as top good guy. Though, it worked... at first. And if Vince would have let Lex win at SummerSlam and take the title, I feel he would have been accepted by the fans well into 1994 and 1995 and perhaps to the point where Lex Luger never even goes back to WCW. But my feeling is that at the Royal Rumble, Vince didn't know who to pick. He still wanted to go with Luger for Wrestlemania X big victory, but he knew fans loved Bret. So have both men win, see who got the bigger reaction from the fans and go from there. By 1994, we all knew and it was settled.... Bret "Hitman" Hart was our guy! Crush made some sense, but the way they booked him in the months leading up didn't correlate with a World title push. He had just spent all of his 1993 getting owned by Doink at every turn. The biggest factor was probably him being legitimately injured as that is why he was written off TV for several months right after the USS Intrepid angle. Think we can all admit that despite "evil" Crush being a solid character, they didn't squeeze all of the juice from the pineapple head that was "Kona" Crush. He could have been a bigger deal. |
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Post by MKSavage on Jul 3, 2023 14:52:19 GMT -5
Call me when it’s the 30th anniversary of the great Yokozuna rightfully retaining his championship at Summerslam and proving the “I’m an American from America” beating the “foreign threat” should have stayed in the 80s. Rocky IV was the last time it was good. Rest easy, the true head of the table. Worked fine in the late 90s with the Hart Foundation against Austin, HBK, Taker, Goldust, Shamrock, LOD, and the Patriot. |
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Post by CM Tusk on Jul 3, 2023 15:01:50 GMT -5
Call me when it’s the 30th anniversary of the great Yokozuna rightfully retaining his championship at Summerslam and proving the “I’m an American from America” beating the “foreign threat” should have stayed in the 80s. Rocky IV was the last time it was good. Rest easy, the true head of the table. Worked fine in the late 90s with the Hart Foundation against Austin, HBK, Taker, Goldust, Shamrock, LOD, and the Patriot. The Hart Foundation were the babyfaces! |
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Post by MKSavage on Jul 3, 2023 15:50:07 GMT -5
Worked fine in the late 90s with the Hart Foundation against Austin, HBK, Taker, Goldust, Shamrock, LOD, and the Patriot. The Hart Foundation were the babyfaces! In Canada. |
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Post by CM Tusk on Jul 3, 2023 16:17:00 GMT -5
The Hart Foundation were the babyfaces! In Canada. IN THE HEARTS AND SOULS OF EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD! |
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 3, 2023 17:48:55 GMT -5
IN THE HEARTS AND SOULS OF EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD! The mural I have above the fireplace of The Patriot says otherwise. 🇺🇲🦅 |
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Post by jason88cubs on Jul 3, 2023 17:51:04 GMT -5
Funny thing is when the helicopter landed people were chanting "Hogan Hogan Hogan"
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TheEvilDoink1987
Main Eventer
Joined on: Feb 22, 2010 21:37:52 GMT -5
Posts: 2,801
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Post by TheEvilDoink1987 on Jul 3, 2023 17:59:58 GMT -5
Funny thing is when the helicopter landed people were chanting "Hogan Hogan Hogan" It made sense though because he had just lost the title at King of the Ring maybe three weeks prior so the general fanbase assumed he was still in the mix. |
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