Former WWE commentator Jim Ross believes Lex Luger was “relieved” when he was removed from WWE Championship storylines.
Initially viewed by Vince McMahon as WWE’s next Hulk Hogan, Luger failed to win the WWE Championship from Yokozuna at SummerSlam 1993 and at WrestleMania X. In 1995, he formed The Allied Powers tag team with Davey Boy Smith (a.k.a. The British Bulldog).
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said Luger falling further down the card after his main-event push was not necessarily a bad thing.
“I think he was maybe relieved that the incessant push to get him into that title picture, and eventually win the championship, was over,” Ross said. “I think he might have been a little bit relieved, and he also had tag partners, tag opponents who could enhance him and help him continue to get better.”
Luger’s biggest WWE accomplishment came when he co-won the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart. He never held the WWE Championship during his two years with the company.
Jim Ross on Lex Luger’s tag team with Davey Boy Smith
Lex Luger and Davey Boy Smith joined forces on the January 2, 1995 episode of RAW to defeat Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka. They also defeated The Blu Brothers at WrestleMania XI before losing to WWE Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna at In Your House 2.
Jim Ross believes Davey Boy Smith was the perfect partner for Luger due to his previous tag team success with Dynamite Kid as The British Bulldogs.
“Any time you can get in the ring with Owen Hart and Yokozuna is a pretty damn good day, because they were great, really great, and Davey had established success in a tag team,” Ross said. “I don’t know how big of an influence Davey and Lex were to each other – I have no idea – but the tag team looked good in publicity pictures.”
Luger left WWE in September 1995 to join WCW, bringing an end to his eight-month tag team partnership with Smith.
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