In the mid-1980s, Lex Luger rose to fame in the NWA and WCW, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice and joining the Four Horsemen. In 1993, he joined the WWF, gaining attention for bodyslamming Yokozuna, though he never won a world title there.
He shocked the world when he returned to WCW in 1995, becoming part of the nWo during the Monday Night Wars. After retiring in the early 2000s, Luger faced health challenges, including a 2007 spinal stroke, but partially recovered in large part thanks to his work with DDP.
Luger became romantically involved with iconic manager Miss Elizabeth and, talking to Chris Van Vliet, reflected on her passing (she died in 2003 due to "acute toxicity", brought on by a mix of painkillers and vodka).
"I got messed up on the wine and women, I had too much time and money on my hands. Got messed up on drugs and alcohol, and had a period where I was a complete train wreck," Luger recalled. "The tragic passing of Elizabeth. Obviously people go, 'Well, he killed Elizabeth.' Well, I didn't kill her. But was I a contributing factor to the lifestyle I was living and her being around me all the time and she overdosed? Absolutely."
Asked whether he takes any responsibility for Elizabeth's death, he admitted, "Absolutely. Sure, there's always collateral damage to lifestyles like that, and she was part of it. So absolutely. Sadly."
Talk later turned to the fact Luger isn't in the WWE Hall of Fame. "Well, people say that good things come to those who wait, always hopeful. If not, I still feel I had a great career. There's a lot of deserving guys other than me who still aren't in as well. So yeah, it would be a huge honor though, if and when it happens."
"I don’t know what criteria they do, because there's a lot of other guys too that should have been in," he said of why an induction hasn't happened yet. "I don't know if it was me personally or anything with Vince at all. I'm not sure about that. Only they can answer that."
As for what his relationship with WWE looks like now, Luger addressed his recent Legends deal and what that could eventually lead to.
"I think they waited and observed that I was a different guy now, and I felt that they learned to maybe trust who I was, that this wasn't some temporary thing, this is the new Lex Luger, this is the direction he's headed with his life. So I'm thankful," he explained. "But they've been a real blessing in every way, including financially. You know, they gave me new merch and gave me what the guys call mailbox money."
"So I am very thankful for them welcoming back into the family and making me a part of WWE. Obviously, the Hall of Fame would be the whipped cream and cherry on top for sure. If I never get in the Hall of Fame, I feel like I had a great career. That won't change it, but it would obviously be a huge honor. Definitely the creme de la creme, for sure," Luger concluded.
You can watch the full interview with Luger in the player below.