Lex Luger On His Shocking WCW Title Win: “I Found Out On My Way To The Ring”

Lex Luger, a 2025 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, has reflected on the most electrifying crowd reaction of his wrestling career.

Speaking at the For the Love of Wrestling convention, Lex Luger recalled the night he defeated “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Championship on what was billed as the landmark 100th episode of WCW Monday Nitro on 4 August 1997. Luger described the moment as unparalleled, not just for the live crowd’s reaction but also for the sheer excitement backstage. Many of his fellow wrestlers were unaware that he was set to win, making their celebration all the more genuine.

“The boys in the back didn’t know, which led to that celebration both in the ring and in the locker room, the guys were so excited when that happened, and I found out almost on my way to the ring. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me, Hogan’s going to put me over on national TV for free, on a non-pay-per-view event?’”

Luger admitted he was shocked by the decision but soon understood the reasoning behind it.

“[They said] ‘Well, it’s the 100th Nitro, the fans need something, they’ve left you laying for like 63 straight weeks, we’re going to give them something.’”

The atmosphere inside the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit that night was electric, with the crowd’s roar ranking as the loudest he had ever experienced.

“Man, that crowd in Detroit, I don’t think I ever had a response like that in my career to a victory, I mean, that roof almost came off that building.”

Luger’s victory over Hogan remains a defining moment in Nitro history, cementing his status as one of WCW’s top stars.

Did Lex Luger Enjoy Working More As A Heel Or A Face?

Lex Luger spoke about whether he enjoyed working more as a heel or a babyface and said that he enjoyed working as both, but perhaps a heel a little bit more. Luger said that when working as a heel, you have more freedom as a wrestler, as babyfaces are held to a certain standard by the fans, so aren’t able to perform certain moves or act in certain ways.

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