Lex Luger was the guest interview on Matt Koon‘s second episode of MLW Radio’s Total Engagement. In the second part of the interview Luger goes into detail about how he and Sting initially had friction before forming their strong 30+ year friendship, grades himself on how “The Total Package” was behind the microphone and more. Quotes from the interview are below.
(Transcription credit should go to @DominicDeAngelo of WrestleZone):
Lex Luger on his long-time friendship with Sting:
Yeah, a 30-plus year friendship now, best of friends. What a guy. Our initial meeting was not good. Sting came in and was paired with Flair right away and was getting over huge. We all know that was a good decision. He had the paint and he was explosive and was already really a naturally gifted worker which I wasn’t and so I’d say there was probably a little resentment on my part and I kind of ignored him. And he actually, great guy that he is, walked up to me in the locker room one time, and asked me, here Sting was, he had been involved with professional body builder stuff before wrestling stuff, but asked as an icebreaker he asked me, ‘Hey Lex, I’m Steven.’ He introduced himself, he goes, ‘Man, I’ve been watching you in the magazines and now I got to meet you. Man, how do you stay in such good shape on the road all the time?’
It was after a match, it was in Oklahoma City I think, I was undoing my boots after a match getting ready to jump in the shower. I never looked up at him. I just kept undoing my boots and I said, ‘Stoli’s and peanut M&M’s.’ He was kind of asking me what I did nutritionally and stuff. I’ll never forget, he stood over me, (probably wanted to kick me in the teeth) he stood over me for about thirty seconds, I just kept unlacing my boots and walked away shaking his head. We probably didn’t talk for months after that and I don’t blame him. And when we traveled on the road, we’d see each other in the hotel all the time like for breakfast. Then we’d go to the local gym in town, there he’d be at the gym. I’d kind of ignore him and he’d be at the gym. So finally over time, it evolved where we’d start having breakfast together, got to know each other, we’d go to the gym we started working out together, then we started traveling together, and then we traveled together like almost inseparable my whole time in WCW all the way through and we became like inseparable friends for 30+ years. Even at the worst of times. Sting would try to call me and check up on me, that’s a whole another story unto itself. He became a Believer in 1998. He tried to witness to me and I blew him off and there was a big fracture in our friendship for a couple years because of me and we got reunited again in ’06 as brothers in Christ and what a special, treasured friendship we have. Just incredible. Words can’t even describe it.
Lex Luger on if he considered himself a good promo:
Ehh, I don’t think just my personal stuff – I never was a great mic guy, I was okay. You know I was middle of the road, maybe? If I had to grade myself I’d give myself a C on the mic cause we were talking about there’s guys like Naitch, and they’re like A+, so would give myself a C probably in that. Over time I became somewhat comfortable behind the mic, but I was never a creative, incredible communicator and psychologist like what some of the best mic guys in the business are. I definitely would never qualify for that. I would definitely say my look was something that when I came in the way I looked was something that the business was looking for at that time and that was more my calling card.
