Lex Luger will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 18. In a recent podcast episode, legendary wrestler and booker Dutch Mantell explained why he does not think The Total Package deserves an induction.
Luger wrestled for several companies between 1985 and 2006, including WCW and WWE. The 66-year-old won the World Heavyweight and World Television Championships twice in WCW. He also co-won the 1994 WWE Royal Rumble alongside Bret Hart.
Mantell implied on Story Time with Dutch Mantell that Luger only achieved so much in the wrestling business due to his impressive physique. He added that the same can be said for SmackDown star Jade Cargill.
“No [Lex Luger does not deserve Hall of Fame induction], but his name, he was used in such a way on top, main events, and he was the first one who left Florida, remember he was there, and he went to Mid-Atlantic, which was the Charlotte territory, and they gave him a pretty good guarantee and none of the other guys had guarantees, and that started him off on the wrong foot. He was kinda in the same boat that Jade Cargill is in. Looked great and big, but not a clue what to do,” Mantell said. [0:28 – 1:15]
Michelle McCool and Triple H have been announced as 2025 WWE Hall of Fame inductees alongside Lex Luger. Fred Ottman, aka Typhoon, also confirmed to Sportskeeda Wrestling that The Natural Disasters will be inducted this year.
Dutch Mantell on Lex Luger’s bad attitude as a wrestler
In 1995, The British Bulldog and Lex Luger defeated The Blu Brothers at WrestleMania 11. Dutch Mantell, The Blu Brothers’ manager that day, later claimed Luger wanted the match to revolve around him.
Three decades on, Mantell believes the soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer should have been more professional during his wrestling career:
“He was a babyface and they would take him in the ring, and the heel would go out of his way, I mean, that was his job, he would go out of his way to make him look good, plus get pinned, so Lex could look good, and sometimes I heard he came back and didn’t even thank his guy he was in the ring with, and that’s really a no-no. You always do that even if it’s a bad match.” [1:19 – 1:48]
Luger was confined to a wheelchair after suffering a spinal cord injury during a flight in 2007. In recent months, he has regained the ability to stand after receiving help from wrestling legend Diamond Dallas Page (DDP).
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
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