[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/5emBgIsBEq0t7bXrGS5p/1698668118135_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0iZ3ZzdzJxdGhqZnp1ZXJscmdiMmRveXN5b2pkdmdubHEiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]
Pro wrestling history is full of memorable duos, but Lex Luger and Sting are right up there with any of them. It’s hard to imagine one without the other, even now with the former long retired and the latter headed that way soon, as their careers are so closely intertwined.
Their relationship extends beyond the ring as well, as the two men are close friends, united through decades of common experiences, and in more recent years, through their shared faith. Luger has expressed his gratitude that Sting has stuck with him through some of his darkest moments over the years.
Yet as he told Under the Ring host Phil Strum, their friendship almost never got off the ground thanks to Luger’s own cockiness during their first meeting.
“We’re best of friends to this day, he’s a special guy and a special friend, but we did not hit it off the first time we talked,” Luger said. “He was asking me about my nutrition on the road, and I blew him off. .. Because he came from a bodybuilding background. And I didn’t look up; it was after a match and I was unlacing my boots. I didn’t look at him, I thought I was a big deal with the Four Horsemen, and I said, ‘Stolis and peanut M&M’s.’ I eyeballed him and he walked away shaking his head.
“But we ended up seeing each other downstairs on the road at the hotels, like having breakfast and stuff, and we’d sit at separate tables. Finally we’d have breakfast together, finally we started going to the gym together, palling around. Over time, we just became best of friends, so thank goodness he gave me a second chance from our initial intro and conversation.”
Check out Luger’s full chat with Strum above to learn more about:
- What it’s been like for Luger to start his new podcast, “Lex Expressed,” with Ad Free Shows
- Why he enjoys interacting with wrestling fans so much these days after not understanding them during his in-ring career
- How he maintains such a positive attitude, and why he feels like he’s been “streamlined and redefined” in life
- What happened with Bruiser Brody in their infamous 1987 Steel Cage match
- How Hiro Matsuda and Ric Flair were responsible for turning him into a wrestler, then a star
- What it was like being part of the Four Horsemen — and why he didn’t know who any of them were at first besides Flair
- And much more
Under the Ring drops new episodes every week, with Strum utilizing contacts gleaned from years of pro wrestling fandom and coverage to have an in-depth conversation with a wrestler or other notable personality. Recent guests have included PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, Impact Wrestling star and women’s wrestling all-time great Mickie James, and Wrestling Junkie managing editor Nick Tylwalk.
To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.