WWE Hall of Famer Lex Luger spoke with Going Ringside about several topics, including how he felt extremely nervous during his famous moment when he slammed WWE legend Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid.
Luger said, “The helicopter ride in was nerve-wracking. I’d never been in helicopter ride, and the guy was like a Vietnam war guy out of the military. He was tilting it sideways, showing off, and we weren’t strapped in or anything. I was like, ‘This guy’s out of his mind.’ So I was out there, and then Bobby Heenan came up to me on the way to the ring. And I didn’t realize they wanted me to shove him aside, because he was my manager as a heel. And he walked up to me. I’m going, ‘Hey, Bobby.’ I give him a hug. He goes, ‘Push me, you stupid –‘ I won’t say what he said. He said, ‘So, push me, you stupid S.O.B.’”
On not thinking he could pull it off:
“I got in the ring, and the ring was like ice skates. I mean, the mat from the heat. And they had me wear jeans and a cowboy boots and a red, white, and blue shirt. I had absolutely zero footing. Now I think I’m going to have to try to slam him with no footing. I thought I was going to be like — you guys ever see the Roadrunner cartoons way back when where the Coyote got flattened? I thought I was going to be a puddle underneath Yoko with these boots. He’s just going to fall on top of me. I told Yoko when we went nose to nose and supposed to kind of talk trash to each other. I was just saying, ‘Yoko, we can’t do it. We can’t.’ I was panicked. ‘We can’t do it; we can’t do it. I have no footing. And Yoko is doing the Japanese [gimmick], but he was just a cool island boy. He goes, ‘No problem brother.’ He goes, ‘When I come out of the corner, just get a wide stance.’ He goes, ‘I’ll do it all.’ So really, I tell people he almost slammed himself if you watch. I got a wide base, and I had to try to get in there and hold him up. But he turned himself. I mean, he was unbelievable.”
On his reaction afterward:
“I was so relieved afterwards. People think my celebration, ‘Wow, you knew you were going to slam him?’ Some people didn’t. Yeah, I knew I was going to try to slam him, but I was so relieved. He goes, ‘Yeah, because you acted so excited.’ I was excited that live, it came off.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
