"You put me on the map in pro wrestling" – Lex Luger issues heartfelt thanks (Exclusive)

Modified Mar 29, 2025 16:40 GMT

2025 WWE Hall of Famer Lex Luger [Image Credits: wwe.com]

Lex Luger began his wrestling career in Florida in 1985 after playing football for several years. In an exclusive interview, The Total Package thanked Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter for helping him early in his career.

Apter was a photographer and writer for several wrestling magazines in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In those days, fans learned about up-and-coming wrestlers by reading about them in magazines.

Luger believes his inclusion on Apter's magazine covers helped him get noticed by wrestling fans and major companies like WCW and WWE:

"You put me on the map in pro wrestling. I was on the cover of your magazine before I was with a big promotion. I was down in Florida and you put me on the cover a lot, and that really propelled me into the public eye of mainstream bigger organizations, so you played a huge role in my career early on, especially. I'm really thankful and appreciative of that, my friend." [1:00 – 1:24]

Did you know a top WWE Superstar just wrestled outside the company? More details HERE

In the video above, Luger disclosed details about the close friendship he has formed with fellow legend Diamond Dallas Page (DDP).

Lex Luger appreciates Bill Apter's support

On April 18, Lex Luger will join the WWE Hall of Fame. Bill Apter will attend the ceremony to watch the two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion's long-awaited induction.

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Luger reiterated that fans might not have been familiar with him in the early days of his career without Apter's help:

"You were like the social media of wrestling of its day. People used to scour, we're going old school now, all the grocery stores and buy the wrestling magazines. That's where they got all their news, so it was a big deal to be featured on your cover. You put me on very early on, so always grateful and thankful for that." [1:33 – 1:58]

In the same interview, Luger told the inside story of his controversial 1995 WWE exit and surprise appearance on WCW Nitro.

Please credit Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and embed the video if you use Lex Luger's quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart