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Wrestling With the Devil: The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler - His Reign, Ruin, and Redemption
Lex Luger, wrestling mega-sensation and three-time world heavyweight champion, ruled the ring for years as "The Total Package." Whether he was making a dramatic entrance from a helicopter, defeating champ Hulk Hogan, or sculpting a near-perfect physique, Lex was on top of his game. Yet backstage, he was wrestling with addictions to sex, drugs, and alcohol - things he clung to even when his mistress died suddenly of a drug overdose and Lex went to jail. There, Lex faced the he was losing the fight for his life. And still awaiting him was his most brutal opponent yet, when the wrestling champ found himself helplessly paralyzed from the neck down. In Wrestling with the Devil, Lex Luger reveals never-before-told stories from his career, his struggle with personal demons, and how, through unexpected faith, grace, and redemption, he overcame all odds to fight the only battle that really matters.
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First published April 2, 2013
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August 19, 2013
Wrestling with the Devil details the life of professional wrestler Lex Luger, from his early life to his wrestling career to his abundance of post-career drama.
I got this from Netgalley. Thank You, Netgalley!
As I've confessed in other reviews, I was a huge wrestling fan from my larval phase to around 2003. While I was aware of Lex Luger, he was never one of my favorites. Not unlike Billy Gunn or Test, both of which came years later, I always thought he got huge pushes because of his look and potential despite never really doing much for me. Anyway, on to the review!
I'm giving it a 3 for now. There were some moments near the end that were surprisingly emotional and overall, the book kept me entertained while I was reading it. It's a middle of the road wrestling book with not enough time spent on the wrestling portion.
I got this from Netgalley. Thank You, Netgalley!
As I've confessed in other reviews, I was a huge wrestling fan from my larval phase to around 2003. While I was aware of Lex Luger, he was never one of my favorites. Not unlike Billy Gunn or Test, both of which came years later, I always thought he got huge pushes because of his look and potential despite never really doing much for me. Anyway, on to the review!
I'm giving it a 3 for now. There were some moments near the end that were surprisingly emotional and overall, the book kept me entertained while I was reading it. It's a middle of the road wrestling book with not enough time spent on the wrestling portion.
September 18, 2013
I love wrestling. Let's get that out of the way right now. So, when a wrestler writes a book, I'm ready to read it! I want dirt, behind the scenes, personal life, drama, relationships, the good stuff... everything we don't get when they're in the squared circle sweating and bleeding for us fans in the name of sports entertainment.
So, it stands to reason, when I read Sting's foreword, I was immediately taken aback and wondering if I was in for a 250 page sermon on how God changed his life. Now, I am Roman Catholic, I try to go to church every Sunday, and I do believe in His help, strength, and miracles. I just don't want to read it for the entire 250 pages when I know there is so much more to talk about.
That being said, I absolutely loved this book. It is chock full of raw and gritty details that were hard for me to read at times (note: Elizabeth's death). I was astonished at how honest and real the entire book was. Sports entertainment is just that - entertainment. So, week after week, I watch, knowing full well that the stories aren't true (at least completely). Most of the wrestlers don't hate each other (more or less). And, while they're physically performing absolutely insane maneuvers, that at least some of the injuries aren't real. But, flipping through the pages of this very real rise and fall and subsequent coming to peace of a man who spent much of his life in the public eye was a breath of fresh air.
Basically, a good portion of the beginning of the book was his early athletic endeavors in high school and college. It was entertaining to read and I enjoyed seeing where he came from and what led him to wrestle.
Wrestling took up at least the good middle half of the book and like I said, it's raw and real. There are some things that I wish had been expanded on (like his time with NWA), but there is definitely no shortage of stories on his wrestling years with other big names such as Ric Flair, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, and Yokozuna.
I think after his wrestling career was over was when the book tipped the scales for me. He talked about his drug and alcohol abuse, his affair with Elizabeth which led to his divorce and her death (again, truthfully, the most difficult part of the story to read), and finally how he found God and turned his life around.
Overall, I don't really think anybody who isn't a wrestling fan would like this book. But, those who are should definitely pick up this book.
So, it stands to reason, when I read Sting's foreword, I was immediately taken aback and wondering if I was in for a 250 page sermon on how God changed his life. Now, I am Roman Catholic, I try to go to church every Sunday, and I do believe in His help, strength, and miracles. I just don't want to read it for the entire 250 pages when I know there is so much more to talk about.
That being said, I absolutely loved this book. It is chock full of raw and gritty details that were hard for me to read at times (note: Elizabeth's death). I was astonished at how honest and real the entire book was. Sports entertainment is just that - entertainment. So, week after week, I watch, knowing full well that the stories aren't true (at least completely). Most of the wrestlers don't hate each other (more or less). And, while they're physically performing absolutely insane maneuvers, that at least some of the injuries aren't real. But, flipping through the pages of this very real rise and fall and subsequent coming to peace of a man who spent much of his life in the public eye was a breath of fresh air.
Basically, a good portion of the beginning of the book was his early athletic endeavors in high school and college. It was entertaining to read and I enjoyed seeing where he came from and what led him to wrestle.
Wrestling took up at least the good middle half of the book and like I said, it's raw and real. There are some things that I wish had been expanded on (like his time with NWA), but there is definitely no shortage of stories on his wrestling years with other big names such as Ric Flair, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, and Yokozuna.
I think after his wrestling career was over was when the book tipped the scales for me. He talked about his drug and alcohol abuse, his affair with Elizabeth which led to his divorce and her death (again, truthfully, the most difficult part of the story to read), and finally how he found God and turned his life around.
Overall, I don't really think anybody who isn't a wrestling fan would like this book. But, those who are should definitely pick up this book.
October 11, 2013
Lex Luger has had one hell of a ride in the wrasslin’ business. Achieving superstar status very early in his career, he competed in main event matches all over the world. While the fame, fortune and respect of his peers made him a very successful performer, his personal life suffered through years of drug and alcohol abuse. For the first time, Lex opens up about his life and recounts his rise to the top and his rapid decline to the bottom.
In the last fifteen years, the wrestling autobiography has been a hot commodity. With the erosion of kayfabe culture (portraying the matches as legitimate contests) and the rise of the term “sports entertainment”, the wrestlers themselves have been more open and willing to discuss all aspects of their careers. Unfortunately, the majority of performers that rose to prominence in the 1980s followed a similar career path and because of this, a lot of their stories do tend to blend together.
In a recent interview with “The Genius” Lanny Poffo on pro wrestler Colt Cabana’s excellent podcast, The Art of Wrestling, Lanny said that the fate of many pro wrestlers can be summed up by S.O.B. stories – S.O.B being an acronym for “suicide”, “overdose” and “bankruptcy”. While Lex has escaped all three of those elements, it does not mean he’s not come close or had friends and colleagues close to him suffer those fates.
After failing to achieve his childhood dream of playing in the NBA, Luger moved into football. After overachieving in high school, Luger began receiving offers from various colleges to play for their respective teams. Unfortunately for Lex, his maturity level wasn’t quite there and before long, he had thrown away a promising career. Like many other former gridiron gladiators, Luger fell into pro wrestling and due to his impressive physique, shot straight to the top.
Legendary pro wrestling trainer and the man responsible for guiding Hulk Hogan into the business, Hiro Matsuda, took Luger under his wing. After passing a brutal conditioning program that culminated with a final exam featuring a five mile run, three hundred push ups, one thousand Hindu squats and three hundred Hindu jumping squats, Luger was deemed ready for the ring. Combining his insane cardiovascular conditioning with his muscular appearance and you had a guy destined for wrestling super stardom.
While Lex was having a tremendous amount of career success, it seemed that he would promptly make a bonehead move to counteract it. Whether he was pumping himself full of drugs and alcohol or cheating on his wife, his personal life was in shambles. It took a seemingly countless number of arrests and a turn to God before Luger finally began to get his life together.
I’m a sucker for any autobiography, biography, memoir or documentary that peeks behind the curtain of pro wrestling. I actually find the behind-the-scenes world of this business to be one of the most interesting subjects around and Lex’s book, while not having much that particularly shocked me, certainly fed me some information that I had never known.
In the last fifteen years, the wrestling autobiography has been a hot commodity. With the erosion of kayfabe culture (portraying the matches as legitimate contests) and the rise of the term “sports entertainment”, the wrestlers themselves have been more open and willing to discuss all aspects of their careers. Unfortunately, the majority of performers that rose to prominence in the 1980s followed a similar career path and because of this, a lot of their stories do tend to blend together.
In a recent interview with “The Genius” Lanny Poffo on pro wrestler Colt Cabana’s excellent podcast, The Art of Wrestling, Lanny said that the fate of many pro wrestlers can be summed up by S.O.B. stories – S.O.B being an acronym for “suicide”, “overdose” and “bankruptcy”. While Lex has escaped all three of those elements, it does not mean he’s not come close or had friends and colleagues close to him suffer those fates.
After failing to achieve his childhood dream of playing in the NBA, Luger moved into football. After overachieving in high school, Luger began receiving offers from various colleges to play for their respective teams. Unfortunately for Lex, his maturity level wasn’t quite there and before long, he had thrown away a promising career. Like many other former gridiron gladiators, Luger fell into pro wrestling and due to his impressive physique, shot straight to the top.
Legendary pro wrestling trainer and the man responsible for guiding Hulk Hogan into the business, Hiro Matsuda, took Luger under his wing. After passing a brutal conditioning program that culminated with a final exam featuring a five mile run, three hundred push ups, one thousand Hindu squats and three hundred Hindu jumping squats, Luger was deemed ready for the ring. Combining his insane cardiovascular conditioning with his muscular appearance and you had a guy destined for wrestling super stardom.
While Lex was having a tremendous amount of career success, it seemed that he would promptly make a bonehead move to counteract it. Whether he was pumping himself full of drugs and alcohol or cheating on his wife, his personal life was in shambles. It took a seemingly countless number of arrests and a turn to God before Luger finally began to get his life together.
I’m a sucker for any autobiography, biography, memoir or documentary that peeks behind the curtain of pro wrestling. I actually find the behind-the-scenes world of this business to be one of the most interesting subjects around and Lex’s book, while not having much that particularly shocked me, certainly fed me some information that I had never known.
November 22, 2021
A lot of people have no idea who Lex Luger is and there's a reason for that. Was he a good wrestler? Not really, but he was a Horseman so I kind of liked him, but then there was the WWE years and he was suddenly supposed to be the new Hulk Hogan but that didn't seem to work all that well, but I was a WCW guy so I wasn't into the product all that much so maybe it did. The whole point of this bio is to show people where Luger's been and how he seemed to hit rock bottom, found God and suddenly his life is better than ever. He talks about the highs of his career which are quite numerous and then there's that whole Elizabeth thing where she dies sitting right next to him, but he simply glossess over that and we head into the portion of his life where things get really ugly. I was hoping for more on Elizabeth, maybe some remorse but no, we don't get that and let's be honest here and say that he left his wife for her and he recounts the story with very little emotion. It's almost as if he's simply stating facts without incriminating himself. He doesn't admit that some of the blame could be placed on his own addiction but whatever. What we get is a story that tells people how God change anyone's life but that's not what a lot of us want to read. We don't care about that. We want a bio with dirt, and a little remorse here and there, but that doesn't happen and it should have, As a bio it's okay. You get the standard issue stuff but Lex as a person is pretty damn boring and I breezed through this in a few hours so my advice is to find a copy at a Library and save your money.
April 2, 2022
Not a ton of space spent on his wrestling career, which he doesn’t seem to have many interesting memories or insights on. A lot more on his downfall into addiction and then finding Jesus. If that’s the theme you’re looking for, there are probably better books available.
October 3, 2013
As far as Lex Luger's wrestling career goes, this book is as shallow as ... well, Lex Luger's wrestling career. He does quite clearly understand that he was more about body and image than he was a great worker, saying that he always kept trainer Hiro Matsuda's advice to "keep it simple" in mind, and never acts like he was something special in the ring. He credits guys like Ric Flair and Curt Hennig for being able to carry anyone to a good match, and never puts any of his own matches over as particularly memorable, really.
But he doesn't really go into much detail about anything. He breezes through his wrestling career after spending a good chunk of the book talking about his upbringing and his chaotic football career that saw him go from Penn State to the University of Miami, short stints with both and kicked off of the Miami team, to the CFL to the NFL to the USFL, and then into the wrestling business. In discussing his wrestling travels, he dishes no dirt, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but more unfortunate, he just sort of skims over everything. He doesn't address any of the old tales, like his encounter with Bruiser Brody in Florida, or the rumor that he lost to Yokozuna at WrestleMania X because he blabbed beforehand that he'd be winning.
Luger does not hide from his own long-term issues, though. He talks about steroid usage as it surely was to him: something that aided him professionally that was in no way strange in his line of work. And he doesn't play down the problems he had with alcohol or pills. The real heart of the book comes after his wrestling career is over, discussing his affair with Elizabeth Hulette (Miss Elizabeth) and her death at his home in Georgia. After that, it's a story of how he was able to find himself as a person again, owing much to his faith.
It's a quick, easy read, and it never really drags or anything, but unless you're a big Lex Luger fan, a diehard pro wrestling fan from his era, or someone who's into, like, God and stuff, it doesn't have much at all to really dig into. Luger is candid about his own life and comes across as quite genuine, but the thing is, he's mostly a nice person these days, and books about nice guys just aren't that interesting.
But he doesn't really go into much detail about anything. He breezes through his wrestling career after spending a good chunk of the book talking about his upbringing and his chaotic football career that saw him go from Penn State to the University of Miami, short stints with both and kicked off of the Miami team, to the CFL to the NFL to the USFL, and then into the wrestling business. In discussing his wrestling travels, he dishes no dirt, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but more unfortunate, he just sort of skims over everything. He doesn't address any of the old tales, like his encounter with Bruiser Brody in Florida, or the rumor that he lost to Yokozuna at WrestleMania X because he blabbed beforehand that he'd be winning.
Luger does not hide from his own long-term issues, though. He talks about steroid usage as it surely was to him: something that aided him professionally that was in no way strange in his line of work. And he doesn't play down the problems he had with alcohol or pills. The real heart of the book comes after his wrestling career is over, discussing his affair with Elizabeth Hulette (Miss Elizabeth) and her death at his home in Georgia. After that, it's a story of how he was able to find himself as a person again, owing much to his faith.
It's a quick, easy read, and it never really drags or anything, but unless you're a big Lex Luger fan, a diehard pro wrestling fan from his era, or someone who's into, like, God and stuff, it doesn't have much at all to really dig into. Luger is candid about his own life and comes across as quite genuine, but the thing is, he's mostly a nice person these days, and books about nice guys just aren't that interesting.
July 30, 2013
Many adults grew up watching wrestling. Even if you didn't, you would recognize the names of the famous ones. Many times, kids would imagine being a wrestler, and performing in front of huge crowds. Few people knew, or even know now, what being a wrestler really entails. Especially what takes place outside of the ring. Lex Luger lets us into that other world, and how his life went according to his plan, but how that wasn't the right path.
Lex Luger shares how he was growing up, that he was taught to work hard, but that he was also forced to do, or not do, certain things. Though music was big in his family, he preferred sports and being active.
Through sports, he discovered things he wanted to try and excel at. Track and field, basketball, football, they all let him be active and push himself. But, he also spent quite a bit of time in trouble.
Lex Luger got what he was wanting, money, fame, but nothing he got was what he needed. It wasn't until he lost control that he realized God needed to be in control. After that, he learned that God had even better plans for him.
Though he looked back at all the mistakes he made, and was saddened by them, He realized that God was going to use those mistakes and the pain they caused to allow Lex to help others.
Lex shares intimate details about his life. He goes deeper than just saying that he behaved badly and go into trouble. He tells what he did and what it did to him. He then tells that God still forgave him, just like He will forgive anyone.
I really liked that Lex Luther told how he had been there, done that, but not in a condescending way, and in a way that people can relate to. It was hard for me to put the book down.
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for giving an honest review.
Lex Luger shares how he was growing up, that he was taught to work hard, but that he was also forced to do, or not do, certain things. Though music was big in his family, he preferred sports and being active.
Through sports, he discovered things he wanted to try and excel at. Track and field, basketball, football, they all let him be active and push himself. But, he also spent quite a bit of time in trouble.
Lex Luger got what he was wanting, money, fame, but nothing he got was what he needed. It wasn't until he lost control that he realized God needed to be in control. After that, he learned that God had even better plans for him.
Though he looked back at all the mistakes he made, and was saddened by them, He realized that God was going to use those mistakes and the pain they caused to allow Lex to help others.
Lex shares intimate details about his life. He goes deeper than just saying that he behaved badly and go into trouble. He tells what he did and what it did to him. He then tells that God still forgave him, just like He will forgive anyone.
I really liked that Lex Luther told how he had been there, done that, but not in a condescending way, and in a way that people can relate to. It was hard for me to put the book down.
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for giving an honest review.
November 26, 2025
Lex Luger always kind of had a reputation in pro wrestling for not really loving the business. He pretty much proves it in this book. After Luger takes his sweet time Al Bundying us through his childhood athleticism, he dilly-dallies while he Uncle Ricos us through his 20-ish games combined football career in college, the CFL, and the USFL. He then proceeds to wax poetic about his steroid regimen for quite a while. Then, finally, he blazes through his entire wrestling career in a flash, leaving stuff like the Bruiser Brody incident on the cutting room floor. He pretty much bullet-points his relationship with Elizabeth Hulette and seems pretty detached when describing her death and his involvement in it.
The last section of the book, Luger really utilizes his word count to preach about christianity and the bible and all that played out stuff. This is a man who has zero genuine introspection. I rolled my eyes many times throughout the book. There are so many better pro wrestling books available. This one you can skip.
The last section of the book, Luger really utilizes his word count to preach about christianity and the bible and all that played out stuff. This is a man who has zero genuine introspection. I rolled my eyes many times throughout the book. There are so many better pro wrestling books available. This one you can skip.
August 16, 2013
The latest in the line of born again wrestler's biographies comes courtesy of Lex Luger, one of my childhood favorites from the NWA, WCW, and a brief 2-year stint in the WWF.
Luger's story is an interesting one. Unlike most successful professional wrestlers he did not grow up watching the matches on TV or going to the arenas. Luger grew up in Buffalo, NY, WWF country, but he states that his only memories of wrestling were wondering why his uncle was so glued to the TV on Saturday nights. Even in the golden era of style over substance, the 1980s, muscle-bound behemoths like Hulk Hogan were genuinely fans of the industry before they ever got in it.
So the story of Luger's entry into the pro wrestling industry is a unique tale, although you have to take a lot of Luger's story with a large shaker of salt. For example, Luger says that he was Hiro Matsuda's favorite student and fastest learner. Matsuda is also notable for training legends such as Hulk Hogan and Paul Orndorff. So while it's entirely possible that Luger was in fact a prodigy in Matsuda's training regiment, you have to consider the inherent bias of the source.
Luger also puts himself over as a shooting star in his early years in Championship Wrestling from Florida and then Jim Crockett Promotions. Granted, Luger did win PWI Rookie of the Year and that's not in dispute. And Luger does in fact acknowledge his limited move set and his inability to call a match himself. He gives Ric Flair a ton of credit for carrying him to main event status, which is a very honest assessment, and he argues that the booking committee encouraged him to stick to simple power moves rather than expand his game.
While Luger's early years are covered well, including his burgeoning wrestling career, once Luger gets through his initial face turn upon leaving the 4 Horsemen the book goes into warp speed. Memorable matches with the Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff, and Stan Hansen are not even acknowledged as Luger's career from 1987-1991 is essentially ignored. No commentary on Crockett's expansion into other NWA territories, no mentions of the revolving door of bookers in WCW, and not even a word about Sting's first NWA World Heavyweight Title win over Flair in 1990. Luger's heel turn at the 1991 Great American Bash (and first World Title win) earned exactly four paragraphs of discussion. "The match went just as planned, and I left with the title." That is Luger's summary of his first WCW World Heavyweight Title win, a HUGE milestone in any wrestler's career.
As for the Title reign itself, that gets one paragraph. Luger's final WCW match at SuperBrawl II gets two paragraphs. "I just wanted the match to be over and done with," Luger writes. Anybody who has seen that match can attest to that.
At this point the book gets interesting again. Luger devotes ample time to the events that led to his jump to the WWF via Vince McMahon's World Bodybuilding Federation, as well as the subsequent motorcycle accident that resulted in Luger getting a titanium plate screwed into his right arm by Dr. James Andrews. His brief WWF run gets a good amount of ink, including the "Lex Express" hype in the summer of 1993 leading to his Summerslam match with Yokozuna. Chapter 10 is dedicated to Luger's surprise return to WCW on the first episode of Monday Nitro -- one of the most shocking jumps in modern wrestling history -- and the next 40 pages or so cover the nWo, Luger's second WCW World Title win over Hulk Hogan, the Wolfpac, and the much-maligned "Millionaire's Club vs. New Blood" storyline.
The latter third of the book is dedicated to Luger's post-wrestling life, and Luger is brutally honest about his shortcomings as a husband, father, friend, and man. The book covers in some details his alcoholism , prescription drug abuse, steroid use, and infidelities. One gets the sense throughout the first 180 pages or so that Larry Pfohl/Lex Luger was, to put it bluntly, a real bastard.
These failings led to his affair with Miss Elizabeth, getting kicked out of the house and then divorced by his wife, and sadly to Elizabeth's death from a drug overdose as she sat next to Luger on the couch. To make matters worse for Luger, while investigating her overdose police found a bag of anabolic steroids in his home and arrested him. To make a long story shorter, Luger became a convicted felon in addition to pre-existing titles as an ex-husband, drug addict, alcoholic, and general jerk.
While in prison for violating parole, Luger met a prison chaplain who changed his life. From here the book seems to turn into a regular born again wrestler story ... but there is a twist. Luger wakes up in a hotel room and finds that he is paralyzed from the neck down. Now Luger is an ex-husband, former drug addict, former alcoholic, convicted felon, and paraplegic.
Astonishingly, Luger persevered. Today he has lost all of the muscle mass he was once famous for, but he can once again walk, work out, drive, and do all the other things that independent people do. Doctors thought he may never regain use of his legs, much less get back on a treadmill. As expected, Luger attributes his miraculous recovery to his newfound faith in God and Jesus Christ. If you aren't into religious talk, you may want to skip the last two chapters.
Because Luger has a highly-unique story that repeatedly makes you say out loud, "Seriously?" I do recommend this book. Just know going in that the actual wrestling talk comprises maybe 70 of the 223 pages of text. If you are looking for great insight into WCW or the hot 1980s NWA territories, look elsewhere.
Luger's story is an interesting one. Unlike most successful professional wrestlers he did not grow up watching the matches on TV or going to the arenas. Luger grew up in Buffalo, NY, WWF country, but he states that his only memories of wrestling were wondering why his uncle was so glued to the TV on Saturday nights. Even in the golden era of style over substance, the 1980s, muscle-bound behemoths like Hulk Hogan were genuinely fans of the industry before they ever got in it.
So the story of Luger's entry into the pro wrestling industry is a unique tale, although you have to take a lot of Luger's story with a large shaker of salt. For example, Luger says that he was Hiro Matsuda's favorite student and fastest learner. Matsuda is also notable for training legends such as Hulk Hogan and Paul Orndorff. So while it's entirely possible that Luger was in fact a prodigy in Matsuda's training regiment, you have to consider the inherent bias of the source.
Luger also puts himself over as a shooting star in his early years in Championship Wrestling from Florida and then Jim Crockett Promotions. Granted, Luger did win PWI Rookie of the Year and that's not in dispute. And Luger does in fact acknowledge his limited move set and his inability to call a match himself. He gives Ric Flair a ton of credit for carrying him to main event status, which is a very honest assessment, and he argues that the booking committee encouraged him to stick to simple power moves rather than expand his game.
While Luger's early years are covered well, including his burgeoning wrestling career, once Luger gets through his initial face turn upon leaving the 4 Horsemen the book goes into warp speed. Memorable matches with the Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff, and Stan Hansen are not even acknowledged as Luger's career from 1987-1991 is essentially ignored. No commentary on Crockett's expansion into other NWA territories, no mentions of the revolving door of bookers in WCW, and not even a word about Sting's first NWA World Heavyweight Title win over Flair in 1990. Luger's heel turn at the 1991 Great American Bash (and first World Title win) earned exactly four paragraphs of discussion. "The match went just as planned, and I left with the title." That is Luger's summary of his first WCW World Heavyweight Title win, a HUGE milestone in any wrestler's career.
As for the Title reign itself, that gets one paragraph. Luger's final WCW match at SuperBrawl II gets two paragraphs. "I just wanted the match to be over and done with," Luger writes. Anybody who has seen that match can attest to that.
At this point the book gets interesting again. Luger devotes ample time to the events that led to his jump to the WWF via Vince McMahon's World Bodybuilding Federation, as well as the subsequent motorcycle accident that resulted in Luger getting a titanium plate screwed into his right arm by Dr. James Andrews. His brief WWF run gets a good amount of ink, including the "Lex Express" hype in the summer of 1993 leading to his Summerslam match with Yokozuna. Chapter 10 is dedicated to Luger's surprise return to WCW on the first episode of Monday Nitro -- one of the most shocking jumps in modern wrestling history -- and the next 40 pages or so cover the nWo, Luger's second WCW World Title win over Hulk Hogan, the Wolfpac, and the much-maligned "Millionaire's Club vs. New Blood" storyline.
The latter third of the book is dedicated to Luger's post-wrestling life, and Luger is brutally honest about his shortcomings as a husband, father, friend, and man. The book covers in some details his alcoholism , prescription drug abuse, steroid use, and infidelities. One gets the sense throughout the first 180 pages or so that Larry Pfohl/Lex Luger was, to put it bluntly, a real bastard.
These failings led to his affair with Miss Elizabeth, getting kicked out of the house and then divorced by his wife, and sadly to Elizabeth's death from a drug overdose as she sat next to Luger on the couch. To make matters worse for Luger, while investigating her overdose police found a bag of anabolic steroids in his home and arrested him. To make a long story shorter, Luger became a convicted felon in addition to pre-existing titles as an ex-husband, drug addict, alcoholic, and general jerk.
While in prison for violating parole, Luger met a prison chaplain who changed his life. From here the book seems to turn into a regular born again wrestler story ... but there is a twist. Luger wakes up in a hotel room and finds that he is paralyzed from the neck down. Now Luger is an ex-husband, former drug addict, former alcoholic, convicted felon, and paraplegic.
Astonishingly, Luger persevered. Today he has lost all of the muscle mass he was once famous for, but he can once again walk, work out, drive, and do all the other things that independent people do. Doctors thought he may never regain use of his legs, much less get back on a treadmill. As expected, Luger attributes his miraculous recovery to his newfound faith in God and Jesus Christ. If you aren't into religious talk, you may want to skip the last two chapters.
Because Luger has a highly-unique story that repeatedly makes you say out loud, "Seriously?" I do recommend this book. Just know going in that the actual wrestling talk comprises maybe 70 of the 223 pages of text. If you are looking for great insight into WCW or the hot 1980s NWA territories, look elsewhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2013
Please visit Create With Joy now through August 30, 2013 and enter the Wrestling With The Devil Giveaway for your chance to win a copy of this book! (US Readers)
I have never been a football or professional wrestling fan. Truth be told, I’m really not into most organized sports. So, you may be surprised to see me recommending Wrestling With The Devil by Lex Luger – the autobiography of a former football player who is best known for becoming the three-time world heavyweight wrestling champion known as “the Total Package” – and for the lurid scandals that followed.
But, here’s the thing. While I may never have been dazzled by the on-screen antics of this former narcissistic wrestler or impressed by the bad-boy behavior that plagued this once popular athlete, nothing catches my attention faster than stories about prodigals who live life in the fast lane, destroy themselves in the process of pursuing fame, fortune, and meaningless addictions – and then, experience a life-transforming encounter with the living God.
Lex Luger – a pill-popping, alcohol-abusing felon whose womanizing tore his family apart – was one such man. And Wrestling With The Devil is his story.
Lex Luger was a golden boy who had it all – yet, what he had was never enough. As a youth, Lex (born Larry Pfohl) was rebellious and always causing his parents and coaches heartbreak. Although he was raised with good values, Lex never felt the rules applied to him – an attitude which was instrumental in his downfall.
Steve Borden, also known as the wrestler Sting, says it like this:
Wrestling With The Devil has something for everyone. Sports lovers will enjoy reading about football and pro wrestling from an insider’s perspective. Those who have suffered physical setbacks or experienced extreme loss as a result of their own poor choices will cherish this book as it shows that hope is available and comebacks are possible to all.
You don’t have to be into sports to enjoy Lex’s autobiography. We need more books like this: real life stories of people who have everything – lose it all – yet still find new life and redemption in the hands of a loving God.
This review was written by and originally published at Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. I was not compensated or required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I have never been a football or professional wrestling fan. Truth be told, I’m really not into most organized sports. So, you may be surprised to see me recommending Wrestling With The Devil by Lex Luger – the autobiography of a former football player who is best known for becoming the three-time world heavyweight wrestling champion known as “the Total Package” – and for the lurid scandals that followed.
But, here’s the thing. While I may never have been dazzled by the on-screen antics of this former narcissistic wrestler or impressed by the bad-boy behavior that plagued this once popular athlete, nothing catches my attention faster than stories about prodigals who live life in the fast lane, destroy themselves in the process of pursuing fame, fortune, and meaningless addictions – and then, experience a life-transforming encounter with the living God.
Lex Luger – a pill-popping, alcohol-abusing felon whose womanizing tore his family apart – was one such man. And Wrestling With The Devil is his story.
Lex Luger was a golden boy who had it all – yet, what he had was never enough. As a youth, Lex (born Larry Pfohl) was rebellious and always causing his parents and coaches heartbreak. Although he was raised with good values, Lex never felt the rules applied to him – an attitude which was instrumental in his downfall.
Some people have to lose everything before they can ask themselves:
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (Matthew 16:26)
Steve Borden, also known as the wrestler Sting, says it like this:
This book is about how Lex Luger got from where he was then – a convicted felon, a womanizer, a drug user, a worshiper of self and money and fame – to a man who experienced one of the most dramatic and miraculous transformations I've ever seen. Wrestling With The Devil is a wild ride, a behind-the-scenes look at Lex’s glory days of wrestling, the tragic crash that followed, and his remarkable journey of discovering true strength.
Wrestling With The Devil has something for everyone. Sports lovers will enjoy reading about football and pro wrestling from an insider’s perspective. Those who have suffered physical setbacks or experienced extreme loss as a result of their own poor choices will cherish this book as it shows that hope is available and comebacks are possible to all.
You don’t have to be into sports to enjoy Lex’s autobiography. We need more books like this: real life stories of people who have everything – lose it all – yet still find new life and redemption in the hands of a loving God.
This review was written by and originally published at Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. I was not compensated or required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
September 17, 2013
I began watching wrestling back in the early 1990s, becoming a die hard fan around the time of Wrestlemania IX, and I remember Lex Luger appearing initially as 'The Narcissist Lex Luger', preening in a full length mirror, his muscular, chiselled body (as was the convention back then) being offset by his shock of blonde hair.
I always thought he was OK, but compared to the likes of Bret 'Hitman' Hart, Shawn 'Heartbreak Kid' Michaels, 'Macho Man' Randy Savage he didn't really capture my imagination, nor that as it happens of the WWE (or WWF as it was then) universe. It wasn't until he suddenly turn from heel to face, body slamming Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid on 4th July 1993 that he really got over with the fans.
Luger seemed to bask in the glory for a short while and then he was gone. I wasn't hugely aware that he'd come from the WCW prior to this, or where he went afterwards, but he seemed to be there one minute and not the next. Life moved on, as did wrestling.
It was with some surprise, then, that Wrestling With The Devil showed up for review, as I wasn't even aware if Luger was even still alive, and so I tackled it with the same zeal I do any wrestling book and was pleasantly surprised.
Luger gives a very candid account of his rise throught the American football ranks, through his switch to a wrestling career, his tenure with WWE and then his descent into drink and drugs hell, the nadir being the death of Randy Savage's former companion Miss Elizabeth.
As if that wsan't enough, Luger was involved in a serious road traffic accident before eventually having his body give up on his and becoming a paraplegic who was given zero chance of ever walking again.
Along the way, Luger found God (as had his friend Sting - the wrestler, not the musician) and today he seems to be in a pretty good place, having regained his mobility and independence and slain his previous demons.
Though he does lapse into slight religious fervour in the dying pages of the book, for the most part Wrestling With The Devil is a fascinating insight into the life of a professional athlete, and one that wrestling fans will lap up as Luger pulls no punches when talking about his days in the squared circle while remaining respectful of the people he talks about. Well, mostly.
If you're a WWE fan, or a wrestling fan in general, then this is definitely a book to be checked out.
I always thought he was OK, but compared to the likes of Bret 'Hitman' Hart, Shawn 'Heartbreak Kid' Michaels, 'Macho Man' Randy Savage he didn't really capture my imagination, nor that as it happens of the WWE (or WWF as it was then) universe. It wasn't until he suddenly turn from heel to face, body slamming Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid on 4th July 1993 that he really got over with the fans.
Luger seemed to bask in the glory for a short while and then he was gone. I wasn't hugely aware that he'd come from the WCW prior to this, or where he went afterwards, but he seemed to be there one minute and not the next. Life moved on, as did wrestling.
It was with some surprise, then, that Wrestling With The Devil showed up for review, as I wasn't even aware if Luger was even still alive, and so I tackled it with the same zeal I do any wrestling book and was pleasantly surprised.
Luger gives a very candid account of his rise throught the American football ranks, through his switch to a wrestling career, his tenure with WWE and then his descent into drink and drugs hell, the nadir being the death of Randy Savage's former companion Miss Elizabeth.
As if that wsan't enough, Luger was involved in a serious road traffic accident before eventually having his body give up on his and becoming a paraplegic who was given zero chance of ever walking again.
Along the way, Luger found God (as had his friend Sting - the wrestler, not the musician) and today he seems to be in a pretty good place, having regained his mobility and independence and slain his previous demons.
Though he does lapse into slight religious fervour in the dying pages of the book, for the most part Wrestling With The Devil is a fascinating insight into the life of a professional athlete, and one that wrestling fans will lap up as Luger pulls no punches when talking about his days in the squared circle while remaining respectful of the people he talks about. Well, mostly.
If you're a WWE fan, or a wrestling fan in general, then this is definitely a book to be checked out.
September 5, 2013
Wrestling with the Devil: The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler - His Reign, Ruin, and Redemption
Lex Luger takes the reader through his life-the good, the bad, and everything in between. Early on in the book I was concerned that the narrative seemed to glorify his sinful past and felt that some commentary from Lex would have been beneficial. This concern fades as the book progresses and Lex becomes more explicit in his faith and less nostalgic about his past.
One thing I really appreciated about this book is how Lex is respectful of the people he mentions. He never speaks negatively about a person and, in situations that warrant a critical reference, does not mention those by name. It is so easy to turn an autobiography into a means of disparaging those with whom you have had issues, and Lex chooses not to do so.
This is a good, fast, entertaining read. I appreciate Lex's candor and enjoyed the book.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com
Lex Luger takes the reader through his life-the good, the bad, and everything in between. Early on in the book I was concerned that the narrative seemed to glorify his sinful past and felt that some commentary from Lex would have been beneficial. This concern fades as the book progresses and Lex becomes more explicit in his faith and less nostalgic about his past.
One thing I really appreciated about this book is how Lex is respectful of the people he mentions. He never speaks negatively about a person and, in situations that warrant a critical reference, does not mention those by name. It is so easy to turn an autobiography into a means of disparaging those with whom you have had issues, and Lex chooses not to do so.
This is a good, fast, entertaining read. I appreciate Lex's candor and enjoyed the book.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com
February 3, 2021
Luger comes off as the most unfeeling creepy sociopath in his own lie-filled Christian autobiography.
When his long term live-in girlfriend dies of an O.D. next to him... he never mentions it again. He spent more time saying he didn't beat her ("She tripped on the dog leash. A lot." "She slipped on the pizza box") than he does being sad or remorseful (which is ZERO words).
Even when talking about what a junkie he was he paints himself as a harmless innocent, lying about matters of public record. TRUTH: he was arrested on a flight for being drunk and disorderly with two other wrestlers. LIE IN THE BOOK: saying it was because he just made a whoopsie and forgot to check with his probation officer. He just "forgot" he had a thousand units of steroids in his house. If you know any junkie liars, you'll recognize Lex.
If you like wrestling, skip this because he tells almost no stories of his time in the sport, and what he says if often wrong, and his ghostwriter didn't check that "Mr Perfect" and Curt Hennig were the same person and treats them as separate.
Someone who liked wrestling and had an OUNCE OF HUMAN FEELING should have proof read this. Utter trash.
He probably talks about Jesus at the end. I gave up.
When his long term live-in girlfriend dies of an O.D. next to him... he never mentions it again. He spent more time saying he didn't beat her ("She tripped on the dog leash. A lot." "She slipped on the pizza box") than he does being sad or remorseful (which is ZERO words).
Even when talking about what a junkie he was he paints himself as a harmless innocent, lying about matters of public record. TRUTH: he was arrested on a flight for being drunk and disorderly with two other wrestlers. LIE IN THE BOOK: saying it was because he just made a whoopsie and forgot to check with his probation officer. He just "forgot" he had a thousand units of steroids in his house. If you know any junkie liars, you'll recognize Lex.
If you like wrestling, skip this because he tells almost no stories of his time in the sport, and what he says if often wrong, and his ghostwriter didn't check that "Mr Perfect" and Curt Hennig were the same person and treats them as separate.
Someone who liked wrestling and had an OUNCE OF HUMAN FEELING should have proof read this. Utter trash.
He probably talks about Jesus at the end. I gave up.
March 13, 2016
Went through hell came out the otherside
A great read for all wrestling fans. Lex is part of the wrestling history and will be known now for his courage and fight for a better person
A great read for all wrestling fans. Lex is part of the wrestling history and will be known now for his courage and fight for a better person
October 5, 2014
I would have waited this higher if it was more wrestling related
March 17, 2017
Funny how the wife and kids leave the story after Lex finds God.
December 30, 2017
During my Wrestling watching days I was never a fan of Lex Luger, to me an over glorified pretty boy who couldn’t wrestle a lick. Surprisingly he admits much of this in his book that he kept it simple, looked good and let the more experienced guys like Ric Flair and others lead him to good matches. He tells of his early problems as a juvenile delinquent. His brief college career and his time in the CFL, NFL and USFL. He covers his intro to wrestling his training with Hiro Matsuda and his meteoric rise, rookie to Southern Champ to Jim Crockett promotions and member of the 4 Horsemen within a brief period of time. After that his description of wrestling is brief and kind of skips around, he mentions jumping to the WBF and WWF, the Lex Express and the jumping back to WCW on Nitro. He tells of his major drug and alcohol problems and his incarceration. The comeback from his neck and back problems is pretty remarkable and he appears to have turned his life around at the end of the book. One item I really wanted to hear about which was left out of the book was his feelings on the night Bruiser Brody shot on him in the cage just before he left Florida for Jim Crockett. It’s okay but not nearly as good as most of the other wrestling biographies.
May 7, 2024
Within the subgenre of wrestling autobiographies, there's an even deeper sub-subgenre of faith-based wrestling autobiographies. A lot of them come off as a bit self-righteous and rambly. This is no exception. Lex Luger is a legend with a lot of stories he could cover, but he really goes for the bare minimum here of Wikipedia-level recaps of his career with little to no stories to share. His entire tenure in the WWE is summed up in like 8 pages. I knew what I was in for with the salvation message, but I always hope there's at least something new I can learn about a wrestler's in-ring career from every wrestling book I read. The first 40% covers Luger's career and the rest focuses on his drug and alcohol addiction, the death of Miss Elizabeth, and his born-again Christian awakening. I can't knock this entirely, I knew what I was getting into. I just wish Lex dug a little deeper and made this an additional 100 pages of more wrestling content. This isn't the best or the worst of the faith-based wrestling autobiographies I've covered, but the total package it is not.
October 30, 2018
For a book about a pro wrestler, less than half of it is about his wrestling career. I realize that's not exactly the story Lex wanted to tell, wanting to focus more on his salvation and born again journey. But for most people reading this, they're not going to get enough of what they want. For example, his entire WWF career is covered in only one ten page chapter. His WCW World Title Run makes up less than 3 pages.
Non-Christians should still enjoy it, as it's not as bogged down with the born-again affirmations as Shawn Michaels's Wrestling for My Life. It's a fairly quick read and not a bad one at all, but if you're looking for a more wrestling-centric autobiography, there's dozens others out there for you.
Non-Christians should still enjoy it, as it's not as bogged down with the born-again affirmations as Shawn Michaels's Wrestling for My Life. It's a fairly quick read and not a bad one at all, but if you're looking for a more wrestling-centric autobiography, there's dozens others out there for you.
November 12, 2022
This was a really interesting book and a quick read. I borrowed it from the library after I had seen his biography on A&E a few months ago. I hadn’t even realized he had written this book. So many of the reviews of this book missed his whole point of writing it in the first place. He wanted to tell some of his life story and talk about the mistakes he made along the way. The reader does get the chance to see what all he went through. The reader also gets the chance to see what changed his life and he shares that the change is from accepting Jesus. That is his whole purpose it writing the book. He wants to show people how they can change their lives too. I really enjoyed it and I am happy that he did find peace.
November 30, 2022
From arrogance to humbleness, Lex Luger went from wrestling opponents in the ring to wrestling his demons outside of it. I was a big fan of his growing up. Loved watching him get people in the torture rack, but it seemed that his life outside of the world of wrestling was torture. Especially for the ones around him. This was a great read. An inspiration. Both from a every day life perspective and a spiritual one. I’m genuinely happy for Lex. For finding God, for turning his life around, for surviving an addiction and a life-altering spinal cord injury, and for using his story as a testimony to bring others to Christ. He wrestled with the devil, and won.
August 30, 2017
Another in my series of books I read about the wrestlers I grew up watching, this story fascinated me before reading it, only because I knew some things peripherally. I was anxious to get into the details. Unlike the book by Bret Hart and the ones by Chris Jericho, I didn't find Lex's story overly interesting. He's not a sympathetic figure, and he squandered what should have been a great career. His final conversion to the man he is now, doing good works in the religious community and helping others, is admirable.
April 16, 2018
A little short, but an intriguing memoir for one of the great wrestlers of the 90s. Lex could have elaborated more on certain parts of his life and career, but after hearing the end of the book and his newfound faith in God, it became clear the book wasn't about his accolades, but rather his mishaps. The best parts were of his family and upbringing and relationship with Sting. He doesn't go too in-depth about particular matches (which is nice), although he does give enough personal details to make the reading worth while.
January 29, 2020
I'll preface this by saying I never was a Lex Luger fan. Not in WWF or in WCW. But I like wrestling books so figured I'd give it a shot.
Overall it was a decent book but really kinda feel like the last 3/4's was rushed through. He doesn't spend more then a chapter or two on each tenure in WCW, then WWF and then back to WCW.
I wound have liked to hear more about his family in the last quarter of the book. After the divorce you really don't get much info on his family life or what happened with them.
Overall a decent read but not the best wrestling book out there.
Overall it was a decent book but really kinda feel like the last 3/4's was rushed through. He doesn't spend more then a chapter or two on each tenure in WCW, then WWF and then back to WCW.
I wound have liked to hear more about his family in the last quarter of the book. After the divorce you really don't get much info on his family life or what happened with them.
Overall a decent read but not the best wrestling book out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2022
Excellent book. Today is Father's day. Exactly 3 years ago was the last time I got to see my little boy until the family courts gave me a Life time restraining-order to be 100 yards from my little boy. Family courts don't want fathers.. they only want your child support money or they will throw you in jail. That's what happened to this father. He was thrown in prison because of child support. But in prison he became a Christian and had the most awesome story that needs to become a Hollywood movie
April 10, 2024
This was an incredibly strong message by a man who truly understands salvation because he pulled himself out of the death trap of sin.
If you are a Christian like myself who battles his own demons, I highly recommend reading this. Even if you are Nota wrestling fan, Lex's testimony is a strong reminder of true salvation.
Is it perfectly written? Of course not, but I immediately got the understanding of Lex Luger as a "regular" man who has now done extraordinary things. Maybe he's not stronger in physical body, but spiritually he is stronger than ever!
If you are a Christian like myself who battles his own demons, I highly recommend reading this. Even if you are Nota wrestling fan, Lex's testimony is a strong reminder of true salvation.
Is it perfectly written? Of course not, but I immediately got the understanding of Lex Luger as a "regular" man who has now done extraordinary things. Maybe he's not stronger in physical body, but spiritually he is stronger than ever!
October 8, 2017
Lex Luger had a long wrestling career. probably too long to be able to cover it all in a book under 200 pages. Add in his childhood, years playing football, addiction & finding religion, and under 200 pages isn't long enough to cover anything with much detail.
While everything gets glossed over, what is there is interesting enough. I wish he had spent more time talking about wrestling, and less time talking about pills and Jesus.
While everything gets glossed over, what is there is interesting enough. I wish he had spent more time talking about wrestling, and less time talking about pills and Jesus.
May 10, 2022
Unfortunately a wrestler auto-bio that hardly talks about wrestling at all. This is some eerie Jesus/Born Again redemption story that is really short on details and pages. I’m happy for Lex that his fucked up life turned around some after hitting rock bottom, but this is a really bad wrestling book. This was a gift from my mom for my 35th birthday. Needless to say, she knows me well.
February 23, 2023
A very honest re count of his life. He speaks of his failures…selfishness and pride was his biggest obstacles. I love his use of the bible. He gives the reason for writing this book and that is to bring people to Christ. He has a great understanding of how to become a Christian and pulls no punches. I highly recommend this book to anyone especially those involved in sport
April 23, 2023
Somethings in this life you just can’t predict. I finish this book on the same day 17 years ago that Lex accepted Christ. I have always been Lex Luger fan and watched the A&E special. I enjoyed the program and cried like a baby when I realized that Sting had baptized Lex. My two favorite wrestlers are now amazing men of God. How amazing is that!!
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