Lex Luger Credits This WWE Hall Of Famer With Coining Total Package & Torture Rack

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Lex Luger will be part of the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class alongside stars like Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Michelle McCool. Appearing on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" shortly before the big announcement, Luger reflected on various aspects of his career, including the initial version of the "Total Package" gimmick used in his early days.

"That was a heck of a nickname Dusty Rhodes gave me," Luger said. "I was in the back and he goes, ... 'I want you to be the brains and the brawn and the beauty.' ... He goes, 'I want you to be the total package, baby.' He came up with that nickname and he came up with the finish, the Torture Rack, because he thought it showed off my body and my abs."

Luger revealed that the finishing move proved difficult to execute, depending on his opponent's body type, but it wound up serving him well. The future WWE Hall of Famer also credited Ric Flair for acting as a mentor to him in those early days, and he believes that the inflated ego of his youth made it easier to step into the role that was crafted for him.

After a very promising start to his career in the 1980s, Luger spent the following decade bouncing from WCW to the WWF and back. He maintained a steady level of success through the 1990s but many, including WWE's Bruce Prichard, would argue that personal issues kept Luger from reaching his full potential. Luger's in-ring career largely ended following the end of WCW in 2001, though he wrestled a few more matches in the intervening years.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.