The Context 

I thought it would be fun to run this through Gemini, rather than ChatGPT, and this is one of those all-time disaster moves in WWE history. 

Not only did Luger challenge Yokozuna for the WWE title in his first PPV main event at Summerslam ‘93, but we also had the whole Lex Express tour to cement his babyface turn after bodyslamming Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid. Can AI do better? Let’s take a look:

What Really Happened 

ACTUAL HISTORY: LEX LUGER’S RUN (THE LEX EXPRESS)

Week-by-Week Television Build

Week 1: July 5, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

The broadcast focuses heavily on video highlights of Lex Luger body-slamming Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid the previous day. Mr. Fuji issues an open championship challenge on television, but it is answered by Crush rather than Luger.

Week 2: July 12, 1993 (WWF Superstars)

Yokozuna defeats Crush and targets him with four consecutive Banzai Drops to write him off television. The promotion officially launches the Lex Express campaign, revealing a customized red, white, and blue bus that will tour the country to collect fan signatures on a petition demanding a title match for Luger.

Week 3: July 19, 1993 (WWF Wrestling Challenge)

Extensive footage airs of Luger traveling across the United States on the Lex Express. Segments show Luger making public relations appearances, visiting hospitals, greeting fans at community rallies, and systematically gathering thousands of petition signatures.

Week 4: July 26, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

WWF President Jack Tunney makes an official statement. Tunney announces that due to the historic public support and the sheer volume of signatures collected on the Lex Express tour, Luger is officially granted a WWF Championship match at SummerSlam.

Week 5: August 2, 1993 (WWF Superstars)

Jim Cornette assumes control of Yokozuna’s television segments to negotiate the match terms. Cornette legally mandates that Luger wear a padded compression sleeve over his forearm and enforces a contract clause stating that this will be Luger’s only championship opportunity against Yokozuna.

Week 6: August 9, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

The promotion heavily pushes Luger’s non-wrestling packages. Media spots highlight Luger’s appearances on national talk shows, local news broadcasts, and charitable events across the country to reinforce his status as a patriotic icon.

Week 7: August 16, 1993 (WWF Wrestling Challenge)

The contract is finalized. Promos show the official execution of the SummerSlam main event parameters, locking in both the required forearm padding and the high-stakes “one shot only” restriction.

Week 8: August 23, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

The go-home broadcast features a definitive sit-down interview between Vince McMahon and Lex Luger. Luger summarizes his cross-country journey on the Lex Express and promises a victory for the United States to close out the summer.

Gemini’s Alternate Universe 

FANTASY BOOKING: LEX LUGER’S RUN (NO LEX EXPRESS)

Week-by-Week Television Build

Week 1: July 5, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

Vince McMahon conducts an in-ring interview with Lex Luger. Luger officially leaves behind “The Narcissist” persona, appearing in athletic gear rather than elaborate robes. He declares his intention to hunt down the WWF Championship. Jim Cornette, Mr. Fuji, and legal representation interrupt the segment. Cornette presents an injunction stating that Luger’s steel-plated forearm is a banned weapon and states that Yokozuna will never grant him a title shot.

Week 2: July 12, 1993 (WWF Superstars)

Luger makes his in-ring television debut as a full-fledged babyface. To counter Cornette’s legal complaints, Luger completely avoids using his forearm smash, instead winning a swift bout by forcing his opponent to submit to the Torture Rack. Afterward, the first gritty training vignette airs, showing Luger lifting heavy weights in a standard gym, shifting his focus from pure aesthetics to raw power.

Week 3: July 19, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

Luger is booked against Bam Bam Bigelow. Jim Cornette joins the broadcast table to scout the match. Luger absorbs heavy punishment but rallies back, countering a diving headbutt and successfully lifting Bigelow into the Torture Rack for a definitive submission victory. Cornette leaves the broadcast area in a visible panic.

Week 4: July 26, 1993 (WWF Wrestling Challenge)

A second training package highlights Luger’s core and lower-body conditioning. The footage is specifically tailored to demonstrate how an athlete prepares to hoist a 500-pound champion. In the ring, Luger secures another dominant television victory utilizing the Torture Rack.

Week 5: August 2, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

Luger is the special guest on The King’s Court. Jerry “The King” Lawler spends the segment insulting Luger’s athletic background before revealing a surprise ambush by Ludvig Borga. Luger fights off the sneak attack, clotheslining Borga over the top rope to the floor while Lawler retreats.

Week 6: August 9, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

WWF President Jack Tunney addresses the audience. Tunney rules that Luger’s undefeated submission streak makes him the undeniable number-one contender. To address Cornette’s safety concerns, Tunney orders that Luger must wear a WWF-inspected padded sleeve over his forearm during the match. If the pad is removed, Luger faces immediate disqualification.

Week 7: August 16, 1993 (WWF Superstars)

The official contract signing takes place in the center of the ring. Cornette agrees to the match under Tunney’s padding stipulation, but adds a high-stakes legal clause of his own: because Luger is deemed a safety hazard to the roster, this will be his only shot at the title. If he fails to win, he can never challenge Yokozuna again. Luger signs the contract immediately.

Week 8: August 23, 1993 (Monday Night Raw)

The final go-home show features an intense, split-screen interview between Luger and Yokozuna. Cornette speaks on behalf of the champion, screaming that the Torture Rack will fail against a 500-pound mountain. Luger looks directly into the camera and promises the fans he will lift the champion and bring the gold back to the United States.

Analysis 

Obviously, with hindsight, the Lex Express idea wasn’t very good because Lex wasn’t really built to travel across the country and believably gladhand fans. 

In the AI version, the idea of Lex wanting the title shot, but the champ and Cornette playing chickenshits is standard wrestling booking, but stretching out Lex being forced to cover his steel-plated forearm to get the shot, feels like it would have worked better than putting Lex in a bus and forcing this “fan petition” to get a title shot. 

Also, in real life, Lex doesn’t wrestle much at all, leading to the title match. While Lex wasn’t this classic pro wrestler, winning some squashes with his submission would have defintely been something he was capable of pulling off. Also, the proposed match with Bigelow on Raw might not have been a five-star match, but a clean submission over Bigelow would have been a big deal. Not only was he a well-known star, but he was also a heavy monster. And if you’re going to put Lex in there with a big guy, Bigelow was probably the most likely to pull off a good match with Lex. 

The training vignettes aren’t great creative writing, but they’re logical for a muscle guy to go up against someone as huge as Yokozuna. Also, a live segment in the ring where Jerry Lawler can play a heater would defintely help Lex in a live audience setting. Maybe you can argue that anything with Ludvig Borga performing in a ring doesn’t make a lot of sense, but we’re talking about a little action, climaxing with Borga going over the top. It’s not a job, but Lex does get one over on a guy that was presented as dominant, and another foreign menace on top of it. 

The Winner 

The Bot

Perhaps it was more logical pro wrestling booking than a wave of creativity, but it definitely reads better than what actually happened. Lex is booked to be in action, keeps winning matches with his new finisher, and there’s very little (if any) mention of anything patriotic. That was one thing that made Lex too similar to a newly departed Hogan. Frankly, the anti-American part of Yokozuna may have been one of the most underwhelming aspects of the character. In 1988, that probably would have worked better, but in ‘93, we’re in the era of rap and alternative music, Tarantino-type films, and a society beginning to question a lot more. 

The machine won this one hands down.