This is the Truth Network.
Now, the Devil's Nightmare. Welcome back to another episode of It's Time to Man Up. Lex Luger. Welcome back to the Man Up show, Lexner. Thank you. It's great to be back on the Man Up show.
I feel very manly when I'm on the Man Up show. Well, as you should, because anyone who knows your history, and if you don't, hey, those of you listening out there, if you don't know the history of Lex Luger, professional wrestler extraordinaire, as well as an avid excelled on the football field, professionally speaking, and just has an amazing story that we're going to unfold over the next few minutes here, go check out his book Wrestling with the Devil. And I want to tell you right now, if you pick up a copy of that book, you will be impacted by how this man's life and story has impacted not just thousands, but millions of people.
And so, Lex, it's just so great to, for real, just to have you back and just to update people, because it has been right at three years, and update people on what you're doing. And so, I mentioned, I referenced the football career course. For those who don't know, who don't know, you're a Buffalo, New Yorker, right? Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, right?
Correct. Go Bills. Go Bills. And you are an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills. You donned their regalia, is that the right word?
I don't know. Anyway, their hats and jerseys. And you've just been an avid Bills fan, even though you haven't, you've lived in Buffalo growing up, and you spent about five years back in Buffalo with your mom, but you never left, Buffalo never left your heart, even though you weren't even living in Buffalo for a long time, right? It has, and I love Buffalo. The queen's sea on the lake, the city of good neighbors. The people are great. We love bed on the weather and the snow.
It rallies us all together. It's a great community feel there. And I love, had a great childhood growing up there. And yes, huge NFL, Buffalo Bills fan. They were kind of born when I was born.
That branch, I was born in 59 and I was born in 58. So we got, we like, I like grew up together with the Bills. So yeah, I love watching my Bills games. I've got the NFL package this year. I'm going to not miss one game, hopefully. Nice. Well, and, and I know they appreciate loyal fans like you. And, and so they were born in 59. I was born in 59.
I know you and I for three months of the, you and I for three months of the year are the same age. So. I will say one caveat to being an avid, wild Bills fan. These days, due to a lot of different, for a lot of different reasons, I do not jump through those tables lit on fire. Like a lot of the Bills fans are known for. Well, that's probably a good thing that you don't do that. I've been through some tables as I'm sure you have too, but not anymore, especially lit on fire. Those Bills fans are wild.
They have a good time. Well, and, and yeah, and, and of course, of course being slammed through a table is probably what's led to, to some of your injuries and my injuries all these years later, or the repercussion of, of those injuries has led to our how our bodies feel all these years later through all that fake wrestling. Well, I tried to avoid, avoid as many as I could, but there was an occasional time or two that I, yes, that I did go through a table. I still have a flashback, a big show with a giant. We know how big he is. They had him on a Monday night drill. I'm having a flashback right here.
Excuse me. But he chokes for me where he lifts you about at his height, seven feet tall. He lifts you about 10 feet in the air. He chokes on me through a table and had champagne glasses all over. There was like a celebration significant. And I went through the table, broke all the glasses. That was real glass and cut my entire back up. I bought people show that all the time on the social media that I thought I was, I thought I was dead. I mean, it was unbelievable.
They had to pick the glass out of my back in the back with a tweezers. Oh no. Oh my gosh.
That, that took more than a minute. Who said aspects of wrestling aren't real? People go, it's all fake. I go, well, how about you, how about you go to the table with champagne glasses on it like big show chokes lab me through. I'll ask you afterwards, is that all fake? Right.
Exactly. Well, and that, that just kind of reminds me too of like, even some of those, you know, I think about some of the crazy matches, like, like, especially like dusty and some of the guys are a barbed wire match, right? Were you ever, were you ever in a barbed wire match out of curiosity? I was in a bull rope match with a jagged belt with skin action.
That's almost as dangerous because he was open with the belt. Yeah, because well, well, well known at least within the wrestling circles that he was blind as a bat the minute he took his glasses off. So I'm, I'm reminded of that scripture, Lex, when Jesus took the man outside the village and said, what do you see? You know, he prayed for his eyes. He goes, I see men that look like trees walking. And then he prayed for him again and he got clear vision. But I envisioned Stan Hansen saw men that looked like trees walking.
In other words, blind as a bat could only see a blur in front of him, which is probably why he gaffed you open with his bell. Oh my gosh. Unbelievable. But I wrestled Stan. I did a six month program with him every night. I dread it. I love Stan, good guys. But I mean, I dread it working with him. Who'd you not like? People always ask, who'd you like to work with the most?
That's a tough question. I wrestled almost 5,000 matches and I wrestled so many great stars, but it's an easy one. Who did you not like wrestling the least? I go, nothing personal against Stan. I love Stan, but I hated wrestling him because he was blind as a bat. He was dangerous. Oh my gosh. So to your point, so you had a, you had a flash. So I just had a flashback.
I wrestled Stan. Remember that old building in Charleston, South Carolina? Like we thought it was, it wouldn't even be standing every time we rolled in there on King street. Oh my God. I mean, and there'd be, there'd be mounds like legit. We're not making this up.
There'd be mounds of termite, termite dust for every time we walked in that building. And I had one match and a buddy of mine, his name was Richard, a buddy of mine, they, they were short, like they needed somebody to ring the bell. And so my buddy, Richard, who had rode down with me to the show said, well, you know, he volunteered, right? Well, he's sitting ringside, you know, a little tiny table right there, ding, ding, ding, ding. Well, I, you know, of course I go out, I'm the bad guy go out and I'm in the ring first. Here comes Stan with that, that, that rope and that Cabo swing that thing around.
And he comes towards, towards me. I jumped out of the ring and he swings it over the rope. Well, he hits my buddy with the bell and my buddy was so mad. I'm going to sue him. I go, Richard, you can't sue him.
You volunteered like he was so bad. He, he tried to run, couldn't get out of the way of the bell and got, got nailed with that bell. Get out of the way. Right.
Get out of the way. Well, you know, Japan, you know, I mean, Oh, I know. Yeah.
He's as big in Japan as Babe Ruth was in America. Right? Yes. Like every bit. Well, what, what does so, so I'm going to go back to a minute too. So get you off track. I know you like to stay on track.
Sorry about that. Well, it's an organic conversation and, and, and I'm sure those who are avid wrestling fans out there right now have are hearing inside. This is like inside baseball here since I mentioned Babe Ruth. Right.
So we're giving some of the, I mean, picking glass out of your back with a tweezers. Like you don't get to hear that every day. Okay. But Hey, so, so, but were you as, so were you ever in a barbed wire match though? Do you remember, do you recall? I know you had a lot of matches. I remember that. No, you were not. Okay. Well, I was, you know, cause obviously I did a program with dusty, you know, of course.
And as you did a six foot, the butcher were infamous for barbed wire match. Yeah. Right. And certain guys in the business were known for, for getting as, as we term getting color. Right.
And cause, you know, red meant green and back in the old school days. Right. Well, you are very fortunate in a sense, unfortunately I could not avoid the barbed wire match now for the record for people.
Just like that rubber, that's not really barbed wire ago. You're like, Oh yes it is. Right. That's, that's what I want for our listeners right now. I want to paint a mental picture for you. Like legit, like if you were ever on a ranch or ever out on a farm or something.
So they would take bar, like for real, take barbed wire and wrap it all around, all around the ropes, all around the rings. So you, there is no way to avoid it. And unless you just by the way. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. The guys weren't necessarily about it. Yeah. They weren't very experienced at wrapping barbed wire around a wrestling rope.
So, so it led to a very interesting match. Let's just say, and I did try my best to, to avoid hitting the ropes. Cause obviously that's where you're going to get cut up. Right.
When you're yeah. Thrown into the ropes or whatever. So fortunately they didn't have to, you know, take a tweezers and pick anything out, out of my back, but you would still get, get gaffed, you know, as you, as you got nicked by the barbed wire, you know, running back and forth and, and all of that.
Unavoidable. So, so would you say, okay, so you already said that, that, you know, your least favorite to wrestle was, was, was, was Stan Hansen. So, so was that, does that then rank up there as the number one, perhaps most, let's say safe. What would you say is the most physical match you've ever had outside of Stan Hansen?
Wow. You were one of them, but we both liked working that way. You were real physical.
I think it was our football background. We call it snug, right? That's right.
Working snug. That's exactly right. Of course, for those who don't know, let me give a little wrestling background here, a little history here. So, so for the, for the old timers, they call it stiff or they actually even remember the term Lex crowbar. Oh yeah.
So somebody can envision a crowbar like, so for guys who worked snug, like Lex and I, some of the old timers would call us a crowbar. Uh, and, and yeah. Yeah.
And, and, and say we were very stiff. And so, well, yes. Yeah. I, I, yes, I would, I would agree with that. I just had a conversation. I was just at an autograph signing recently and the road warrior conversation came up, uh, just about how snug they, they worked as well and how believable many of their matches were because of how snug they worked.
Right. So I'll give you a surprise guy that works snug with me. He did with a couple other guys and he didn't mean to, but DP diamond down on stage, he about, he punched me the hardest. I bounced in nightclubs and college, everything. And there were fights and brawls. I never got punched so hard as Dallas. He had me in the corner, punched me. He about knocked me out three times a row. I was like, I was like, I said, Hey, you're killing me, uncle, stop. Oh my gosh.
I'll never forget that thing. Got mad at him one time too. Cause he was punching things like Dallas, like to make everything look good, which I'm with it. Right. He about, he about knocked me out three, four times in one match in the corner. Was he, was he punching you in the head? I guess, obviously. Yeah.
The chin. I mean, Mike Tyson. I couldn't believe it. Dallas could punch that hard. Maybe he thought he was in there with Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier or something, not Lex Luger. Man. Oh man, that Dallas could punch.
DP could punch. Let me tell you. You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. Nikita Koloff here and I am excited. Did you hear the huge announcement, the big announcement?
Well, maybe it's a minor announcement. Anyway, Facebook, go look up my new fan page, Nikita Koloff fans and like it and follow today. If you would like to support Koloff for Christ ministries for a gift of $25, Nikita will send you his two CDs, adoration and declaration. For a gift of $50, Nikita will include his book wrestling with success. And for a gift of $100 or more, Nikita will include a signed copy of his newly updated life story, A Tale of the Ring and Redemption. Go to www.koloff.net and donate today. And click the donate button.
You can give monthly, annually or one time. God bless you for making a difference around the world. You're listening to the truth network and truthnetwork.com. Well, you know, that is a surprise. Yeah, that is a surprise because I bet again, I bet the average wrestling fan out there probably did not or does not or until now did not know that.
So, uh, on DDP, cause I love what he does these days and great cover, best friends. He'd be laughing right with us right now, but oh my gosh. I was like, Dallas, you're kidding me. I was in the ring. You're killing me.
You do a pretty, you do a pretty good imitation of him too, right? Bro, bro, bro, bro. Hey, bro, come on, bro, bro. Give me a break. Well, come on.
Yeah. I know you've done it. Well, and I've always, I always, you always get me giggling when you, when you imitate him, cause you've got him down pretty, pretty good.
So, uh, well, well, DDP, uh, diamond, and of course, you know, we talked over the years, you know, probably the, what would you say is the number one? Like if you're talking to the rest of it now and you're in high demand for speaking of autograph signings, you're in very high demand. I mean, you go coast to coast, border to border, uh, with, uh, and out there, out there meeting the fans and, uh, and I know you love it. And they don't forget about you, man. Amazing. I get amazed every time I go to these things, they line up for all of us guys.
I mean, unbelievable. It's like the millennials are now we're little kids watching us. They come and want to bring their kids to meet you because their kids are watching Roman Reigns and all the current guys. And they, the millennials come to these autograph sessions that they put out for us without an ambassador program with the WWE. I think it's like a class reunion on the weekend with all my buddies.
And then the fans line up, the wrestling fans, they are unbelievable. Aren't they? They, they really are. They're so loyal and, and, and, you know, as you mentioned for us, it's, it's kind of like a, you know, family reunion kind of thing. You know, we had a very close group, you know, especially back in the day. I know for me in the NWA, very, very close group, uh, guys that worked well together. You know, you mentioned you and I, you and staying and, and just all the get ravishing, Rick Rude, all the different guys.
And that, that we were fortunate to be, I was just recently with cowboy, Bob Orton, Ken Patera. Yeah. And Mr. Anderson, man. Yep. Ken.
And, and, and, you know, again, we talked about the, the, the physical side of wrestling. I mean, Ken is, uh, getting ready to have some multiple back surgery and he's, he's walking with one of those, um, uh, stand up, uh, uh, you know, like you have one of those stand up, uh, uh, kind of Walker, you know, it can stand up and lean on it. And I've got wheelchairs, walkers, every type of cane. I got it all, man. I got, I got the hope for thorough of assistive devices.
I love it. Let me touch on that for a minute. Cause for those who, who, who got me, you know, may not know your full story.
That's why I want him to go get your book wrestling with, with the devil and, and really understand, you know, the, the, the, your, your whole life journey and how, what a fascinating story it is. And, you know, as you mentioned, you have all the, so 30 or so years of being, as you call it, a human crash dummy, you know, led, led to, you know, some very serious injury and, and took you into the shepherd spinal center in Atlanta, of which you're a small percentage to ever literally walk out of there. But, you know, your attitude lacks, uh, and cause you're one of my biggest inspirations personally when, uh, anytime I'm around you or we're having a conversation, you know, whether it's over the phone or even an interview like this because of, uh, walking through what you went through with that spinal cord injury, but the perspective you have and, and you're walking through I did. Yeah, no pun intended walking through that journey.
I'm a 1% or less than 1% with my type of injury ever stand or walk again. So how thankful am I, my gosh. Yeah.
And well, and I know you attributed to obviously your relationship with the Lord and, and the recovery you've had from the early prognosis of being a quadriplegic and lifted out of a bed and fed the rest of your life where you can fly and drive and, you know, take care of yourself. Yeah. Right. Yeah.
I'm sitting in the white night right now, sitting in the white night. And, and of course you, you do a lot of road travel, uh, and, and, and do well with that, but, but you fly a lot as well. I mean, you're in and out of airports and, and so, you know, the miracle of God, right? Well, exactly. And, and, and that some people don't recognize, right?
I've lost a hundred pounds of muscle from the spinal cord injury cause I can't work out in the weights anymore, but I tell people I've been streamlined and redefined. Well, and, and of course, you know, we've said many, many, many days and times and, and even actually almost a year living together and, and, and which I want to talk about in a minute, which birth the vision for, for men's ministry that you and I have been a part of over the years. And, but before I get there, yeah.
Yes. I've been pruned. John 15. I've been pruned. He pruned away the muscle guy so that I can bear more fruit. Well, and I like what you say too, Lex, when you say he, you know, another way you phrased it is he, he's the branches of the world. He'll prune us. Sometimes we go through adversity in life, like a spinal cord injury, everything people get saved in the name.
They claim it to be a lot. He died. No, we still have adversity. We have trials and tribulations in this life, but I have overcome the world. He walks us through it. He walked me through the spinal cord injury and he's, he's remained with me and he pruned me. I got the, the, the selfish focused on my physical that's out of the way. So I could be more, I'm more usable and fruitful for him. So really my spinal cord injury was a blessing in disguise. Well, and, and I like how you have said in the past, how he stripped away. You've said this way too.
You stripped away the muscle to show you that you didn't need the muscle or the physical proudness to be a tool in his hand or a vessel that he could work through and utilize your story and testimony to, to win others to Christ, or at least lead others to the foot of the cross, right? Absolutely. God works from the inside out. We just have to let him in, man. I'm telling you.
Wow. He gives you a strength that you can't get in a gymnasium. I'm telling you what, man, supernatural power. Supernatural. He puts it.
You may not look the same on the outside, but man, I feel so much stronger now than I ever did on the unsafe for my first 47 years. Well, and what I want those listening out there right now is you're hearing some of Lex's story. And if you've never heard it before, just this is a refresher for you.
You, you hope, I hope you sense until he's being 100%, uh, just genuine in what he's saying. It's not just hyperbole or just, you know, just, uh, Christian ease talking here. No, this is, this is, uh, the, uh, the truth of who he is now and how grateful and thankful he is. And Nick, I think people second Corinthians 12 verse seven through nine possible Paul had a foreign is flesh. He won once, twice, twice, three times, ask God to room. God said, no Paul. Cause my, my, my power works best and weakness and Paul's like, well, well gosh, well, I'm all, I'm all up for that. I'm paraphrasing the verses, but, but yeah, God needs us to empty the vessel. Let him work in through us and God knows what's best for us.
So yeah, it's, uh, it's amazing. I love that verse. And it, and it keeps us as I'm reminded, it keeps us dependent upon him.
Right. When we can't have such an independent spirit keeps us dependent upon him. Well, we only got a couple minutes left here, but I do want to touch on the fact that, uh, that what's the ministry that the man, the man camp that, that you, uh, come in for and, you know, every spring and every fall and, and lend some of your experience knowledge, uh, from, from physical weight lifting and, and, and not just that, just a spiritual aspect of things and, but how we cover the body, soul and spirit at the camp. Take, take just a minute in our last couple of minutes here. And, and, you know, a guy's out there listening, or maybe a wife is out there listening.
Why would she, or why would he want to consider attending man camp? Well, we get so busy, uh, in life, right. We can drift away from God. Uh, and, uh, it's just a, uh, intensive, uh, five day camp where man, we get after it. And we talk about opening the vessel up and emptying ourselves out, getting out of the way and filling it up with the, with the, with the power of God to go back in the communities better, mentally, physically, uh, we give them knowledge and action plans and most of all, spiritually, that whole rock, right?
Not the same, but the rock foundation spiritually. And it's just great fellowship. And these guys go home, changed men. I mean, for their families, for their workplace, for their communities, it's so incredible to watch a transition that you see these guys making that five day intensive. It's, it's, it's, it's fun. It's, it's fruitful. It's, uh, I'm honored to be a part of it. Well, and, and, and you brought up an interesting, but the, the transformation like, like the, the, we, we literally get to see from day one to day five.
Uh, I mean, even their countenance and everything transformed the first day, it's like, Oh my gosh, it's, it's, it's, it's so incredible to watch and be a part of. Yeah. They don't even want to make eye contact. Right. But by day five, I mean, yeah, they're just loving on guys or something.
They're sitting around. Oh my gosh. Incredible.
Yeah. And, uh, just, you, and it's, and it's a blessing to have you a part of that. And so an invest into these men. And if you're out there listening, uh, ladies and, and guys, and if you want to know more about man camp and, and how you can come and experience and be empowered as Lexus is saying, be empowered. And it's so many testimonies.
Like if you go to the website, go to man, camp.info, man camp.info. We do these every spring and every fall. And, uh, Lex is an integral part of that in praying and interceding, but also, uh, teaching as well. And so Lex, as always, you are just such an encouragement, uh, such a blessing, uh, not only to me, but I know so many others, and it's just so great to have you back on the man of you are, you are a man who is manned up, even through all the adversity you've been through. And it's just always a blessing to have you back on the show.
Thanks for having me. I appreciate it guys. And so thank you for tuning in to another day, another show, man up with Nikita Koloff and go out today and have a God filled God blessed day. This podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers, support, and generous gifts. May God bless you for your continual contributions. Go to koloff.net and donate today.
Hi, Nikita Koloff. Be sure to check out the man up show now available on television, broadcast and podcast. Go to morningstartv.com or the truth radio network, check out your local listings or better yet, download the truth network app today. If you are enjoying the man up show, would you help us spread the word? Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors to download, subscribe, and leave a comment. Nikita Koloff here.
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