Examining The Heartbreaking Story Of Lex Luger And Miss Elizabeth
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Miss Elizabeth was one of professional wrestling's most recognizable managers and on-screen personalities in the mid-80s through the 90s. For a woman who contributed so much to the world of sports entertainment, she suffered an unfortunate end when she passed away in May 2003 at only 42 years of age. Along with the impressive legacy she left as a manager to stars like "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Lex Luger, there is also a history of tumultuous relationships, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse that ultimately led to her untimely passing.
Miss Elizabeth, real name Elizabeth Hulette, first debuted in the industry as a television announcer for International Championship Wrestling, There, she would meet her first husband, the late, great WWE Hall of Famer "Macho Man" Randy Savage. They would marry in December 1984, about six months before Macho Man was set to make his WWE debut. The storyline upon arriving in WWE was that all of the managers were competing to work with Savage, but he already had Miss Elizabeth in mind for the gig and introduced her to WWE audiences on August 24, 1985.
She would remain intertwined in storylines with Savage throughout her run in WWE, including his Intercontinental title reign, WWE title reigns, alliance-turned-rivalry with Hulk Hogan, as well as the Savage and Miss Elizabeth breakup and subsequent reunion. In August 1992, the couple divorced, but they would still cross each other in storylines while working for their new employer, WCW.
Miss Elizabeth's next relationships
Miss Elizabeth married once more to Cary Lubetsky, five years after her divorce from Savage. Around this same time, Elizabeth was put in the role of manager for Lex Luger. The two were apparently seeing one another while still married to their partners, leading to Elizabeth's divorce from Lubetsky in 1999. "Obviously [it was] something neither of us should have been doing, but it just progressed from there," Luger said during an episode of A&E "Legends" (h/t NY Post).
If fans were under the impression that this might cause some backstage tension between Savage and Luger, the latter denies that was the case. In a 2013 interview with "Pro Wrestling Powerhouse Radio," Luger explained his relationship with Savage. "Behind the scenes, we were always very good friends. Traveled together for a long period of time, went to the gym together, traveled to Europe together, we played cards together. Even later on, when I had a relationship with Elizabeth, he'd already been divorced for so many years."
Unfortunately, issues between Miss Elizabeth and Luger were much more common during their relationship. In the A&E "Legends" episode, Luger mentioned how his downward spiral into drugs and alcohol had started during this time, but he was under the impression he was too disciplined to ever succumb to addiction. Eric Bischoff stated on the show that Luger and Elizabeth were indulging far too much in drugs. "The two had a clandestine relationship, but they were both participating a little too much in the pharmaceutical side of the recreational activities."
Spiraling downward together
When Vince McMahon bought out WCW, Lex Luger was one name among many to potentially come to WWE, but that never came to fruition. Things then took a turn for the worse in the personal life of Luger and Elizabeth as in April 2003, authorities were contacted over a domestic dispute at the house Luger and Miss Elizabeth shared.
Elizabeth had bruises on her face, leading to the former WCW Champion being charged with a misdemeanor count of battery. He was released on a $2,500 bond before being arrested again just two days later after running his car into another vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
"I was making a lot of really bad, selfish decisions at that time in my life," Luger said. "I wouldn't have admitted it at the time, but things were really going to a dark place and getting out of control in a bad way."
One month later, in May 2003, Elizabeth passed away from due to an accidental overdose of painkillers and alcohol. Luger was home at the time along with the couple's cleaning lady. "[I] said, 'Hey Liz, wake up, your food's gonna get cold,' and she didn't respond," Luger recalled. "I knew that was strange. So I got up and tried to shake her and she didn't respond. I immediately called 911. I was panicked." Miss Elizabeth was later pronounced dead at Kennestone Hospital near Atlanta, Georgia.
Aftermath of Elizabeth's death
Lex Luger was held responsible for his part, spending five years on probation due to the large quantity of prescription drugs found at the time of Miss Elizabeth's death. When he violated the terms the judge set in place by leaving the country, Luger spent nine weeks in jail, but he admitted that even time in jail wasn't enough to slow him down. "I got back out, went back to the same lifestyle but even worse," Luger said on "A&E Legends" (h/t NY Post)."
Over the various arrests and battles with addiction, Luger appeared to have come out on the better end of his struggles by 2013. He released an autobiographical book titled, "Wrestling with the Devil: The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler — His Reign, Ruin, and Redemption," and revealed during the press tour that he had been working with WWE again, counseling the talent on nutrition, wellness, and exercise as part of the Wellness Program. "I do informal stuff behind the scenes when I am needed," Luger said.
Luger will never compete inside a ring again due to a nerve impingement in his neck that has led to him being reliant on a wheelchair. He has been inducted into Legend's Pro Wrestling's Hall of Fame and received the Frank Gotch Award. Miss Elizabeth has yet to be posthumously inducted into any pro wrestling Hall of Fame but her legacy lives on through the timeless moments she provided fans in the pro wrestling industry.