Luger autobiography could be the total package

Posted Jan 18, 2013 by Bob D'Angelo

Updated Mar 27, 2013 at 09:35 PM

Pro wrestling fans probably know this already, but “The Total Package” is writing a book. And no matter what you believe about pro wrestling, believe this   — pro wrestlers are probably the best storytellers around. Books by Bret Hart, Mick Foley, Ric Flair and Terry Funk tell of stories on the road, in the ring and in the dressing room, and they are always entertaining.

Add Lex Luger to the mix.  The Total Package will be releasing an autobiography, “Wrestling With the Devil: The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler— His Reign, Ruin and Redemption.” The book will sell for $22.99,is co-written with Atlanta journalist John D. Hollins and has an Aug. 13 release date by Tyndale Momentum. Pro wrestling sites keep reporting an April release date, but I spoke with Tyndale officials today and they confirmed the release date is Aug. 13.

Known as Larry Pfohl during his 1979 stint with the University of Miami football team and a member of the 1984 Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL, Luger hit the pro wrestling circuit in 1985 and started in the National Wrestling Alliance promotion in Florida. Luger would work for several promotions and held several titles (he was a world heavyweight champion on three occasions). He was strong,  with a chiseled 6-foot-4, 270-pound physique and cat-like quickness that made him an immediate contender for titles. Whether a good guy or a villain, Luger always exuded heat.

During his wrestling career Luger was alternately a babyface and a heel. Outside the ropes, Luger wrestled with personal problems that included steroids and drugs, alcohol and domestic violence. He also was paralyzed from the neck down for several months and is now struggling to regain total control of his motor skills.

He became a born-again Christian and is now working at putting his life in order.

Hollis is no stranger to autobiographies. His debut book in 2009, “Life in the Paint: The Story of a Black Man Fighting for His Identity,” looks at his youth, where he was one of the few blacks attending largely conservative, affluent schools in Virginia.

He has worked in Florida, covering University of Florida sports for The Gainesville Sun from 1997 to 2000, and then worked as a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution until he left in May 2009 to write “In The Paint.”

While strength was his forte as a wrestler, Luger struggled to find the inner strength that would give him a happy life. In “Wrestling With the Devil,” he will detail that often rocky journey.