Former wrestling star Lex Luger reaching out
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[During a highlight-reel pro wrestling career, Lex Luger oftentimes found himself in a position to deliver a punishing blow to an opponent.
Now, at age 52, the former heavyweight champion is quick to extend a helping hand.
Luger will be speaking at the Church of New Beginning on 918 Third Street in Eldorado on Saturday, where he said he looks forward to meeting and greeting locals. He said he will speak about life during and after his wrestling career, as well as his life with God.
It is a stark contrast from Luger's wrestling persona, which he admits would have never had the strength to do when he was in the ring.
"Before Christ, I would have never been able to get through something like that. Lex would have never been able to handle being paralyzed from the neck down. It's not about Lex anymore," Luger said, referencing his in-ring personality which held the World Championship Wrestling heavyweight championship belt two times. "The peace and tranquility He has given me through my journey with Him is beyond words to express how thankful I am."
Luger travels the country delivering his testimonial of becoming a born-again Christian, an event that occurred four years ago. It was approximately five years ago when Luger says he had what he called a "spiritual awakening."
On April 23, 2006, Luger said he was saved.
"The spirit was dead for the first 47 years of my life, so to speak," he said.
Luger will be traveling with his pastor, Steve Baskin, who he had met when he was serving a prison sentence stemming from a felony conviction in 2003. Shortly after the death of his then-wife Elizabeth Hulette - better known as Miss Elizabeth - Luger was charged with 14 counts of drug possession.
Thirteen of the counts against Luger were felonies. He would plead guilty, dealt a $1,000 fine and sentenced to serve five years probation.
Luger would later serve nine weeks of prison time and was released in February 2006 stemming from a December 2005 detainment of he and a pair of other former wrestlers after being booted from a flight that was slated to go from Minnesota to Canada.
"That was part of my past. My crazy, lost pass," Luger said.
Luger's wrestling career spanned from 1985 to 2001, with stops at the National Wrestling Alliance, two stints with the Ted Turner-led World Championship Wrestling sandwiching a stop at Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation.
A heralded wrestling career is only on talking point for Luger. He also talks about being paralyzed in the years after his retirement from a career in which described as being "a human crash dummy" and his fight toward recovery.
While Luger said he was looking forward to speaking on Saturday, he said he allows God to do lead the way.
The champ just speaks from experience.
"I come and I share my story and it hopefully has some impact. I just put it out there and let God do the healing," Luger said. "I'm very thankful for what he's done in my life and I'd like to share with other people."