Vince McMahon got a taste for bringing celebrities into his world with the very first WrestleMania, and he was all too eager to replicate that formula whenever an opportunity arose. In 1994, WWE tapped Chuck Norris for a high-profile appearance at that year’s Survivor Series.
Lex Luger, one of the company’s biggest stars at the time, said Norris was one of the few people who hit him, noting how excited he was to meet the actor and arts legend martial arts.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Chuck Norris,” Luger said on his “Lex expressed” podcast. “I didn’t get to talk with him, because he’s obviously Chuck Norris, but I was able to shake his hand and meet him. I wish we had cell phones back then because I could have taken a photo with him . A big fan of Chuck was definitely one of my favorites.
At the time of Norris’ WWE appearance, his television show, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” was still relatively new, adding to the buzz of his involvement. WWE promoted Norris with a series of vignettes, teasing him as a “special enforcer” in the Undertaker vs. Yokozuna casket match. Norris was incredibly unapologetic during these promos, vowing to support The Undertaker if a chicanery took place, much like he did during the pair’s previous encounter at the 1994 Royal Rumble.
Norris had a brief physical moment during the fight, delivering a signature sidekick to Jeff Jarrett in the aisle. Jarrett later revealed that Norris “knew how to work” and didn’t hurt him with the decision. Wrestling returned the favor to Chuck Norris by entering his world. Sting and Hulk Hogan appeared in episodes of “Walker, Texas Ranger” during the show’s ninth season.
