If the NWA had just gone with Luger winning by submission over Flair at GAB 88, instead of doing the stopping the match due to the cut finish, do you think Luger could have drawn Hogan/Macho Man money as World Champ? Did they do that finish, thinking they'd
put the belt on him at Starrcade, similar to how the WWF did the Summerslam 93 finish, thinking he'd get it at WM X?
The idea was to generate interest in house show rematches, and that worked like gangbusters. There was never serious interest in putting the belt on Luger at that point.