 Savage and Elizabeth in 1988 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Randy Mario Poffo[5] (1952-11-15)November 15, 1952 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 20, 2011(2011-05-20) (aged 58) Seminole, Florida, U.S.[6] |
| Alma mater | Southern Illinois University–Carbondale |
Spouses | |
| Parent | Angelo Poffo (father) |
| Family | Lanny Poffo (brother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Randy Poffo[1] Randy Savage[1] The Spider[1][2][3] The Big Geno[1][3] Mr. Madness[1] Destroyer[1] Executioner[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 237 lb (108 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Sarasota, Florida[2] |
| Trained by | Angelo Poffo[2] |
| Debut | 1973[4] |
| Retired | 2000 |
Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011),[1] better known by hisring name "Macho Man"Randy Savage, was an Americanprofessional wrestler and professional baseball player. He is best known for his time in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Savage was described by sportswriterBill Simmons as "one of the greatest pro wrestlers who ever lived" – a statement echoed by multiple industry performers.[7] He was recognizable by wrestling fans for his distinctively flamboyant ring attire and raspy voice, intensity exhibited in and out of the ring, use of the finale from "Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1" byElgar as his entrance music, and signature catchphrase, "Oooh yeah!"[1][2][8] For most of his tenures in the WWF and WCW, Savage was managed by hisreal-life wife,Miss Elizabeth.
Savage had ten world championship reigns during his 32-year career, includingtwo asWWF World Heavyweight Champion andfour asWCW World Heavyweight Champion. As WWF Champion, he held similardrawing power asHulk Hogan.[9] A one-timeWWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, he was named by WWE as the greatest titleholder of all time and credited for bringing "a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances".[10]
Savage was the1987 WWF King of the Ring and the1995 WCW World War 3 winner. He headlined manypay-per-view events throughout his career, includingWrestleMania IV andWrestleMania V, two of the first fiveSummerSlam shows, the1988 Survivor Series andStarrcade 1995. He was inducted into theWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame upon its inception in 1996, with a posthumousWWE Hall of Fame induction following in 2015.
Randy Poffo was born on November 15, 1952, inColumbus, Ohio,[11][4] the eldest son of Judith (née Sverdlin) andAngelo Poffo.[12] His father wasItalian American and his mother wasJewish American;[8] Poffo was raisedCatholic.[8] Randy's father was a well-known wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s, and his younger brotherLanny Poffo also went into wrestling.[8]
The Poffo family lived inZanesville, Ohio, where Randy attendedGrover Cleveland Middle School. He graduated fromDowners Grove North High School in theChicago suburb ofDowners Grove, Illinois.[13] Poffo later moved toStaten Island, New York, before moving toLexington, Kentucky, where he lived for many years.[14] He was an alumnus ofSouthern Illinois University–Carbondale.[15]
Savage was signed by theSt. Louis Cardinals organization as a catcher out of high school.[8][16] He was placed in the minor leagues to develop, where he mostly played as an outfielder[17] in the Cardinals andCincinnati Reds farm systems.[11] Savage was 18 when he began playing minor league baseball; one of his teammates on the 1971Gulf Coast League Cardinals wasLarry Herndon, who was also his roommate.[18] Savage would swing a bat into a hanging car tire to strengthen his hands and utilize his legs during swings. The technique was so effective that Herndon used it during his career as a baseball coach.[18] Savage injured his natural (right) throwing shoulder after a collision at home plate, and he learned to throw with his left arm instead.[19] Savage's last season was 1974, when he played for the Class ATampa Tarpons in the Reds organization.[17] He played 289 games over four minor league seasons, batting .254 with 16 home runs and 129 runs batted in.[17]
Savage first broke into the wrestling business in 1973 during the fall and winter of the baseball off-season.[1] His first wrestling character, The Spider, was similar toSpider-Man.[1][2] He later took thering name Randy Savage at the suggestion of his longtime friend and trainer Terry "The Goose" Stephens andGeorgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) bookerOle Anderson, who said that the name Poffo did not fit someone who "wrestled like a savage".[1] Savage eventually decided to end his stalled baseball career and join his father and brother to wrestle full time.[1] He wrestled his first match against Midwest Territory wrestler "Golden Boy"Paul Christy. Savage worked with his father and brother in Michigan, the Carolinas, Georgia, the Maritimes, and the eastern Tennessee territory run byNick Gulas.[4]
After a while, his father felt that his sons were not getting thepushes they deserved so he started the "outlaw"International Championship Wrestling (ICW) promotion in the mid-American states.[11] Eventually, ICW disbanded and Randy and Lanny entered the Memphis scene, joiningJerry Lawler'sContinental Wrestling Association (their former competitors).[19] While there, Savagefeuded with Lawler over theAWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. He also teamed with Lanny to battleThe Rock 'n' Roll Express; this feud included a match on June 25, 1984, in Memphis, wherein the storyline, Savage injuredRicky Morton bypiledriving him through the timekeeper's table, leading to the Express winning by disqualification.[21] Later in 1984, Savage turnedbabyface and allied with Lawler againstJimmy Hart's First Family alliance, only to turnheel on Lawler again in early 1985 and resume the feud with him over the title.[1] This ended when Lawler beat Savage in aLoser Leaves Town match on June 7 inMemphis,Tennessee.[1]
In June 1985, Savage signed withVince McMahon'sWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF).[2] He made his WWF debut on the July 6 episode ofChampionship Wrestling, defeatinglocal competitor Aldo Marino. Billed as "the top free agent in pro wrestling", Savage's first appearances onTuesday Night Titans featured several establishedmanagers (includingBobby "The Brain" Heenan,Jimmy Hart,Mr. Fuji,Johnny Valiant, and"Classy" Freddie Blassie) offering their services to Savage.[11] He declined their offers and choseMiss Elizabeth as his new manager on the August 24 episode ofChampionship Wrestling.[2][11][4] Hisgimmick was a crazed, ego-maniacal bully who mistreated Miss Elizabeth and threatened anyone who even looked at her.[16] He made hispay-per-view (PPV) debut for a16-man tournament atThe Wrestling Classic on November 7, defeatingIvan Putski,Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and theDynamite Kid before losing via countout in the finals toJunkyard Dog.[22]
In late 1985, Savage started afeud with then-Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionTito Santana over that title. During the November 2 episode ofSaturday Night's Main Event III, he unsuccessfully challenged Santana for the title (Savage won the match bycountout, but not the title because the title did not change hands by countout).[23] In a rematch on WWF on NESN on February 8, 1986, he won theWWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship at theBoston Garden by using an illegalsteel object stashed in his tights to knock out Santana.[24] Early in his WWF career, Savage also won three countout victories (the first at theSpectrum inPhiladelphia and the other two atMadison Square Garden) over his future tag team partner WWF World Heavyweight ChampionHulk Hogan (although the belt did not change hands due to the countout) as well as engaging in feuds withBruno Sammartino andGeorge "The Animal" Steele.[4]
Savage's feud with Steele began on the January 4 episode ofSaturday Night's Main Event IV, when Steele developed a crush on Miss Elizabeth.[25][26] AtWrestleMania 2 on April 7, 1986, Savage defeated Steele in a match to retain his Intercontinental Heavyweight Title.[27] He resumed his feud with Steele in early 1987, culminating in two Intercontinental Heavyweight title matches, both won by Savage.[28][29]His next feud was with Ricky Steamboat, where in October, Savage crushed Steamboat's throat against a guardrail.[30][31] On March 29, 1987, Savage wrestled Steamboat atWrestleMania III in thePontiac Silverdome. After 19 two-counts, Steamboat pinned Savage (with help from George Steele, who pushed Savage from the top rope seconds before he was pinned) to end his near 14-month reign as Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion.[32][33] The match was extremely choreographed, as opposed to the "on the fly" nature of most wrestling matches at the time; Savage was a stickler for detail, and he and Steamboat laid out and rehearsed every spot in the match prior to WrestleMania.[26] The match was named 1987's Match of the Year by bothPro Wrestling Illustrated and theWrestling Observer and is regarded one of the greatest WrestleMania match of all time. Steamboat and Savage were seen cheering with and hugging other wrestlers after the match.[1][4] The two continued to feud on house shows, including in steel cage matches.[26] During this part of his career, he became known for his stage costumes, which were created by Florida designer Michael Braun.[34]
Savage won theKing of the Ring tournament later in1987.[35] His popularity was rising to the point that he was being cheered by a majority of the fans despite being aheel, so he became less hostile towards the fans and Miss Elizabeth.[30] WhenThe Honky Tonk Man declared himself "the greatest Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion of all time", Savage began a feud with him to get the title back, becoming a fan favorite in the process. On the October 3 episode ofSaturday Night's Main Event XII, he got his shot at The Honky Tonk Man and the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, but lost out on the title whenThe Hart Foundation (Bret "Hitman" Hart andJim "The Anvil" Neidhart), who along with Honky were managed by"The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, interrupted the match, getting Honky disqualified. In the ensuing beatdown, Miss Elizabeth ran back to the locker room and broughtHulk Hogan out to the ring to save Savage, leading to the formation of "The Mega Powers".[36][30] Savage would lead a team of five against Honky's team of five at the first annualSurvivor Series on November 26, where Savage's team was victorious, avenging Elizabeth's honor.[37] His feud with Honky continued into early 1988, where in their last high-profile matchup (aired as the undercard toAndré the Giant vs.Hulk Hogan on the February 5 episode ofThe Main Event I), Savage defeated Honky by count-out after he shoved Honky away from Elizabeth and into the ring post.[38]
AtWrestleMania IV on March 27, 1988, he participated in the14-man tournament for the vacantWWF World Heavyweight Championship. During the tournament held at theBoardwalk Hall inAtlantic City, Savage defeated"The Natural" Butch Reed,Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and theOne Man Gang on his way to the finals, where he defeated"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase (who had André the Giant in his corner), pinning him with the help of Hogan.[39][40][41] Savage retained the WWF World Heavyweight Title for a little over a year, defending it against the likes of One Man Gang,Big Boss Man[42] and André the Giant.[43]
The Mega Powers' first feud was againstThe Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase and André the Giant), whom they defeated on August 29 in the main event of thefirst ever SummerSlam pay-per-view. The match, refereed byJesse Ventura, was famous for Miss Elizabeth jumping up on the apron of the ring late in the match and removing her skirt to show red panties.[30] This allowed both Savage and Hogan (who had been knocked to the outside) to get back in the ring and get the pin on DiBiase with Savage pushing a reluctant Ventura to the 3-count.[44][45] The Mega Powers then began feuding withThe Twin Towers (Big Boss Man and Akeem who was formerly the One Man Gang). In the case of the latter feud, Savage frequently became involved in Hogan's matches involving one of the two villains (and vice versa); the two rival factions captained opposing teams in the main event of theSurvivor Series on November 24, which was won by the Mega Powers.[46]
Problems between Savage and Hogan developed in early 1989 after Hogan also took Elizabeth as his manager. On January 15, 1989, at theRoyal Rumble, Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage from the Royal Rumble match and they started to fight until Elizabeth separated them.[47] During the February 3 episode ofThe Main Event II, Savage and Hogan faced the Twin Towers, but Elizabeth accidentally got injured at ringside. Hogan carried her to the back, which enraged Savage to the point that he abandoned Hogan later in the match. Savage and Hogan got into a heated argument with Savage declaring that Hogan was an inferior wrestler to him and that he wanted to steal Elizabeth from him. He then proceeded to attack his partner and attacked Hogan's friendBrutus "The Barber" Beefcake as he tried to intervene, before being separated by security, turning Savage heel.[2][48]
On April 2 atWrestleMania V, Savagedropped the WWF World Heavyweight Championship to Hogan after a reign of371 days. Prior to the match, Savage had actually been hospitalized with an infected elbow but checked himself out of the hospital in order to wrestle Hogan and despite wearing a heavy bandage over the elbow and being sick as a result of the infection, still managed to put on a high quality showing.[49][50] Later that month, he replaced Elizabeth (who stayed with Hogan) as his manager with former WWF Women's ChampionSensational Sherri.[51] Savage co-main eventedSummerSlam on August 28, teaming with "The Human Wrecking Machine"Zeus (actorTiny Lister in character as his role from Hulk Hogan's movie,No Holds Barred), againstThe Mega-Maniacs (Hogan and Brutus Beefcake), with the Mega-Maniacs winning after Hogan hit Zeus with Sherri's loaded purse to get the win.[52][53] Savage and Zeus faced Hogan and Beefcake in a rematch contested in asteel cage atNo Holds Barred on December 27, but were again defeated.[54]
Meanwhile, as all of this was going on, Savage decided to challengeJim Duggan for theKing of the Ring title in September 1989, defeating him; Savage began referring to himself as "The Macho King" going forward, with Sherri becoming known as "Sensational Queen Sherri".[1][2]
Savage and Hogan met one final time on February 23, 1990, atThe Main Event III, with Hogan once again putting the WWF Championship on the line.[55] The pinfall was counted by new heavyweight boxing championBuster Douglas despite Savage kicking out at two, Douglas then punched Savage in the face after Savage confronted and then slapped Douglas.[55]
Savage then began feuding with the "Common Man"Dusty Rhodes, losing amixed tag match (along with Sherri) to Rhodes andSapphire on April 1 atWrestleMania VI[56] but beating him in a singles match on August 27 atSummerSlam.[57]
After this, Savage started a feud withThe Ultimate Warrior, who had defeated Hogan to win the WWF Championship atWrestleMania VI. Warrior repeatedly refused to give Savage a title shot, instead choosing to defend the championship againstSgt. Slaughter at theRoyal Rumble in January 1991. Savage attacked Warrior as he was making his entrance, and then later in the match knocked him unconscious by breaking his royal scepter over Warrior's head, costing him the championship.[58]
Warrior responded by challenging Savage to acareer-ending match atWrestleMania VII on March 24, where the loser of the contest would be forced to retire from professional wrestling. Savage lost the match,[59] and was then attacked by Sherri as he lay dejected in the ring.[1][11] This was too much for Miss Elizabeth, who happened to be in the audience, rushing to Savage's aid, fighting off Sherri and reuniting with her one-time love to huge crowd appreciation, with Savage becoming a fan favorite once again.[1]
Despite his retirement from active wrestling, Savage stayed in the WWF in a non-wrestling capacity while The Ultimate Warrior was fired byVince McMahon afterSummerSlam later that year.[1] Savage wrestled a number of times following WrestleMania VII and the WWF's official story was that out of respect, Warrior generously allowed him to see out the final months of his contract before he was forced to retire. His last match was on April 1 in Kobe, Japan at a joint card between the WWF and Super World Sports, where he was defeated byGenichiro Tenryu.[60] He also made an initial, untelevised return to the ring on July 30 inPortland, Maine, at aWWF Wrestling Challenge taping when he substituted for The Ultimate Warrior and pinnedThe Undertaker. Following this, Savage subbed for Warrior on house shows in early August against Undertaker.[60]
The storyline with Miss Elizabeth continued, culminating with Savage proposing to her in the ring leading to an on-air wedding on August 26 atSummerSlam dubbedThe Match Made in Heaven.[61] It was at this time that Savage was targeted by the now-villainJake "The Snake" Roberts. On an episode ofPrime Time Wrestling prior to SummerSlam, the announcers and several wrestlers threw a "bachelor party" for Savage, with Roberts' arrival deemed unwelcome by the rest of the contingent.[62]
In the post-SummerSlam wedding reception, Roberts and his new ally,The Undertaker, made their presence known by hiding a live snake in one of the newly married couple's wedding presents; Elizabeth was frightened when she opened the gift box, and the Undertaker blindsided Savage by knocking him out with the urn while Roberts pulled the snake from the box and menaced Elizabeth with it.Sid Justice ran off both Roberts and The Undertaker. Savage, still unable to compete due to his WrestleMania VII loss to The Ultimate Warrior, immediately began a public campaign to have himself reinstated as an active wrestler to gain revenge on Roberts; however, WWF PresidentJack Tunney refused. During a television taping forWWF Superstars of Wrestling on November 23, Roberts cut an in-ring promo to goad Savage into the ring. After he was lured into the ring, Roberts attacked Savage, eventually tying Savage into the ropes before getting a liveking cobra to bite his arm.[1][19] According to Hulk Hogan and Jake Roberts on the Pick Your Poison DVD, the snake was holding on with the fangs and Jake had a hard time getting the snake off Randy.[63] With help from the fans, Savage was later reinstated by Tunney,[1] who announced a match between Savage and Roberts forThis Tuesday in Texas on December 3, where Savage defeated Roberts, however, Roberts performed theDDT on Savage three times after the match, and things came to a head when Roberts slapped Miss Elizabeth.[64] The feud continued throughout the winter, ending after a match on the February 8, 1992 episode ofSaturday Night's Main Event XXX, which Savage won.[65]
Savage then began an on-screen feud with WWF ChampionRic Flair, who claimed that he had been in a prior relationship with Savage's wife Miss Elizabeth, going as far as presenting pictures of Elizabeth and Flair together.[2] This culminated in a title match between the two on April 5 atWrestleMania VIII; Savage won the match and his second WWF Championship.[66][67][68] During this time, Savage and Elizabethseparated in real life, however, the Savage-Flair feud continued, andWWF Magazine published photos of Savage and Elizabeth, which were identical to those featuring Elizabeth and Flair; it was revealed that Flair had doctored the Savage-Elizabeth pictures. The former couple were divorced on September 18, and a statement announcing the divorce appeared inWWF Magazine at about the same time, a rare break ofkayfabe for the WWF at the time.
For the better part of 1992, Savage and his old nemesis The Ultimate Warrior (who returned to the WWF atWrestleMania VIII) peacefully co-existed. However, when it was announced that Warrior was the new number-one contender for Savage's WWF Championship, old tensions resurfaced and they had several heated exchanges prior to the match. On August 29 (transmitted on pay-per-view TV August 31), Savage defended the title against The Ultimate Warrior atSummerSlam. WWF writers had originally intended that Warrior should be the one to acceptMr. Perfect's services - up for offer to either Summerslam main event competitor[69] - turning heel in the process of winning the title and continuing his feud with the dethroned Savage, now the babyface in their rivalry. However these plans were scrapped at a late stage due to the Warrior's refusal to turn heel after considering the collapse in merchandise sales which would have resulted.[70] Instead, Savage lost the match bycountout, after having his knee injured by Flair and Mr. Perfect, but retained the championship. After the match, Warrior helped a badly injured Savage to the back.[71][72] On the September 14 episode ofPrime Time Wrestling (taped September 1), Savage lost the WWF Championship to Flair after interference fromRazor Ramon.[62]
He then formed a tag team with Warrior known as the "Ultimate Maniacs", and after his title loss shortly after, an injured Savage backed Warrior to dethrone Flair. On the November 8, 1992 episode ofSaturday Night's Main Event XXXI, they took onMoney Inc. (Ted DiBiase andIrwin R. Schyster) for theWWF Tag Team Championship. Money Inc. lost by countout but retained their titles.[73] Savage and Warrior were to face Flair and Ramon atSurvivor Series on November 25. Warrior was fired from the WWF weeks before the event, so Savage chose Mr. Perfect, executive consultant to Flair, as his partner to replace Warrior. Perfect initially laughed off the suggestion, but was angered byBobby Heenan and his insinuations that he could never again wrestle at his previous level, and accepted the match. The duo defeated Flair and Ramon via disqualification.[74]
WhenMonday Night Raw began in January 1993, Savage served primarily as a color commentator.[2] On January 24, he was the runner up in theRoyal Rumble match atRoyal Rumble, where he was eliminated byYokozuna.[75][76] Savage returned to pay-per-view on November 24 atSurvivor Series as a substitute for Mr. Perfect.[77] He also competed in the1994 Royal Rumble match on January 22, but was eliminated byCrush,[78] leading to aFalls Count Anywhere match on March 20 atWrestleMania X, where Savage defeated Crush.[79] Savage also made periodic appearances inJim Cornette'sSmoky Mountain Wrestling promotion in May and made his final WWF pay-per-view appearance on August 29 atSummerSlam, where he served as the master of ceremonies.[80] Savage's final WWF match was a tour in Germany when he teamed withBret Hart to defeatOwen Hart andJim Neidhart on September 13, 1994, inRostock.[81] At the end of October 1994, Savage's WWF contract expired and he left to sign with rivalWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).[4]
Savage made his first appearance for WCW on the December 3, 1994 episode ofSaturday Night, referencing the love/hate relationship he had with Hulk Hogan and stated his desire to be theWCW World Heavyweight Champion. He appeared atStarrcade on December 27, saving Hogan from an attack byThe Three Faces of Fear, shaking hands with his friend and rival.[82] AtSuperBrawl V on February 19, 1995, Savage andSting defeatedAvalanche andBig Bubba Rogers.[83] On March 19 atUncensored, Savage defeated Avalanche via disqualification when a fan, who happened to beRic Flair dressed in drag, attacked Savage.[84] This led to a feud between Savage and Flair, where, on May 21, Flair attacked Savage's father,Angelo Poffo, atSlamboree following the main event where Savage and Hogan defeated Flair andVader.[85]
Savage participated in theWCW United States Heavyweight Championship tournament, defeatingThe Butcher in the first round and"Stunning" Steve Austin in the quarterfinals.[86] He then interfered in Flair's match againstAlex Wright, attacking Flair and causing Wright to get disqualified, which set up a tournament semi-final in which the winner would face the winner of the Sting andMeng match for the title atThe Great American Bash. Savage and Flair's tournament semi-final match never took place, however, due to Savage and Flair brawling in the backstage area prior to the match and both being eliminated from the tournament.[86] At the event on June 18, Savage lost to Flair after Flair stole Angelo's cane and hit Savage with it.[87] In a rematch on July 16, Savage defeated Flair in alifeguard lumberjack match atBash at the Beach.[88] Later that year, during part of the storyline in whichArn Anderson and Ric Flair turned on each other, Flair (looking for a partner to take on Anderson andBrian Pillman in a tag match) tried to recruit Savage to be his partner. Remembering the rivalry (and how Flair had attacked Savage's father), Savage refused. AtFall Brawl on September 17, Savage, Hogan,Lex Luger and Sting defeatedThe Dungeon of Doom (Kamala,The Zodiac,The Shark andMeng) in aWarGames match.[89] On October 29 atHalloween Havoc, Savage defeated Luger.[90]
AtWorld War 3 on November 26, Savage won his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship by winning the first-ever60-man three-ring battle royal.[91] On December 27, he lost the title to Flair atStarrcade; earlier that night, he defeatedHiroyoshi Tenzan.[92] Savage won his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship back from Flair on the January 22, 1996 episode ofNitro.[93] During this time, Savage brought Elizabeth with him into WCW as his manager once again. AtSuperBrawl VI on February 11, Savage defended the title against Flair insteel cage match, however, he lost the title after Elizabeth turned on Savage when she allowed Flair to hit him with one of her high heel shoes.[94] Flair claimed that Elizabeth gave him a sizable amount of Savage's money, taken in their divorce settlement, which he used to set up a "VIP section" atNitro events.
AtUncensored on March 24, Savage and Hogan won aDoomsday Cage match against Flair,Arn Anderson, Meng,The Barbarian, Luger,The Taskmaster,Z-Gangsta andThe Ultimate Solution.[95] On May 19 atSlamboree, Savage and Flair were paired in theLord of the Ring tournament, where they defeated Anderson andEddie Guerrero, but lost toPublic Enemy (Johnny Grunge andRocco Rock) by forfeit after Savage attacked Flair during his entrance as a retribution for Flair's attack on Savage in their earlier match.[96] AtBash at the Beach on July 7, theNew World Order (nWo) was formed when Hulk Hogan turned on Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger and joined "The Outsiders", a tag team of former WWF wrestlersKevin Nash andScott Hall.[97] After their inception, one of their main enemies became Savage himself, who was one of the leaders of the WCW crusaders against the nWo. Savage threatened Hogan for months, often being attacked by the nWo. On September 15 atFall Brawl, Savage was defeated byThe Giant.[98] AtHalloween Havoc on October 27, Savage finally faced Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but lost when The Giant interfered and hit him with achokeslam.[99] Savage left WCW following the event, as he was unable to reach a new deal with the company.[100]
Savage returned to WCW on the January 20, 1997 episode ofNitro hijacking the show, claiming to have been "blackballed" and refusing to leave the ring until Sting showed up, and the two left together. Savage appeared again with Sting over the next coupleNitro shows roving and watching events from the crowd as "free agents". At one point, WCW president and nWo memberEric Bischoff informed Savage that his WCW career was over and he could only return as an nWo member. On February 23, Sting and Savage appeared atSuperBrawl VII, where Savage left Sting's side and joined the nWo by helping Hogan defeatRoddy Piper.[101] The next night, he reunited with Elizabeth, who had joined the nWo several months earlier during Savage's hiatus from WCW. Savage began feuding withDiamond Dallas Page and his wifeKimberly. On March 16 atUncensored, Savage won aTriangle Elimination match with the nWo.[102] He lost to Page in ano disqualification match on April 6 atSpring Stampede,[103] but defeated him in afalls count anywhere match on June 15 atThe Great American Bash,[104] as well as in a tag team match atBash at the Beach on July 13.[105] AtRoad Wild on August 9, Savage lost to the Giant,[106] and on September 14 atFall Brawl, Savage and Scott Hall lost to Page and Luger.[107] Their feud ended in aLas Vegas Death match on October 26 atHalloween Havoc, which Savage won.[108]
On January 24, 1998, atSouled Out, Savage lost to Luger.[109] Luger also won a rematch between the two on February 22 atSuperBrawl VIII.[110] Savage faced Hogan in a steel cage match atUncensored on March 15, which ended in a no contest.[111] When Hogan failed to recapture his "nWo" title from Sting, it was Savage's turn, and he got his shot on April 19 atSpring Stampede. Hogan tried to make sure that Savage would not win the title because Hogan felt that he was the only nWo member who should be WCW World Heavyweight Champion, since he was the leader of the stable. With the help of Nash, however, Savage beat Sting for his third WCW World Heavyweight Championship, despite tearing hisACL in his knee during the match.[112] The following night onNitro, Hogan faced Savage for the championship, and it looked like Hogan had Savage beat,[113] but for the second consecutive night, Nash came to Savage's aid,powerbombing Hogan.[113] However, an interferingBret Hart attacked Savage and preserved the victory for Hogan.[113] Savage then joined with Nash and others to form thenWo Wolfpac, a split from Hogan's group.
AtSlamboree on May 17, Savage lost to Hart by submission.[114] On June 14 atThe Great American Bash, Savage teamed up with Piper against and lost to Hogan and Hart by submission. After the match, Savage wrestled Piper in the next match, which Savage quickly lost to Piper by submission.[115] After the next night onNitro, Savage took a hiatus from the company to recover from at least two major knee surgeries. He made only one more appearance in 1998, helping Ric Flair defeat Eric Bischoff for the Presidency of WCW on the December 28 episode ofNitro. As nWo member the Giant was interfering on Bischoff's behalf, Savage entered the ring wearing an nWo shirt but duped,low-blowed andclotheslined the Giant out of the ring and removed the shirt while exiting.[116]
Savage returned in April 1999, debuting a new look and theme music, sporting a slicked-back ponytail, earrings, and a new villainous attitude (though still embracing the fans), as well as introducing his new valet,Gorgeous George.[1] His first action was as the guest referee in the main event atSpring Stampede on April 11, which was won by Diamond Dallas Page.[117] For a short time afterward, Savage interfered in DDP's matches to make sure that Page kept the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,[11] but when Kevin Nash won it on May 9 atSlamboree, Savage went after the title himself.[118] It was around that time thatMadusa andMiss Madness joined Savage as his other two valets; together they were known asTeam Madness. On June 13 atThe Great American Bash,Sid Vicious returned to WCW and helped Savage to attack Kevin Nash.[119]
This led to a tag team match on July 11 atBash at the Beach between Nash and Sting against Savage and Sid Vicious, in which whoever scored the winning fall would win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship; Savage won his fourth and final WCW World Heavyweight Championship when hepinned Nash.[120] Savage's last reign as champion did not last long, as he lost the title to a returning Hollywood Hogan the next night onNitro, when Nash interfered and hit a powerbomb on Savage (in a reversal of the situation from the previous year, in which Nash had attacked Hogan to help Savage keep his title, albeit unsuccessfully).[121] Team Madness slowly started to disband, after Madusa and Miss Madness began fighting each other over who was responsible for Savage's title loss.[11] Savage soon fired both of them and started a feud withDennis Rodman, defeating him atRoad Wild on August 14.[122]
Savage disappeared from WCW programming following his feud with Rodman and would make two more appearances: first on the October 25, 1999 episode ofNitro, when he appeared in the ring with Gorgeous George and talked about passing the torch forward.[123] His second, and final, WCW appearance would be on the May 3, 2000, episode ofThunder, when Savage returned to joinThe Millionaire's Club – a group consisting of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and other veterans – aiding them at the end of a 41-man battle royal. Despite Savage ending the show claiming he was going to help the veteran group take out the youngNew Blood group, he did not appear again in WCW before they folded the next year.[124]
On November 7, 2004, Savage returned to professional wrestling atNWA: Total Nonstop Action's (TNA)Victory Road pay-per-view, confrontingJeff Jarrett.[125] He made hisImpact! debut on November 19, confronting the Kings of Wrestling (Jarrett,Kevin Nash, andScott Hall).[126] At the end of the next week's show, he led a group attack on them.[127] On December 5, atTurning Point, Savage,Jeff Hardy andA.J. Styles defeated them in his last match.[128] Savage never signed a contract with TNA, instead working on a per date handshake deal.
He was the celebrity spokesman forSlim Jim snack foods in the mid-to-late 1990s. Hiscatch phrase in the ads was "Snap into a Slim Jim, oooooh yeah!", which became a recurring theme for Slim Jim ads.[19] In 1998, Savage accepted an award fromHarvard University's humor societyHarvard Lampoon asMan of the Year.[129]
Savage appeared in many television shows in the mid-to-late '90s. He appeared on a wrestling-themed episode ofBaywatch that aired in 1996 with fellow WCW wrestlersHulk Hogan,Ric Flair,Big Van Vader, andKevin Sullivan. In 1999, he appeared on popular television showsWalker, Texas Ranger andMad About You.
Savage appeared in his first theatrical film in 2000 making an appearance as his Macho Man character in the movieReady to Rumble whereDavid Arquette daydreams a sequence fighting Savage at a gas station.[130] Savage's most famous film role was in the 2002 filmSpider-Man as the wrestler Bonesaw McGraw (based on the comics character Crusher Hogan).[2][131]
Savage's memorable voice gave him voice acting roles for various television and film projects. He voiced the rogue alien wrestler "Rasslor" in theDexter's Laboratory shortsDial M for Monkey. He also provided his voice in many other shows including the voice for "Gorilla" in an episode ofKing of the Hill and the voice ofSpace Ghost's grandfather in an episode ofSpace Ghost Coast to Coast. Savage served as the voice of "The Thug" inDisney's Academy Award-nominated 2008 animated filmBolt, which was his last theatrical film appearance. Savage reprised the role inSuper Rhino in 2009 for the short film featuring the cast ofBolt.
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Ready to Rumble | Himself | |
| 2002 | Spider-Man | Bonesaw McGraw | |
| 2008 | Glago's Guest | Short, Voice | |
| Bolt | Thug | Voice | |
| 2009 | Super Rhino | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Baywatch | Himself | Episode: "Bash at the Beach" |
| Phillips Top 10 | Episode: "" | ||
| Dexter's Laboratory | Rasslor | Episode: "Dial M for Monkey": Rasslor, Voice | |
| 1997 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Leonard "the Gray Ghost" Ghostal | A former professional wrestler (and Space Ghost's grandfather), Voice, Episode: "Piledriver" |
| The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Himself | Episode: "Wrestling Opera" | |
| The Weird Al Show | Himself | Episode: "Al Gets Robbed" | |
| 1999 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Whitelaw Lundren | Episode: "Fight or Die" |
| Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "Separated Beds" | |
| Arliss | Himself | Episode: "To Thine Own Self Be True" | |
| 2001 | Nikki | James "Pretty Boy" Carter | Pro-wrestler, Episode: "Fallback" |
| 2003 | College University | Himself | Episode: "You've Pushpa'd Me Too Far" |
| Duck Dodgers | Master Sergeant Emily Dickinson Jones | Voice, Episode: "Queen Is Wild, The/Back to the Academy" | |
| Whatever Happened to Robot Jones | Biker | Voice, Episode: "Family Vacation" | |
| 2005 | The X's | Sasquatch | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2007 | King of the Hill | Gorilla | Voice, Episode: "Bill, Bulk and the Body Buddies" |
| Video Games | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | Cars Race-O-Rama | El Machismo | Voice |
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Savage's music debut was on the WWF-producedWrestleMania: The Album in 1993, where he sang on the song "Speaking from the Heart", one of many songs sung by then-WWF wrestlers on the CD.
On October 7, 2003, Savage released his debutrap album titledBe a Man. It includes a tribute song to "Mr. Perfect"Curt Hennig, as well as adiss track aimed at Hulk Hogan.[132] Savage promotedBe a Man with a concert tour featuringBrian Adams as his bodyguard andRon Harris as touring manager. During this time, the development of a second album was already in progress with Savage exclaiming, "We are absolutely going to have more records."[133] However, no further albums were released.
Just three months before his death on February 2, 2011,EpicLLOYD andNice Peter made a song along with a video forEpic Rap Battles of History of Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage andKim Jong-Il having arap battle. They noted his death with annotations in the video.
RapperDon Trip released a mixtape on January 24, 2014, entitledRandy Savage. All tracks have Savage's famous "Ohhh Yeah!!!" in the opening of the song; the track entitled "Cream of the Crop" has Savage's "Nothing Means Nothing" speech from an interview after WrestleMania III.[134] In January 2015, DJ/rapperDJ Cummerbund began releasing a series of remixes that feature samples fromBe a Man which has received critical acclaim.[135]
Savage appeared inWWF WrestleMania,WWF WrestleMania Challenge,WWF Superstars,WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge,WWF Super WrestleMania,WWF Royal Rumble,WWF King of the Ring,WCW vs nWo: World Tour,WCW Nitro,WCW/nWo Revenge,WCW/nWo Thunder,WCW Mayhem,Fire Pro Wrestling,Showdown: Legends of Wrestling,WWE All Stars, as aDLC inWWE 12 and as an unlockable character inWWE 2K14. He appears as the Macho King as a DLC inWWE 2K15, inWWE 2K16 as a starting wrestler, inWWE 2K17,WWE 2K18 as an unlockable wrestler through the in-game currency "VC" (Virtual Currency), andWWE 2K19 as an exclusive DLC character for the Collector's edition of the game, entitled the "Wooooo!" Edition,WWE 2K20 as an unlockable character through the game's currency,WWE 2K Battlegrounds as a post-launch DLC character, and is also an unlockable character inWWE 2K22,WWE 2K23,WWE 2K24, andWWE 2K25. He also appears inBrawlhalla as a crossover.
Savage's 16-plus-year absence from WWE-licensed games from 1994'sWWF Raw to 2011'sWWE All Stars was recognized byGuinness World Records in its 2015 gamer's edition as the longest such absence.[136]
Savage met Elizabeth Hulette, better known asMiss Elizabeth, at a gym inLexington in 1982,[19] and they married in 1984.[137] They divorced in 1992.[16] On May 10, 2010, Savage married Barbara Lynn Payne,[138] whom he had previously dated in the early 1970s.[19]
For years, Savage andHulk Hogan were at odds and had an on again/off again friendship.[139] He had a dog named Hercules, aGerman Shepherd that was given to him byHercules Hernandez.[140]
On the morning of May 20, 2011, Savage was driving hisJeep Wrangler near his home inSeminole, Florida, with his wife in the passenger seat when he became unresponsive and crashed into a tree.Paramedics arrived soon after and found him dead at the scene, aged 58.[6][141][142] Savage and his wife had been wearing seatbelts. She suffered only minor physical injuries in the crash.[141] An autopsy performed by the medical examiner's office found that he had anenlarged heart and advancedcoronary artery disease (more than 90% narrowed) which had resulted in a suddenheart attack. The drugs found in his system included a prescription painkiller and a small amount of alcohol. Savage had never been treated for heart problems and there was no evidence that he was aware of his heart condition. The cause of death was officially ruled asatherosclerotic heart disease.[141][143]
Five days after his death, Savage wascremated, and his ashes were placed under a favorite tree on his property inLargo, Florida, near his mother's development.[144] Ten days before his death, he had asked his brother to pour the ashes of his dog in the same spot.[145] When Savage's brother asked why, Savage stated that it was because he wanted him to remember that spot, since he wanted his ashes to be poured there as well.[145][146]
Vince McMahon, with whom Savage had a longtime strained relationship,[147] paid tribute to Savage in aTime magazine article, describing Savage as "one of wrestling's all-time greats".[148] TNA held aten-bell salute in Savage's honor the night of his death.[149] WWE aired a tribute video on the May 23 episode ofRaw with the song "The Scientist" byColdplay. Later that night,CM Punk paid tribute to Savage by wearing pink trunks and yellow boots, complete with white stars on the trunks, during a tag team match withR-Truth againstJohn Cena andRey Mysterio.[150] Punk later adapted a version of thediving elbow drop into his moveset.[151]
In August 2011, Kevin Eck ofThe Baltimore Sun lauded Savage as an all-round performer, saying that "nobody blended power, speed, agility, and technical skills like the 'Macho Man' in his prime".[152]
WWE released a DVD documentary,Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story, in November 2014. Despite a strained relationship over the years with the WWE, the documentary featured interviews with Savage's mother and his brother Lanny Poffo, with Poffo giving insight to many of the rumors and denying some of the negative things other wrestlers said in the documentary about Savage, including his relationship with Elizabeth.[153] Savage was never inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame during his lifetime and he was frequently described as being one of its most noticeably absent figures.[147][154][16]
On January 12, 2015, WWE announced Savage as the first inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015, and that his Mega Powers partner and long-time rival Hulk Hogan would induct him.[155]Lanny Poffo, Savage's brother, accepted the honor on Randy's behalf by reading a poem. Later on theWWE Network that same night Lanny commented, "I had no thoughts. I was so excited. Intellectually, there was nothing. It was all emotional. I was happy for the fans. They waited forBruno Sammartino for so many years and now they waited for Macho Man." He went on to say that Savage's mother and his 30-year-old daughter are both very excited and said of the WWE Network, "Randy will never die."[156] Vince McMahon reached out to Savage back in 2010, wanting to induct only him in the Hall of Fame, but Savage refused to go in without his father and his brother.[19]
On September 1, 2018, at the eventAll In,Jay Lethal was accompanied to the ring by Lanny Poffo, while dressed in one of Savage's original outfits.[157]
Savage is a subject of "The Match Made in Heaven", the first episode ofViceland'sDark Side of the Ring, that premiered on April 10, 2019.[158]
On July 28, 2023, theDutchess County, New York, Legislature declared July 6 as "Macho Man" Randy Savage Day in honor of his WWF debut on television at theMid-Hudson Civic Center on July 6, 1985.[159]
On September 26, 2023, the train overpass on Linden Avenue in the city ofZanesville, Ohio, was renamed in honor of the late Randy Savage. The overpass sits directly to the north of theY-Bridge.
First off all, he wasn't injured, and I never thought that he would be injured because, I've wrestled Randy a thousand times, and Randy cannot possibly hurt you – he was too good.
13.9.1994
Savage (née Randall Mario Poffo) starred in Ready To Rumble alongside Arquette, who arrives wearing one of the wrestler's old, kaleidoscopic costumes (signed by Savage)
The longest time spent away from appearing in official WWF and WWE games is an epic 16 years 4 months, achieved by "Macho Man" Randy Savage. After appearing in the Game Gear releaseWWF Raw in November 1994, the Macho Man wouldn't feature in official wrestling federation games again untilWWE All Stars, released in March 2011.
Hulette, who married Savage (ne Randy Poffo) in real life in 1984, was not as passive as the character she played.
That night he used his Black Machismo gimmick, where he imitates "Macho Man" Randy Savage to pay tribute to him. Lethal, dressed in full Macho Man gear with "Pomp and Circumstance" playing, was walked to the ring that night by Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo.
The six-episode pro wrestling documentary series covers six different topics, beginning with "The Match Made in Heaven" and its behind-the-scenes look at the relationship between the "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth.
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