Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo (born November 15, 1952), better known by his stage name "Macho Man" Randy Savage (and alternately Randy "Macho Man" Savage), is a professional wrestler who achieved prominence in the World Wrestling Federation and later World Championship Wrestling. He has also performed under the names Macho King and Mr. Madness.
Early Career
Before he started his full-time wrestling career, he was a minor league baseball catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system. He injured his natural throwing shoulder at one point, so he learned how to throw with his left arm instead.
He is a second-generation professional wrestler; his father, Angelo Poffo, was a well-known wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s. His brother Lanny Poffo had a moderately successful career as a wrestler, under the stage names Leaping Lanny Poffo and The Genius.
In the early 1980's, Angelo Poffo ran the "outlaw" ICW promotion in the mid-American states that featured his sons Randy and Lanny. The promotion competed with Jerry Lawler's Memphis promotion (later the USWA). Eventually, the Poffo promotion disbanded and Randy and Lanny entered the Memphis scene.
In 1984, Savage signed with Vince McMahon's WWF, and soon became a top heel. He eventually beat Tito Santana to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
Savage wrestled in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest matches in North American wrestling history when he faced Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat at WrestleMania III in the Pontiac Silverdome. The match was the culmination on a long and bitter feud between the two and featured tremendous athleticism and in-ring storytelling. After numerous false finishes, Steamboat pinned Savage to end his reign as Intercontinental Champion. The match was an extremely choreographed one, as opposed to the "called on the fly" nature of most wrestling matches. Savage was a stickler for detail and he and Steamboat laid out and rehearsed every spot in the match prior to Wrestlemania. It still stands up to the test of time and is cited by such wrestling luminaries as Chris Jericho as their inspiration for becoming a wrestler.
The Macho Man is known to wrestling fans and non-fans alike for his distinctively deep, husky voice and his trademark loud, drawn-out cry of "Ohhhhhhhhhh, yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!" made even more popular by a series of Slim Jim ads. For much of his tenure in the WWF, he was managed by the late Miss Elizabeth, to whom he was married on December 30, 1984.
Savage would turn face later in 1987 after the fans started cheering him for his exceptional in-ring ability. On Saturday Night's Main Event in October 1987 he solidified his status as a face when Elizabeth got Hulk Hogan to save him from a beatdown by Jimmy Hart's cronies, The Honky Tonk Man and the Hart Foundation. As a result, The Mega Powers were born. Hogan and Savage would together rule the WWF for the next 16 months.
Savage achieved his greatest fame during WrestleMania IV when he defeated "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the final of a tournament for the vacant WWF Championship. Savage would hold the title for almost a full year before losing it to Hogan at WrestleMania V in 1989. Prior to his WrestleMania V match, he turned heel on Hogan, getting jealous of him over Miss Elizabeth. He eventually left Elizabeth as his valet for Sensational Sherri. He adopted the moniker "Macho King" after winning the crown, with the help of a loaded purse, from then WWF King of the Ring Jim Duggan in 1989. After the match, Savage proceeded to give Duggan five big elbows from the top rope, and Sherri did several splashes from the top to further humiliate Duggan. As the cameras focused in on on unconscious, motionless Duggan, Vince McMahon, who was a WWF announcer at the time said: "Anyone who has been out for this length of time, there has to be some damage done". At that time, Sherri became "Queen Sherri".
The Macho King got into a feud with The Ultimate Warrior after braining him with his sceptre at the 1991 Royal Rumble, costing him the WWF Championship. It led to a Career-Ending Match at WrestleMania VII. Savage lost the marathon match and was attacked by Queen Sherri, as he lay dejected in the ring. This was too much for Miss Elizabeth, who happened to be in the audience. Elizabeth rushed to Savage's aid, seeing off Sherri and reuniting with her one-time love to huge crowd appreciation.
Savage would return to TV in a non-wrestling role, as the Macho Man again, over the summer with Miss Elizabeth and "propose" to her in the ring, leading to an on-air "wedding" at SummerSlam 1991, dubbed "The Match Made in Heaven." It was at this time that Savage was targeted by Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who was by now a dastardly heel. In a memorable feud, Roberts would ambush Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth on their wedding day and later have a snake bite Savage as the Macho Man lay prone in the ring. Due to fan pressure, Savage would be "re-instated" as a wrestler so that he could do battle with Roberts.
Savage would have another run as WWF Champion, defeating Ric Flair at WrestleMania VIII in 1992, and holding it until September of that year, when he lost it back to Flair at a WWF TV taping. Savage and Flair would later swap the WCW World Heavyweight Championship during their 1995-96 feud, making them the only duo to win and lose both the WWF/E and WCW versions of the world title.
When Monday Night Raw began in January 1993, Savage hung up his boots for a while and tried his hand at color-commentating, but he would occasionally face some one if they got up in his face, like Doink & Crush. In probably his last match in the WWF, Randy Savage defeated Crush in a "Falls Count Anywhere Match" at WrestleMania X. Randy Savage appeared occasionally in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion, in Fall 1994 Randy Savage's WWF contract expired and Randy departed the federation after 9 years.
Randy signed a $6 million contract with WCW, joining his "friend", Hulk Hogan, who was feuding with the 3 Faces of Fear and "The Dungeon of Doom." On November 26, 1995 at World War 3, Macho Man won the WCW World Title by winning the 60-man three-ring battle royal. He lost the title to Ric Flair a month later. Macho Man won the title back a month later but lost the title again to Ric Flair another month later.
In July 1996, the nWo was formed and one of their main enemies was Macho Man himself. At WCW Halloween Havoc 1996, Macho Man faced Hollywood Hogan for the WCW Title, but lost when the rest of the nWo interfered. After months of abuse from the nWo, Randy eventually joined them and began a feud with Diamond Dallas Page. When Hogan failed to recapture his "nWo" Title from Sting, it was Savage's turn and got his shot at WCW Spring Stampede 1998. Hogan tried everything he could to make sure Savage did not win the title because he felt that he was the only nWo member who should be World Champion since he was the leader of the stable. But with the help of Kevin Nash, Savage beat Sting for the belt. But Savage lost the belt to Hollywood Hogan the next night, which eventually led to the "half"-split of the nWo and the formation of nWo Wolfpac. A couple months, Randy Savage took a hiatus from the company.
When Macho Man returned, he came back with a new look, a new attitude and also brought with him a new manager, his then 22 year old girlfriend, Gorgeous George. At first, Randy would interfere in DDP's matches to make sure he kept his World Title, but when Kevin Nash won it at WCW Slamboree 1999, Savage went after his title. It was around that time that Madusa & Miss Madness joined Macho Man as his other two valets, together they were know as Team Madness.
At WCW Great American Bash 1999, Sid Vicious returned to WCW and helped Macho Man attack Kevin Nash. This led to a tag team between Kevin Nash & Sting against Randy Savage & Sid Vicious, to where whomever pinned Nash (including Sting) would win the World Title, at WCW Bash at the Beach. Savage won the WCW title for the fourth time when he pinned Nash, but lost the title again to Hollywood Hogan the next night, when Big Sexy interfered and powerbombed Macho Man. After that Team Madness slowly started to disband as Madusa & Miss Madness started fighting each other because they blamed the other for Savage's title loss. Savage soon fired both of them. He eventually joined the Millionaire's Club with Hogan, Jim Duggan, Flair, DDP, and other popular veteran wrestlers. When Vince Russo came to WCW & Savage's WCW contract expired, Savage and George left WCW and never returned.
Savage made an appearance for TNA at TNA Victory Road 2004 and later teamed up with Jeff Hardy & A.J. Styles to defeat the Kings of Wrestling (Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash & Scott Hall) at TNA Turning Point 2004 on December 5. He left TNA when there was a disagreement on the finish of the next scheduled PPV. Randy Savage recently told a Missouri newspaper that he can’t wrestle right now because of "health concerns." It was reported that he had injured his back at a show. Obsessed With Wrestling also reported that Savage has lost weight, and has also shaved his beard; Savage is, therefore, nearly unrecognizable. However, recent pictures (as of December 2005) depicts him with a large, grey beard.
Trivia
- During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he also became known for a supposed friendship with Hogan that quickly developed into a very open (and unscripted) rivalry after Savage accused Hogan of sleeping in Elizabeth's bed during a road trip. Savage and Elizabeth were divorced on September 18, 1992. Savage and Hogan have a strained relationship to this day.
- Savage has never been able to defeat Hulk Hogan in any type of match. (Obviously due to poor backstage booking and/or Hogan's refusal to job to Savage)
- Savage also earned few friends by running outlaw feds in the Kentucky territories in the early 1980s. His show would regularly give out the phone numbers and home addresses of wrestlers in rival companies.
- At the 1998 WCW Bash At The Beach PPV, Savage lost two matches, both by submission. In the first match, Bret Hart and Hollywood Hogan def. Savage and Roddy Piper in a tag team match when Hart locked the Sharpshooter on Savage's already injured knee, forcing him to tap out. In a match immediately after, Savage and Piper were scheduled to go one on one, due to Savage challenging Piper to this match on Monday Nitro for the past several weeks leading up to this PPV. Savage put up little resistence, with his knee buckling after attempting to climb the top rope to deliver the big elbow to Piper, who he had attacked while Piper was checking on him prior to the start the match. After his knees gave out, Savage lay on the mat in pain, and Piper promptly locked on a figure four, causing Savage to grab the ref by the shirt and plead with him to ring the bell due to the pain. The next night on Nitro, his leg was "broken" when Eric Bischoff kicked a steel chair into his leg during a steel cage match against Diamond Dallas Page, when nWo Hollywood interfered.
- Savage is now pursuing a career as a rap artist; his debut album, Be A Man, was released on October 7, 2003. His album was met with scathing reviews; according to a review by Dan Aquilante of the New York Post, his album "defies the laws of physics by blowing and sucking at the same time". The title track of the album was made to make fun of Hulk Hogan
- He also appeared in the original Spider-Man movie, as the underground wrestler "Bone Saw McGraw."
- He also appeared in one of the more popular episodes of the television program Space Ghost Coast to Coast, entitled "Piledriver." In said episode, Savage supplied the voice of Space Ghost's grandfather, a former professional wrestler named Leonard Ghostal.
- In Savage's 2 WWF and 4 WCW World Heavyweight Championship reigns, each one of them ended with Savage losing the title to either Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair.
- In 2004, a trademark case was brought against Randy Savage by the makers of Kool-Aid claiming he stole the catchphrase "Oh, Yeah!" from their anthropomorphic mascot. The case is still pending.
- In 2005, he provided the voice of Sasquach in the
Nickelodeon show The X's
Wrestling facts
Quotes
- "Ooh Yeah!"
- "The Madness is running wild"
Finishing and signature moves
Titles and Accomplishments
- 2-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
- 1989 King of the Ring (non PPV)
- 4-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
- WCW World War 3 Battle Royal winner (1995)
- 3-time NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time NWA South Eastern Tag Team Champion (with Lanny Poffo)
- 2-time Mid-Southern Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time Mid-Southern International Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time USWA Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time North American Heavyweight Champion
- Miscellaneous
- 3-time Independent Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion
- 1-time Georgia Championship Wrestling Tag Team Champion (with Lanny Poffo)
- PWI ranked him # 9 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him # 57 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Hulk Hogan
- PWI Wrestler of the Year Award (1988)
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler Award (1988)
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler Award (1989)
- PWI Comeback of the Year Award (1995)
- PWI Match of the Year, versus Ricky Steamboat (1987)
- PWI Feud of the Year, versus Diamond Dallas Page (1997)
External links
- Speaking From the Heart ... Randy Savage Style - Perhaps the greatest piece of art ever put to film. A review of "WWF Superstars: The Music Videos," hosted by the Macho Man himself
- Macho Man official website
- MTV: Savage will become a rapper
| WWE Championship | ||
| Preceded by: vacant | First reign | Followed by: Hulk Hogan |
| Preceded by: Ric Flair | Second reign | Followed by: Ric Flair |