wwe biography macho man

'Macho Man' Randy Savage

(1952-2011)

Who Was 'Macho Man' Randy Savage?

The son of pro wrestler Angelo Poffo, Randy Savage pursued a career as a professional baseball player before turning to his father's sport in the 1970s. The "Macho Man" emerged as a WWE superstar in the mid-1980s, winning several titles while drawing attention for his dazzling costumes, his signature "Oh yeah!" growl and his relationship with his manager, Miss Elizabeth. Savage later competed in the rival WCW for much of the 1990s and was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.

Early Years and Baseball Career

Savage was born Randall Mario Poffo on November 15, 1952, in Columbus, Ohio. The older son of Angelo Poffo, a highly accomplished pro wrestler in his own right, Savage attended a series of schools as his father pursued his career through the sport's North American territories before the family settled in Downers Grove, Illinois.

According to his mother, Judy, Savage was a restless student but generally well-liked, even protecting other students from school bullies. He also excelled in multiple sports, particularly baseball, and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization after high school.

Playing the physically demanding position of catcher, Savage sustained a shoulder injury that affected his ability to throw. He learned to throw with his other arm but struggled to hit, and pulled the plug on his big-league baseball hopes in 1975.

Early Wrestling Career and ICW

Meanwhile, Savage had embarked on another path to stardom with his professional wrestling debut in 1973. Initially known as "The Spider," he adopted his famous surname after Georgia Championship Wrestling's Ole Anderson suggested a moniker to reflect his "savage" style. The "Macho Man" designation came from his mom, while younger brother Lanny recommended that he imitate the grunting, snarling sound bites of wrestler Pampero Firpo.

In the late 1970s, Savage teamed with his dad and brother to launch International Championship Wrestling out of Lexington, Kentucky. Although their startup struggled to compete with the region's established promotions, Savage succeeded in drawing attention with his aggressive ring persona, and by the early 1980s, he had developed a reputation as one of the top wrestlers of the Southeastern territories.

WWE Superstardom and Miss Elizabeth

Savage joined World Wrestling Entertainment in June 1985, his arrival marked by a competition for his services among ring managers like Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Jimmy Hart, before the newcomer introduced the glamorous Miss Elizabeth as his manager later that summer.

Macho Man quickly became known for entering matches to the highbrow arrangements of "Pomp and Circumstance," his flamboyant costumes and his signature "Oh yeah!" growl, his controlling interactions with Miss Elizabeth and brash challenges to other stars making him a top WWE villain.

Shaking up the narrative, Savage took on Sensational Sherri as his manager and renamed himself "Macho King" after knocking off "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan for the King of the Ring title in 1989. He dramatically reunited with Miss Elizabeth at WrestleMania VII, however, and the couple were "married" in a 1991 SummerSlam ceremony known as the "Match Made in Heaven."

WWE Broadcaster and WCW Champion

Once again calling himself Macho Man, Savage began spending more time ringside as a wrestling commentator in the early 1990s. He returned to the spotlight for a spell after defeating WWE champion Ric Flair at 1992's WrestleMania VIII but was mostly behind the microphone the following year to call Monday Night Raw matches alongside WWE CEO Vince McMahon.

Not yet ready to cede the mat to the next generation of athletes, Macho Man jumped to World Championship Wrestling in late 1993. He won the inaugural 60-man, three-ring battle royal for his first WCW championship in 1995, and defeated Flair to reclaim the title in 1996.

Following what turned out to be his final WCW match in 2000, Savage began training his sights on life outside the ring.

TV, Film and Music

Along with his commercials for Slim Jim snacks, Savage appeared in TV series like Baywatch and enjoyed a small but memorable part as wrestler "Bone Saw" McGraw in the 2002 big-screen hit Spider-Man . He also made a foray into hip hop with his 2003 album, Be a Man .

Personal Life

Savage married Elizabeth Hulette – aka Miss Elizabeth – in December 1984, and they divorced not long after the 1991 "Match Made in Heaven." He later married former high school sweetheart Lynn Payne.

Death and Legacy

Savage died on May 20, 2011, after suffering a heart attack while driving and crashing his car into a tree.

The Macho Man's contributions to popular culture were recognized by Time magazine, which named him a Person of the Year a few months later, and he was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015, cementing his legacy as one of pro wrestling's iconic figures.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1952
• Birth date: November 15, 1952
• Birth State: Ohio
• Birth City: Columbus
• Birth Country: United States
• Best Known For: WWE Hall of Famer 'Macho Man' Randy Savage was known for the trademark growl and flamboyant costumes that made him one of pro wrestling's biggest stars of the 1980s and '90s.
• Death Year: 2011
• Death date: May 20, 2011
• Death State: Florida
• Death Country: United States

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: 'Macho Man' Randy Savage Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/macho-man-randy-savage
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: June 7, 2021
• Original Published Date: March 15, 2021

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Randy Savage

• View history

Savage 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 Miss Elizabeth , to whom he was married on December 30, 1984 .

• 1 Early career
• 2.1 Intercontinental Championship
• 2.2 WrestleMania III
• 2.3.1 WrestleMania IV
• 2.4.1 The Ultimate Warrior
• 2.4.2 WrestleMania VII
• 2.5 Jake Roberts
• 2.6 Ric Flair
• 2.7 The Ultimate Maniacs
• 2.8 Color commentary
• 3 World Championship Wrestling 1994-1999
• 4 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling 2004
• 5 Post-Wrestling Career
• 6.1 Acting career
• 6.2 Music career
• 8 In wrestling
• 9 Championships and accomplishments
• 10 See also
• 11 External links

Early career [ ]

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Randy was a minor league baseball catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system prior to his wrestling career. 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 , who was featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not for his ability to do sit-ups for hours on end. Randy's brother Lanny Poffo had a moderately successful career as a wrestler too, under the ring names Leaping Lanny Poffo and The Genius.

In the early 1980s , Angelo Poffo ran the "outlaw" International Championship Wrestling (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; while there, Savage feuded with Lawler over the AWA Southern Heavyweight title, and he and Lanny battled The Rock 'n' Roll Express (including one notably infamous match on June 25, 1984 in Memphis, where Savage injured Rick Morton by piledriving him through the timekeeper's table, which led to the Express winning by disqualification due to Savage's action). Later in 1984, Savage would turn face and become allied with Lawler against Jimmy Hart 's First Family, only to turn heel on Lawler again in early-1985 and resume their feud over the Southern title, which ended when Lawler beat Savage in a loser-leaves-town match on June 8, 1985 in Nashville, Tennessee.

World Wrestling Federation 1985-1994 [ ]

In June 1985 , Savage signed with Vince McMahon 's WWF and soon became a top heel . Savage made an appearance on Tuesday Night Titans where the established WWF managers all made their cases to offer their services to Savage (including Bobby Heenan , Jimmy Hart , and "Classy" Freddie Blassie ). Weeks later he debuted and was touted as the "number one free agent," and "the man who is demand." That night he revealed his choice of manager to be the lovely Miss Elizabeth . He made his pay-per-view debut at The Wrestling Classic on November 7, 1985 , where he defeated Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat among others on his way to finishing runner-up to Junkyard Dog in a sixteen-man tournament.

Intercontinental Championship [ ]

He eventually beat Tito Santana to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship at the famed Boston Garden in 1986 by using an illegal steel object stashed in his tights. Early on in his WWF career, Savage also won a count-out victory over his future tag-team partner WWF Champion Hulk Hogan (although the belt did not change due to the count out), and was engaged in brutal feuds with Bruno Sammartino and George "the Animal" Steele .

WrestleMania III [ ]

Savage wrestled in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest matches in wrestling history when he faced Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III in front of 93,000 people in the Pontiac Silverdome. The match was the culmination of a long and bitter feud (which saw Savage "crush" Steamboat's larynx) between the two and featured tremendous athleticism and in-ring storytelling. After nineteen two-counts, Steamboat pinned Savage to end his near 14-month reign as Intercontinental Champion. The match was extremely choreographed, as opposed to the "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, at his home in Florida. 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 Mega Powers [ ]

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 The Hart Foundation ( Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart ). As a result, The Mega Powers were born. Hogan and Savage would together rule the WWF for the next sixteen months.

WrestleMania IV [ ]

At WrestleMania IV Savage defeated "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the final of a tournament for the vacant WWF Championship . Savage would hold the title for 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 defeating Jim Duggan to win the King of the Ring . After the match where he won the honor, Savage proceeded to give Duggan five big elbow drops from the top rope, and Sherri did several splashes from the top to further humiliate Duggan.

The "Macho King" [ ]

Savage would co-main event SummerSlam '89 , where he teamed with Zeus , a character from Hulk Hogan's movie, No Holds Barred , against Hogan and Brutus Beefcake . In this match, Hogan totally killed off Savage's flying elbow after standing straight up after Savage hit it in the center of the ring. It was one of the biggest 'no-sells' in the history of wrestling. Hogan has been accused of having performed this "despicable act" out of fear that Savage could be a threat to his position in the company.

The Ultimate Warrior [ ]

In 1990 , the "Macho King" feuded with the "commoner" Dusty Rhodes , meeting him in a mixed tag team match involving Sherri and Rhodes' valet Sapphire at WrestleMania VI and a singles match at SummerSlam . After this, Savage got into a feud with The Ultimate Warrior after the Warrior, then WWF Champion, refused to grant Savage the No. 1 contendership, as Sgt. Slaughter already promised, if he were to defeat the Warrior. Savage had sent "Sensational Queen" Sherri out during the 1991 Royal Rumble to try and convince the Warrior, and in a face-to-face interview laced with sexual innuendos and gestures, failed to get anywhere with the champion. Outraged, Savage promised revenge, which he sought during the Slaughter-Warrior title match. Sherri goaded the Warrior out of the ring, causing the Warrior to leave and run down the aisle, only to be ambushed by Savage with a clothesline. He followed up by smashing Warrior across the back with a light stand, all done without the referee seeing a thing, of course. Warrior managed to make it back to the ring, where (after being dominated for several minutes by Sgt. Slaughter) he rallied and was nearing victory, when Savage and Sherri interfered again. At an opportune moment the King smashed the Warrior on the head with his scepter, costing him the WWF Championship against Sgt. Slaughter . Savage would go on to score several tainted cage-match victories over Warrior, due to the interference of Sherri.

WrestleMania VII [ ]

This led to a career-ending match at WrestleMania VII . Savage lost the match; even after receiving five consecutive flying elbow drops, the Warrior somehow managed to kick out. After the match, Savage 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, fighting off Sherri and reuniting with her one-time love to huge crowd appreciation. The match was ironic seeing as how Savage stayed in WWF after it and the Ultimate Warrior left at SummerSlam that year. That shows that the retirement was only a storyline.

Jake Roberts [ ]

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 cobra bite Savage as the Macho Man lay prone in the ring. Due to fan pressure, Savage would be "re-instated" as a wrestler by WWF president Jack Tunney so that he could do battle with Roberts. The feud was brutal. During the Tuesday in Texas pay-per-view, Roberts — after losing to Savage — beat him down, then forced Elizabeth to beg for mercy; when Roberts was dissatisfied with her, he slapped her hard across the face.

Ric Flair [ ]

Savage would have another run as WWF Champion, defeating "The Nature Boy" 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 in Hershey Pennsylvania. 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 to each other.

Shortly before WrestleMania VIII, the Savage-Flair angle was expanded to include allegations by Flair that he had a previous relationship with Elizabeth; as "proof," Flair presented photos with himself and Elizabeth in casual situations. The photos were later printed in an issue of WWF Magazine . The feud continued after Savage won the WWF Championship, with Flair and "executive consultant" Mr. Perfect playing a voicemail from a woman claiming to be Elizabeth, saying she loved Flair and that she was "waiting at home." The feud continued for most of the summer, with WWF Magazine exposing Flair's photos as fraudulent in the July 1992 issue.

Late in the summer of 1992, Savage and Hulette divorced. After the decree was finalized late that summer, Savage issued a statement that was printed in WWF Magazine revealing that he and Elizabeth were no longer together, and thanking the fans for their support through the years. The publication of Savage's statement marked, at the time, a rare acknowledgement of the wrestlers' private lives for both the WWF and its flagship publication. Savage continued with the WWF for two more years, and except for the statement in WWF Magazine, his divorce from Elizabeth was neither referred to nor figured into any of Savage's future feuds.

The Ultimate Maniacs [ ]

He formed a tag team with The Ultimate Warrior, but nonetheless defended the title against his partner at SummerSlam 1992 . The team was known as The Ultimate Maniacs .

Razor Ramon had injured Savage's knee during a title match against Flair, ultimately costing him the match and the title. Savage backed Warrior to be the man to dethrone Flair. Savage and Warrior were scheduled to face Flair and Ramon in a tag team match at that year's Survivor Series .

Warrior left the WWF weeks before the event was to take place, so Savage chose Mr. Perfect , executive consultant to Flair, as his partner to replace Warrior. Perfect turned face and teamed with Savage. The duo defeated Flair and Ramon via a disqualification.

Color commentary [ ]

When Monday Night Raw began in January 1993, Savage served primarily as a color commentator, wrestling only occasionally against characters such as Doink , The Repo Man , and Crush . Savage appeared alongside Jim Ross and Bobby Heenan to broadcast WrestleMania IX in 1993. Randy defeated Crush in a "Falls Count Anywhere Match" at WrestleMania X . Savage also made periodic appearances in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion in fall 1994 . His final WWF pay-per-view appearance was at SummerSlam where he served as host. He left the WWF in November.

World Championship Wrestling 1994-1999 [ ]

Randy signed a $6 million contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), joining his "friend" Hulk Hogan, who was feuding with the 3 Faces of Fear and the Dungeon of Doom .

Savage resumed his rivalry with Ric Flair during this time. During the 1995 WCW United States Heavyweight Championship tournament (created when former champion Vader was stripped of the belt for attacking WCW on-air Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel ), Savage interfered in Flair's match vs. young Alex Wright , attacking Flair and causing Wright to get disqualified, setting up a tournament semifinal match where the winner would face the winner of the Sting / Meng match for the United States Championship at The Great American Bash that June. Savage and Flair's match never took place, as Savage and Flair brawled in the backstage area prior to the bell ringing. They were both eliminated from the tournament, and had their own match in the main event of the Bash, which Savage won. Later on that year, during part of the storyline where Arn Anderson and Ric Flair turned on each other, Flair (in looking for a partner to take on Anderson and Brian Pillman in a tag match) tried to recruit Savage to be his partner. However, remembering the rivalry (and how Flair had attacked Savage's father, Angelo Poffo , during their rivalry), he refused, telling Flair point blank to "get the hell out of here!"

On November 26, 1995 at World War 3 , Macho Man won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship by winning the 60-man three-ring battle royal. He lost the title to Flair a month later. Macho Man won the title back a month later but lost the title back to Flair another month later. In January 1996, he would bring Elizabeth with him into WCW as his valet once again. Elizabeth turned on Savage in his last title loss to Flair. Thereafter, Flair claimed that Elizabeth had given him a sizable amount of Savage's money, taken in their divorce settlement, and which Flair used to set up a "VIP section" at Monday Nitro events. Flair and Savage continued to feud through the Great American Bash in June 1996.

In July 1996 , the nWo was formed when Hulk Hogan turned on Savage and joined The Outsiders , a tag team of former WWF wrestlers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall . After their inception, one of their main enemies became Macho Man himself. At Halloween Havoc 1996 , Macho Man faced Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship but lost when the rest of the nWo interfered. After months of abuse from the nWo, Savage joined them at SuperBrawl in 1997, when he helped Hogan defeat Roddy Piper in a rematch from their Starrcade match the previous year. He also reunited with Elizabeth, who had joined the nWo several months earlier. He began feuding with Diamond Dallas Page and Kimberly . When Hogan failed to recapture his "nWo" Title from Sting, it was Savage's turn, and he got his shot at WCW Spring Stampede 1998 . Hogan tried everything he could to make sure that Savage would not win the title because Hogan felt that he was the only nWo member who should be World Champion, since he was the leader of the stable. With the help of Nash, however, Savage beat Sting for the belt.

The following night on WCW Monday Nitro , Hogan faced Savage for the championship. For a while it looked like Hogan had Savage beat, but for the second consecutive night, Nash came to Savage's aid, powerbombing Hogan. Savage tried to capitalize, but an interfering Bret Hart attacked Savage and preserved the victory for Hogan.

After that, Savage joined with Nash and others to form the nWo Wolfpac , a split from Hogan's group, which became known as nWo Black and White or nWo Hollywood.

For nearly a year, Randy Savage took a hiatus from the company due to an injury.

When Macho Man returned, he came back with a new look and new attitude and also brought with him his then 22-year-old girlfriend Gorgeous George as a valet. His first action was as the guest referee in the WCW world title matchup at Spring Stampede 1999, which was won by Diamond Dallas Page. For a short time after, Randy would interfere in DDP's matches to make sure that Page kept his World Title (for reasons unknown and never explained by WCW), but when Kevin Nash won it at Slamboree 1999 , Savage went after the title himself. It was around that time that Madusa and Miss Madness joined Macho Man as his other two valets; together they were known as Team Madness .

At the 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 and Sting against Randy Savage and Sid Vicious, in which whoever pinned Nash (including Sting) would win the World Title, at Bash at the Beach 1999 . 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 (in a reversal of the situation from the previous year, where Nash had attacked Hogan to help Savage keep his title, albeit unsuccessfully).

After that, Team Madness slowly started to disband as Madusa and Miss Madness started fighting each other because they blamed the other for Savage's title loss. Savage soon fired both of them. and started a feud with Dennis Rodman and defeated Rodman at road wild 1999. He eventually joined the Millionaire's Club with Hogan, Jim Duggan, Flair, DDP, and other popular veteran wrestlers. When Vince Russo came to WCW and Savage's WCW contract expired, Savage and George left WCW and never returned.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling 2004 [ ]

Savage made his return to wrestling for TNA and feuded against Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. At Turning Point he teamed up with Jeff Hardy and A.J. Styles to defeat the The Kings of Wrestling ( Jeff Jarrett , Kevin Nash and Scott Hall ). The main event of Final Resolution 2005 was going to be Jeff Jarrett and Randy Savage for the NWA Title. Savage's plan was to win the belt and then drop it back to Jarrett at the next pay per view. When TNA Management didn't like the idea Savage left because neither party would budge.

Post-Wrestling Career [ ]

In 2005, Savage told a Missouri newspaper that he can't wrestle right now because of "health concerns," as he had apparently injured his back.

Jakks Pacific tried to sign him up for the Classic Superstars line up only to be denied by Vince McMahon, despite the fact that he allowed them to sign a number of wrestlers on bad terms with WWE, including The Ultimate Warrior (signed twice by Jakks), Bruno Sammartino, and even Bret "the Hitman" Hart. Savage remains one of the few big stars who hasn't signed up with Jakks for a figure.

Outside of the ring [ ]

Acting career [ ].

• Savage provided the voice for the character, Rasslor, on an episode of the "Dial M For Monkey" segment on Dexter's Laboratory .
• He has also lent his voice to the online cartoon College University in which he voiced himself.
• He also appeared in one of the more popular episodes of the television program Space Ghost Coast to Coast , entitled "Piledriver." In the episode, Savage supplied the voice of Space Ghost's grandfather, a former professional wrestler (oddly enough). Zorak commented, "That sounds like Randy Savage," and the character also referenced Elizabeth, his brother, "Leapin" Lanny Poffo, "Wildfire" Tommy Rich and Haystacks Calhoun, a now obscure wrestler from forty years ago.
• Savage beat out rival former wrestler Goldberg as the casting choice to appear in the original Spider-Man movie as the underground wrestler "Bonesaw McGraw." The original character from the comics is named Crusher Hogan.
• In 2005 , he provided the voice of Sasquatch in the Nickelodeon show The X's .
• He's also appeared on The Jeff Foxworthy Show as himself.
• Savage played pro wrestler James "Pretty Boy" Carter on the sitcom Nikki , Ep# 14, Season 1, "Fallback". His character's financial bankruptcy and physical injuries led Dwight ( Nick Von Esmarch ) his long-time fan, to rethink his own options between college education and passion for wrestling.
• He played a prison inmate who was forced to fight other inmates in a cage in the episode "Fight or Die" of Walker, Texas Ranger .

Music career [ ]

Savage had pursued 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." Another critic described the vocals as sounding like "Nick Nolte after a whiskey and sandpaper binge." The title track of the album was intended to make fun of Hulk Hogan .

TMZ reported that "Macho Man" Randy Savage died in a car accident in Florida 20 May 2011 morning. TMZ spoke to Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo, who revealed that Savage had suffered a fatal heart attack whilst driving his car in Tampa, which caused him to lose control and crash into a tree.

Randy Savage was 58 years old and had celebrated his one-year anniversary with his wife Lynn the previous month.

In wrestling [ ]

• Diving elbow drop , with theatrics
• Alternating jabs to the opponent's chest and head
• Atomic drop
• Diving crossbody
• Diving double axe handle , sometimes to the outside of the ring
• High knee to the back of opponent
• Jumping knee drop
• Lariat takedown
• Multiple elbow smashes
• "Macho Man"
• "Macho King"
• Angelo Poffo
• Steve Cooper
• Izzy Slapawitz
• Miss Elizabeth
• Sensational Sherri/Queen Sherri
• Gorgeous George
• Team Madness ( Gorgeous George , Madusa , and Miss Madness )
• " Fame " by Irene Cara ( International Championship Wrestling )
• " State Of Shock " by The Jacksons ft. Mick Jagger ( Continental Wrestling Association )
• " Pomp and Circumstance Marches " by Sir Edward Elgar ( WWF )
• "Pomp and Circumstance Marches" by Jimmy Hart and Howard Helm ( WCW )
• "Rockhouse" by Frank Shelley (WCW; used as a member of the New World Order )
• " Kevin Nash/Wolfpac Theme " by Jimmy Hart and Howard Helm ft. C-Murder (WCW; used as a member of the nWo Wolfpac )
• " What Up Mach " by Jimmy Hart and Howard Helm (WCW)
• "Pomp and Circumstance Marches" by Dale Oliver (TNA)

Championships and accomplishments [ ]

• Georgia Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Lanny Poffo
• ICW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
• AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• Mid-Southern International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
• NWA South Eastern Tag Team Championship (1 time) 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)
• PWI Stanley Weston Award (2011)
• USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• WCW World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
• WCW World War 3 Battle Royal winner (1995)
• WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• WWF Championship (2 times)
• WWF Intercontinental Championship ( 1 time )
• 1989 King of the Ring
• WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)
• 1987 Match of the Year (vs Ricky Steamboat)

See also [ ]

• Macho Madness: The Ultimate Randy Savage Collection
• Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story

External links [ ]

• 1 Samantha Irvin
• 2 List of members of the WWE Hall of Fame

• True Crime Blog

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• A&E Classics
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TheSportster

The death and legacy of “macho man” randy savage, explained.

The world lost "The Macho Man" Randy Savage way too soon, but he left behind an incredible legacy in WWE, WCW, and elsewhere.

Quick Links

The sensational wwe and wcw career of randy savage, the death of “macho man” randy savage, randy savage’s legacy in pro wrestling.

"The Macho Man" Randy Savage is among the very few figures in pro wrestling history to have truly transcended the business. Yes, people like Ricky Steamboat or CM Punk are objectively famous, but ask a non-wrestling fan, and the odds are they don’t know the names or are only vaguely aware of the men they’re attached to.

By virtue of his talent, his larger than life personality, his contributions to two separate boom periods in wrestling history, and not insignificantly his station as a spokesperson for Slim Jims , Savage registered in the public consciousness in a way so few of his colleagues ever did. Indeed, it’s little wonder that, when he passed in 2011, there were no shortage of conversations about whether The Macho Man was the greatest wrestler of all time.

RELATED: The 13 Most Influential Wrestlers Of The '80s

In an era when WWE was white-hot off its national expansion, Hulk Hogan became the most famous professional wrestler who ever lived. Randy Savage did the unlikely in successfully sharing the top guy mantle with The Hulkster for a year span from WrestleMania 4 to WrestleMania 5. Savage was the world champion, yes, but also alternately Hogan’s tag team partner in The Mega Powers, his replacement when Hogan stepped away from the house show circuit to film No Holds Barred , and his arch-rival in the build to WrestleMania 5. Later, Savage was a staple carryover as the Golden Era fizzled—a world champion again in 1992 and a popular color commentator.

The Macho Man would take his resume to the next level, though, with a fantastic WCW run. That stretch saw him renew hostilities with Hogan and Ric Flair, win more world titles, and become a key figure on various sides of the WCW vs. nWo angle.

Like so many defining moments of Randy Savage’s career in wrestling, his death was largely defined for the public by how suddenly it occurred—not after a prolonged illness or rooted in any foreseeable personal issues, but rather out of nowhere in March 2011. NPR aggregated news coverage at the time to report The Macho Man had suffered a heart attack while driving his Jeep Wrangler in Tampa Bay.

According to the reports, Savage lost control of his vehicle during the cardiac event. The Jeep wound up jumping a curb and ultimately colliding head-on with a tree at the side of the road. He passed away while being treated at the Largo Medical Center.

While there are many different metrics by which one could gauge the success of the wrestling business, there’s little question that the most buzz the industry had for a sustained period of years came either during WWE’s national expansion through the Golden Era or during the Monday Night War era when both WWE and WCW enjoyed enormous and highly invested viewership. Randy Savage was a key figure in both of these stretches.

Related: 5 WWE Wrestlers Who Succeeded In Multiple Eras (& 5 Who Failed) Hardcore fans can be quite cynical about the top stars of the Golden Era, observing that Andre the Giant was well past his prime, that Hulk Hogan matches tended to be repetitive and not all that technically sound, or that The Ultimate Warrior’s in ring talents were severely limited. Savage is that rare figure who emerges unscathed, for in-ring abilities and mic work to match his wildly popular persona. On top of that, Savage not only continued to perform well for WCW into the late 1990s, but was that rare megastar who paid his success forward, helping to build new stars, particularly in the case of a lengthy feud with Diamond Dallas Page . Indeed, a great wrestler’s truest contribution to the business may well be setting up the next generation and that’s exactly what The Macho Man endeavored to do.

Randy Savage’s gravelly-voiced promos are the stuff of persisting imitation to this day, because of just how magnetic his character was. His aerial offense and intensity were ahead of their time, meaning he’s a star from the 1980s whose matches have aged very well and remain entertaining to watch to this day. Moreover, his on-screen relationship with Miss Elizabeth stands the test of time as the greatest love story wrestling has ever told. It’s a tragedy Savage passed before he hit sixty, and before he might have made amends with WWE and settled into a visiting legend’s role there or elsewhere. Just the same, memories of The Macho Man live on.

Randy Savage

• Born November 15 , 1952 · Columbus, Ohio, USA
• Died May 20 , 2011 · Seminole, Florida, USA (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease)
• Birth name Randall Mario Poffo
• The Macho King
• The Macho Man
• Mr. Madness
• Height 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
• One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper , Hulk Hogan , Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock"). When signed to the WWE (then known as the WWF), Savage immediately became a top heel (bad guy). He was managed by WWE Hall of Fame managers such as Jimmy Hart , Bobby Heenan , Classy Freddie Blassie ( Freddie Blassie ) and, of course his best known manager--the gorgeous Miss Elizabeth ( Elizabeth Hulette ). During his time in the WWE Savage went up against other WWE legends in the 1980s, such as Junkyard Dog ( Sylvester Ritter ), Merced Solis (aka Tito Santana), Bruno Sammartino and George 'The Animal' Steele . He also had a well-known feud going with WWE superstar Hulk Hogan. While in the WWE Savage won the Heavywieght Title two times, the Intercontinental title once and was the 1989 King of the Ring. He then moved to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and signed a $6-million contract with them. He won the WCW Heavyweight Title four times,. To fans, Savage is most notable for having an off- and on-screen relationship with Miss Elizabeth. Their relationship became the most famous love story in WWE history. However, their relationship started to go downhill, and it began to show in his professional life. Soon they split up. After having left the WCW, Savage went to TNA (Total Non-Stop Action) Wrestling. Randy Savage died of cardiovascular disease on May 20, 2011, in Seminole, FL. - IMDb Mini Biography By: rocknrollunderdawg (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous)
• Spouses Barbara Lynn Payne (May 10, 2010 - May 20, 2011) (his death) Elizabeth Hulette (December 30, 1984 - September 18, 1992) (divorced)
• Parents Angelo Poffo
• Relatives Lanny Poffo (Sibling)
• Wrestling finishing move "The Flying Elbow Drop"
• Distinctive deep husky voice
• Trademark move: Double Axe Handle from the top rope
• Ring entrance music: "Pomp and Circumstance"
• Always sported a beard
• In high school, he was a baseball star and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971.
• Had a real-life on-again/off-again friendship with Hulk Hogan .
• Hulk Hogan has considered Randy Savage to be his toughest opponent during his career.
• He and Miss Elizabeth ( Elizabeth Hulette ) staged their wedding at Summerslam (1991) , seven years after they already wed.
• His father Angelo Poffo was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame on May 21, 1995.
• Ooooohhhh yeah, dig it?
• I'm the tower of power, too sweet to be sour. I'm funky like a monkey. Sky's the limit and space is the place!

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'Macho Man' Randy Savage Biography To Be Released On April 2

A new "Macho Man" biography is coming soon.

ECW Press announced that Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage will be released on April 2.

From the publisher:

Macho Man: The Life of Randy Savage by Jon Finkel will be published by ECW Press on April 2, 2024. Macho Man: The Life of Randy Savage is the sensational, definitive biography of the WrestleMania headlining, Spider-Man fighting, Slim Jim snapping, minor league baseball playing American original: Randy Savage. Savage, a WWE wrestling hall of famer, was an A-list celebrity who sat atop the entertainment universe for much of the ’80s and ’90s. His outfits were as flamboyant as anything worn by Liberace, Elton John, or Prince. His charisma surpassed Hulk Hogan’s and is rivaled only by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. His millions of fans are more loyal than followers of any sports team. Macho Man starred in cartoons, was featured on lunchboxes, sold a slew of action figures and toys, was in multiple video games, guest starred on Baywatch, Mad About You, and Walker, Texas Ranger, and made multiple appearances on iconic ’90s talk shows. He supported a myriad of kids’ charities, emceed Christmas events at hospitals for George Steinbrenner, played minor league baseball with Pete Rose, was the Harvard Lampoon’s “Real Man of the Year,” and held his family’s wrestling legacy above all else. With catchphrases and a voice still imitated by millions to this day, and with his GIFs reaching hundreds of millions of views on social media, the Macho Man is a transcendent figure who led an extraordinary life. Jon Finkel is the award-winning author of 1996, Hoops Heist, The Athlete, “Mean” Joe Greene, and more. Mark Cuban, Spike Lee, Robert Irvine, and Kevin Durant have endorsed his books. He lives in Florida.

Fans can pre-order by clicking here.

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Watch hulk hogan, randy savage reach breaking point in exclusive 'wwe rivals' clip, share this article.

Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage weren’t the first tag team partners to turn on each other and definitely weren’t the last. But if the phrase would have been in usage during the late 1980s, seeing the Mega Powers explode just hit different.

Though once bitter foes, Hogan and Savage eventually decided to join forces as the Mega Powers in 1987. The partnership between two of the most popular stars of their time was incredibly successful, but as with any pairing of two stars who both want to be No. 1, it was doomed to have a relatively short shelf life.

With Miss Elizabeth clearly starting to drive a wedge between the two men, things came to a head on The Main Event II in February 3, 1989. In an exclusive clip from “WWE Rivals” airing this Sunday, April 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E, you’ll relive Savage attacking Hogan and hear about it from the Hulkster and others.

The full episode features many more insights on the Hogan-Savage feud, as Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias leads a roundtable discussion featuring Kevin Nash, Natalya, John Bradshaw Layfield and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. This brand new look at an amazing saga that cycled from tragedy to triumph several times is part of an extended block of WWE programming that kicks off at 4 p.m. ET/PT.

You can also find full episodes of A&E’s WWE shows as soon as the next day on aetv.com and for free on YouTube , so be sure to check out any episodes of “Rivals” or “Biography: WWE Legends” that you’ve missed so far.

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The Lineup For Tonight’s A&E WWE Programming Block (4/21/24)

Major backstage update on latest wwe talent releases – more on the way, ‘broken’ matt hardy returns to tna wrestling at rebellion 2024.

WWE will be airing new programming on A&E today. You can check out the schedule of content that will be featured below:

1 PM – WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures – Roddy Piper.

2 PM –  WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures – WCW.

4 PM – Biography: WWE Legends  Scott Hall

6 PM – Biography: WWE Legends  Ultimate Warrior

8 PM – PREMIERE – WWE Rivals –  Hulk Hogan vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage – “Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were two men who pushed each other to greatness; they were close friends outside the ring and bitter enemies when the bell rang.”

9 PM – PREMIERE –  WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures  Dusty Rhodes – “Dusty Rhodes is one of the most beloved superstars of all time and is aptly known as “The American Dream”; Booker T seeks help from Dusty’s son and WWE Superstar “The American Nightmare,” Cody Rhodes, to reclaim his dad’s iconic items.”

11:04 PM – WWE Rivals Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

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Comedian Gabriel Iglesias on Bringing Wrestling Fandom to ‘WWE Rivals’ Panel

There are not many celebrities that wave their pro wrestling fan flag more than Gabriel Iglesias . “Fluffy” has been a fixture on WWE television including guest host of SmackDown and appearing on shows like WrestleMania . This made the popular comedian perfect to tag in as the new lead panelist of WWE Rivals .

The A&E series, first hosted by Freddie Prinze Jr.  features a roundtable of stars of today and yesterday talking about the biggest feuds in history. New episodes include Hulk Hogan vs. Randy “Macho Man” Randy Savage , John Cena vs. Batista, Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes , Hulk Hogan vs. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson , and more iconic showdowns.

Here Iglesias talks about his WWE fandom and reveals his favorite rivalries.

How did this opportunity come about to join WWE Rivals ? 

Gabriel Iglesias: I’ve just been hanging out and going to events and little functions here and there for almost 15 years. I think they realized we got to put this dude on payroll because he’s not going anywhere. I always get annoyed when I see actors or singers or whoever it is participating in something WWE-related and not being real fans. Just there to promote whatever and then they’re gone. With me, it’s like why don’t they give me a chance? Eventually, it got to the point I wound up being ringside, then backstage, and pretty much the rest is history. So when I got the call, it was a no-brainer. Usually, you show up on a set and you have to get acquainted with everyone. With this, I showed up to the WWE Performance Center to tape the show and already knew everyone. That was the coolest thing. You hang out long enough eventually they will start paying you.

What would you say makes you different from Freddie Prinze Jr.? 

Much love to Freddie Prinze. I know him, and we’re very cool. He loves this business. I feel that he is super analytical because he was actually involved in storylines and wrote a lot of them. When you’re doing something long enough, you kind of get jaded. I think that is what happened to me and comedy. I needed to do something that would refresh myself. So when I got this opportunity to step outside my box and participate in this, I was all about it. What I’m bringing to the table versus what Freddie brought to the table is a very different perspective. I am a superfan. As a superfan, I know my lane. I’m not going in there acting like I know everything about the business. I’m approaching it from the I’m still in awe that I’m here. I’m in awe that I get to watch these events and stories and remember how they made me feel.

WWE Rivals is about these stories from the past. That’s when I was really into it one hundred percent. A lot of these stories happened before I had a job and was doing comedy. I may have been a kid sitting on the couch. For me to discuss these stories get me very nostalgic. I got to give my insight into what I was doing at this time as a fan. There are a lot of great memories. That’s my two cents. It doesn’t hurt you put this funny dude in there. I’m a kid in a candy store with all these superstars.

Natalya/Instagram

Tell me about the panel. There is everyone from Natalya and Cody Rhodes to Kevin Nash and John “Bradshaw” Layfield. 

I love that this panel has superstars from yesterday to now at one table. Everyone on the panels I’ve spent time with individually. To sit at a table together and have discussions and conversations on and off camera was so much fun. Everyone was happy to be there, even Kevin. With Kevin, it’s usually how much am I getting paid to be here. Kevin was actually really happy to be around everyone. I’ve worked with Kevin on a couple of different projects. The fact he was having a good time considering all the things he has gone through the last couple of years. He like everyone else was just great to be around.

I’ve had some nice conversations with Nattie. She is awesome. Every time I see her she gives me a great big hug. I love being around that kind of energy. Cody, Kevin Owens , Kofi Kingston , JBL. I thought I was going to have an issue with JBL because of who I saw on TV growing up all these years. I thought he was going to be a pill. Turns out JBL and I, we’re like BFFs now. He texts me with random jokes now. This dude is hysterical. It was really cool to be around all these people. I was just geeking out.

How was it being at the WWE Performance Center? Did you get a chance to tour around? 

You know I got in the ring. I was inside, outside. They were showing me where Dusty Rhodes used to go to the bathroom. I was using Dusty Rhodes’ bathroom. I was like, “This is where the ‘American Dream’ used to blow it up?’” They were like, “That’s where he blew it up.” If it was good enough for Dusty, it was good enough for me. I’m geeking out in a bathroom. That doesn’t happen. I was all over that Performance Center. It’s funny because people like to hang out in the parking lot. Fans know where Performance Center is, so you get people hanging out in the parking lot hoping to see a superstar. It was pretty cool because I felt like them.

A lot of times pro wrestling doesn’t get props for its long-term storytelling, but this show shines a light on that. We’re talking about rivalries with Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair and “Macho Man” and Hulk Hogan. What rivalry were you most excited to tackle? 

For me, it’s talking about the rivalries that I grew up watching. Don’t get me wrong I think the rivalry between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes is incredible, but that was before I got into it. I watched the Hogan and “Macho Man” rivalry live. I saw it unfold every week as a kid, whether it was on Superstars or Saturday Night’s Main Event, or Prime Time Wrestling. My connections to those rivalries are the ones I got so excited about. All of them are incredible. It triggers great memories for me.

Do you look at these rivalries from childhood differently as an adult? 

Watching it as a kid versus now is one of those things whereas as a kid there is an innocence behind it. I didn’t know how the magician did the trick. I would get into actual arguments about what was going on but now I appreciate it for a whole different reason. I know the ins and outs of the business. I still love it, but I do miss the way I looked at it when I was a kid.

You were at WrestleMania 40. Talk about long-term rivalries. What did you think of Cody Rhodes finishing the story and finally defeating Roman Reigns ? 

It was a trip. One of the rivalries we’re talking about on the show down the line is Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns and how this rivalry is just one of those that continues to go and go. This was before it was announced that it was going to be Seth and Roman being a part of that main event tag match at Mania . We taped it, and this popped up. That rivalry will not go away. I thought Cody and Roman were awesome. The build for Cody and Roman will no doubt be an episode in itself.

The show also airs alongside WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures . Is there any piece of your own wrestling collection that you find particularly valuable? 

I own a pair of Chris Jericho tights and the covers that go over the boots that match. I want to say he wore them at a WrestleMania , and he gave them to me. I got pictures. He autographed them for me, so that was really cool. I have a bunch of wrestling stuff and photos, autographs, and belts, but the Chris Jericho tights I thought were pretty awesome.

We’ve seen so many wrestlers enter the standup comedy world. Is there anyone that you think would have the goods to step inside your ring? 

I know he’ll never do it because of his position, but I’ve always said The Rock has an incredible level of confidence and wit and can think super fast on his feet. If he wanted to do standup comedy, I know he could. He has the humor for it, the timing, and the mic skills to pull it off.

'Biography: WWE Legends': Paul Heyman on Making of Emotional Roman Reigns Documentary

And you’d be willing to work with him I’m sure. 

Oh yeah. I’m manifesting that right now. If it happens, remember this. I had never met him before. I saw him at a WWE 2K event. I was stalking him while I recorded saying, “Hey, there he is.” He has more security than the president, so trying to get close to him is really challenging. My whole story was that I was going to get my picture with him during WrestleMania weekend. I didn’t know how it would happen, but I would.

Sure as sh*t the last night of Mania I got my photo with him. I thought it was really cool that he stopped and was able to take a photo with him. When I looked at him and went to shake his hand, he said, “Oh hey.” He knew me! He asked what I thought of Mania so far. I was like, “Oh my God. Now he wants to talk.” His handlers then said he had to go. I had my friends with me and said, “Did you see that?” That was our big victory for the weekend.

WWE Rivals returns April 21, 8/7c, A&E

WWE Rivals where to stream

WWE WrestleMania

Gabriel iglesias.