TSM Profile: "Macho Man" Randy Savage

[King Kamala 0]

I'm going to be starting a new (sort of) running thread here in General Wrestling sometime late this week/early next week that's going to be a real doozy hopefully but before that I figure we're due for another TSM Profile. This one should be a doozy in its own right...

 

 

 

 

Name: "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Also known as: The Spider (indies), The Executioner (ICW), The Macho King, and Mr. Madness

Height: 6'2''

Weight: 270 pounds

Age: 55

Debut: 1973

Retired: 2004

 

Accomplishments: Two time WWF World Champion, Four time WCW World Champion, PWI Wrestler of The Year in 1988, Member of The Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame (Class of '96), Winner of Match of The Year for '87 in PWI and The Wrestling Observer (With Ricky Steamboat for their match at WrestleMania III), Former WWF Intercontinental Champion, Former USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion, Two Time AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion, Three Time NWA Mid America Heavyweight Champion, Three Time ICW World Heavyweight Champion, PWI Most Popular (1988), PWI Least Popular (1989), PWI Comeback Wrestler of The Year (1995), PWI Feud of The Year (1997, with Diamond Dallas Page)

 

Career Summary: Born Randy Poffo, the son of Angelo, a well known wrestler of the '50s and '60s. Began his career during the offseason during his unsuccessful professional baseball career. Would work alongside his father and brother Lanny. Feeling his boys' weren't being given the pushes they deserved, Angelo formed an "outlaw" wrestling promotion, the Louisville, Kentucky based International Championship Wrestling in 1978. He would move onto The Memphis based, Championship Wrestling Alliance in 1983. There he engaged in a memorable feud with The King of Memphis Wrestling, Jerry Lawler based on the real life animosity between ICW and CWA.

 

Savage was signed by The World Wrestling Federation in June of '85. His first angle was one of his most memorable with the heel managers of WWF jostling to sign the new superstar with Savage finally picking his real life wife, Miss Elizabeth to be his valet. Soon after, he engaged in a feud with the biggest name in professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan. In February '86, he won the WWF Intercontinental title from Tito Santana. His memorable nearly fourteen month long reign would be ended by Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat in a legendary match in front of 93,000 (78,000? Aw hell, that's a whole other thread...) at The Pontiac Silverdome at WrestleMania III.

 

Six months later, Savage would turn face by saving his former foe, Hulk Hogan from an attack by Honky Tonk Man (who Savage had begun feuding with over HTM's appraisal of himself as the Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All Time) and The Hart Foundation. Thus The Mega Powers were formed. At WrestleMania IV, Savage would reach the pinnacle of his career, defeating four men in one night to win the vacant WWF World title. He would hold the title for over a year, feuding with the likes of Ted DiBiase, Bad News Brown, and The Twin Towers before turning heel again over Hogan macking on Miss Elizabeth (Even as a mark, it didn't make sense that Mach was the bad guy). Savage would lose the title to Hogan at WrestleMania V. He would toil in the mid-card for a while as "The Macho King" against the likes of Jim Duggan, Brutus Beefcake, and Dusty Rhodes before being propelled back to the top in a feud with the then current WWF World Champion, The Ultimate Warrior.

 

Savage would go cost The Warrior The World title at Royal Rumble '91, which set up a Retirement Match at WrestleMania VII. Savage would once again fall short in a WrestleMania Classic and would turn face again and reunite with Miss Elizabeth. The pair's "wedding ceremony" was interrupted by newly turned heel, Jake "The Snake" Roberts who pulled the ol' snake in the wedding present routine. Savage and Roberts would have a legendary feud, which resulted in Savage making his in-ring return at This Tuesday In Texas. Afterwards, Savage began a feud with WWF World Champion, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair over Flair claiming he slept with Miss Elizabeth. This culminated in Savage defeating Flair to win his second and final WWF World title at WrestleMania VIII.

 

After losing the title to Flair in September '92, he feuded with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and the man who cost him the title, Razor Ramon with The Ultimate Warrior and later Mr. Perfect as his partner. After that feud, Savage would become a color commentator and only wrestle occasionally for the rest of his WWF run. He left the company in November '94 to join World Championship Wrestling. His departure at the time was thought to be an amicable one.

 

Not soon after, Savage reignited his feud with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. At the first World War 3 three ring battle royal, Savage won his first WCW World title. He would exchange the title back and forth with Flair, becoming the first (and only?) pair of wrestlers to exchange the WWF and WCW World titles. In July '96, he teamed up with Sting and Lex Luger to face invading newcomers Scott Hall and Kevin Nash and their surprise mystery partner, Hulk Hogan, a trio soon to be known as the nWo. Savage and Hogan wrote another chapter in their long history together with another feud, this time with Savage as the face and Hogan as the heel. The two would allign again with Savage joining the nWo in February '97.

 

As a member of the nWo, Savage would participate in a memorable feud with Diamond Dallas Page, that briefly revitalized Savage's somewhat stagnant career. Savage would defeat Sting at Spring Stampede '98 for his third WCW World title but would lose it the next night to (who else?) Hollywood Hogan. The match would help start the heel nWo Hollywood Vs babyface nWo Wolfpac (led by Savage and Kevin Nash) feud. After a brief hiatus in the latter of '98, Savage made his return in The Spring of '99 with a new look and a new manager (his then 22 year old girlfriend Gorgeous George). Savage would form the oh-so-memorable Team Madness stable with Gorgeous George, Miss Madness (the future Molly Holly), Madusa, and Sid Vicious. He would win his fourth and final WCW World title at Bash at The Beach '99 in a tag team match with Sid Vicious against Kevin Nash and Sting but would once again lose the belt the next night to Hollywood Hogan. After a literally shitty match with Dennis Rodman at Road Wild '99, he disappeared and only made several more brief intermittant appearances with the company before leaving in 2000.

 

After a brief return to the ring for TNA in 2004, Savage retired from wrestling and has seemingly been content with his successful voice acting career. Recently various rumors have innundated the internet over the reasons for his departure from the WWF and the ensuing tumultous relationship with Vince McMahon. The most notable of these is the rumor that Savage slept with a then underage Stephanie McMahon. Whatever the reason- Savage's wrestling career appears to be over. Though wrestling fans learned long ago to "never say never"

 

Questions

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

[King Kamala 0]

Some videos for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

Randy Savage loses his mind thanks to the actions of "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin and The One Man Gang. ICW circa '80

 

"Macho Man" Randy Savage Vs Jake "The Snake" Robert. This Tuesday In Texas

 

Part Two of Savage/Roberts

 

Slim Jim Commercial! SNAP INTO IT!

 

Randy Savage- "Speaking From The Heart" (From WrestleMania: The Album)

 

Highlight reel of Savage's victories at WrestleMania IV (From Macho Madness Coliseum Video)

[Diamonddust 0]

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

 

-I think Savage is content in his retirement, and unfortunately, I don't see the WWE embargo against him ending anytime soon. Until the issue between him and McMahon (And you know it has to be pretty deep since McMahon has been able to work with other people who hate him and vice versa) is resolved, Savage will continue to be ignored by the company... and that's sad considering what he's done in his career.

 

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

 

-I don't think so. His heyday produced some great stuff and gave people an alternative superstar to Hulk Hogan. I think people will remember him more for the good than the bad in his career.

 

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

 

-In terms of his era, he would definitely on top during the late 80's and into the early/mid 90's. As I mentioned, he was a legit alternative to Hogan's style, and it worked. As for the Greatest of All Time, he'd definitely make it in the top 20-25 in that discussion, but I don't know exactly where he'd be placed.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

 

-I think it might be a mixture of things, but there's obviously something rubbing McMahon the wrong way when it comes to Savage. I'm not saying he did have an affair with an underage Stephanie, but to be perfectly honest, everything you read or hear about Savage does paint him as being pretty paranoid/out there... so I imagine something happened that caused a pretty big rift. I think Savage is content at this point, otherwise, he'd be one of these veterans going on talk-shows and things like that... complaining and badmouthing the state of the industry.

 

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

 

Some of my favorite Savage moments are:

-The ending to Savage/Warrior at WM VII when Elizabeth comes to his rescue.

-Savage and Steamboat deciding to steal the show at WM III and then doing so. The crowd buying it hook, line, and sinker is awesome. Really, that whole feud was great.

-The whole Megapowers saga.

-His stuff with Jake Roberts was the definition of a good, old-fashioned blood-feud.

-The feud with Flair over Elizabeth

-The feud with DDP was entertaining as well.

[King Cucaracha 0]

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

 

If we haven't seen him in the WWE for this long, the chances we'll see him again are pretty slim. I could see a posthumous HOF induction, perhaps.

 

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

 

Maybe a little. His WCW days weren't so bad if you're factoring in the NWO era. But the 1999 run with Sid won't be making it onto many highlight reels. Memorable only for the amusingly bad 'What Up Mach?' theme music. His TNA run really did him no favours. I don't know as that really 'tarnished' his reputation, but it didn't leave him going out on top form either. Since then he's obviously become more of a figure of speculation than a symbol of wrestling ability. If anything tarnished his legacy though it was the rap album and the 'feud' with Hogan.

 

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

 

Right up there as far as greatest of his era, that being the late 80s, early 90s. He's probably on the second-tier of 'greatest of all time' because people will say he was never really a headline draw. 'Greatest workers of all time', he'd probably be up there too.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

 

There's clearly something strange there.

 

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

 

Favourite matches, I guess everybody's drawn to WMIII, but personally I'd go with WMV vs. Hogan and WMVIII vs. Flair. The WMVII moment with Elizabeth. The feud with Hogan, ie. the first one in 88, still one of my favourite ever. Got to love his commentary stint too. He could stretch a two syllable word into triple it's size like no oooooootthhhhheeeerrr, YEAH!

 

EDIT: I just remembered, there was a segment before KOTR '94 where he's explaining his predictions for who's going to win that always cracked me up.

[cabbageboy 0]

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

 

--He could always do some sort of cameo for some promotion, or end up back in TNA for a stint. As far as the HOF I do think eventually Savage will be in, even if it takes years and Vince is dead by then. For the most part, Savage is likely fine being retired.

 

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

 

--Nah, his WCW run was actually quite good up until his bad knee injury in early 1998. He never really came back from that since he was mid 40s by then. The goofy rumors mean little to me since none of it has been proven, and even if it's true I don't think it hurts his WWF work at all.

 

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

 

--If we are talking about the 1985-92 era, he ranks #3 behind only Hogan and Flair. The man was a huge big match player from roughly WM 3 until WM 8. He could wrestle, draw heat, cut a promo, play heel, play face. Macho was awesome.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

 

--Maybe there's something to the Stephanie rumors, I don't know or care a whole lot. Maybe Vince just never forgave Savage for leaving in 1994. I'm not really sure why since he was mostly announcing by that point, but at the end of the day Savage hasn't been much since his last ill fated WCW run in 1999. His last notable match was the toilet brawl with Dennis Rodman, haha.

 

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

 

--WM 3 with Steamboat, his entire run at WM 4, the entire Megapowers angle with Hogan (in particular the great Main Event show with his heel turn), WM 5 with Hogan, WM 7 with Warrior, the Jake feud with the snake biting him, the match with Flair at WM 8, and the various stuff he did after that in 1992. In fact, his title loss to Flair in late 1992 was the end of Savage's prime.

 

I even liked the WCW version of that feud in 1996, with Liz now siding with Flair.

 

[ChrisMWaters 0]

I never did get why Savage would use "Pomp & Circumstance" as his entrance music.

 

It's tarnished an entire generation...a good portion of my classmates went "OOOOOOOH YEEAAAAAAH!" when that cued up at our gradutation.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

If I were to make a short list of my favorite wrestling angles from my childhood, Savage-HTM, the Mega-Powers and Savage-Roberts would all make the cut. My most intense fandom ran from approximately mid 1988 to early 1991, a period in which Savage was mostly a heel. For that reason, I never really regarded him as one of my favorites, but in hindsight he was really freaking good.

 

The WCW run neither helped him or hurt him in the long run. It was just another five years of him doing the same schtick that he did in the latter days of his WWF run. It seemed like for most of his run he was just there to establish that he was second banana to Hogan. The DDP feud was great and really put Page on the map, but he never really did much of note after that. I hated the fact that he had one-day title reigns in both '98 and '99 that ended at the hands of a returning Hogan.

[CanadianChris 0]

Hey, a chance to discuss my favourite wrestler of all time...

 

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

 

Highly unlikely. If he'd wanted back in, we would've seen him by now. And Vince clearly has a bug up his ass about the guy for whatever reason.

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

 

From my perspective, not a bit. He was either the best in the business or clearly in the discussion for a good 3-4 years, and nothing can take that away from him. No one goes out on top anymore, so it's a bit silly to hold his later career against him. He's like Willie Mays -- no one talks about his last year floundering in the outfield for the Mets. It probably helps that I didn't see much of the really bad stuff, though.

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

 

As far as workers go, only Flair, Steamboat, and Dynamite Kid could challenge his claim as being the best of his era. He was also one of the most entertaining guys on the stick. He was a pioneer as far as bringing a high-flying style to the main event scene in the mid-late 80s WWF. In his era, he has to be right at or near the top as far as the total package goes. I'd go with Hogan at #1 and Flair and Savage neck and neck right behind him.

 

All-time, I wouldn't put him on Mount Wrestlemore, but he'd definitely make my top 10.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

 

God, who knows? There's something very fishy going on there, because Vince is notorious for putting grudges aside if he thinks he can make money, and a Savage DVD set would be a gold mine.

 

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

 

Way too many to list completely, but I'll give a few. I did a list of my top WrestleMania matches here a year or 2 ago, and IIRC, every match in the top 8 involved either Randy Savage or Bret Hart, and his name came up at least 6 times on my list in the wrestling match draft.

 

Favourite matches in order:

 

- WrestleMania III vs. Steamboat

- WrestleMania VII vs. Warrior

- WrestleMania V vs. Hogan

- WrestleMania VIII vs. Flair

- Summerslam 92 vs. Warrior

- SNME vs. Bret Hart

- SNME vs. Honky Tonk Man

- Summerslam 88 w/Hogan vs. DiBiase & Andre

- MSG vs. Warrior

- Starrcade 95 vs. Flair

 

Favourite moments...well, they've all been mentioned already (the Steamboat feud, the Roberts feud, the entire 18 month saga of the Megapowers, "She was mine before she was yours"), but a few moments that stick out for me:

 

- The "Danger Zone" promo before his match with the Honky Tonk Man on SNME, as well as his awesome (and awesomely homoerotic) promo with Hogan after the match.

 

- Beating four guys to win the title at WrestleMania IV.

 

- "Macho Lifestyles", an extended vignette where Mean Gene visits Savage at his home in Sarasota sometime in 1985-86.

 

- Pretty much any appearance on Prime Time Wrestling.

 

- His interview with Arsenio Hall before WM V ("ONE PERSON likes Hulk Hogan!").

 

- His victory interview after WrestleMania VIII, where he cut one of the most intense and unhinged promos of his career.

[King Kamala 0]

Time to answer my own question!

 

 

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement? I'm about 99.9% sure that we'll never see him wrestle again. Nor would I want to. He was really broken down injury-wise ten years ago. I'm pretty in confident in saying that we've seen his last match. Then again if you asked me at this time two years ago if we'd see another Warrior match, I would have said the same thing.

 

As for him showing up in a non-wrestling capacity, I think there's about a 25% chance of that happening. He seems pretty content in retirement. According to Lanny, he did save most of his money over his career and plus he does have a fairly successful voice acting career as well. If he hasn't shown up to be a figurehead or commentator at this point while memories of his career are still fresh in the minds of the fans, I don't think he will. He's completely disassociated himself with the world of wrestling since '04. No cameos, no conventions, nothing. And with all the shit that's happened, can't say I totally blame him.That being said I have a hard time believing he wouldn't show up if they decided to induct him into the WWE Hall of Fame. In fact, I just read he's being inducted into The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in upstate New York in May and I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up there.

 

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement? Dumb question (first part). Not sure why I asked it! Anyways, like most of you said, the first half of his WCW run was pretty solid. Him and Flair feuding always makes for good entertainment and his feud with DDP produced some shockingly good matches, though given their similar styles, it probably shouldn't have been so surprising that they were good. That said, his last two years in WCW were pretty fucking awful. "What Up Mach?", his awful feud with Kevin Nash for the WCW World title which I vaguely recall somehow involving spousal abuse, and that so bad its kinda good but still is technically awful match with Dennis Rodman. His aborted WWA run and brief stint in TNA didn't do anything to help matters.

 

But anyways I think his legacy was already well etched into stone before he went off to WCW. In a perfect world, he would have retired after WrestleMania X (I know we'd be missing a few good matches). Almost every great athlete in almost every sport hangs on for a few years too long. Nobody really talks much about Emmitt Smith slumming it on The Cardinals or Willie Mays dropping fly balls with The Mets. Similarly, I think we'll remember Savage for his feuds with Flair, Steamboat, and Jake Roberts and The Mega Powers, not Kevin Nash pouring sewage into his limo.

 

As for the rumors, I can't say I wouldn't lose a great deal of respect for him if I found out they were true but personally, I don't think they're very substantiative. If Savage really did bang Stephanie, then why did Vince give him such a heartfelt goodbye when he left? There were also rumors that he'd jump ship back to WWF in '96/'97 and he did an interview with Smackdown! Magazine shortly after Miss Elizabeth's death five or six years ago. I'm thinking whatever happened between them, happened fairly recently.

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time? For Greatest of the '80s, he's easily in The Top Ten if not the Top Five. I'd definitely rank Hogan and Flair ahead of him. But everyone after that is up for debate.

 

As for All Time, I agree with Diamonddust about him being just below the first tier of guys. Ahead of guys like Sid and Kevin Nash but below Hogan, Austin, Rock, Flair, Andre.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

Not sure what the hell is going on. I read an interview with Leapin' Lanny recently where he said even he doesn't know what the hell the problem is between Vince and Savage. I think part of it is Savage's lack of desire to return to the wrestling world and part of it is Savage's out of control ego. Obviously, more than meets the eye is going on. I'm not sure we'll ever find out what exactly is going on between those two.

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

I'm going to try to avoid the obvious. These matches might not be my absolute favorite but they haven't been mentioned yet! Having started watching in Late '93/early '94, I've always had a lot of fondness for "Macho Man" Randy Savage: The Commentator. Loved him. He cracked me up. Especially whenever he called Bull Nakano "Bull NAKA NAKA kano" in that inimitable rasp. Obviously, I also really like his feud with Crush and their match at WrestleMania X (easily the best match at the show not involving a Hart or a member of The Clique, not that there's a lot of competition there).

 

I know I'm not the only one here who enjoyed his Intercontinental title run more than any of his World title runs. Not that those were bad by any stretch of the imagination but few were better at being the arrogant yet completely paranoid and batshit insane heel that Randy Savage was. I think the best characters in wrestling also ring true to the performers' real life persona and from what I gather from Savage, that sort of rings true for him and that may be why he's ran into some controversy over the course of his career.

[Diamonddust 0]

Yeah, as a kid, I did rather enjoy the Savage vs. Crush feud.

[spman 0]

What exactly makes Randy Savage "one of the most controverisal figures in wrestling"?

[King Kamala 0]

I don't know his mysterious estrangement with WWE, his out of the ring feud with Hulk Hogan, his weird behavior RE: Elizabeth back in his heyday. A bunch of stuff.

[Diamonddust 0]

Instead of "Most Controversial", I'd describe Savage as "Most Bat-Shit Crazy/Paranoid".

[King Kamala 0]

In retrospect, I would have had no subtitle or would have called him one of the most enigmatic figures in pro wrestling.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Funny, I was just watching Tuesday in Texas clips on YouTube today, speficially his match with Jake. I've often mentioned what I call 'wrestling amnesia' (which the Internet has kind of prevented), where I'd be able to go back and see highlights of a certain wrestler, feud, match, etc. without knowing what happened - I think interest in the career of Savage is probably at the top of it. But, from what I recall:

 

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

I'm inclined to say he's fine being retired (because, really he hasn't made cameos or indies or anything since) - but this longstanding feud with Hogan over, for all intents and purposes, nothing - part of me thinks he has some competitive spirit left in him.

 

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

I can't really say, as I never saw him in TNA, and was anything good in WCW circa '99? As for the potential Steph thing....I think it's a little too vague. With shoots becoming more and more prominent, especially from now-retired wrestlers in Savage's heyday, surely someone would have confirmed it or at least shed something on it.

 

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

Probably 'no' to either, but very high in his era, and top 10-15 of all time. Again, I can't be entirely fair having not seen all his work, but his era on top did include Dynamite Kid, Steamboat, Bret in their primes - that's a tough mountain to climb.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

I would probably say no(for reasons already mentioned), but the Steph thing wouldn't surprise me. On the other hand, we're seeing plenty of his work with 24/7 and boxsets and whathaveyou -a different generation altogether will probably become fans of his work, and he's already a household name. I think it's a matter of time before he's in the HoF, but don't ask me to estimate that time.

 

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

My two favourite Wrestlemania matches that don't involve Bret Hart are Savage-Steamboat and Savage-Warrior. The feud with Jake Roberts was phenomenal.

[daileyxplanet 0]

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

1. Will we ever see Randy Savage in the world of professional wrestling again? Even in a non wrestling capacity (say getting inducted into a certain Hall of Fame)? Or do you think he's the rare case of a wrestler who saved his money over his career and is content in retirement?

 

While you can never say never in wrestling, I think this might be the exception that proves the rule. If Savage really wanted to participate in wrestling in some way, even if it was just a brief cameo on Impact or doing stuff for 24/7, he'd be doing it. Savage either has no desire for any of that or is content to make sure his price for doing anything is such that nobody is willing to meet it, in which case his desire isn't bigger than his need to feed his ego.

 

2. Do you think his sterling WWF heyday was in anyway tarnished by his mostly mediocre WCW (Post DDP feud) and TNA runs? Has it been tarnished by the rumors regarding his WWF departure that sprang up after his retirement?

 

I don't think so, and his TNA stint was very much a 'blink and you'll miss it' deal that almost nobody remembers.

 

3. Where would Savage rank in a list of The Greatest of His Era? Greatest of All Time?

 

From a workrate standpoint, he's right up there with the best, and he's one of only three people to get something out of the Ultimate Warrior. However, and I can't quite put my finger on it, there's something about his style that I don't think warrants tagging him with the label of being an all-time great.

 

4. Don't usually like to divulge in this type of gossip but what are your thoughts on the rumors RE: Savage's estrangement from WWE? Is it a result of his unreasonable demands? A result of an affair with Stephanie? Savage just being content in retirement? Something entirely different?

 

Something happened, but that's all anyone can say with certainty. Whatever it is, it's clear that it goes beyond anything that typically goes on in wrestling, because Vince has brought back almost everyone he hates and used them in some capacity. Savage is probably on the very short (one other person on it) list of people who absolutely will never be brought back .

 

5. Favorite moments, matches, etc.

 

His feud with Ted DiBiase; they had great chemistry in the ring.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Something happened, but that's all anyone can say with certainty. Whatever it is, it's clear that it goes beyond anything that typically goes on in wrestling, because Vince has brought back almost everyone he hates and used them in some capacity. Savage is probably on the very short (one other person on it) list of people who absolutely will never be brought back .

So who's the other? Warrior?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Something happened, but that's all anyone can say with certainty. Whatever it is, it's clear that it goes beyond anything that typically goes on in wrestling, because Vince has brought back almost everyone he hates and used them in some capacity. Savage is probably on the very short (one other person on it) list of people who absolutely will never be brought back .

So who's the other? Warrior?

Kevin Wacholz (Nailz)

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Something happened, but that's all anyone can say with certainty. Whatever it is, it's clear that it goes beyond anything that typically goes on in wrestling, because Vince has brought back almost everyone he hates and used them in some capacity. Savage is probably on the very short (one other person on it) list of people who absolutely will never be brought back .

So who's the other? Warrior?

Nailz.

 

Vince...or at least people who worked for him...wanted to bring Warrior in for that DVD deal a few years back.

[Diamonddust 0]

Something happened, but that's all anyone can say with certainty. Whatever it is, it's clear that it goes beyond anything that typically goes on in wrestling, because Vince has brought back almost everyone he hates and used them in some capacity. Savage is probably on the very short (one other person on it) list of people who absolutely will never be brought back .

So who's the other? Warrior?

Kevin Wacholz (Nailz)

 

I would have guessed Bruno, but Nailz does make sense.

[CanadianChris 0]

Vince would bring Bruno back in a heartbeat.

[Angle-plex 0]

From a workrate standpoint, he's right up there with the best, and he's one of only three people to get something out of the Ultimate Warrior.

 

Who were you refering to here? I suppose Savage, Hogan and Rude?

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

The only way I can see Savage getting into the Hall of Fame is once he's dead, sadly.

 

So what happened to the guy after 1992, he just seemed to nose dive. Is this when the start of his problems with his Wife happen?

[CanadianChris 0]

So what happened to the guy after 1992, he just seemed to nose dive. Is this when the start of his problems with his Wife happen?

No, he and Liz had divorced by then. It's sad that their real-life marriage fell apart right around the time they ran the reuniting/wedding angle.

 

I don't think he nose-dived as much as Vince wanted him to be a commentator and part-time special attraction, and basically took him out of circulation.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Its also pretty sad looking back at his WCW days, seeing how worked he gets by Hogan behind the scenes. He changes direction so much, face to heel, to heel to face, WCW to NWO, etc.

[King Kamala 0]

Vince would bring Bruno back in a heartbeat.

 

Wasn't Bruno backstage at a WWE show in Pittsburgh about five years back? I can't remember exactly why (something Hall of Fame or WWE 24/7 related probably) but I'm sure it was something business related. I remember Bruno saying an interview that there was a mentally handicapped fan backstage that went to all of the shows and he hoped that the kid wasn't the "inspiration" for Eugene, who debuted shortly thereafter. Kind of a stretch I must say as WWE has a lot of mentally handicapped fans. Now I'm not trying to do a lame, slightly off color slam at the WWE folder, just stating a fact.

 

But that's neither here nor there. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bruno make amends somewhat with Vince and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Kind of a stretch I must say as WWE has a lot of mentally handicapped fans.

I think most of them post here.

[Diamonddust 0]

Vince would bring Bruno back in a heartbeat.

 

Wasn't Bruno backstage at a WWE show in Pittsburgh about five years back? I can't remember exactly why (something Hall of Fame or WWE 24/7 related probably) but I'm sure it was something business related. I remember Bruno saying an interview that there was a mentally handicapped fan backstage that went to all of the shows and he hoped that the kid wasn't the "inspiration" for Eugene, who debuted shortly thereafter. Kind of a stretch I must say as WWE has a lot of mentally handicapped fans. Now I'm not trying to do a lame, slightly off color slam at the WWE folder, just stating a fact.

 

But that's neither here nor there. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bruno make amends somewhat with Vince and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

 

He was backstage at a Raw in Pittsburgh in 2004. He was approached to do stuff for 24/7/, apparently, but he did not want to be seen as endorsing the current product. I was wrong - Vince would work with him, however, Bruno wants none of it.

 

Some more information (I know it's Wikipedia, but still...) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Sammart...wrestling_today

[Diamonddust 0]

Vince would bring Bruno back in a heartbeat.

 

Wasn't Bruno backstage at a WWE show in Pittsburgh about five years back? I can't remember exactly why (something Hall of Fame or WWE 24/7 related probably) but I'm sure it was something business related. I remember Bruno saying an interview that there was a mentally handicapped fan backstage that went to all of the shows and he hoped that the kid wasn't the "inspiration" for Eugene, who debuted shortly thereafter. Kind of a stretch I must say as WWE has a lot of mentally handicapped fans. Now I'm not trying to do a lame, slightly off color slam at the WWE folder, just stating a fact.

 

But that's neither here nor there. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bruno make amends somewhat with Vince and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

 

I think I've heard Jim Cornette mention this kid before as well. His dad is either a government official of some sorts.