When you think of the WWF in the 1980’s certain names come to mind of a passionate wrestling fan. Very few names come to the mind of casual fans, but our Superstar of the Month is at the forefront of both passionate and casual wrestling fans minds. ‘Snap into a Slim Jim’ and ‘Ooooohhh Yeah’ will forever be ingrained in the minds of anyone who heard the gravelly voiced Randy Savage utter them.
Let’s start from the beginning though as we take a look at the truly memorable career of this unforgettable superstar. He was born on November 15, 1952 to Angelo Poffo a famed wrestler in his rights. Angelo also held an astonishing US naval record by completing 6,033 sit-ups in 4 hours and 10 minutes!! Randy also had a brother, Lanny, better known to WWF fans as the Genius.
As he grew up Randy dreamed of being a baseball star. He chased the dream as far as it would take him. Once it became clear he was never going to make it to the big time, Randy turned his attention to the career path of his father and brother. Whilst it was now going to be full time occupation going forward, he had wrestled under a mask as ‘The Spider’ in the off-season of baseball. A lot of legitimate sports stars would don a mask when wrestling in the off-season to avoid people knowing their identities.
All-Star Wrestling Alliance and Championship Wrestling from Florida are the territories where Randy would spend the majority of his first five years in the business. He quickly improved and made a name for himself. As soon as the baseball was put away, Randy started wrestling under his real name, Randy Poffo. His style in the ring was that of a wild-man leading Ole Anderson to suggest the name Randy Savage during a stint in Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1977.
From there Randy toured the country spending most of his time int he aforementioned GCW, Mid-America and the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. He toiled away as just a middle of the card tough guy. That would all change in 1978 when he took to donning his now famous outrageous outfits and eccentric accessories.
In 1978 his father opened the doors of the ‘outlaw’ territory International Championship Wrestling. Many people say the sole purpose was to give Savage and Lanny a real push to the top of the business, feeling they were under-utilized in the NWA territories. Quickly Savage was accepted as a top player. Angelo relied heavily up on a main event of Randy Savage Vs. Lanny Poffo, Brother Vs. Brother.
Combined with his unique promo style Randy was fast becoming one of the top heels in the business. Check out this promo of him from the late 1970’s where you can imagine a young Mick Foley being inspired for a future ECW Cactus Jack Promo
ICW Promo:
There were many stories circulating during his time in ICW that helped to solidify Randy as a legitimate crazy hard man. They included stories of taking on police officers, police dogs, alleged pistol whippings, and turning up at rival shows challenging their top stars to shoot fight.
In hindsight it was a blessing in disguise for Randy Savage when his father’s company closed it’s doors in the early 1980’s. The closing would lead him to entering the former rival promotion, Continental Wrestling Association. He’d win gold there on numerous occasions. Through-out the first half of 1985 Savage was embroiled in a heavy feud with Jerry the King Lawler.
Matches between the two are remembered very fondly. They would be Randy’s last matches outside of the WWF. Here is the final taped match for Randy in the CWA.
Loser Leaves Town Match
Randy Savage Vs. Jerry Lawler:
Once joining the WWF in June of 1985 he quickly went to work making a name for himself. If you saw his squash matches during that time then you will remember how they would last normally around 10 minutes. Savage would spend most of the time outside of the ring riling up the crowd, avoiding action and making a huge spectacle of what would otherwise be a rather humdrum affair.
Of course the first major part of his career in the WWF that people remember is the whole ‘Hottest Free Agent in Wrestling’ angle where all the managers were vying for his contract, as we know Miss Elizabeth was the chosen one.
Bidding for the Macho Man on Tuesday Night Titans:
Miss Elizabeth’s Debut as Randy Savage’s Manager:
This alliance with Miss Elizabeth helped him stand out head and shoulders as a unique and must see character on WWF. Having a female as a manager had not been done before in that particular promotion. The package was now complete, the outfits getting even more extravagant and breath taking, Miss Elizabeth, the promos, the in-ring ability, it was all there.
February 24, 1986 saw him win the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Tito Santana. Soon after he got involved in one of the most remembered feuds of his career, the feud with George Steele over Miss Elizabeth. This feud would see Randy to his first Wrestlemania at the second annual event.
Randy Savage Vs. George Steele – Wrestlemania II:
Following Wrestlemania II Savage would take on all comers for his Intercontinental Championship. One of the challengers in November of 1986 was Ricky Steamboat with the famous injury angle.
Savage Injures Ricky Steamboat:
After he put Steamboat out of action the feud with George Steele started back up full time providing a way for Ricky Steamboat to return in January of 1987 to build for one of the most popular matches of all time at Wrestlemania III.
Randy Savage Vs. George Steele (Ricky Steamboat Returns) SNME:
As we all know that match at Wrestlemania III took place in the Pontiac Silverdome in front of a WWE reported 93,000 fans (Some people say there was as low as 72,000 people there). The match saw the end of Savage’s 414 day reign as champion.
Randy Savage (c) Vs. Ricky Steamboat – Wrestlemania III:
By the fall of 1987 Savage was back in line for an Intercontinental Championship feuding with the self proclaimed ‘Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All Time’, the Honky Tonk Man. That feud nicely took him into the next chapter of his career.
The Honky Tonk Man (c) Vs. Randy Savage – SNME:
The formation of the Mega-Powers. Now aligned with Hulk Hogan, Savage was a super over babyface. He was sitting right at the top of the food chain and at Wrestlemania IV he would capture the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in a sixteen man tournament, defeating Ted DiBiase in the finals.
Through-out the summer and fall the Mega Powers would battle against Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant. Main Events at both the Summerslam and Survivor Series PPV’s featured these two teams. All would change in the run up to Wrestlemania V though. Savage and Hogan began to come apart. The Mega Powers would explode and take each other on at the fifth annual event.
Randy Savage (c) Vs. Hulk Hogan – Wrestlemania V:
Savage blamed Miss Elizabeth for his loss and the two split up. Back to being a heel there was a replacement needed to once again complete the package. Enter Sensation Sherri. Randy would beat Jim Duggan to become Macho King Randy Savage and he christened his new manager as Queen Sherri.
The new King would have to lay down to Hulk Hogan one more time on SNME before continuing on his journey to reuniting with Miss Elizabeth. Through-out spring and summer of 1990 Savage and Sherri were going back and forth with Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire.
By the end of 1990 Randy was back in the WWF World Heavyweight Championship hunt, entering into an angle with the Ultimate Warrior. At the Royal Rumble in 1991 Savage cost the Warrior his title against Sgt. Slaughter as Slaughter promised Randy a shot at it if he were to win. As one would imagine the Warrior was mighty unhappy about this turn of events.
The two would progress their feud and eventually meet at Wrestlemania VII in what many say was the Ultimate Warriors best match of his career. It would see both men put their careers on the line, Randy Savage lost. Queen Sherri publicly dumped Savage then and there until Miss Elizabeth came out to save Randy and the couple reunited.
Randy Savage Vs. The Ultimate Warrior – Wrestlemania VII Retirement Match:
Savage stayed with the WWF in a non-wrestling capacity. Not many people know though that Savage actually had one more match just two days after that Wrestlemania match. It was against Rick Martel and said to be “Due to contractual obligations.”
Randy Savage Vs. Rick Martel – World Tour March 26, 1991
Summerslam would see Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth get married live on PPV. The two had been married in real life for quite some time. During the wedding reception a cobra came out of a gift Elizabeth opened and the Undertaker and Jake Roberts subsequently attacked Savage.
For the next two months Savage would beg to be reinstated as a wrestler, however, Jack Tunney refused to grant it. The feud resulted in an incident that is still remembered for horrific it was to this day when Jake Roberts let his cobra bite an incapacitated Savage.
The Snake Bite Incident:
Unfortunately the feud following this did feel some what lacklustre. Either way Savage picked up two victories over Roberts then quickly moved his focus back to the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Once again he would find himself in a very personal feud, this time with Ric Flair. The angle was based around claims that Flair had slept with Miss Elizabeth and he had photos of them together, it turned out the photos had been doctored and Flair was lying.
With this though Randy got his second run with the title as he defeated Flair at Wrestlemania VIII. Next up was the Ultimate Warrior once again. This time it was Face Vs. Face. They collided at Summerslam 1992 in the other match which is often said to be Warrior’s greatest match. Savage lost by count-out after being attacked by Flair and Mr. Perfect, but retained the gold.
Randy Savage (c) Vs. The Ultimate Warrior – Summerslam 1992:
Shortly after Summerslam Savage dropped the title to Ric Flair on Prime Time Wrestling. He then teamed up with Warrior in time for Survivor Series to take on Flair and Razor Ramon, Razor had cost Savage the title against Flair. That was not to be though, Warrior got fired and ended up with Mr. Perfect to take on Flair and Ramon.
Randy Savage & Mr. Perfect Vs. Ric Flair & Razor Ramon – Survivor Series 1992:
Then it was time for Randy to start winding down his career, at least in the eyes of Vince McMahon anyway. In 1993 he became a full time commentator for Monday Night Raw, wrestling sporadically. His occasional opponents varied from Repo Man to Yokozuna.
In 1994 he had one last stand-out feud with a young guy named Crush. It culminated in one of my favorite matches by the man from Kona, Hawaii at Wrestlemania X. Savage won the match.
Randy Savage Vs. Crush – Wrestlemania X Falls Count Anywhere:
That was Savage’s last match for the WWF to be aired on a pay-per-view. By the end of the year he left the company. Those close to him have said it was due to his eagerness to still compete. On expiration of his contract in late 1994 he immediately joined WCW. Once there he competed in main event or just below feuds with different members of Kevin Sullivan’s group the Three Face of Fear.
Roughly a year into the company Savage had already ignited his feud with Ric Flair in a series of matches including a Lifeguard Lumberjack Match. Then in November 1995 he won the first ever World War Three Three Ring 60-Man Battle Royal to capture the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
For the next few months he traded the title back and forth with Ric Flair. You can’t forget either that Savage was one of the three men in 1996 that Hulk Hogan turned on to join the NWO. Savage lost a title match to Hogan at Halloween Havoc that year and left the company.
In 1997 Savage returned to WCW, it was then that he had the angle that he is probably most remembered for in Ted Turners company. On his return he had joined the NWO and Miss Elizabeth later rejoined him (Onscreen, the split up in real life in 1992). The two then started a feud with Diamond Dallas Page.
I’m sad to say I’m struggling to find WCW videos on YouTube, but if you’ve never seen a DDP Vs. Savage match try and find one and give it a watch. You won’t regret it. His next major angle was with Lex Luger, Savage came up on the losing end of things.
At Spring Stampede in 1998 Savage defeated Sting to pick up his third WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Kevin Nash gives the assist for the victory:
Sting (c) Vs. Randy Savage – Spring Stampede 1998:
Nash continued to help Savage in his matches, but couldn’t stop Savage from losing the belt the next night to Hogan. This loss led to Randy, Nash and Konnan splitting from the NWO forming their own version called the Wolfpac. Then Savage had two short feuds with Bret Hart and Roddy Piper before taking some much needed time away to recuperate from knee injuries.
Randy returned in 1999 and quickly formed a new faction called Team Madness. It included his three valets; Madusa, Gorgeous George, and Miss Madness. Sid was later aligned with Savage and the two fought Kevin Nash and Sting and the wrestler to secure a pin fall would be the new WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Savage pinned Kevin Nash with Sid allowing it.
Sid & Randy Savage Vs. Kevin Nash & Sting – Bash at the Beach 1999:
As per the previous year the next year on Nitro Randy Savage dropped the championship to Hulk Hogan. From there Savage’s career in WCW started to wind down. Team Madness started dissolved and Savage feuded with Dennis Rodman. In May of 2000 Savage left the company.
In 2002 Savage released appeared in the Spiderman movie and in 2003 he released a rap album. TNA would be Randy’s only other appearance in a wrestling ring. That took place briefly in the latter part of 2004 and early 2005, due to health reasons he had to leave the company though.
Randy Savage’s Rap Album, Be A Man:
Track Listing:
1 – Intro
2 – I’m Back
3 – R U Ready
4 – Hit the Floor (featuring DJ Kool)
5 – Let’s Get It On
6 – Remember Me
7 – Tear It Up
8 – Macho Thang (featuring Aja)
9 – Be A Man
10 – Get Back
11 – Feel The Madness
12 – What’s That All About
13 – Gonna Be Trouble
14 – Perfect Friend (featuring Prymary Colorz)
List of Championships Won:
– AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, twice
– CWA International Heavyweight Championship, once
– NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship, three times
– GPW International Heavyweight Championship, twice
– NWA GCCW Tag-Team Championship, once
– ICW World Heavyweight Championship, three times
– USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, once
– WCW World Heavyweight Championship, four times
– WWC North American Heavyweight Championship, once
– WWF World Heavyweight Championship, twice
– WWF Intercontinental Championship, once
Sadly on May 20, 2011 Randy Savage suffered a heart attack whilst driving and passed away. His legacy will never be forgotten though. Randy Savage entertained fans for three decades. He put on some of the most memorable matches and his persona was just something that can never be duplicated. A part of so many important historical events in both WCW, the WWF, and the NWA, that when someone says is Randy Savage one of the greatest superstars in history it’s hard to do anything but, well, ‘Dig it!’
Randy Savage WWE Raw May 23, 2011 Tribute Video:
– By Jimmy Wheeler