Randy Savage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Randy Savage |
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Savage in 1988
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| Birth name | Randy Mario Poffo |
| Born | November 15, 1952 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 20, 2011 (aged 58) Seminole, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack brought on by atherosclerosis |
| Alma mater | Southern Illinois University–Carbondale |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Parent(s) | Angelo Poffo (father) |
| Family | Lanny Poffo (brother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Randy Poffo Randy Savage The Spider The Big Geno Mr. Madness Destroyer Executioner |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 237 lb (108 kg) |
| Billed from | Sarasota, Florida |
| Trained by | Angelo Poffo |
| Debut | 1973 |
| Retired | December 5, 2004 |
Randy Mario Poffo (born November 15, 1952 – died May 20, 2011) was an American professional wrestler. He was much better known by his wrestling name, "Macho Man" Randy Savage. He was famous for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Many people, including famous sportswriters and other wrestlers, called Savage one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever. Fans easily recognized him by his colorful ring clothes, his deep, raspy voice, and his strong energy both inside and outside the wrestling ring. He used the famous "Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1" music by Elgar when he entered the ring. His signature catchphrase was "Oooh yeah!" For most of his career in the WWF and WCW, Randy Savage was managed by his real-life wife, Miss Elizabeth.
Randy Savage won ten world championships during his 32-year career. This included winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship two times and the WCW World Heavy Weight Championship four times. When he was the WWF Champion, he was as popular as Hulk Hogan. He also held the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship once. WWE called him the greatest Intercontinental Champion ever because of his amazing matches.
Savage won the 1987 WWF King of the Ring tournament and the 1995 WCW World War 3 battle royal. He was the main event in many big wrestling shows, like WrestleManias IV, V, and VIII. He was also a main event at two of the first five SummerSlam shows. He was added to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996. After he passed away, he was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015.
Contents
- Randy Savage's Early Life
- Randy Savage's Baseball Career
- Randy Savage's Wrestling Journey
- Other Activities
- Randy Savage's Personal Life
- Randy Savage's Death
- Randy Savage's Legacy
- Randy Savage's Achievements
- Images for kids
- See Also
Randy Savage's Early Life
Randy Poffo was born on November 15, 1952, in Columbus, Ohio. He was the oldest son of Judith and Angelo Poffo. His father was Italian American, and his mother was Jewish American. Randy was raised Catholic. His father, Angelo Poffo, was a well-known wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s. Randy's younger brother, Lanny Poffo, also became a wrestler.
The Poffo family lived in Zanesville, Ohio, where Randy went to Grover Cleveland Middle School. He later graduated from Downers Grove North High School in Downers Grove, Illinois. Randy then moved to Staten Island, New York, and later to Lexington, Kentucky, where he lived for many years. He also went to Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.
Randy Savage's Baseball Career
Before becoming a wrestler, Randy Savage was a talented baseball player. The St. Louis Cardinals team signed him as a catcher right after high school. He played in the minor leagues, mostly as an outfielder, for the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds teams. Randy was 18 when he started playing minor league baseball.
He used a special technique to make his hands stronger: he would swing a bat into a hanging car tire. This method was so good that one of his teammates, Larry Herndon, used it later in his career as a baseball coach. Randy injured his right throwing shoulder in a collision at home plate. After that, he learned to throw with his left arm. His last baseball season was in 1974. He played 289 games over four minor league seasons.
Randy Savage's Wrestling Journey
Starting His Wrestling Career (1973–1985)
Randy Savage first started wrestling in 1973 during the baseball off-season. His first wrestling character was called The Spider, which was similar to Spider-Man. Later, his friend and trainer Terry "The Goose" Stephens, and wrestling booker Ole Anderson, suggested he change his name to Randy Savage. They said his last name, Poffo, didn't sound right for someone who "wrestled like a savage." Randy eventually decided to stop playing baseball and become a full-time wrestler, joining his father and brother.
He worked with his family in different wrestling areas across the U.S. and Canada. His father even started his own wrestling company called International Championship Wrestling (ICW). After ICW closed, Randy and his brother Lanny joined Jerry Lawler's wrestling company in Memphis. There, Savage had a big rivalry with Lawler for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. He also teamed with Lanny to wrestle The Rock 'n' Roll Express. In one famous match, Savage hurt Ricky Morton (in the storyline) by slamming him through a table.
Becoming a WWF Superstar (1985–1994)
Becoming Intercontinental Champion (1985–1987)
In June 1985, Randy Savage joined Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He first appeared on TV in July 1985. The WWF said he was the "top free agent" in wrestling. Many famous managers wanted to work with him, but Savage surprised everyone by choosing Miss Elizabeth as his manager. His wrestling character was a wild, confident bully who often seemed to mistreat Miss Elizabeth and threatened anyone who looked at her.
In late 1985, Savage started a rivalry with the Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Tito Santana. In February 1986, Savage won the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship from Santana. He used a hidden steel object to knock Santana out, which was against the rules. Early in his WWF career, Savage also had big matches against Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, and George "The Animal" Steele.
His rivalry with George Steele began when Steele seemed to have a crush on Miss Elizabeth. Savage defeated Steele at WrestleMania 2 to keep his title. Their feud continued into 1987.
Savage's next big rivalry was with Ricky Steamboat. In October 1986, Savage injured Steamboat's throat (in the storyline). Their famous match happened on March 29, 1987, at WrestleMania III. This match was very planned out, with Savage and Steamboat rehearsing every move. Steamboat won the match, ending Savage's 14-month reign as Intercontinental Champion. Many people called this match the "Match of the Year" for 1987.
Becoming WWF World Champion (1988–1989)
Savage won the King of the Ring tournament in 1987. He became very popular with fans, even though he was supposed to be a "bad guy." He started to be nicer to the fans and Miss Elizabeth. When The Honky Tonk Man said he was the "greatest Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion," Savage wanted to win the title back. This made him a "good guy" in the eyes of the fans.
In October 1987, Savage wrestled Honky Tonk Man for the title, but Honky's friends, The Hart Foundation, interfered, causing Honky to be disqualified. During the attack, Miss Elizabeth ran to the locker room and brought Hulk Hogan to save Savage. This led to the creation of "The Mega Powers" (Savage and Hogan). Their team won against Honky's team at the first Survivor Series.
At WrestleMania IV in March 1988, Savage entered a tournament for the vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship. He defeated several wrestlers, including "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, in the finals with help from Hogan. Savage held the WWF World Heavyweight Title for over a year, defending it against wrestlers like One Man Gang and André the Giant.
The Mega Powers (Savage and Hogan) had their first big rivalry against The Mega Bucks (Ted DiBiase and André the Giant). They won this match at the first-ever SummerSlam in August 1988. Miss Elizabeth helped them win by distracting the referee.
Problems started between Savage and Hogan in early 1989 when Hogan also started managing Elizabeth. At the Royal Rumble, Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage from the match, causing a fight between them. Later, during a tag team match, Elizabeth got hurt (in the storyline). Hogan carried her backstage, which made Savage very angry. Savage felt Hogan was trying to steal Elizabeth from him. He then attacked Hogan, becoming a "bad guy" again.
At WrestleMania V in April 1989, Savage lost the WWF World Heavyweight Championship to Hogan after holding it for 371 days. After this, Savage chose a new manager, Sensational Sherri, to replace Elizabeth. Savage then teamed with Zeus (from Hogan's movie No Holds Barred) to fight Hogan and Brutus Beefcake. They lost both matches.
"Macho King" and Retirement (1989–1991)
Savage started calling himself "The Macho King" after winning the King of the Ring title in September 1989. He had one last match against Hulk Hogan for Hogan's WWF World Heavyweight Championship in February 1990. Savage lost this match after the special referee, boxing champion Buster Douglas, punched Savage.
Savage then started a rivalry with Dusty Rhodes. Savage and Sherri lost a mixed tag team match to Rhodes and Sapphire at WrestleMania VI. After this, Savage began a big rivalry with the then-WWF Champion, The Ultimate Warrior. At the Royal Rumble in January 1991, Savage interfered in Warrior's title match against Sgt. Slaughter, helping Slaughter win the championship.
These events led to a special match at WrestleMania VII in March 1991, where the loser would have to retire from wrestling. Savage lost this match to The Ultimate Warrior. After the match, Sherri attacked Savage. But then, Miss Elizabeth, who was in the audience, rushed to Savage's side, fought off Sherri, and reunited with Savage. The crowd cheered loudly as Savage became a "good guy" again.
Even though he retired from wrestling, Savage stayed in the WWF as a commentator. He did wrestle a few times after WrestleMania VII, filling in for other wrestlers.
Commentator and Return to Wrestling (1991–1994)
The story with Miss Elizabeth continued, leading to Savage proposing to her in the ring. They had an on-air wedding at SummerSlam in August 1991, called The Match Made in Heaven. After their wedding, Jake "The Snake" Roberts attacked Savage. Roberts and The Undertaker hid a live snake in one of Savage's wedding gifts, scaring Elizabeth. Roberts then attacked Savage, tying him in the ropes and making a live king cobra bite his arm.
Because of this attack, Savage was allowed to wrestle again. He defeated Roberts at This Tuesday in Texas in December 1991. Their rivalry ended in February 1992.
Savage then started a rivalry with WWF Champion Ric Flair. Flair claimed he had been with Miss Elizabeth before she married Savage. This led to a title match at WrestleMania VIII in April 1992, where Savage won his second WWF Championship. Savage and Elizabeth later divorced in real life, but the wrestling storyline continued with Flair.
In August 1992, Savage defended his title against The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam. Savage lost the match by count-out but kept his championship. In September, Savage lost the WWF Championship to Flair after Razor Ramon interfered.
Savage then became a commentator for Monday Night Raw when it started in January 1993. He also competed in the Royal Rumble match in 1993 and 1994. His last big match in the WWF was at WrestleMania X in March 1994, where he defeated Crush. Savage's contract with WWF ended in October 1994, and he decided to join their rival company, World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Joining World Championship Wrestling (1994–2000)
The Mega Powers Together Again (1994–1995)
Savage first appeared in WCW in December 1994. He talked about his complicated relationship with Hulk Hogan and said he wanted to be the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. At Starrcade, he saved Hogan from an attack, shaking hands with his old friend and rival.
In February 1995, Savage and Sting won a tag team match. Savage then started a rivalry with Ric Flair. In May 1995, Flair attacked Savage's father, Angelo Poffo, which made their rivalry even more intense. Savage and Flair had several matches, with Savage winning one at Bash at the Beach.
Later in 1995, Savage teamed up with Hogan, Lex Luger, and Sting to defeat The Dungeon of Doom in a WarGames match.
Becoming WCW World Champion (1995–1996)
At World War 3 in November 1995, Savage won his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He won a huge 60-man battle royal that took place in three rings. He lost the title to Flair in December 1995. But Savage quickly won his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship back from Flair in January 1996. During this time, Miss Elizabeth also joined WCW and became Savage's manager again.
At SuperBrawl VI in February 1996, Savage defended his title against Flair in a steel cage match. However, Elizabeth turned on Savage, allowing Flair to hit him with her high heel shoe, and Savage lost the title. Flair claimed Elizabeth gave him a lot of Savage's money from their divorce.
In March 1996, Savage and Hogan won a special "Doomsday Cage match" against a large group of wrestlers. At Bash at the Beach in July 1996, the New World Order (nWo) was formed when Hulk Hogan turned against Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger and joined Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Savage became one of the main opponents of the nWo. He faced Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in October 1996 but lost after The Giant interfered. Savage then left WCW for a while.
Joining the New World Order (1997–1998)
Savage returned to WCW in January 1997. He appeared with Sting, watching events from the crowd as "free agents." Eventually, WCW president Eric Bischoff told Savage he could only return if he joined the nWo. In February 1997, Savage joined the nWo by helping Hogan defeat Roddy Piper. The next night, he reunited with Elizabeth, who had already joined the nWo.
Savage started a rivalry with Diamond Dallas Page and his wife Kimberly. Savage defeated Page in a "falls count anywhere match" in June 1997 and a "Las Vegas Death match" in October 1997.
In April 1998, Savage defeated Sting for his third WCW World Heavyweight Championship, even though he tore a ligament in his knee during the match. The next night, Hogan faced Savage for the championship. With help from Nash, Savage won, but then Bret Hart attacked Savage, helping Hogan win the title. Savage then joined Nash and others to form the nWo Wolfpac, a separate group from Hogan's nWo.
Savage took a break from wrestling to recover from knee surgeries. He made one more appearance in 1998, helping Ric Flair defeat Eric Bischoff.
Team Madness (1999–2000)
Savage returned in April 1999 with a new look and new music. He had a slicked-back ponytail and earrings. He also introduced his new manager, Gorgeous George. He was the special referee in a main event match. For a short time, Savage helped Diamond Dallas Page keep the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. But when Kevin Nash won it, Savage decided to go after the title himself.
Around this time, Madusa and Miss Madness also joined Savage as his managers. Together, they were known as Team Madness. In June 1999, Sid Vicious returned to WCW and helped Savage attack Kevin Nash.
This led to a tag team match in July 1999, where Savage and Sid Vicious faced Nash and Sting. Whoever got the winning pinfall would win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Savage won his fourth and final WCW World Heavyweight Championship by pinning Nash. However, Savage's reign as champion didn't last long. He lost the title to Hulk Hogan the very next night, after Nash interfered and attacked Savage.
Team Madness slowly broke apart as Madusa and Miss Madness started fighting each other. Savage then fired both of them and started a rivalry with basketball star Dennis Rodman. Savage defeated Rodman in August 1999. Savage then disappeared from WCW TV. His final appearance in WCW was in May 2000, when he joined The Millionaire's Club to help other veteran wrestlers. He did not appear in WCW again before the company closed.
NWA: Total Nonstop Action (2004)
On November 7, 2004, Savage returned to professional wrestling in NWA: Total Nonstop Action (TNA). He confronted Jeff Jarrett. He made his TV debut in TNA in November, confronting Jarrett, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. In his last match on December 5, Savage, Jeff Hardy, and A.J. Styles defeated them. Savage never signed a full contract with TNA.
Other Activities
Endorsements and Awards
Randy Savage was the famous spokesperson for Slim Jim snacks in the 1990s. His catchphrase in the ads was "Snap into a Slim Jim, oooooh yeah!" In 1998, Harvard University's humor society, Harvard Lampoon, gave Savage an award as "Man of the Year."
Acting Career
Savage appeared in many TV shows in the 1990s. He was in a wrestling-themed episode of Baywatch in 1996 with other WCW wrestlers. In 1999, he appeared on popular shows like Walker, Texas Ranger and Mad About You.
Savage's first movie role was in 2000 in Ready to Rumble. His most famous film role was in the 2002 movie Spider-Man, where he played the wrestler Bonesaw McGraw.
Savage's unique voice also led to voice acting roles. He voiced an alien wrestler named "Rasslor" in Dexter's Laboratory. He also voiced "Gorilla" in an episode of King of the Hill and Space Ghost's grandfather in Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Savage was the voice of "The Thug" in Disney's animated movie Bolt in 2008, which was his last movie appearance. He voiced the character again in the short film Super Rhino in 2009.
Music
Randy Savage's first music appearance was on the WWF-produced album WrestleMania: The Album in 1993. He sang on a song called "Speaking from the Heart."
On October 7, 2003, Savage released his own rap album called Be a Man. The album included a tribute song to "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig and a song aimed at Hulk Hogan. Savage promoted his album with a concert tour.
Video Games
Savage appeared in many wrestling video games throughout his career, including games like WWF WrestleMania, WCW vs nWo: World Tour, and later WWE All Stars. After a long absence, he returned to WWE-licensed games starting in 2011. He is also an unlockable character in many recent WWE 2K games.
Randy Savage's Personal Life
Randy Savage met Elizabeth Hulette, known as Miss Elizabeth, at a gym in Lexington, Kentucky in 1982. They got married in 1984 but divorced in 1992. On May 10, 2010, Savage married Barbara Lynn Payne, whom he had dated in the early 1970s.
For many years, Savage and Hulk Hogan had a complicated relationship, sometimes being friends and sometimes rivals. Randy also had a German Shepherd dog named Hercules.
Randy Savage's Death
On the morning of May 20, 2011, Randy Savage was driving his car near his home in Seminole, Florida, with his wife. He suddenly became unresponsive and crashed into a tree. Paramedics arrived and found him dead at the scene. He was 58 years old. Savage and his wife were wearing seatbelts, and his wife only had minor injuries.
An autopsy showed that he had an enlarged heart and severe coronary artery disease. This caused a sudden heart attack. Savage had never been treated for heart problems and likely didn't know about his condition. The official cause of death was heart disease.
Five days after his death, Savage was cremated. His ashes were placed under a favorite tree on his property in Largo, Florida. Ten days before he died, he had asked his brother to put his dog's ashes in the same spot. When his brother asked why, Savage said he wanted him to remember that spot because he wanted his own ashes placed there too.
Randy Savage's Legacy
Vince McMahon, the head of WWE, called Savage "one of wrestling's all-time greats" in a Time magazine article. TNA held a special tribute for Savage the night he died. WWE also aired a tribute video on Raw. Wrestler CM Punk paid tribute to Savage by wearing similar wrestling gear and using one of Savage's signature moves, the diving elbow drop.
In August 2011, wrestling writer Kevin Eck praised Savage as an amazing performer, saying "nobody blended power, speed, agility, and technical skills like the 'Macho Man' in his prime."
WWE released a documentary about him called Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story in November 2014. For many years, Savage was not in the WWE Hall of Fame, and fans often wondered why.
On January 12, 2015, WWE announced that Randy Savage would be the first person inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015. His former tag team partner and rival, Hulk Hogan, inducted him. Savage's brother, Lanny Poffo, said that Randy's mother and daughter were very excited about the induction.
In 2018, wrestler Jay Lethal was accompanied to the ring by Lanny Poffo, while Lethal wore one of Savage's original outfits.
A TV show called Dark Side of the Ring made an episode about Savage's story, called "The Match Made in Heaven," which aired in 2019.
In July 2023, Dutchess County, New York, declared July 6 as "Macho Man" Randy Savage Day. This was to honor his WWF television debut on July 6, 1985. In September 2023, a train overpass in Zanesville, Ohio, was renamed in honor of Randy Savage.
Randy Savage's Achievements
- NWA Mid-America / Continental Wrestling Association
- AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- CWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- Grand Prix Wrestling
- GPW International Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
- NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lanny Poffo
- International Championship Wrestling
- ICW World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- Ilio DiPaolo Legends of the Aud
- Hall of Fame (2016)
- Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2022
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Comeback of the Year (1995)
- Feud of the Year (1997) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
- Match of the Year (1987) vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1989)
- Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1988)
- Stanley Weston Award (2011)
- Wrestler of the Year (1988)
- Ranked No. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
- Ranked No. 9 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- Ranked No. 57 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Hulk Hogan in 2003
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2009
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- World War 3 (1995)
- World Cup Of Wrestling (1995) - with Sting, Lex Luger, Johnny B. Badd, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Alex Wright
- World Wrestling Council
- WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- WWF World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- King of the Ring (1987)
- WWF World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1988)
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Match of the Year (1987) vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III
- Most Unimproved (1992)
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (1996) with Hulk Hogan vs. Arn Anderson, Meng, The Barbarian, Ric Flair, Kevin Sullivan, Z-Gangsta, and The Ultimate Solution in a Towers of Doom match at Uncensored
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Images for kids
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Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth, circa 1988
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Randy Savage with the WWC North American Heavyweight Championship
See Also
In Spanish: Randy Savage para niños
- "The Match Made in Heaven"
