The A&E Network series Biography is featuring a number of professional wrestlers on its show. This week, the featured wrestler was the legendary “Macho Man” Randy Savage. He picked up where “Rowdy” Roddy Piper left off as the primary villain to Hulk Hogan. However, there is much that is not known about Savage. This week, viewers learned a lot more about the “Macho Man.”
Only Randy Poffo was an American.
Professional wrestler Angelo Poffo was the father of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and his younger brother Lanny Poffo. Angelo traveled extensively for his craft, as many other professional wrestlers did during his era. However, because Angelo’s wife traveled with him, Randy Poffo was born in Columbus, Ohio, but younger brother Lanny was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Poffo Family waged war with Jerry Lawler.
During the 1970s, wrestling territories did not acknowledge one another unless they were all affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance. Despite this, Angelo Poffo’s ICW promotion out of Kentucky repeatedly called out Memphis Championship Wrestling on ICW television. Memphis Wrestling ignored ICW on TV, but privately, the company wondered about the money that could be made from Jerry Lawler and Randy Savage matches. Once ICW folded, the Poffos signed with the Memphis territory before joining the WWF.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage took his interview style from a “Wildman…”
When Randy was looking for a way to stand out in the wrestling business, he sought advice from his brother. Lanny told him that since Randy was a Savage, he should copy the most savage interview style that he could find. Lanny suggested that he pattern himself after “The Wildman” Pampero Firpo. Savage borrowed Firpo’s interview style and his “Oh Yeah,” and over the years, both became associated with the “Macho Man.”
But he took his style of dress from a Guitar God.
The idea for Savage’s ring costumes came from Hulk Hogan introducing him to the person who designed stage costumes for Jimi Hendrix. After seeing the outfits, Savage was looking for something extra, and he saw the cowboy hats that the designer had made for some local pimps. After the designer matched cowboy hats and sunglasses with the outfits, the “Macho Man” ring style was born.
Savage/Steamboat from WrestleMania 3 was a “well-choreographed” match.
The WrestleMania 3 match between Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat is considered one of the best matches ever held. However, the match had one huge difference from the other matches on the card. In an attempt to have the best match on the card, Savage wrote out each step of the match on legal pads. There were about 160 points in the match that needed to remember. Savage and Steamboat would quiz each other so that each would remember what they planned to do in the match. The match went off exactly as the two men planned.
Elizabeth suffered image issues.
Friends of hers said that Miss Elizabeth suffered from eating disorders and troubles with self-image and self-confidence. People close to her stated that Elizabeth attempted to change herself into what she thought the man in her life wanted.
The relationship between Savage and Elizabeth was very complicated.
Savage and Elizabeth got married a year before they entered the WWF, but the relationship was not discussed on television. However, by the time that the couple got married in a ceremony at SummerSlam 1991, the actual marriage was falling apart. The couple divorced in 1992.
Lawler can thank Savage for the start of his broadcasting career.
One hour before the start of an episode of Monday Night RAW, Vince McMahon found out that Randy Savage had left the company. Savage and McMahon were the scheduled broadcasters for the show. However, Savage had signed with WCW and was appearing on their programming. With this knowledge, McMahon looked around the backstage area for someone who could replace Savage. Seeing Jerry Lawler standing nearby, Vince asked “The King” if he would step in, and the rest is history.
Savage and Elizabeth both struggled with drug use.
Between 1999 and 2000, Randy Savage began a relationship with Gorgeous George, who would also become his on-screen valet. At the same time, Elizabeth began escorting Lex Luger to the ring, which led to an off-screen relationship between the two. Sadly, Savage’s drug use increased during his relationship with George while Elizabeth’s drug use got worse during her time with Luger, Unfortunately, Elizabeth’s drug led to her untimely passing from acute toxicity a few years later.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage’s CD was Hulk Hogan’s fault.
After Savage and Elizabeth broke up, Hogan and his wife, Linda, befriended Elizabeth because she wanted to leave Savage. For years after the break-up, Savage had heat with Hogan. During this time, Hogan would regularly appear on Bubba the Love Sponge’s radio show. The two men would repeatedly make fun of Savage. Instead of writing a book, Savage decided to record a rap CD. On the CD, Savage made fun of Hogan. The CD sold 50,000 copies, which fell far short of the 50 million copies that Savage predicted that the CD would sell.
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