Shining a Spotlight 6.18.09: The Macho Man

Posted by Michael Weyer on 06.18.2009

In honor of his new DVD set, a look at what made Randy Savage one of the best performers to watch.


　

I've made it clear before how much I enjoy WWE's DVD sets. It's terrific that they've embraced the full range of wrestling history they have at their fingertips to give fans looks at how the business has changed and evolved. It also helps when they give a focus on a terrific performer and they really pulled out the stops with their new disc on Randy Savage.

Personally, I've been more of a fan for the DVDs with documentaries on the person's career and Savage certainly deserved that. However, WWE managed to avoid the temptation for a hatchet job given Savage's infamous temper and antics, not to mention his feud with Vince McMahon. What we get is a celebration of the man and his career and highlights for fans just how awesome he was. So in light of that new release, I figured I'd spotlight what it was like to see the Macho Man in his prime and how he changed the business.

　

　
The Appearance

This is not a full bio of Savage's life and career, you can go to Wikipedia for that. This is more a focus on what made him stand out amid the pack and click as a massive star. I admit it would have been nice for the DVD to include his early stuff in the Pacific Northwest where he created the Macho Man persona. It was the rare case of a guy coming into the WWF of the ‘80's already perfecting his act and it worked perfectly.

What made Savage stand out was how he looked. He had bushy wild hair like a hippie with the coolest looking shades of anyone at the time and headbands. His shorts were marked by large stars as if showing what a big time guy he was. And only Ric Flair could approach him when it came to ultra-flashy sequin robes that he'd billow around him like they were massive tents. Just coming to the ring, the guy made himself look fantastic and when you can sell that look to audiences, they'll pay attention.

Even better was when Savage would start talking. The man was one of those people who just came off utterly brilliant on the mike. He would drag out his sentences, making wild hand gestures and grunting a lot but did so in a way you couldn't take your eyes off him. It wasn't just his "oh yeah!" that got fans going, it was how he'd build the interview up, glaring right through his shades as he boasted of his power and skill and how no one could come close to him. The man simply oozed out confidence in spades and when you can make yourself sound like you believe you're the baddest man on the planet, fans will believe it. That was the key to Savage, that he could be an egomaniac but could back up his words. Of course, the other reason he was fascinating to watch was because even as a face, he gave off the aura of a guy who seemed ready to snap at any moment and go completely insane. That sheer unpredictability made Savage stand out and was really ahead of his time in a lot of ways for the "face who doesn't play by the rules" character.

　

　
In the Ring

Of course, when he got into the actual matches, Savage was even cooler a performer to watch. My gripe about the lack of a doc on the DVD is that we lose an examination of something Hogan mentioned on the Warrior DVD: In his prime, Savage was a detail freak who always went out of his way to make everything about a match perfect. He planned things out well and was thus able to carry anyone to a fantastic battle. It's no wonder he and Hogan had so many great encounters and of course matching him with somebody from the same mindset like Ricky Steamboat, Jake Roberts or DDP made for terrific matches. Savage gave the Ultimate Warrior the best matches of his WWF title reign and arguably the best Warrior match ever at Wrestlemania VII. The man may have come off as a lunatic but had a cunning mind and a grasp of the business built in by his father. Those combined to create a brilliant wrestling brain.

As for his abilities, Savage was a good technician but better at brawling. That mix made for some great matches as he was able to handle most anyone in the ring. He was a great seller too, his look of pain so real you could feel it. He was also able to pull off some cool moves to sell his brutal nature like when he grabbed a guy's head and then leapt off the ring apron, slamming his neck onto the top rope. He would also be a great cheater behind the ref's back, using a foreign object to win the Intercontinental title from Tito Santana and holding onto it for a while longer with various sneaky moves. The height of his brutality came in the infamous 1986 match with Ricky Steamboat where Savage nailed him in the throat with the ring bell, Steamboat selling it brilliantly and solidified Savage as a monster heel.

The biggest part of Savage's arsenal was his aerial abilities. In the mid-'80's, you just didn't see guys in the States taking to the top rope that often so Savage was already eye-catching. But he also made his moves seem devastating with leaping to hit a guy on the outside with a double-ax handle and fist shots. For his finisher, he made that flying elbow look absolutely amazing, taking his time on the top rope to soak in the fan reaction before leaping off, timing it perfectly so it looked like a devastating shot to his opponent. As with his interviews, Savage was able to sell himself as a dangerous man capable of beating anyone at anytime and that also helped elevate his star status immensely.
　

　

The Ladies
　
Of course, the key factor that truly helped Savage get over was right at his side: Elizabeth. His real-life wife, she remains one of the most beloved figures in all of wrestling. Long before today's Divas were stripping down and showing off, Elizabeth was a woman of incredible class, perfect beauty but a sense of dignity as well. The idea at first seemed to be she'd appear to be an innocent but then turn into a conniving shrew who was controlling Savage's career. But the way she presented herself as so innocent and kind was so convincing that the ideas was changed into something even better.

Basically, Savage would treat Elizabeth like a slave, berating her about the ring, yelling if she was interfering in some way, refusing to let her talk in interviews and even raise a hand to her now and again. That, of course, made people hate Savage all the more. However, whenever Savage's opponent would yell at Elizabeth or get too close, Savage would suddenly act out of jealousy to protect her but seem to forget about it when he got the upper hand. One minute, he'd put Elizabeth in front of him to block off an attack but then he'd pound the guy for getting too close to her. It was a truly brilliant act and helped carry Savage along. It got better with stuff like Elizabeth trying to stop the Honky Tonk Man from attacking Savage and HTM shoved her down, a huge no-no at the time. But with Savage turning face, he acted better toward Elizabeth with great stuff like him hoisting her on his shoulders after victories. They'd complement each other well with his robes and her gorgeous dresses, truly a royal couple in so many ways.
　


It was always planned for Elizabeth to be the catalyst for the Hogan-Savage breakup and Savage going heel again. When he did, someone came up with a brilliant idea for who could fill the void of Elizabeth: Sherri Martel. It worked for one simple reason: Martel was, basically, the female Savage. As a woman's champion in the AWA and then WWF, she had a wild style in the ring, high flying but brawling, rougher than womens' matches of the time. She also had a style as a manger with wild outfits and makeup. Pairing her with Savage was truly inspired as they gelled perfectly seeing as how Sherri was the only person in the WWF as nutso as Savage was.

Unlike Elizabeth, Sherri was more than ready to physically intercede on her man's behalf, clawing and punching his opponents when the ref wasn't looking. She was also more vocal in interviews, just as wild and screechy as Savage could be. The idea of them as "King and Queen" at first seemed goofy but it got both of them over majorly. Savage always had a bit of a regal bearing to him, he just had to amp it up more and make the Macho King just as effective as the Macho Man had been, even more arrogant and confident and the sight of a guy wearing shades with a crown was a fun image. Sherri joined it with even more over the top outfits and makeup, loving being the Queen. It was an amazing dynamic, the two just eating up the screen and loving being the heel couple in charge.

The payoff was Wrestlemania VII as Savage lost to Warrior in a "retirement" match and an angry Sherri beat him down. That brought Elizabeth out of the crowd to throw her out of the ring and Savage and Elizabeth had a tearful reunion. Savage would seem to settle down as a commentator but would be brought back with a wild feud with Jake Roberts. Elizabeth would be more of a factor in things, particularly with Savage's feud with Ric Flair with Flair claiming "she was mine before she was yours," making Savage more crazy than ever before their Wrestlemania VIII match and thus a fun battle. It's ironic that the two would divorce in real life shortly afterward since they were such an amazing unit in front of the cameras. Sadly, that breakup also seems to signal the end of the really good times for each.

　
Later runs
　
Savage's later tenure in WWF was okay, mostly commentating but did show flashes of the old him in his wild feud with Crush. It was clear he wasn't in the best shape anymore, the simple tights replaced with full body suits in various wild styles and bizarre cowboy hats with tassels. When he entered WCW in late 1994, it seemed to change him a bit but not too drastically. The great thing about Savage was that he had created the persona before coming to WWF so he was able to keep on using it. He was prey to the politics of WCW at the time but still was able to make thing work with his character and good matches with Ric Flair, who attacked Angelo Poffo and thus set Savage off big time to ensure great bouts. Joining the New World Order was a good move as it got him back with Elizabeth as a heel couple and embarked on his awesome feud with DDP. He managed to get another run with the WCW title but was clearly poor in the ring. While he'd denied steroid use in the past, it was pretty clear he was juicing to bulk himself up which did not help his temperament at all backstage.

It was little surprise that he wasn't invited to be in WWF as reportedly, Vince was never happy with how Savage left the company in 1994. Of course, Savage was hardly in the shape to be a big worker anymore anyway. He even sent himself up on an episode of the WB sitcom Nikki as a wrestler way past his prime who literally falls apart in the ring. The death of Elizabeth in 2003 seems to have snapped what hold on sanity Savage had and turned him more gonzo than ever, embarking on a "rap career" and a verbal feud with Hogan that Savage apparently wants to turn real. I think. It's hard to tell given how the man is now as it seems the wild man he always portrayed has become his true persona.


Summation

His later years shouldn't eclipse the fact that when you wanted to watch an awesome star in the 1980's, you couldn't do much better than Randy Savage. He had it all, the skills, the appearance, the over the top interviews and did it all in amazing style. Either as a face or a heel, the man could eat up the camera and have fans in the palm of his hand. In the ring, he was terrific at brawling or technical stuff and his mapping everything out guaranteed a great match with anyone. The two ladies in his life helped as well but Savage was always the star of the show. His legacy may have faded a bit by his later years but the man should be remembered for the great bouts and moments he was involved in. It's terrific that the DVD celebrates those bright times instead of running him down for his failings and remind the newer fans how Savage encapsulated everything pro wrestling should be. Whether a man or a king, he was always Macho and that's something he'll always be remembered for.


Also around 411mania:

Chin talks the importance of Nitro

The Bard talks about Tyler Black and ROH

For the Record examines Batista's title win

The Shimmy continues the Cena report card

Five Star Conversation covers topics such as the Misawa passing

If I Could Be Serious busts some IWC myths

Piledriver Report examines Trump owning RAW

Don't forget Column of Honor, Triple Threat, 4 R's, Fact or Fiction, Ask 411 and the rest.


For this week, the spotlight is off.