Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, rapper, and professional baseball player. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Savage was described by sportswriter Bill Simmons as "one of the greatest pro wrestlers who ever lived" – a statement echoed by multiple industry performers. He was recognizable by wrestling fans for his distinctively flamboyant ring attire and raspy voice, intensity exhibited in and out of the ring, use of the finale from "Pomp and Circumstance March no. 1" by Edward Elgar as his entrance music, and signature catchphrase, "Oooh yeah!" For most of his tenures in the WWF and WCW, Savage was managed by his real-life wife, Miss Elizabeth.
Savage had ten world championship reigns during his 32-year career, including two as WWF World Heavyweight Champion and four as WCW World Heavyweight Champion. As WWF Champion, he had drawing power equal to that of wrestling great Hulk Hogan. A one-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, he was named by WWE as the greatest titleholder of all time and credited for bringing "a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances".
Savage was the 1987 WWF King of the Ring and the 1995 WCW World War 3 winner. He headlined many pay-per-view events throughout his career, including WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania V, two of the first five SummerSlam shows, the 1988 Survivor Series and Starrcade '95: World Cup of Wrestling. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame upon its inception in 1996, with a posthumous WWE Hall of Fame induction following in 2015.
Randy Poffo was born on November 15, 1952, in Columbus, Ohio, the eldest son of Judith (née Sverdlin) and Angelo Poffo. His father was Italian American and his mother was Jewish American; Poffo was raised Catholic. Randy's father was a well-known wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s, and his younger brother Lanny Poffo also went into wrestling.
The Poffo family lived in Zanesville, Ohio, where Randy attended Grover Cleveland Middle School. He graduated from Downers Grove North High School in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois. Poffo later moved to Staten Island, New York, before moving to Lexington, Kentucky, where he lived for many years. Some sources list him as an alumnus of Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, though the university stated in 2011 that it found no records of him attending.
Savage was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals organization as a catcher out of high school. He was placed in the minor leagues to develop, where he mostly played as an outfielder in the Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds farm systems. Savage was 18 when he began playing minor league baseball; one of his teammates on the 1971 Gulf Coast League Cardinals was Larry Herndon, who was also his roommate. Savage would swing a bat into a hanging car tire to strengthen his hands and utilize his legs during swings. The technique was so effective that Herndon used it during his career as a baseball coach. Savage injured his natural (right) throwing shoulder after a collision at home plate, and he learned to throw with his left arm instead. Savage's last season was 1974, when he played for the Class A Tampa Tarpons in the Reds organization. He played 289 games over four minor league seasons, batting .254 with 16 home runs and 129 runs batted in.
Savage first broke into the wrestling business in 1973 during the fall and winter of the baseball off-season. His first wrestling character, The Spider, was similar to Spider-Man. He later took the ring name Randy Savage at the suggestion of his longtime friend and trainer Terry "The Goose" Stephens and Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) booker Ole Anderson, who said that the name Poffo did not fit someone who "wrestled like a savage". Savage eventually decided to end his stalled baseball career and join his father and brother to wrestle full time. He wrestled his first match against Midwest Territory wrestler "Golden Boy" Paul Christy. Savage worked with his father and brother in Michigan, the Carolinas, Georgia, the Maritimes, and the eastern Tennessee territory run by Nick Gulas.
After a while, his father felt that his sons were not getting the pushes they deserved so he started the "outlaw" International Championship Wrestling (ICW) promotion in the mid-American states.
Continental Wrestling Association (1983–1985)
In December 1983, Savage began wrestling for Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler's Continental Wrestling Association (the ICW's former competitor). Immediately after debuting, he began feuding with Lawler over the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. On December 26, Savage defeated Terry Taylor to win the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship for a second time (he had previously held the title twice in 1978–1979).
In January 1984, Savage and his father Angelo entered a tournament for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship, but were eliminated by the Rock 'n' Roll Express. Throughout early 1984, Savage successfully defended his NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship against challengers such as Dutch Mantel, Rick McGraw, and Bugsy McGraw, as well as continuing to pursue Lawler's AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. Savage's reign ended on April 9, 1984, when he lost to Lawler in a "loser gets ten lashes" match in the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. On April 23, 1984, Savage defeated Austin Idol for the AWA International Heavyweight Championship. He held the title until May 14, when Idol regained it.
Throughout mid-1984, Savage competed in the tag team division, teaming with his brother Lanny. The brothers had a series of matches against the Rock 'n' Roll Express; this feud included a match on June 25, 1984, in Memphis, Tennessee, where Savage injured Ricky Morton by piledriving him through the timekeeper's table, leading to the Express winning by disqualification.
In September 1984, Savage turned babyface and allied with Lawler against Jimmy Hart's First Family. In late 1984, Savage and Poffo had a series of matches against father-son duo Tommy Gilbert and Eddie Gilbert, including several coal miner's glove matches; the feud culminated in a loser leaves town match in the Mid-South Coliseum on November 27 that the brothers won. They also faced teams such as the Long Riders (Bill Irwin and Scott Irwin) and the Interns. In January 1985, they entered a tournament for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship, being eliminated by the Interns.
In early-1985, Savage had a short feud with Adrian Street. In March 1985, he turned heel on Lawler again and resume his feud with him over the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. On March 17, 1985, Savage finally defeated Lawler for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. In April 1985, Savage and Poffo had a series of matches against AWA Southern Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Ones, including several lumberjack matches, but were unable to win the titles. On May 7, Savage lost his AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship to Jerry Oske; he regained the title on May 13. On June 3, Savage lost the title back to Lawler in a no disqualification loser leaves town match in the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. On June 6, Savage lost a second loser leaves town match to Lawyer in the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky; this marked his final appearance with the CWA before he joined the World Wrestling Federation later that month.
World Wrestling Federation (1985–1994)
Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion (1985–1987)
In June 1985, Savage signed with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He made his WWF debut on the July 6 episode of Championship Wrestling, defeating local competitor Aldo Marino. Billed as "the top free agent in pro wrestling", Savage's first appearances on Tuesday Night Titans featured several established managers (including Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Jimmy Hart, Mr. Fuji, Johnny Valiant, and "Classy" Freddie Blassie) offering their services to Savage. He declined their offers and chose Miss Elizabeth as his new manager on the August 24 episode of Championship Wrestling. His gimmick was a crazed, ego-maniacal bully who mistreated Miss Elizabeth and threatened anyone who even looked at her. He made his pay-per-view (PPV) debut for a 16-man tournament at The Wrestling Classic on November 7, defeating Ivan Putski, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and the Dynamite Kid before losing via countout in the finals to Junkyard Dog.