Macho Madness
Randy Savage died in 2011, but he remains one of the most beloved figures in professional wrestling. During 2013's Summerslam Pay-Per-View event CM Punk climbed to the top rope, raised both arms above his head and pointed to the sky with both index fingers. The Staples Center audience joined in unison to chant the name of Randy Savage. On the April 8th, 2013 edition of Monday Night Raw the energized crowd began a completely unprovoked Randy Savage chant.
What was it about Randy Savage? In an era of over the top wrestlers, he was OVER over the top. There were so many trademarks about Randy Savage over the years. The Macho Man. Miss Elizabeth. The Macho King. Sensational Sherry. Macho Madness. The hats. The tassels. The jackets. The sunglasses. Slim Jims. Bonesaw McGraw. It was a BINGO card full of awesome and everyone had a different selection.
His match with Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania 3 stole the show. Wrestling fans know that Wrestlemania 3 was the night that Hulk Hogan body slammed Andre the Giant, but the best match belonged to Randy Savage. His wild streak made him unpredictable for his entire career. Even when older stars like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were going for victory laps in the WWE, Savage stayed out of the spotlight. He wasn’t perfect, and those flaws defined him.
Flaws are what make our villains great and our heroes greater. Iron-Man’s alcoholism, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan’s fixation on destroying Hulkamania, Bruce Banner’s temper, Achilles’ heel, the constant pain Wolverine lives his life in are the things that allow those characters to be vulnerable.
Randy Savage’s flaws ran deep. His paranoia destroyed his tag team with Hulk Hogan and drove his one true love, Miss Elizabeth, away from his life for three years. His head was filled with such delusions of grandeur once he defeated Hacksaw Jim Duggan for the title of “King” that he bargained his career away in a title vs career match against the Ultimate Warrior. While retired, he allowed his pride to blind him into being attacked by Jake Roberts which led to Randy Savage being bit by a cobra.
Hulk Hogan is boring like Superman is boring and like Diomedes is boring. Diomedes runs out of Trojans to kill so turns his attention towards killing the gods. Superman can defeat any enemy with his limitless powers. Hulk Hogan will point, punch, hit a boot and leg drop. Flawed heroes and villains can lose their battles at any moment. Spider-Man can be hospitalized, Batman’s back can be broken, Achilles can be taken down and the Macho Man was never guaranteed a win.
Macho Man was more than a complex character with flashy outfits. He was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. His talent was unparalleled and it’s ultimately what turned the Macho Man Randy Savage into a cultural icon and gave us all Macho Madness.
