Randy Savage: Wild Man, Wrestler, Rapper, Baseballer

By JMRA on May 21, 2011 • ( 1 Comment )

Randy “Macho Man” Savage was crazy.

Sometimes he morphed into the type of crazy that someone normally reserves for a funny relative or friend.

Other times he could be the type of crazy that made viewers wonder if he needed to be put in a straitjacket.

In any shade of crazy, Savage was one of the most entertaining performers to step foot in a professional wrestling ring.

The former WWE/WCW world champion died on Friday after suffering a heart attack and subsequently getting involved in a car accident while driving in Seminole, Florida with his wife Lynn.

Long removed from the spotlight, the 58-year-old Savage’s death caught the attention of numerous media outlets around the country including ESPN and USA Today, despite wrestling’s topsy-turvy relationship with mainstream media.

Media and fans paid notice for good reason. Savage’s face became visible not only due to his stardom with WWE and WCW but also due to being a spokesman for Slim Jim.

A former minor league baseball player, Savage’s greatest career notoriety came while working with the WWE from 1985 to 1994.

His feuds with Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan showcased not only the talents of his opposition but also Savage’s immense ability.

He possessed the power to connect with fans through in-ring performance and on the microphone through gritty, delusional, paranoid, and intense interviews.

Having the lovely Miss Elizabeth in his corner did not hurt matters either.

A Mega Power, a baseball player, part-time rapper…Randy Savage, you will be missed.

Moments of Savage:

1. Memphis Randy: Watch Savage terrorize Memphis wrestlers.

2. Savage & Elizabeth: Here is an early interview with Savage, Elizabeth, and Gene Okerlund. Hopefully no one from NOW watched this.

3. Macho Madness Is More Seductive Than Sex: Elizabeth fields a call from a magazine regarding a proposal for a centerfold shoot, which he turns down.

4. Savage Rings Steamboat’s Bell: Challenger Ricky Steamboat suffers a “crushed larynx” after Savage hits him with the timekeeper’s bell. This match kicked off a feud that culminated with their epic Wrestlemania III bout.

5. Macho Madness Meets Arsenio Hall: Remember the Arsenio Hall Show? Days before Wrestlemania V, Savage joined Hall and Morgan Fairchild to preview his upcoming meeting with the Hulkster.