Video: Macho Man Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan and Buster Douglas in 1990
by Scott Christ on May 20, 2011 2:49 PM EDT
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I've expressed this before, but like many I grew up a major pro wrestling fan. I was of the perfect age back when the then-WWF was hitting what was at that point an all-time high behind Hulk Hogan in the mid-to-late 1980s, and I won't bore you with how by the time I was 8 or 9 years old in the early 90s, I'd found out that I far preferred the more awesome NWA/WCW to the stupid WWF (because I'm such a genius), so let's move on to the point here.
Today, all-time great pro wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage died in Florida at the age of 58. He was a chief rival and ally of Hogan during those golden years, and like in boxing or any other form of entertainment or sport, a great hero does best when encountered with a great villain. Savage was a great villain in the cartoon world of pro wrestling. There was nobody quite like him, ever. Everything you need to have to be a superstar in the wrestling business, Savage had.
On February 11, 1990, a fairly lightly-regarded James "Buster" Douglas stopped Mike Tyson in Tokyo in one of the great upsets in boxing history. That part is all very well-known to boxing fans, of course, but for those who didn't follow pro wrestling at the time, or never have, it wound up sending shockwaves through that industry as well. The WWF had signed Tyson to a big contract to serve as a guest referee for an upcoming network television match between Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in Detroit, to be aired on February 23.
Once Tyson lost, his value dropped dramatically, and suddenly Buster Douglas was the star in demand. Everyone wanted a piece of the man who stopped the unstoppable Tyson. So the WWF scrambled and signed Douglas to replace Tyson for the event, the first big event of Douglas' short-lived but eventful post-Tyson superstardom.
Boxing and pro wrestling, of course, have a long history of crossovers. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Scott LeDoux, and a great many others have been involved with wrestling at one point or another, and the great Gorgeous George was a chief influence of Ali's promotional personality.
Here's a look back at that night for those with any interest, with an awkward Douglas side-by-side with the over-the-top theatricality of the brilliant Randy Savage and that goof Hulk Hogan, in four parts.
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I remember the first time I saw him with the big Santa beard. Weirded me out.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 20, 2011 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Being from the UK
it’s probably not cool lto admit it, but our “pro wrestling fan lineage” is probably from the same era and i too soon got sick of the WWF (as it was and always will be) and turned to the NWA/WCW. But many of my favourite matches involved Randy Savage vs the likes of Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior and Ric Flair.
I still watch the classic stuff (1983-2001, imo) to this day (usually on a sunday when i’m hungover) but todays’ wrestling is terrible. I don’t watch that crap.
I’ve tried, and I think if I someday have a kid and he or she is into it I’ll play along big time. I have too many fond memories of watching wrestling as a kid to let that part go. My favorite eras are 1980s World Class from Texas (Von Erichs, Freebirds, etc.), 1988-1992 NWA/WCW, and early-to-mid-80s Memphis. Great stuff. Endlessly entertaining. Overall 1983-2001 sounds about right to me. It was after the death of Eddie Guerrero that my fandom really tailed off for good, so 2005 was the last I was even a semi-regular viewer.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 20, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
1988-1992 NWA/WCW
For me i’d add the same for the WWF too. I watched from roughly 1987-1993 as a kid then grew out of it but over the last few years, as my life has got more boring, i’m guessing :) , i’ve done my research and found out which were the best PPV’s since i grew up.
I’m up to 1998 at the moment but have heard that 2000-01 WWF is the best ever.
I like that mid 80’s early 90’s stuff better than anything so far though.
I reckon the era when you were a kid is always gonna be the best.
just read this article from ’05 about the Von Erich brothers. Interesting read.
If you’re interested, I REALLY, REALLY recommending finding and reading Dave Meltzer’s Kerry Von Erich obituary/tribute/life-spanning story after Kerry committed suicide in ‘93. It’s unbelievable. That era of World Class is by far the most intriguing, interesting, and saddening to me in all of pro rasslin history. Also the documentary Heroes of World Class is terrific, and the WWE-sanctioned WCCW DVD is pretty good, too.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 20, 2011 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I was pretty bummed out as a kid when i found out the Texas Tornado killed himself.
by SilverNBlackZach! on May 21, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Macho Hogan matches were always so good!
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
King Macho! lol Man, good times.
Forgot how awesome Vince McMahon was on commentary.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on May 20, 2011 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM!
RIP Macho Man. I have some great memories of him striding around the Spectrum in his Outer Space Pimp costumes with that hot little number by his side.
Bad Left Hook
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic
What's really sad
is how many of these pro wrestlers have died before their time from heart attacks.
Steroid use has a big price to pay, especially to the extent that these guys used.
Macho Man was a true professional in the ring, by all accounts.
His matches were the best in the WWF during that time because he undertood the business and had a tremendous work ethic.
ooooh yeeeaaaaahhh
RIP big man.
When you dream...anything is possible... People can fly. Sometimes theres a moment when you wake and become aware of your surroundings..but you are still dreaming... You may think you can fly but you better not try...
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