The time has finally come. After years of speculation, rumors, and questioning why, "Macho Man" Randy Savage is finally taking his rightful place amongst the immortals in the WWE Hall of Fame. In honor of the induction, here are my top 5 Randy Savage matches.
5. Vs. Ted DiBiase, Wrestlemania 4
This was the final match of the event-long tournament to determine a new WWF Champion. This was an excellent brawl between "The Macho Man" and "The Million Dollar Man." Savage attempted a flying elbow, but missed. DiBiase countered with the million dollar dream, but while the ref was distracted with Andre the Giant at ringside, Hulk Hogan hit DiBiase with a chair. This allowed savage to attempt and connect with a second flying elbow for the victory, and was crowned WWF Champion.
4. Vs. Ric Flair, Wrestlemania 8
This feud was due to Ric Flair showcasing fake pictures of an alleged affair he had with Miss Elizabeth. This tension led to them having a WWF title match at Wrestlemania 8 in my hometown of Indianapolis. This is a solid match all around, featuring two of the greatest storytellers in wrestling history. Savage had Flair seemed to gel together extremely well, and it made for a powerful, emotional feud.
3. Vs. Ultimate Warrior, Wrestlemania 7
The feud between Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior had gotten to a fever pitch, and the only way to settle this was a retirement match at Wrestlemania 7. Although Warrior wasn't exactly known for 5-star performances in the ring, Savage was able to help him put on one hell of a match. A physical contest between these two, that culminated in defeat for "The Macho Man." This defeat caused his then-manager, Sensational Sherri, to attack him after the match. Out of the crowd rushes Miss Elizabeth, who fights off Sherri. In a moment that will live in memories forever, Savage and Elizabeth embrace after a lengthy time apart, and "Macho Man" was finally reunited with his love.
2. Vs. Hulk Hogan, Wrestlemania 5
In 1988, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed a powerful tag-team known as The Mega Powers. As time passed, Savage became more and more suspicious that Hogan was trying to take Miss Elizabeth away from him. This led to The Mega Powers exploding in a tense battle at Wrestlemania 5. After a very physical brawl, The match ended when Hogan no-sold the savage elbow drop, and proceeded to Hulk up and hit his 3 moves of doom for the victory. Although it was a defeat for Macho, it was a great example of telling a great story to pay off a feud, which I believe is a lost art in wrestling today.
1. Vs. Ricky Steamboat, Wrestlemania 3
This match will forever be in the top 5 matches that have ever taken place. It's kind of crazy that a match thus excellent was not for the WWF Championship, but rather the Intercontinental Championship. This is the most emotional and intense 15 minutes you'll ever see in a wrestling ring. From the opening bell, these two went at each other full-speed, and the pace never slowed. So much so that, when the match was over, even the referee was completely gassed. At the end of the match, Savage attempted a scoop slam, which Steamboat reversed into a schoolboy roll-up for the pinfall victory. It showed that a match didn't have to go on last in order to steal the show, especially when it was on the same card as Hogan vs. Andre.
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