15 Best "Macho Man" Randy Savage Matches, According to The Wrestling Classic

Prime Time Wrestling - 02/08/86

WWE Intercontinental Championship

This match wasn't an all time classic, but it's really significant because it was "Macho Man" Randy Savage's first big championship win and the victory that put him on the map as major player for the company. Savage had only been in the WWE for 3 months, but was already becoming one of the fastest rising charismatic heels in the company. Santana had Savage on the ropes, ready to bring him back into the ring, when Savage pulled a foreign weapon out of his tights and smashed it into Santana's head, securing him the Intercontinental Championship. This was Randy Savage’s only Intercontinental Championship reign but he held it with such pride and boosted the prestige of the championship during his run with the belt. Savage got his first taste of gold in the WWE and the rest was history.

Slamboree - 05/17/98

Special Referee - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

The match between The Hitman and the Macho Man in WCW is almost a forgotten gem. The addition of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as the special guest referee here just added more star power to the match. Bret Hart recently joined "Hollywood'' Hogan's NWO, costing Savage the World Championship to Hulk. Piper believed Bret Hart had turned on everything he stood for by siding with Hogan. At the same time, Randy Savage helped create the new Wolfpac with Kevin Nash to fight against Hogan's NWO and set his eyes on getting revenge on Bret Hart. The match was great because both legends were great workers, established former World Champions at this point of their careers and they were working off a solid story. The finish of the match was an overbooked typical WCW finish with interference, leading to confusion of who actually won. Bret Hart was declared the winner at Slamboree, but Piper reversed his decision the following night on Nitro. Regardless, this was one of Randy Savage's last great matches in WCW before he took time off to tend to some nagging knee injuries. Savage returned in 1999 for one last run with a new look and the Team Madness trio of gorgeous women. Although he was still extremely popular as a character and personality, he was less mobile in the ring as a worker during this return run, which didn’t lead to any more classic matches.

WWE Championship - 2/23/90

Special Referee - Buster Douglas

The WWE Championship match between then champion Hulk Hogan and the "Macho King" Randy Savage—who had Queen Sherri in his corner—originally had Mike Tyson penciled in as the special referee. Everything about the scenario was money. However, when the seemingly invincible Mike Tyson was knocked out by James "Buster" Douglas in a fight in Tokyo two weeks prior to this episode of "The Main Event," Tyson backed out of the event. WWE was luckily able to secure Buster for the role instead right before the event. The match was everything you would expect between the Mega Powers who had great chemistry together and were always a draw to the fans. The finish involved a referee bump that forced secondary referee Buster Douglas to make the three count for Hogan's victory. This led to a memorable altercation between the unpredictable Macho Man and Buster Douglas after the match with Savage taunting Douglas to box him. Douglas ended up knocking out Savage with a punch after an assist from Hulk Hogan, who shoved Macho towards Douglas.

Coliseum Video Exclusive - 07/22/92

This Coliseum Video exclusive match is truly a hidden gem. However, it immediately became one of my favorite matches when I discovered it. It involved four of my favorite wrestlers of all-time in a tag team match. Randy Savage and Ric Flair were the established former World Champion veterans, whereas Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were coming up as singles stars after spending years in their respective tag teams. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels were the heel team with Sherri and Mr. Perfect in their corner, cutting great promos leading to the match. Macho Man and The Hitman were the babyface team holding all the gold since Savage was the WWE Champion and Hart was the Intercontinental Champion. Savage and Hart dubbed themselves as the Space Cowboys in their promos leading up to the match, which were also really entertaining. These promos are easily found on Youtube if you haven't seen them. The Space Cowboys overcame the odds when Savage caught Michaels with a roll up after Sherri took an apron bump and Hart was fighting Flair outside the ring. The match was awesome and I'm grateful it exists.

Summerslam - 08/29/92

WWE Championship

This was the rematch we never thought we were going to get between two of professional wrestling's most colorful and vibrant stars. It took place in the United Kingdom at Wembley Stadium at Summerslam 1992. The event is mostly remembered for Bret "The Hitman" Hart and the "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith main event for the Intercontinental Championship, but the WWE Championship match between the Ultimate Warrior and then WWE Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage was great in its own right. These two legends last faced off at Wrestlemania 7 where they put their careers on the line, and Savage was the clear heel. The differences this time around were that both men were super over babyfaces and the title was on the line instead of their careers. Therefore, to add more drama to the match, rather than it just being a competitive encounter, they had Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect claim that one of the men was looking to work with them to secure the title, which caused tension between Savage and Warrior.

The match was a really good competitive match, but the storyline played a role in the finish. Flair and Perfect got involved attacking both men causing a count-out victory for the Ultimate Warrior, meaning the championship didn't change hands. It also proved that Ric Flair and Perfect were just trying to play the two superstars against each other with neither one of them actually turning heel. In the end, Warrior and Savage both stood tall together after Warrior ran off the bad guys to a great ovation from the UK crowd.

UK Rampage - 04/19/92

WWE World Championship

I was excited when I discovered the matches between the Macho Man and the “Heartbreak Kid” during the European Tour following Wrestlemania 8 in 1992. There are a couple of them you can find online if you do a quick google search. The match that stood out the most to me was the one that was included on the UK Rampage tapes. It was a seasoned veteran "Macho Man" Randy Savage with Miss Elizabeth by his side defending the WWE Championship against a young self-obsessed "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who had Savage's old manager Sensational Sherri in his corner. This allowed us to have another Elizabeth and Sherri physical altercation for old time's sake. This was also the last time we would see Elizabeth in Savage’s corner until they reunited in WCW, due them going through a real-life divorce at the time.

The match was a lot of Sherri trying to get involved to help Shawn Michaels win, but Elizabeth was being more effective as a manager than we were used to seeing her be in the past by putting her hands on Sherri to stop her. There were referee bumps and a lot of interference, but eventually Randy Savage was able to catch Shawn Michaels with a cross body out of nowhere to secure the victory. Shawn Michaels and Sherri attacked Savage after the match, but it backfired leaving Savage and Elizabeth to celebrate together one last time in a WWE ring. This was just a small glimpse of what we could have gotten if Randy Savage got the two year feud against Shawn Michaels he was pushing for in 1994.

Summerslam - 08/29/88

Special Referee - Jesse "The Body" Ventura

It was the inaugural Summerslam event taking place in Madison Square Garden, which meant it needed a colossal main event. The Mega Powers facing off against The Mega Bucks was as colossal as it gets. On one side, you had WWE Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan with Miss Elizabeth, and on the other, you had "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase and Andre The Giant with Bobby Heenan and Virgil. To stack the odds even more against the Mega Powers, longtime Hulk Hogan hater Jesse "The Body" Ventura was declared the special referee. Hulk Hogan had been feuding with Andre since Wrestlemania 3. Randy Savage and Ted Dibiase had been feuding since Wrestlemania 4.

This match was the blow-off for both feuds. Hogan and Savage crossed paths many times after Savage turned babyface in mid-1987, bringing them closer together. Elizabeth would bring Hogan out to aid Savage when the odds were stacked against him with the bad guys. The Mega Powers kept saying they had a secret weapon to overcome the odds here, and that secret weapon was none other than Miss Elizabeth, who distracted everyone by taking her skirt off, revealing her red panties, allowing The Mega Powers to gain the advantage for the win. It was racy and effective for that time period. The Mega Powers reigned supreme and seemed indestructible moving forward unless they were to explode.

Falls Count Anywhere Match

Great American Bash - 06/15/97

Diamond Dallas Page didn't trust Randy Savage when he returned in January and was following Sting around. Page's senses were right because Savage ended up joining the NWO turning on WCW just like Page suspected. The feud officially started at Uncensored when Savage blindsided DDP and his wife Kimberly Page while leering at Kimberly's Playboy centerfold. Two months before this match, DDP and Randy Savage had their first match at Spring Stampede. It ended with "Macho Man" Randy Savage taking the Diamond Cutter from Page and Nick Patrick making the count after Savage basically took out all the other referees. This did not sit well with the Czar of Madness, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on DDP again.

Due to the chaos that took place at Spring Stampede, the second match of the feud had the Falls Count Anywhere stipulation. This was an all-out brawl, but it was entertaining and fun as hell. Savage was determined to make up for his previous loss to Page by hitting anyone that got in his way. Macho worked harder at getting DDP over than probably anyone short of Page himself as it almost looked like Page was about to beat Savage again and overcome all his Madness before Scott Hall showed up. Scott Hall helped Savage by taking out Nick Patrick and hitting an Outsider’s Edge on DDP before Savage could put an exclamation mark on the victory with a Flying Elbow.

WWE World Championship

Wrestlemania IV - 03/27/88

This match will always hold significance because it was the night "Macho Man" Randy Savage became the Undisputed WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 4. The WWE Championship was vacated after Andre The Giant defeated Hulk Hogan on "The Main Event" in a controversial fashion due to twin referees. Only to make it worse, Andre sold the championship to Ted Dibiase following the match. President Jack Tunny wasn't having any of it and created a 14 man tournament to crown an undisputed champion at Wrestlemania. The finals came down to the "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase and the "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Ted DiBiase won two matches and got a bye in the third round due to both Hogan and Andre being eliminated by double DQ in their match. Randy Savage won all three of his matches to make it to the finals whilst Elizabeth and he wore different matching outfits for each round, including the finals.

The odds were stacked against Savage in the main event as Dibiase had Andre in his corner, making it difficult for Savage to focus on his opponent. Miss Elizabeth ran to the back to bring Hulk Hogan out to ringside to even the odds and stop any shenanigans from the bad guys. In the end, Randy Savage hit a beautiful Flying Elbow with camera flashes galore from the crowd to become the Undisputed WWE Champion. Randy Savage was on top of the world with his woman Elizabeth on his shoulder while she had the championship on her shoulder. Hogan was there doing his thing as well, but this was Macho Man's night! The cream had risen to the top.

Saturday Nights Main Event - 11/28/87

It's a shame that we only got the Hitman versus the Macho Man two times on televised events considering they were two of the all-time greats, told great stories with one another, and were on the same roster for so many years across two companies. The first time we saw the two wrestle each other in a singles match was on Saturday Night's Main Event. Randy Savage started 1987 as a top heel in the company, but sometime after Wrestlemania 3, the fans couldn't help but cheer for Savage due to his undeniable talent and charisma. He eventually stopped being so hostile towards Elizabeth and feuded with Honky Tonk Man to avenge her honor which made him even more of a full-fledged popular babyface. During the feud with the Honky Tonk Man, the Hart Foundation got involved as Jimmy Hart also managed them. They cost Randy Savage the Intercontinental Championship in his title match against Honky Tonk Match at Saturday Night's Main Event by interfering and causing a DQ finish.

This led to Randy Savage facing off with one-half of the tag team in Bret Hart at the following Saturday Night's Main Event. This was a really good match where once again, the odds were against Savage with Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and Jimmy Hart at ringside getting involved. Savage started selling a left leg injury from a bump to the outside to the point where he wasn't even wearing his left boot at the end of the match. Bret continued working the leg as Savage worked from under, sneaking a victory away with a surprise roll-up from a scoop slam. This match did two things. It showcased that Savage could work like a good guy who had to work from under to overcome all odds and that Bret Hart could hang with the best of them as a singles star telling great stories through great ring psychology if he was ever to be pushed as a singles star. This is a great match if you haven't ever seen it.

WWE Championship

Wrestlemania VIII - 04/05/92

When the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair made his debut in the WWE in 1991 claiming to be the "Real World's Champion" with the Big Gold Belt, everything pointed toward him facing Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 8 in the long-awaited dream match. It would have been WWE's top guy against JCP's top guy for the World Championship. However, plans changed and Flair entered a really personal feud with "Macho Man" Randy Savage heading into Wrestlemania 8. Flair claimed that he had been in a prior relationship with Savage's wife Miss Elizabeth, going as far as presenting doctored pictures of Elizabeth and himself together sharing intimate moments.

This drove Macho Man insane.

Even though Ric Flair won the WWE Championship at the 1992 Royal Rumble, this was more about Savage defending his wife's honor than winning the title. Ric Flair kept taunting Savage about the pictures and more, leading to the match, which made Savage come into this match like a mad man wanting Flair to pay for his lies and threats.

This was a solid match with a story the fans were invested in. Mr. Perfect was in Flair's corner, making it a two-on-one situation for Savage. Perfect pulled the referee out of the ring after a Flying Elbow stopping a definite three-count; he handed Flair brass knuckles that Flair was able to use on Savage, he hit Savage's knee with a chair, hurting Randy’s knee, and continuously helped Flair throughout the match. After a few near falls, Savage was able to roll up a bloody Ric Flair while pulling the tights to get the three count and win the WWE Championship for a second time. Savage had to beat the Dirtiest Player in the Game at his own game, and he did. There was some more drama after the match between Savage, Elizabeth, Flair, and Perfect, but it was defused quickly. Elizabeth celebrated with Randy in the ring to fireworks and a happy audience. The promo Randy Savage cut backstage with Mean Gene after the match is one of my favorite Macho Man promos. He might have won the championship, defended his wife's honor, and beat up Ric Flair, but he was still intense and fired up wanting more.

Las Vegas Sudden Death Match

Halloween Havoc - 10/26/97

Macho Man's feud with DDP in 1997 has to be his best rivalry in World Championship Wrestling. It did not just prove to us that Savage could still go at nearly 45 years old but that he also was capable of creating new main event stars as he did with Diamond Dallas Page. Since the beginning of the year, they had been feuding, which was the blow-off match for their feud.  Many believed that the match at Great American Bash would be the final match of their feud, but the two met again in tag team matches at Bash at the Beach and Fall Brawl. Another memorable moment that kept the feud going was Page disguising himself as La Parka to trick Randy Savage in a match on Nitro. They were also tied in victories against each other on PPVs at this point, so another match between the two was inevitable.

This match took place at Halloween Havoc and was dubbed a Las Vegas Sudden Deathmatch, which was basically a creative name for a Last Man Standing match. This meant the superstar who couldn't get back to their feet before a ten count would lose the match. Savage came in overconfident as usual, while DDP came in confident but with his ribs taped up as they seemed to be hurt forever back then. This match was an absolute brawl that went all around the arena with both guys beating the crap out of each other. Kimberly and Elizabeth even got into their own catfight. This match had great psychology, heat, drama, referee bumps, and timing as these two became really familiar with each other at this point. Savage couldn't keep DDP down for a ten count after two Flying Elbows, and Savage was able to get up in 9 seconds following a Diamond Cutter.

In the end, "Hollywood'' Hogan came down dressed as Sting and smoked DDP in his injured ribs with a baseball bat which Page couldn't recover from following the beating he took the rest of the match too. Regardless of the finish, this match was fantastic.

WWE Championship

Wrestlemania V - 04/02/89

This match stands out even more because it was the conclusion of one of the greatest long-term storylines in WWE's history. Hulk Hogan was someone Randy Savage targeted as soon as he hit the scene in the WWE in 1985 as a brand new heel. Macho Man knew that to be the top heel; he had to have his eyes set on the top babyface in the company. They had many matches against each other from 1986-1987. Hogan and Savage crossed paths many times again after Savage turned babyface in mid-1987. Elizabeth would bring Hogan out to aid Savage when the odds were stacked against him with the bad guys. They actually began to build a friendship while being the two most over babyfaces at the time, and it continued to grow throughout 1988. Hogan was also there to even the odds at Wrestlemania 4 in the championship tournament's finals, where Savage won the WWE Championship. The cream had finally risen to the top, but Hulk Hogan remained in the picture by grandstanding and hotdogging in Savage's spotlight.

However, this wasn't what bothered the Macho Man; rather, it was Hogan's growing relationship with Miss Elizabeth that really got the King of Madness paranoid and questioning Hogan's true intentions. Throughout their time as the Mega Powers, there were small moments where you saw Savage be concerned about Hogan's actions towards Elizabeth and even questioned Hogan's loyalty to him as a friend. Although Liz was the glue that kept them together, she was also the reason they would explode. All of Savage's frustrations came to a head on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event in a tag match against the Twin Towers. Elizabeth was knocked off the apron mid-match. Hogan left the match temporarily to take Elizabeth backstage for medical attention, leaving Savage to fight off Akeem and the Big Bossman alone. Following the match was the unforgettable backstage altercation where Savage confronted Hogan for being jealous of him and lusting for Elizabeth's eyes. Savage attacked Hogan while Elizabeth pleaded for him to stop, and we were off to the races. It was evident that at Wrestlemania 5, the Mega Powers were going to explode when Savage would defend his championship against Hogan. The promos leading up to the match were classics as well if you haven't ever seen them.

Before the match, we learned that Elizabeth wouldn't be in either man's corner but a neutral corner for the match. Hulk Hogan came into this match as the mega babyface as the fans were still all about Hulkamania. Personally, though, adult me looks back at this angle and understands where Savage was coming from, so I always see Hogan as the heel of this feud now. Savage entered the match as the reigning and defending champion, but he was also wrestling with a staph infection in his elbow. The angle was so good that the hype was real for this one, and it felt epic. The match was what you would expect from these two in their prime. Elizabeth wasn't at ringside for long until officials decided it would be best for her to be backstage.  Savage was working hard for this match by moving fast and being the offense for most of it. Hogan did a great job of selling and making Savage look great. When Hogan kicked out of the Flying Elbow before hulking up, it was a big deal because up until this point, nobody had ever kicked out of it. Hogan ended up winning the championship, and Savage and Elizabeth split as a duo, with Randy aligning himself with Sherri moving forward. The toxic on and off relationship between Savage and Hogan would be revisited regularly for years to come as it always drew money and imitated their relationship in real life. Elizabeth would also still play a role on most occasions in both their feud on-screen and in real life.

Career Threatening Match

Wrestlemania VII - 03/24/91

This rivalry started because the "Macho King'' Randy Savage felt entitled to a WWE Championship shot against the Ultimate Warrior because he wanted to regain the title he lost at Wrestlemania 5. Savage even had Queen Sherri get down on her knees to beg Warrior for the opportunity in a very suggestive manner. Regardless, The Ultimate Warrior repeatedly rejected Randy Savage's challenges, which led to Savage finding a different solution. When Warrior was defending his championship against Sgt Slaughter at the Royal Rumble, Randy Savage would interfere at the opportune moments to hurt Warrior's chances of winning. The second time Savage appeared, he struck Warrior in the head with his royal scepter as Slaughter kept the referee's attention, knocking the champion unconscious. Slaughter became the new WWE Champion. The moment Warrior became aware of what Savage had done, he ran to the back, trying to find Savage for revenge. Following this incident, The Ultimate Warrior challenged the Macho Man to a match at Wrestlemania 7, where they would both put their careers on the line, which Savage accepted. Personally, this is my favorite Macho Man Randy Savage match, considering it may be the match I watched the most growing up. It was two of wrestling's biggest, loudest, most colorful, flamboyant, and charismatic legends going toe to toe with high stakes. The Warrior and Savage were those two superstars that captured your imagination because they were larger than life and had such unique over-the-top personalities.

The Macho King made his grand entrance, carried to the ring with Queen Sherri by his side. The Warrior didn't run to the ring for a change, and Heenan questioned if this symbolized Warrior doubting himself for the first time. There was a buzz in the air, and you could feel the energy when the two were just facing off before the match started. Warrior was dominant, but Savage, with Sherri by his side, found ways to outsmart him to gain the advantage time and time again. An overconfident Savage being the mad man, he was hit five Flying Elbows in a row, and the Warrior kicked out. It was rare for anyone to kick out of one Flying Elbow, but Warrior kicked out of five. Savage then kicked out of the Gorilla Press, followed by a Splash which was Warrior's finishing maneuver. The near falls and kicking out of finishers was still a fresh spot in this era, therefore really effective in showcasing the desperation to win for both men. This was when the Warrior started looking up to the Gods, wondering if it was for him. The idea was that he was looking for an answer to know if this was the end of his career. It wasn't long after this that Warrior gained the upper hand again after Savage hit his throat on the guardrail, missing a flying double ax handle to the floor. Warrior hit three big shoulder blocks that sent Savage out of the ring before pinning him in the center of the ring with his foot on his chest for the win ending the Macho Man's career.

Throughout the match, the camera would cut to Miss Elizabeth, who was in the crowd, foreshadowing that she could somehow get involved in this match that had huge implications. Still, she didn't get involved at all even though she showed concern on her face when Savage was losing. Following the loss, Sherri turned on Savage by attacking him for losing and taunting him for costing them their careers. This led to Elizabeth sprinting to the ring to help Randy by grabbing Sherri by the hair and tossing her out of the ring. When Savage realized what had just happened, he embraced Elizabeth, and they reunited for the first time in two years. There were actually fans crying in the crowd who were ecstatic to see the Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth back together. It was a beautiful moment following a great match. I will stand by my beliefs that Savage gave Warrior his best match, that both superstars walked out victorious regardless of the match outcome and this match, along with the post-match drama, told the perfect story of love and war.

Intercontinental Championship

Wrestlemania III - 03/29/87

This match. Ricky Steamboat has gone on to say that no matter how many matches he's wrestled in his career, he is always asked about this match at signings and when meeting fans. This match has always been held in the highest regard and is the favorite match for many superstars who are legends today. Although it was Hulk Hogan defending his WWE Championship against Andre the Giant that drew the 90 thousand plus people to the Pontiac Silverdome, it was the "Macho Man'' Randy Savage defending his Intercontinental Championship against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat that stole the show. The feud began in November 1986 when Ricky Steamboat was granted a match for the Intercontinental Championship on Superstars. Steamboat lost the match by count-out, but Savage continued to assault Steamboat after the match. Savage injured Steamboat's larynx using a ring bell, and this put him out of action indefinitely. Steamboat would return surprisingly in January to stop Savage's attack on George Steele as Savage was trying to injure Steele with a ring bell the same way he hurt Steamboat. It wasn't long after that we found out Steamboat would meet Savage at Wrestlemania for an Intercontinental Championship rematch. The tone of the match was set. Randy Savage was unhinged and wild, while Ricky Steamboat was focused and determined for retribution. It was Steamboat's cup of coffee in the big time.

This match was different than anything we had seen before because Savage had planned the entire match ahead of time on a yellow legal pad, step by step and spot by spot, from the stare down at the beginning to the three count at the end. They were planning the perfect match ahead of time, while most matches have planned spots but are mainly called in the ring on the fly. George, "The Animal" Steele, would accompany Ricky Steamboat for this anticipated match. Steele had feuded with Savage for most of the last year over the Intercontinental Championship and due to his infatuation with Savage's manager, Miss Elizabeth. Elizabeth would accompany Randy Savage. This was the longest match on the Wrestlemania 3 card going for nearly fifteen minutes. The match was non-stop with no slowing down, with every move having a purpose. There were many near falls and quick pins to keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Randy Savage nailed his big Flying Elbow, but the referee was down when he went for the pin, so he decided to go for the ring bell to take out Steamboat the same way he did before. However, Steele stopped that from happening, pushing Savage off the top rope. Steamboat would then counter a bodyslam into a small package for the victory to become the new Intercontinental Champion.

This was a masterpiece of technical wrestling with meaningful high-flying moves at the perfect time. The match went exactly as planned, and I don't think either Savage or Steamboat realized how important this match would become. This match wasn't just a brilliant showdown but a game-changer for the WWE. Not only did this match inspire generations of wrestlers, but it paved the way for more athletic matches between smaller, more athletic guys to be on major shows. It also made the Intercontinental Championship feel more prestigious as the workhorse belt moving forward. It became common for the Intercontinental Title match to be the best and most anticipated match on the card for years. Lastly, it set the bar for stealing the show at Wrestlemania. It's the magic of this match I think both Savage and Steamboat tried to recapture again throughout their career but never really could. I know wrestling has evolved over the years, but I truly believe this match still holds up today. I encourage anyone who hasn't seen this classic to check it out.

I hope you all enjoyed this list of the legendary "Macho Man" Randy Savage's greatest matches. OH YEAH! DIG IT?!

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