Oh yeah! A Randy Savage DVD
The on-again, off-again plans for WWE to release a Randy Savage DVD apparently are back on again, which is great news for fans of the “Macho Man” such as I. Jim Ross wrote in his blog yesterday that Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection will be released June 9.
Reportedly, WWE chairman Vince McMahon nixed plans in the past for a Savage DVD and has consistently been cold toward any acknowledgment of Savage. McMahon and Savage did have a falling out years ago, but McMahon has a history of mending fences and doing business with people that he has had issues with in the past. He even reached out to longtime nemesis Bruno Sammartino at one point, but not Savage.
Perhaps a sign that McMahon was having a change of heart was the fact the Savage was one of several wrestlers featured on the front of the recently released Best of Saturday Night’s Main Event DVD.
It will be interesting to see if Savage participates in the making of Macho Madness. Hopefully, this is a first step to Savage one day taking his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.
In my opinion, Savage was one of the best all-around performers of the past 25 years. I thought he should have gotten a run as a heel champion in 1986, but the WWF was on fire at the time with Hulk Hogan on top and I suppose there was no need to rock the boat.
Hogan and Savage forming The Mega-Powers and eventually breaking up after Savage turned on Hogan for having "lust in eyes for Elizabeth" was one of my favorite WWE story lines. I also loved the angle in which he and real-life wife Elizabeth got married at SummerSlam, and a snake – courtesy of Jake “The Snake” Roberts” – popped out of a wedding present. Also in that story line, Roberts’ cobra bit Savage on the arm on WWF’s syndicated TV show.
As an aside, Savage is the first pro wrestler that I ever interviewed. It was for a story in The Sun in 1994.
On his blog, Ross said that the match selection process for the DVD was still ongoing. Here are some off the top of my head that I would include:
• Intercontinental title match vs. Rick Steamboat (WrestleMania III, 1987)
• Finals of WWF title tournament vs. Ted DiBiase (WrestleMania IV, 1988)
• WWF title match vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania V, 1989)
• Retirement match vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VII, 1991)
• WWF title match vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania VIII), 1992
• Madison Square Garden debut vs. Rick McGraw (1985)
• Vs. The Dynamite Kid (Wrestling Classic, 1985)
• Intercontinental title match vs. The Honky Tonk Man (Saturday Night’s Main Event, 1987)
• Vs. Bret Hart (Saturday Night’s Main Event, 1987)
• Tag team match with Hulk Hogan vs. The Twin Towers (Savage’s heel turn on The Main Event, 1989)
• Vs. Jake Roberts (Tuesday in Texas, 1991)
• Vs. Diamond Dallas Page (either their match at Spring Stampede or The Great American Bash, 1997)
Note: Savage had some good matches against Jerry Lawler in Memphis in 1983, but, unfortunately, WWE does not own the tape library.
Comments
Ooooooohhhh Yeeeaaa !!!!
Kev , that's pretty cool that Savage was your first interview .....how 'bout Steiner for your next :)
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | February 13, 2009 7:58 PM
Couldn't agree more about the Mad one deserving to be in the hall of fame. Wish it could be this year, along with Steamboat, but probably not. Interesting that except for Page, you don't cite a match after 1992, (17 years ago), but then again I can't think of specific WCW matches that stood out. That was probably the bookers' fault, more than his.
Posted by: Mike S. | February 13, 2009 8:55 PM
Vince did make a lot of money off of Randy Savage. I don't understand why Vince is like this to the wrestlers ......oops I mean sports entertainers who have been the big money makers for several years. We have all had our disagreements with our bosses and with time we have all gotten over it. True Savage had several great matches against Hulk Hogan and the match at Wrestlemaina for the I-C Championship against Ricky Steamboat was I think one of the greatest matches of all time. I hope one day Randy can go into the Hall of Fame. I think he deserves the honor just as much as any one in the HOF today.
Posted by: Dave | February 13, 2009 9:49 PM
Macho Man -- easily one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Posted by: Jimmy Bellamy | February 13, 2009 11:36 PM
Savage is my all time favorite, he's the only one to surpass Chief Jay Strongbow for me. The Chief entertained me as a youth, when I believed it was all real.
Hey Kev, if that 1994 interview is still around anywhere I'd love to see it.
Posted by: Dave | February 14, 2009 12:53 AM
I just got the DVD for the best of Saturday Night's Main Event and the first disc has those matches from 1987 with Honky Tonk and the Hitman.
Boy, did that take me back. Being ten at the time, seeing Hogan and Savage team up was just awesome. Then came the first SummerSlam match against DiBiase and Andre, leading to both of them using their finishers on the Million Dollar Man after Elizabeth surprised everyone by taking off her dress to reveal her in the red panties.
To think that was considered shocking shows where things have gone now with characters like ODB out there now.
Posted by: James | February 14, 2009 1:06 AM
Yeah, it's about time Savage got his due. I just hope they don't pull something like they did with Warrior. Not that I feel sorry for that dirtbag, he deserves whatever he gets, I just hope something similar doesn't happen to Savage.
Posted by: Mr. E. | February 14, 2009 1:25 AM
Okay, I'm totally shocked that there's a tape library out there that Vince DOESN'T own. I actually think he owns the video from my first wedding.
Posted by: budpaul | February 14, 2009 9:10 AM
Kev,
I remember reading your Savage interview. Hard to believe it has been 15 years. My friends and I were at Towson Center for WM 2 and the Steamboat match stole the show, hands down. It will be interesting to see the final product WWE puts on this DVD, but it should be a keper in any case.
Posted by: Sean | February 14, 2009 9:35 AM
Not that im trying to nit pick but Savage vs Flair match at Wrestlemania VIII wasn't for the WWF title. It was the Elizabeth controversy were Savage thoguth Elizabeth and Flair were an item.
RESPONSE FROM KEVIN ECK: Actually it was for the title (Savage beat Flair that day to win it). The feud was set up the the Elizabeth controversy that you speak of.
Posted by: Matt | February 14, 2009 10:16 AM
The only other match I'd really like to see added to the list is the WW3 World title win for Savage. Considering the number of top contenders and World champs in the match, Savage's victory seems much more impressive now.
Keep up the great work,
TP
Posted by: TP | February 14, 2009 12:26 PM
"Vs. Bret Hart (Saturday Night’s Main Event, 1987)"
That match seemed odd to me, for Bret was not yet a main eventer, yet he was in the ring with the mighty Macho Man. I am not complaining, though. I seem to recall that it was a good match.
Posted by: Christopher | February 14, 2009 10:33 PM
Maybe his IC Title win vs. Tito Santana should go on there, even though I don't remember it being a great match.
He had some really good house show matches against Hogan in 85 and 86. One of those would be nice. There was also a neat little tag team feud around the house show circuit - Savage and Adrian Adonis vs. Tito and Bruno.
Posted by: luhrm | February 15, 2009 11:30 AM
I've been watching the old Wrestlemanias and Savage is easily the highlight performer of those early ones. The Mega Powers storyline is a classic. This is great (and long overdue) news.
Posted by: pmc | February 15, 2009 1:49 PM
Since you brought up Savage's MSG debut, any idea if they still record all the matches at MSG (or Boston, Philly, Toronto, etc.) like they did back in the day?
Posted by: Bradley | February 15, 2009 3:08 PM
When I first heard this announced and saw they were billing it "Macho Madness" I had some questions raised in my mind. Did Vince really decide to let go of whatever rift they were having and honor Savage, or would this be a hatchet job a la Ultimate Warrior (and like the Bret Hart DVD's were originally going to be)?
The word madness is an ambiguity - it could either refer to the manic fans and movement that Savage inspired (hopefully the route they're taking), or if WWE wanted to do a hatchet job on Savage it could refer to his mental state and actions.
Posted by: Phoenix | February 15, 2009 3:17 PM
One of my faves involving the Macho Man was the mixed tag match from Wrestlemania VI. That was another good storyline and when Dusty brought out Elizabeth it was an awesome moment I remember as a kid.
It may not be the best match, but it was a great moment, and historic as the first mixed tag match.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 21, 2009 10:27 PM
Randy Savage is the greatest wrestler of all time period.I dont see how Vince wont give him his due.Everyone who knows Wrestling knows Savage is an Icon a Legend and needs his rightful place in a now worhtless Hall of Fame without his name in it.
Posted by: Anthony Carpenter | March 2, 2010 6:01 PM