Was Randy Savage an all time great?

[The Iron Horse]

Okay, everyone loved the Macho Man, oh yeah dig it, but just how great was he? In his prime, yes, he was one of the all time best. But like too many, he hung around far too long. And I think that hurt his overall standings. I can't pretend those WCW/NWO days didn't happened. Hell, even his last few days in WWE(f) weren't all that great. Also, I think his time on top wasn't too long. So, while I think he was very good, but not great. Overall his career would be a "B" for me. And it could go either way on the + and - side.

A side note, in his prime, I would had taken a Ravishing Rick Rude over the Macho Man.

 

[calsnowskier]

What is your criteria? Ring work (Flair was a good worker, but he was no Brett Hart)? Mic work (Flair and Hogan revolutionized the industry)? Job ability (Foley became a champ because of his ability to job and make his opponents look GOOD)? Character development (Hogan had a great character, but Hennig, Benoit, Shamrock could not develop one to save their lives)?

Savage was an OK worker, a near-great with the mic and character development, but he wouldn't job. Sounds similar to Hogan, actually.

Since he was in the same era as Hogan, Flair and Giant, I gotta say no. HOF, yea, but not an elite-great.

 

[wildturkey]

This is only one answer to this question.

"OOOOOOOOOOH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAHHH!!!!!"

 

[The Iron Horse]

What is your criteria? Ring work (Flair was a good worker, but he was no Brett Hart)? Mic work (Flair and Hogan revolutionized the industry)? Job ability (Foley became a champ because of his ability to job and make his opponents look GOOD)? Character development (Hogan had a great character, but Hennig, Benoit, Shamrock could not develop one to save their lives)?

Savage was an OK worker, a near-great with the mic and character development, but he wouldn't job. Sounds similar to Hogan, actually.

Since he was in the same era as Hogan, Flair and Giant, I gotta say no. HOF, yea, but not an elite-great.

I would say overall. If lets say the WWE HOF work like baseball or football, do I think he was a first ballot guy? yes but I would have not been shocked if wasn't either. I don't think he was in the top 30 of all time. His time in WCW was terrible.

As for his in ring work, I think he was very good when he was in his prime. His mic work was solid, but I think overrated cause he was so out there and had a distinct voice. Now, his finisher is iconic. And when he was on top he had a great look.

 

[RobBase]

Absolutely. He had it all. Looks, gimmick, hot woman and he was a great wrestler (ten times better than CM Punk who is considered "Best in the World" today), and he was a true main eventer.

Macho Man is a Top 10 All-Time Legend imo

 

[jeffro151]

Absolutely. He had it all. Looks, gimmick, hot woman and he was a great wrestler (ten times better than CM Punk who is considered "Best in the World" today), and he was a true main eventer.

Macho Man is a Top 10 All-Time Legend imo

This.

 

[The Iron Horse]

Absolutely. He had it all. Looks, gimmick, hot woman and he was a great wrestler (ten times better than CM Punk who is considered "Best in the World" today), and he was a true main eventer.

Macho Man is a Top 10 All-Time Legend imo

i agree that CM Punk is widely overrated for his in ring performance (especially after seeing Bryan Danielson wrestle Taylor Black last night, amazing match, Bryan is best in the world bar none). But do you take into account his WCW days? Or his later days in WWF with Queen Cheri and him being the Macho King?

 

[RobBase]

But do you take into account his WCW days? Or his later days in WWF with Queen Cheri and him being the Macho King?

To me, WWF Macho Man was the very definition of a legend. Warrior vs. Macho King in the "retirement match" is still to this day one of my all-time favorite matches, and that was late in his WWF career. I really don't care what he did in WCW. I try not to hold wrestler's later years against them, instead grading them on how they came up in the business and their success during the peak of their prime years.

 

[iowajerms]

 

[packerzrule]

[YOUTUBE]jQjdHUX2T4c&mode[/YOUTUBE]

 

[The Iron Horse]

To me, WWF Macho Man was the very definition of a legend. Warrior vs. Macho King in the "retirement match" is still to this day one of my all-time favorite matches, and that was late in his WWF career. I really don't care what he did in WCW. I try not to hold wrestler's later years against them, instead grading them on how they came up in the business and their success during the peak of their prime years.

fair enough.

 

[Team Mookie]

Hard to believe that fucker is dead...

Macho Man did so much for wrestling in the 80's that its hard to think about what it would have been like without him. True showman....

I'm sorry, but many of you might disagree with me, when I say that Macho man was easily an "A" type wrestler. No way he was a "B" wrestler... He was much better than those whom he worked with (Jake the Snake, Jim Duggan and the Ultimate warrior.

Macho Man belongs up their with the greats like Hogan, Flair and Andre the Giant (Mount Rushmore of wrestlers).

 

[wazzu31]

What is your criteria? Ring work (Flair was a good worker, but he was no Brett Hart)? Mic work (Flair and Hogan revolutionized the industry)? Job ability (Foley became a champ because of his ability to job and make his opponents look GOOD)? Character development (Hogan had a great character, but Hennig, Benoit, Shamrock could not develop one to save their lives)?

Savage was an OK worker, a near-great with the mic and character development, but he wouldn't job. Sounds similar to Hogan, actually.

Since he was in the same era as Hogan, Flair and Giant, I gotta say no. HOF, yea, but not an elite-great.

His match with Steamboat at Wrestlemania III showed he was more than OK worker.

 

[depraved]

Macho Man was the cream of the crop in the World Wrestling Federation and the cream always raised to the top.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Playboy Buddy Rose...HA!

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Yes, a true icon of the industry. One of the greatest showmen of all time.

 

[David_son]

Anything he lost in status from going to WCW he gain with his Slim Jim Commercials..... and Spiderman.


But Macho Man was one of my favorites.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Anything he lost in status from going to WCW he gain with his Slim Jim Commercials..... and Spiderman.


But Macho Man was one of my favorites.

True, Spiderman is probably the beginning of the end. I thought him & Jake the Snake Roberts were the 2 best characters of the 1980s, I don't think you could possibly be a wrestling fan of the 1980s and not have those 2 on your top 5 favorites from the era.

 

[futballiscool]

This is a tough crowd.

I was watching the Savage "Macho Madness" DVDs this weekend, and I think he's been underrated if anything.

- A plus on the mic (great character and a believable storyteller)
- A plus in the ring (he even carried Warrior and Yokozuna to good matches)
- Could work as a top level heel or top level face
- Intangible X factor that he seemed legitmately insane

In his prime he might have been the best wrestler ever

 

[Stomp]

Wow carrying Yokozuna that's pretty impressive