When I was a child, Randy Savage seemed to transcend professional wrestling as if he was its avatar, embodying all of the pomp and circumstance that made me fall in love with this fake, bizarre sport.
I watched his interviews with “Mean” Gene Okerlund and matches on my uncle’s grainy VHS tapes in pure amazement. He was infinitely quotable and wildly charismatic; every bit as electrifying as The Rock and larger than life as “Hulkamania.”
Today marks the 14th anniversary of Savage’s passing, so in honor of his extraordinary career, I’ll be reviewing one of my favorite “Macho Man” matches.
The event was the then-WWF’s historic joint supershow with NJPW and AJPW: “Wrestling Summit.” The venue was the exalted Tokyo Dome, with more than 53,000 fans in attendance. His opponent was All Japan legend, Genichiro Tenryu.
Savage was in the midst of his tyrannical reign as the “Macho King,” adorned with his signature crown and accompanied by Sensational Sherri.
In 1990, Japanese professional wrestling was still largely presented as a veritable professional sport. Vince McMahon’s vision for “sports entertainment” couldn’t have been any more disparate. The WWF had devolved into a Saturday morning cartoon; forgoing the catch-wrestlers of yesteryear for colorful caricatures. Savage’s bright purple and neon fringed-jacket was rendered in stark contrast to the sterile environment of the Tokyo Dome.
Savage approached the ring with infectious energy, spurring the otherwise stoic Tenryu to rip off his jacket in disgust. Savage played the role of the raucous, uncouth American as well as any seasoned Gaijin ever has; thrusting Tenryu into the role of the fiery babyface.
The match began with a short shoving match, which Tenryu got the better of. Savage escaped outside, hurling insults at the fans and referee before returning to the ring. For his transgressions, Tenryu forced Savage into the corner with a barrage of brutal chops — forcing the audience on their feet.
Sherri distracted Tenryu long enough for Savage to hammer him, but Tenryu quickly regained control; tossing Savage over the top rope and leveling him with a diving crossbody from the ring apron.
Sherri interferes once again, delivering a stiff elbow to Tenryu’s back. With his attention averted, Savage delivers a stiff elbow of his own to the back of Tenryu’s head and then slams him hard over the barricade and onto the timekeeper’s table.
From there, Savage controls the next five minutes of the match with the help of Sherri.
While we’re on the subject, Sensational Sherri was the perfect valet for a heel “Macho Man.” While Savage may be inextricably tied to the late Miss Elizabeth, Sherri’s unhinged, manic personality aligned with the core tenets of “Macho Madness.” In this particular match, she performed her role expertly; with a belligerence that made Savage even more detestable.
After running roughshod for five-odd minutes, Savage hurt his knee after performing a diving crossbody from the top rope; demonstrating the potential danger that the high-risk, high-reward maneuver posed. While Savage was struggling to recompose himself, Tenryu stunned him with an Enzuigiri, and quickly finished the affair with a Folding Powerbomb.
While Tenryu exited the ring with a quiet dignity that characterized the former rikishi, Sherri draped herself over Savage’s body — screaming in agony as if he’d been murdered.
From bell to bell, the contest may have only lasted 10 minutes and 46 seconds, but it’s a terrific encapsulation of Macho Man’s magic.
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