The last five to six years in wrestling unfortunately have been filled with death, severe injury, controversy and more death. Six days ago “Macho Man” Randy Savage joined the club of wrestlers to die prematurely, joining the likes of Chris Canyon, Eddie Guerrero and WWE’s forgotten man, Chris Beniot in a continuing list of deaths in a period which will certainly be overshadowed by these deaths, and rock the wrestling world forever. I could go on and on with the list, “Mr Perfect” Curt Hennig died in 2003 with a cocaine overdose, Chris Dandido in 2005 died of a blood-clot after braking both his tibia and fibula bones. After a long battle with painkillers, in 2005 Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room by his nephew, who immediately called Chris Beniot, who himself committed suicide after killing his wife and son with gym equipment.
It goes without saying, wrestling’s Grim Reaper has struck again, and once again wrestling has been thrown into the limelight not because of an amazing show or anything good in fact, once again, the wrestling plague of death has cursed the industry with further negativity, even more bad press, a feeling that superstars from the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s weren’t protected enough by the influence of drugs and steroids, and an increasing feeling that if you’re a pro wrestler, you either die early, or die young.
I think it’s appropriate that this week my In Ring Issue is death, mainly due to The developments this past week involving “The Macho Man” Randy Savage. On May 20th 2011 driving with his long term girlfriend and wife Barbara Lynn Payne, Savage reportedly suffered a heart attack whilst driving, and as a result the single automobile crashed straight into a tree, resulting in the death of Macho Man. Luckily, his wife Lynn escaped with minor injuries. Savage’s brother, Lanny Poffo confirmed the story following the autopsy of ‘Macho Man.’
Macho Man is a ten time world champion, including two WWF Championship reigns and four WCW World Heavyweight Championship reigns. Due to his impressive runs, WWE named Savage as the greatest champion of all time, for conveying "a higher level of credibility to the title through his amazing in-ring performances." Upon his death, almost every wrestling superstar has commented on his death, this is how much Savage meant to the world. Among his credentials, he wrestled for WCW, WWF/E and TNA, where he had his final match at TNA Turning Point 2004, where Savage teamed up with AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy to defeat the ‘Kings of Wrestling’, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Savage was going to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Jarrett, but Savage left TNA due to their creative direction with his program with Jarrett.
WWE paid tribute to “Macho Man” Randy Savage on May 23rd during Monday Night RAW (And not at the WWE Over the Limit Pay-Per-View the previous night) with an emotional filled promo package featuring his wrestling career, a move which has got the internet talking. George “The Animal” Steele reported that Vince McMahon and Randy Savage had extreme heat because of Savage’s decision to jump ship to from WWF to WCW in 1994. Steele states that McMahon and Savage were close, with Savage almost like a son to the McMahon family, until one day at a TV meeting, when Vince McMahon stated he would no longer do business with Savage, and felt hurt and crushed because of his departure and move to WCW. The McMahon/Savage mystery continued when Roddy Piper claimed on Twitter that Savage slapped McMahon in a bar. However, the mystery is not over there, Dave Meltzer, the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter states that both Piper and Steele are wrong with their claims. According to Meltzer, Vince McMahon told Savage he could return to the WWF/E “with open arms”, and states that McMahon’s heat with Savage was either from an incident after 1996, or something previously McMahon found out after 1996.
Nonetheless, I have my own issues with McMahon’s and Savage’s heat. It is a well-known fact that WWE hate promotion of wrestlers of superstars not in the WWE (Unless it’s The Rock or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin). Since Savage’s departure from WWE, it appeared Vince and Savage never quite reconciled on their previous issues, but in death WWE parade Savage on RAW like nothing was wrong, as if people have suddenly forgotten everything in the past. I have the feeling that if there is heat between the two, then Vince is either just milking the entire death, seeing as it has worldwide news coverage with the tribute to Savage on RAW, or that Vince is just trying to promote WWE through his death in a “Yeah, look at us, we’re the WWE, we made Savage, we created him, we made him what he is, and what he was, we’re the reason he’s famous, now give us some goddamn attention, we could really use some right about now” message. However, here’s hoping that the video package really is just a tribute to a one of a kind, world famous wrestler who helped put WWE on the map, and that in death, McMahon and his executives forgave and forgot. Here’s hoping the tribute was out of respect to “Macho Man” Randy Savage and his millions of fans worldwide.
The death of Randy Savage has shocked the entire world. Wrestling fans and promoters alike were hoping that they were done with the death, that wrestling in general was done with the negativity and bad press, especially as the Chris Beniot issue has quietened, but yet again, Wrestling’s Grim Reaper has returned stronger than ever to remind all wrestling fans and promoters a like that we have to change the industry to protect the athletes who literally risk their bodies for us all, and the performers who entertain us all each and every week face a daunting, short lived future. WWE believe they have the right precautions in line to deal with death and long term injury. With drugs and steroids outlawed in the top wrestling promotion, hopefully lower federations such as TNA follow suit with their message of safety, but you try telling that to a federation who seemingly have no regard for their wrestling talent.
We have lost another wrestler prematurely, another heart attack, another death. Is it not time to wake up and smell (what the rock) is cooking? My main concern is that there is more to follow, I believe the wrestling Grim Reaper is still around, haunting Scott Hall and stalking retired 80’s and 90’s wrestlers, whom some are still likely suffering from the effects of drugs and steroids they took whilst wrestling in WWE and other place. Maybe it’s time to keep closer attention and care of those who paved the way for wrestling to hopefully one day be drug free, and for WWE in particular to stand up and help those haunted by wrestling’s Grim Reaper.
Like everyone else, Rest in Peace “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
OOOOHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHH!
Robert Austin
“In Ring Issues”
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