Macho Man Randy Savage: The Best All Around Wrestler Ever?
Sept 2, 2013 23:48:40 GMT -5
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Post by funkycoldmadina on Sept 2, 2013 23:48:40 GMT -5
I've been doing some thinking on what makes a wrestler the best or the greatest of all time.
It seems that the general consensus falls upon traits such as drawing power, workrate, appearance, mic work, and their ability to transcend wrestling. Upon these traits, I think Randy Savage is the greatest wrestler ever.
Now, I do not make this statement lightly. I grew up as a Hogan fan then as an HBK fan through his retirement. Later, I came to appreciate Ric Flair, Steamboat, and the like. Savage was a big part of my childhood; the first pay per view I watched live was WrestleMania 7 when he reunited with Elizabeth. The first big "angle" I remember was Flair/Savage heading into WrestleMania 8. However, Savage was never "the guy" for me because I started watching after 1989. One could argue that he was "the guy" in 1992, but he shared the spotlight with everyone from Hogan to Flair to Warrior.
However, in recent years, I have come to realize that Savage is the best wrestler to grace a ring. On the criteria listed above:
- His drawing power rivaled Hogan's. When Hogan was riding his wave, Randy was the only one trusted to run with the title for a full year. Savage was as popular from 87-89 as anyone. Savage put as many "butts every 18 inches" as anyone, and he did it worldwide. His depth and breadth of drawing power puts him a notch above names like Hart, Michaels, Steamboat, and Flair.
- Savage's workrate was off the charts. His matches with Steamboat, Warrior, Hogan, his show stealing at WrestleMania 4, and his match with Flair at WrestleMania 8 solidified him as the original Mr. WrestleMania. Some wrestlers critique him for planning his matches, but I think it's clear that Randy could call a match on the fly if necessary, and the fact that he was able to plan matches and still have the audience eating out of his hand every time shows a true mastery of his craft and intuitively knowing what the fans want. While Hogan or Warrior could pull a good one out occasionally, Savage's workrate was clearly superior to theirs
- His appearance was as unique and suited for wrestling as one could get. He was built, had wild hair and wore flamboyant cowboy outfits or robes throughout his career. John Cena could have done a multitude of other careers; Randy looked like he was born to be a wrestler.
- Savage's mic work, while unorthodox, was superb. He always kept me enthralled and his promos were filled with emotion. They were memorable. From "Cream of the Crop" to "You haven't been beat up properly yet!" Savage always knew how to talk the people into the arena.
- He transcended wrestling. From the Slim Jim commercials to Spiderman, everyone knows Savage by his picture and voice. His death was nationwide news on CNN and elsewhere without being controversial. Very few wrestlers, save Hogan and Rock, have achieved the level of recognition outside wrestling that Savage has.
In sum, I think from an all around perspective, no one can quite match Savage as the greatest wrestler ever. Truly a once in a lifetime performer.
I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts or critiques on this.
It seems that the general consensus falls upon traits such as drawing power, workrate, appearance, mic work, and their ability to transcend wrestling. Upon these traits, I think Randy Savage is the greatest wrestler ever.
Now, I do not make this statement lightly. I grew up as a Hogan fan then as an HBK fan through his retirement. Later, I came to appreciate Ric Flair, Steamboat, and the like. Savage was a big part of my childhood; the first pay per view I watched live was WrestleMania 7 when he reunited with Elizabeth. The first big "angle" I remember was Flair/Savage heading into WrestleMania 8. However, Savage was never "the guy" for me because I started watching after 1989. One could argue that he was "the guy" in 1992, but he shared the spotlight with everyone from Hogan to Flair to Warrior.
However, in recent years, I have come to realize that Savage is the best wrestler to grace a ring. On the criteria listed above:
- His drawing power rivaled Hogan's. When Hogan was riding his wave, Randy was the only one trusted to run with the title for a full year. Savage was as popular from 87-89 as anyone. Savage put as many "butts every 18 inches" as anyone, and he did it worldwide. His depth and breadth of drawing power puts him a notch above names like Hart, Michaels, Steamboat, and Flair.
- Savage's workrate was off the charts. His matches with Steamboat, Warrior, Hogan, his show stealing at WrestleMania 4, and his match with Flair at WrestleMania 8 solidified him as the original Mr. WrestleMania. Some wrestlers critique him for planning his matches, but I think it's clear that Randy could call a match on the fly if necessary, and the fact that he was able to plan matches and still have the audience eating out of his hand every time shows a true mastery of his craft and intuitively knowing what the fans want. While Hogan or Warrior could pull a good one out occasionally, Savage's workrate was clearly superior to theirs
- His appearance was as unique and suited for wrestling as one could get. He was built, had wild hair and wore flamboyant cowboy outfits or robes throughout his career. John Cena could have done a multitude of other careers; Randy looked like he was born to be a wrestler.
- Savage's mic work, while unorthodox, was superb. He always kept me enthralled and his promos were filled with emotion. They were memorable. From "Cream of the Crop" to "You haven't been beat up properly yet!" Savage always knew how to talk the people into the arena.
- He transcended wrestling. From the Slim Jim commercials to Spiderman, everyone knows Savage by his picture and voice. His death was nationwide news on CNN and elsewhere without being controversial. Very few wrestlers, save Hogan and Rock, have achieved the level of recognition outside wrestling that Savage has.
In sum, I think from an all around perspective, no one can quite match Savage as the greatest wrestler ever. Truly a once in a lifetime performer.
I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts or critiques on this.