Had Randy Savage stayed in the WWF in 1994?

[auph10imitated]

Lanny Poffo Interview Excerpt

On Randy leaving for WCW and his relationship with Slim Jim: "Randy wanted to work with Shawn Michaels. He wanted to have a two-year program with him. They said they were having a youth movement, and that's why he quit. He said "I think I'll get a second opinion. on that." He would've lost the match to Shawn Michaels, at WrestleMania, but his goal, and one of the things that bothered him the most, was that he was never able to have a match as good as the one he had with Ricky Steamboat. He felt, even his his advanced years, I guess he was 41, that he could have a Ricky Steamboat-caliber match with Shawn Michaels. I don't know if he could or if he couldn't any more that if, you know, if he was already too old or whatever, but wouldn't you love to see him try? He would've put him over, in the middle of the ring, and retired to the announce booth… but instead he went to the WCW and guess what he brought with him? Snap into a Slim Jim. And Vince doesn't like to lose even one round. You know the difference between WWF and Slim Jim? Slim Jim sent to me and my mom and Randy's widow? A beautiful bouquet of flowers, and best wishes, and condolences. And we didn't get anything from the WWE. The only condolences I got are from two guys. They are Howard Finkel, and last month I got a call from Steve Lombardi. Now in these two cases, this is not management, this is labor. So there's a little bit of a difference there. If I embarrass anybody then so be it. You know what? I'm gonna be 59 years old December 28th… and I'm gonna say exactly what's on my mind all the time."

So working with Shawn Michaels and a match at Wrestlemania 11?

Savage could still go when motivated as we seen a few years later with Diamond Dallas Page. Quite disappointing he wasnt used in 1993-1994, a feud with Shawn Michaels would have been pretty awesome. Such a waste.

[jason1980s]

If I were Poffo I'd be most bitter at WWF not using him at Survivor Series 88. He was much more of a superstar than Scott Casey. WWF knew in advance Blair and Junkyard were gone and they needed a replacement and Randy should have petitioned for him to be in the match.

If Randy stayed I think he would be featured a lot, even if in just an announcers role, and perhaps he wouldn't be given the accolades he deserves. I see his WCW role a little like Bret's. It might not have been disastrous given the legacy but Randy was an afterthought to Hogan and as time went on Nash, Hall, Goldberg, Warrior and a few others.

[Deleted]

......every time I think I've been able to cope with the WWE not even contacting his family after his death, I discover something like "Slim Jim sent his widow, his brother and his mother flowers & condolences."

Jeezus, Vince......

[Deleted]

in before the obligatory Steph/Savage stuff...In another note though I actually don't know how well they would have worked together...Michaels is spontaneous and was coked up half the time and Randy is notorious for writing his matches from breath to bell

[Deleted]

I think we would have seen Savage eventually turn heel and go after Bret Hart for never giving him a title shot. A feud in the mold of Flair/Funk. Heck, just rip that feud off for Savage/Hart.

[auph10imitated]

If Savage had gone heel there are several matches that could have been interesting in 1995. Savage vs Hart, Savage vs Michaels (once he turned face) Savage vs Undertaker, Savage vs Diesel, Savage vs Bulldog, Savage vs Luger.

I really enjoyed the Savage vs Michaels matches from the 1992 European Tour, I think at Wrestlemania they could have done something special.

I do like the idea of heel Savage vs face Hart moulded after Flair vs Funk. Considering they were really low on top talent in this period of time it is frustrating they didnt take full advantage of Savage as a veteran, wasting him on Crush at Wrestlemania 10 was annoying also.

I think Randy Savage vs Bam Bam Bigelow feud leading to Wrestlemania 10 would have been alot more entertaining than Bam Bam/Doink and Savage/Crush. Bam Bam was another talent that should have been utilized much better during this period as a monster heel, instrad of a comedy feud with Doink and a crappy tag team with IRS.

[Dave the Dave]

Thank god he did. He had to keep playing second fiddle to Hogan forever. I just watched some early 96 Nitros and my god. Hogan always had his thumb on Savage.

BUt I think an HBK match would have been fun to see.

[mizerable]

It's really hard to say.

As much as people would want to see a program with Michaels or Hart...I think it would have been interesting to see something against Razor Ramon or Jarrett or even a heel Diesel prior to WMXII.

I think with having a match at WMXI with Michaels...I don't know. That whole show was already doomed to fail no matter what we got. I think dropping the title match would only make it worse, as much as I love Savage...I just don't see 1995 Michaels wanting to cooperate the way he would with his buddies. I almost think that Savage was better suited with working with up and comers during the New Generation.

[Boo!]

Savage may well have had some years ahead of him but in that WWE at that time he may well have looked out of place. Shawn Michaels was still in his 20s by then so while over at WCW he looked fine, in WWE a guy who was in his 40s may have looked a bit ancient

[Digital Witness]

Savage vs Hart for the title would have been an awesome feud. I wouldn't think that Savage and Michaels at that time would work well but apparently they've had great matches before that so maybe it would. If Savage was cool with putting Shawn over, I don't see what the Kliq's problem would be since going over was their M.O.

Ramon/Savage would have been a great way to introduce Ramon as a full time main eventer but Hall wasn't really interested in that which is a damn shame.

If all this happened though, we wouldn't have got Savage/Page, and Savage/Page was damn epic. I'd argue that Savage/Page was just as big to Savage's careeer as his Steamboat match.

[auph10imitated]

Yeah I agree, the fact they were pushing "The New Generation" didn't help matters, but that aside I don't think Savage would have looked too out of place to be fair considering he was always still in pretty good shape. And besides, Bret Hart was placed in a lengthy feud with Jerry Lawler in 1995, someone who is actually older than Savage.

I still do not understand the lack of use in 1993 and 1994, they had the perfect opportunity to do Savage vs Hart at Wrestlemania 9, as taboo as face vs face was back then they could have turned him heel in the run up to the PPV, or they could have also done Savage/Sherri vs Bam Bam/Luna in the spring of 1993 as opposed to using Tatanka. I did get excited when did do rare matches during this time though against the likes of Gonzales, Doink and Mr Hughes.

[subject2]

Just a thought..but what if it had of been Savage snapping on Bret after a title match rather than Bob Backlund? Don't get me wrong...I loved heel backlund...but that was more his character and promos. What if savage had turned heel and had all those matches with bret including a match at Wrestlemania 11?

[RedDevil]

I've long thought WrestleMania IX should've been headlined by Savage vs. Hart. However you'd book it from the point of Savage winning the Royal Rumble (Yoko could've waited a little for his title match - he was already being pushed fast enough at that stage) then I think that would've been the perfect "passing the torch" match in light of Hogan's position on such matters. If nothing else, the match would've been an absolute classic - I mean, how could it not be?

But after that, when you think about it there was a lot more Savage could've worked with. Many interesting angles against fresh opponents. I maintain that Savage was the perfect professional wrestler - he could do it all, as a face or a heel. He had the promo skills, he had it all - and as he proved with DDP in WCW, age wasn't going to hold him back (and anyway he was only a year removed from the Flair classic at that point).

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

I think once the Attitude Era came, Savage just stopped making sense in either company. He was a bit of an afterthought in WCW, and in the WWF as soon as guys like Austin became the main event instead of there being the New Generation era guys around, I think he wouldn't fit in. I can't imagine Savage wrestling The Rock, Stone Cold, Mankind. I can't imagine Savage having an onscreen relationship with Vince. It just doesn't fit in my mind.

[WoodStoner1]

Dec 8, 2013 9:39:48 GMT -5 slickrickstyles said:

in before the obligatory Steph/Savage stuff...

He should have stayed and waited 5 years when boning the boss' daughter would make him the future boss.