Post by Crappler El 0 M on Jun 14, 2014 22:56:48 GMT -5
I posted this a month or two ago in the 'Things You Learnt from Watching the Network' thread (or elsewhere on here), and the I am continuing to feel it coming. I think WWE will induct Randy Savage into the Hall of Fame next year.
In the past two years WWE has managed to induct Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior, Bob Backlund, and Mr. T, all of whom had previously turned down offers of induction. Especially in the case of Sammartino, the induction was seen as long overdue and 'righting a wrong.' I have had a strong feeling over the past couple of months that next year WWE is finally going to induct Savage.
If you haven't noticed, Lanny Poffo has been appearing in WWE Network original programming, such as the WrestleMania IV Rewind and WWE Countdown: Hottest Couples. This is a clear sign that WWE has reached out to Poffo and they are on a working relationship. If inducting Randy means that they also have to induct Randy's father and brother, then perhaps WWE is willing to play ball. Of course Lanny might have softened his stance.
Also, watching old Raws from 1994 makes me think that Vince and Randy were friends in Randy's final months in WWE. In the spring of 1994 on Raw, during a match between Jim Neidhart and Jim Powers, Jim Ross and Savage talk about how Neidhart and Owen were guilty of causing problems within the Hart family. Randy Savage then says, "Unlike a friend of mine who was just found not guilty." This was just after Vince McMahon/Titan Sports were acquitted in the steroid trials. On TV, WWF never really openly talked about this situation or why Vince was gone.
When Vince McMahon finally returns to Raw, Savage constantly puts Vince over and takes jabs at the federal prosectors. He even mentions that Vince's lawyers (he mentioned their names, one of whom was Jerry McDevitt) were a great tag team. When Randy leaves WWE, Vince thanks Randy for all he did and refers to himself as Randy's number one fan.
After Randy's death, Vince McMahon wrote his obit in Time magazine.
I bring up these anecdotes simply to give a different perspective into the Randy/Vince relationship. There have been so many rumors about it. I don't believe the oft-told rumors about Stephanie. I could see Vince being upset that Randy would go to WCW and being angry that Randy took away Slim Jim as a WWE-sponsor. I could see Vince seeing that as Randy going too far and hurting WWE's business directly. I am not trying to downplay that Vince had a problem with Randy. There have been creative team members who have claimed that they were told not to bring up Randy Savage in front of Vince or that Vince himself said to never suggest anything with Savage. However, I am saying that at one time, Vince and Randy were close and Vince really liked him.
Whether it is Triple H's growing influence that is causing WWE to want to 'right wrongs' with the Hall of Fame or whether Vince himself thinks it's time to induct Savage, I am increasingly feeling that next year will be the year Savage is inducted.
In the past two years WWE has managed to induct Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior, Bob Backlund, and Mr. T, all of whom had previously turned down offers of induction. Especially in the case of Sammartino, the induction was seen as long overdue and 'righting a wrong.' I have had a strong feeling over the past couple of months that next year WWE is finally going to induct Savage.
If you haven't noticed, Lanny Poffo has been appearing in WWE Network original programming, such as the WrestleMania IV Rewind and WWE Countdown: Hottest Couples. This is a clear sign that WWE has reached out to Poffo and they are on a working relationship. If inducting Randy means that they also have to induct Randy's father and brother, then perhaps WWE is willing to play ball. Of course Lanny might have softened his stance.
Also, watching old Raws from 1994 makes me think that Vince and Randy were friends in Randy's final months in WWE. In the spring of 1994 on Raw, during a match between Jim Neidhart and Jim Powers, Jim Ross and Savage talk about how Neidhart and Owen were guilty of causing problems within the Hart family. Randy Savage then says, "Unlike a friend of mine who was just found not guilty." This was just after Vince McMahon/Titan Sports were acquitted in the steroid trials. On TV, WWF never really openly talked about this situation or why Vince was gone.
When Vince McMahon finally returns to Raw, Savage constantly puts Vince over and takes jabs at the federal prosectors. He even mentions that Vince's lawyers (he mentioned their names, one of whom was Jerry McDevitt) were a great tag team. When Randy leaves WWE, Vince thanks Randy for all he did and refers to himself as Randy's number one fan.
After Randy's death, Vince McMahon wrote his obit in Time magazine.
I bring up these anecdotes simply to give a different perspective into the Randy/Vince relationship. There have been so many rumors about it. I don't believe the oft-told rumors about Stephanie. I could see Vince being upset that Randy would go to WCW and being angry that Randy took away Slim Jim as a WWE-sponsor. I could see Vince seeing that as Randy going too far and hurting WWE's business directly. I am not trying to downplay that Vince had a problem with Randy. There have been creative team members who have claimed that they were told not to bring up Randy Savage in front of Vince or that Vince himself said to never suggest anything with Savage. However, I am saying that at one time, Vince and Randy were close and Vince really liked him.
Whether it is Triple H's growing influence that is causing WWE to want to 'right wrongs' with the Hall of Fame or whether Vince himself thinks it's time to induct Savage, I am increasingly feeling that next year will be the year Savage is inducted.