WWE Rivals: Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage, Season 4 Episode 1

  • 2 months ago
Transcript
00:01Paul Kogan and Macho Man Randy Savage, this rivalry had it all.
00:05Love, hate, jealousy, betrayal.
00:09It's simple storytelling.
00:10He nailed him, and Randy is the Macho Man.
00:14It's an Avengers type thing, like seeing Iron Man and Cap work together.
00:19You know, I love you, Macho Man.
00:21I love you like a brother.
00:22Sometimes wrestling's like real life.
00:24In Randy's mind, Hulk really had a lot of affection for Miss Liz.
00:29The lust in your eyes, gotta be blind not to see it, yeah.
00:33You could feel the fragile existence of the two of them together.
00:38Aah!
00:40Their friendship couldn't last, because it was all built on all golden flies.
00:45That's when you turn to love, to hatred, Macho Man.
00:49He got the character.
00:50He got the guts.
00:52It was a perfect storm.
00:55When we explode, it's gonna be the greatest natural disaster of all time.
00:59You're all alive.
01:02So much animosity, and this awesome rivalry.
01:07When two legends collide, the rivalry stays pinned in our minds forever.
01:14This is where we break down the legendary stories behind the greatest
01:17rivalries of all time.
01:20I'm Gabriel Iglesias, and
01:22this is WWE Rivals.
01:25And listen to this, Hulk Hogan, I hate you, I hate your guts.
01:35Wait a minute, gentlemen.
01:37What a way to kick off this show, Hulk Hogan versus Randy Macho Man Savage.
01:42As a kid watching this, growing up, man, it didn't get any bigger.
01:46Together, these two changed WWE history.
01:50Hogan and Savage, they brought a complete spark for wrestling and
01:55for sports entertainment, and that effect is still on us today.
01:59Hogan was so much bigger than life, and
02:01you always wondered who would ever be able to kind of match with him.
02:07With Savage's intensity.
02:09I'm slapping you in the face when I say it, and I'm saying it again, yeah.
02:13He was the perfect foil.
02:15Right into the barricade, and over it goes, double ax handle.
02:20When you look at a lot of the larger than life characters of the 80s,
02:23Randy was the first person that came to mind.
02:25And in WrestleMania V, Macho Man, with all of my Hulkamaniacs on my side,
02:30I'm gonna end the madness, brother.
02:33The old thing of being larger than life so
02:35that people in the cheap seats can see you, that's Hogan.
02:38And he did it magically.
02:39Get me, get me, Hulkamania, Hulkamania, come on.
02:44I got it, I got it.
02:46I got it, I got it.
02:48Well, in 85, it was fire gun, all eight cylinders, it was wide open.
02:54Everywhere we went, we never went through a door, we were breaking doors down.
02:58Hogan had this amazing persona to him.
03:05He had a look, he had size, he had a charisma, the way he spoke.
03:10I'm not saying that I'm the last great American hero,
03:12because that was John Wayne, brother.
03:14But since he died, I'm awful close.
03:16He understood psychology in the ring.
03:17He understood how to be bigger than everybody else, but
03:20yet be a sympathetic baby face.
03:21Hulk Hogan, he drops a big leg on him.
03:24We have a new champion, Hulkamania is here.
03:29He really was the showbiz side of what we do.
03:33You're in trouble now.
03:36No.
03:39Now, I love Hulk Hogan, my dad is crazy about him.
03:42You know your arm is the size of my leg.
03:45I train, say my prayers, eat my vitamins, and
03:47I even take time out here to come to the Tonight Show.
03:50He was this ultimate good guy.
03:54And you needed somebody who could challenge him.
03:58And along comes Randy Savage.
04:01Freak out, freak out.
04:03Randy, macho man, Savage.
04:05You're gonna want a bad man.
04:07You're gonna want a bad.
04:09Three wellings, three feet toss, land in the middle of the ring.
04:13Savage comes off the rope and crosses his throat.
04:15If I spit in your face, I want you to stand there and take it.
04:18You understand what I'm talking about?
04:21Savage hopping off of the ropes, coming over to the desk.
04:23That's the way it's gonna be.
04:26Randy Poffo was a minor league baseball player who changed his
04:30name to Randy Savage when he joined the family business, professional wrestling.
04:36Randy, with his brother, and their father, Angelo Poffo,
04:41created their own wrestling promotion based in Kentucky.
04:44And they tried to run shows in and around Memphis.
04:47Randy would come on TV and challenge me.
04:53Say, Jerry Lawler, this week, when I get you down in that arena,
04:57I will beat your brains out, I'll rip your head off if you show up.
05:01Man, don't you have no pride?
05:03Don't you have no pride, Jerry Lawler?
05:05Think of your dad, man, being dead, yeah.
05:08Think of your dad being dead, Jerry Lawler.
05:12Uncouth, goofy son of a gun, that Randy Savage.
05:15One time, Bill Superstar Dundee was a big star in our organization,
05:19and he and Randy Savage crossed paths.
05:23Superstar Bill Dundee pulled out a gun, allegedly,
05:28because he felt menaced by Randy Savage.
05:30Get him out of here right now.
05:33Randy disarmed him of the gun, and may well have pistol-whipped him.
05:37But again, when I asked Randy about it, he said,
05:40there's a lot of versions to that story.
05:44By 1985, Macho Man Randy Savage had earned his reputation as a wild man.
05:51You're not here on that thing.
05:52Hey, let's take a break, just go to a break.
05:55Not a lot of people, not a lot of promoters anywhere in the country,
05:58or I dare say the world, wanted to book the Macho Man Randy Savage.
06:04The Macho Man, Randy Savage, making his World Wrestling Federation debut.
06:09So it was a little shocking that WWE was going to take the chance on Randy
06:15and bring him in.
06:17When he made his TV debut, he was so crazy.
06:19Like, his eyes were crazy, you know, and his hair was crazy.
06:23Very athletic, and just him jumping off the top rope to the floor
06:26with the axe handle was a really big deal at the time.
06:29Oh, wow, Randy Savage attacking from the outside.
06:34I am the greatest wrestler, bar none.
06:37Understand?
06:38Well, I'll say.
06:39Yes, I am.
06:41I didn't know he existed until he showed up in Poughkeepsie, New York.
06:45And he looked like a smaller wrestler.
06:49And then my first question was, who's the girl with him?
06:53The Macho Man's new manager.
06:58And here she comes.
07:04Uh-oh.
07:05Oh, my.
07:08So that's Miss Elizabeth.
07:09That's his wife.
07:13And I said, well, if they're together, this will work.
07:18You know, Randy Savage was this tough guy.
07:20And there was Miss Elizabeth.
07:21She was this just delicate, beautiful part of him
07:26that he always wanted to protect.
07:29I always remember, like, growing up, wanting to be like Miss Elizabeth.
07:32My sisters and I were always like, we want to be like Miss Elizabeth.
07:35He has the most charisma of any wrestler in the world.
07:38He's the best.
07:40Like that.
07:41Electrify.
07:42Randy and Liz were married in real life.
07:44However, on camera, their relationship was never exposed.
07:48And it was never talked about.
07:51She didn't put up with any crap from him.
07:53He really, really admired her and really loved her.
08:00She said this innocence about her.
08:02But yeah, she definitely was a contrast to Randy
08:04because Randy was so overprotective.
08:10He was overprotective in an on-air role.
08:12But also, we knew that he was kind of like that at home as well.
08:16From the first day I met Randy, he was just totally intense, you know.
08:20He became the macho man.
08:22Oh, yeah.
08:23Dig it.
08:24Join the Macho Man Randy Savage bandwagon before it's too late.
08:29Because I am the next world heavyweight champion.
08:32Yes, I am.
08:33His intensity did make him great.
08:35He gave it 100% effort out there every time he went out.
08:42Hulkamania is alive and well.
08:44Hulkamania is alive and well in Philadelphia.
08:47You could easily make the argument that this is the greatest rivalry in the history of WWE.
08:53And it all started September 28, 1985 in Philadelphia.
08:59Here's the Macho Man.
09:00He's looking at all those Hulkster shirts there.
09:03And trying to intimidate.
09:05He did intimidate those youngsters.
09:07Once the bell rang with Randy, the chemistry was just like a constant flow.
09:13Armbringer now that a champion.
09:15Oh, look at him go to work now on the left arm.
09:18I don't think there was ever a more perfect match.
09:21Simply because both guys knew what they were doing.
09:24And both guys actually wanted to do business.
09:27Right across the throat.
09:32It was a perfect opponent, a perfect nemesis.
09:35I think it was the perfect storm.
09:38And the Hulk off the ropes.
09:41Oh, look at that. He got him.
09:47Look out.
09:50Hulk Hogan won the first match.
09:52But immediately after, Randy Savage brutally attacked him.
09:56Letting him know this was a rivalry that was going to take him to the limit.
10:00Look at him. The champ is down on the floor.
10:16In 1985, Randy Savage debuted in the WWE.
10:19They really just thrust Randy right into it.
10:22Look at the look on the champ's face.
10:24Lockout.
10:27He's immune now to those shots.
10:29You can tell WWE had a lot of faith in Randy Savage.
10:42Well, when Randy got in the ring as a performer,
10:45he was real organic and real natural.
10:48He understood the art form.
10:50He understood the pace.
10:52Setting up the storyline.
10:54And once you got him in the ring, everything was fine.
10:56The problem was before the ring, that he was just so intense.
11:01Randy calling me at 4 a.m. to talk about a match
11:04was not something that was unusual.
11:09I do remember the one call, which was a little crazy,
11:12where he called me at 4 a.m. and he'd been up all night.
11:15He sounded like he had drank 100 cups of coffee
11:18and just didn't want me off the phone
11:20because it was Madison Square Garden, which was a big deal.
11:23When I talked to Liz the next day, she goes,
11:25thank you for taking the call.
11:27He was driving me crazy. He was up all night.
11:301986. Hulk Hogan and Macho Man are on fire.
11:34They're tearing down arenas across the country,
11:36including Madison Square Garden.
11:38Randy amped up Hogan's intensity level,
11:42and Hogan, by virtue of who he was,
11:45elevated Randy to a place he had never been.
11:52And Savage, long way down, look out.
11:55Oh, look at that.
11:57Look at that.
11:59He's got it.
12:01He's got it.
12:03He's got it.
12:05He's got it.
12:07Look at that.
12:08The champ ramped into the post again.
12:13Referee calling for the bell here.
12:15The rules of the WWE are that once you leave the ring,
12:18you've got 10 seconds to get back into it.
12:20And if you can't meet the referee's 10 count,
12:23you lose via count out.
12:28That night, during the height of Hulkamania,
12:30Savage beat Hogan.
12:33The title can only change hands
12:35on a pitfall or submission,
12:37not on a count out.
12:39Randy beating me by count out,
12:41it helped catapult Randy.
12:44Now he's a threat.
12:48There was egos involved until the moment
12:50we got through those ropes.
12:51And then in the ring, it was all business.
12:54A lot of it had to do with Randy being raised
12:57by his dad, who was a pro wrestler.
13:00This is what drew people to the Macho Man's character.
13:03He decided that anybody that bought a ticket
13:06was going to get everything he had.
13:08Unjustifiably in a position that I'd rather not be in.
13:13But the queen will rise to the top, oh yeah.
13:17I always enjoyed working with Randy
13:19because he was a pro.
13:21Forget the script, he told the story in his own words.
13:26Because Hulk Hogan, yeah, I am the cream, yeah.
13:31The cream of the crop.
13:33Yeah, the cream of the crop.
13:34Yeah, that's all ad-lib with Randy.
13:36You know, grabbing a little prop there next to me.
13:38Gene, you know, craft services was a couple feet away.
13:41So all that type of stuff is just all ad-lib.
13:44He was just brilliant.
13:45And there is no one that does it better
13:48than the Macho Man, Randy Savage.
13:51On balance, off balance, doesn't matter.
13:53I'm better than you are, yeah.
13:55Cream always rises to the top.
13:58It's just a given that a Macho Man promo
14:00is going to be outstanding.
14:02If you look at the great promos in history,
14:05he's definitely up there.
14:07The cream of the crop.
14:09Nobody does it better.
14:10So you're here and you're that entertaining.
14:12You're just a step above.
14:14What a roar from the capacity crowd.
14:19I was there in Hershey, Pennsylvania
14:21when Honky Tonk Man was battling Randy Savage.
14:27The reason WWE turned Savage into a good guy
14:31was because the fans demanded it.
14:34He leaps.
14:35Yes!
14:36A new champion to be proud.
14:38Look what they're doing.
14:42Look what the Heart Foundation is doing to Randy Savage.
14:45He's wearing back.
14:46He's getting ready.
14:47It's going to come down.
14:48Here in quite a minute.
14:49Oh, my goodness.
14:50Elizabeth almost struck by the Honky Tonk Man.
14:53Oh, no.
14:55Oh, no.
14:57At that instant when I pushed her,
14:59Randy was now a good guy.
15:02They're starting to cheer Savage.
15:04But WWE being smart,
15:06you've got to think Hulk Hogan sees that
15:08and says, I want to be tethered to this guy
15:10in some fashion.
15:11Elizabeth is coming back.
15:12What courage and what brilliance this lady has.
15:15What a point in the mind to bring help.
15:17And help she has brought.
15:18The Hulkster hammering away.
15:20Cleaning home.
15:21That was the origin of the story.
15:23Yes.
15:24The Heart Foundation attacked Randy
15:26and then Hogan came out.
15:27The macho man and the Hulkster.
15:29Elizabeth doesn't want to see him go out
15:30and I don't think anyone does.
15:32Yes.
15:33They've had their differences in the past
15:34but the macho man is extending their hand
15:36of friendship to the Hulkster.
15:38We could be seeing the meaning of the methods
15:42and the mania.
15:44Yes.
15:45Yes.
15:46There it is.
15:47As a kid I'm like,
15:48if Hulk Hogan can see the good
15:50in Macho Man Randy Savage,
15:52then maybe I should be viewing
15:54Macho Man in a different light.
15:56When I was watching,
15:58I was transported into my 10 year old brain.
16:02But you knew deep down inside
16:05something was going to go wrong.
16:14The mega, yeah, the mega power.
16:16Yeah.
16:17Mega power.
16:18Yeah.
16:21It was a handshake, brother.
16:22It's getting closer.
16:23It's getting close.
16:24And then eventually,
16:25the build up, once they did,
16:27it was off to the races.
16:37The people want this.
16:38We want to see Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage together.
16:41We want this.
16:42It's an Avengers type thing.
16:43Just very much like seeing, you know,
16:46Iron Man and Cap work together.
16:48Here comes the Hulk through the chair,
16:50protecting Randy Savage.
16:53They're awesome on their own,
16:54but when you see them together, teaming up,
16:57you get the goosebumps, you know.
17:03Hulk loved Randy.
17:04You know, they were so tight.
17:06They had a great chemistry together,
17:07even though they were so different,
17:09but so much alike.
17:10Hulk Hogan, I compare him
17:12to Babe Ruth in baseball.
17:14And I get chills up and down my spine when I say that.
17:17Now I'd be lying if I didn't say
17:20that I respect him one million percent.
17:22A day without Randy was like a day without air.
17:25You know, it was great to be around him.
17:27His voice, it was all,
17:29we see brother Hogan,
17:30we're gonna hit chest and backer.
17:32We're just doing chest today, brother.
17:33Even when he was talking just normally,
17:35still had the macho man thing,
17:37you want a little bit of Elizabeth, you know.
17:43Hello, everybody!
17:45Welcome to WrestleMania 4!
17:511988, WrestleMania 4,
17:53every gamble that had been taken on Macho Man
17:56prior to that paid off.
17:58You could feel in that moment
18:01a real changing of the guard.
18:03You can feel the electricity in the air.
18:06Nice move.
18:07Oh, look at that!
18:08Andre reaches up and hooked the leg.
18:10Andre is gonna cause a lot of trouble down there, Chris.
18:13It looked bad for Randy,
18:15and then to everyone's exhilaration.
18:19Dibiase's definitely taking advantage here.
18:22Oh, look at that!
18:24The Hulkster!
18:26Oh!
18:27Oh!
18:28He clobbered a man!
18:29Not a man!
18:31Savage puts the leg!
18:33It's over!
18:36That night elevated Randy
18:38to the great heights of superstardom.
18:41He was living his dream.
18:47Hogan was the one that built WrestleMania.
18:50For him to give the endorsement then,
18:52at that point, to Randy Savage,
18:54was a real passing of the torch.
18:57It's Jam Pat Kier in the Richfield Coliseum
19:00for this World Wrestling Federation event.
19:04Survivor Series!
19:06In 1988, Survivor Series is when you first started to see
19:09that there was cracks in the mega powers.
19:12Look at this.
19:13Everybody got a shot.
19:15You got to see them come together.
19:17But I think as soon as they became a team,
19:19it also was in the back of your mind,
19:22uh-oh.
19:25We all knew from watching WWE
19:29that Randy Savage
19:31was supposed to be possessive and jealous of Elizabeth.
19:35So now she's also managing Hulk Hogan,
19:38and Randy Savage starts to cast a wary eye on his part
19:43because he knows how beautiful Elizabeth is.
19:47The fans know how beautiful Elizabeth is.
19:50Hogan must, too.
19:52Come on, Hulkster. We've got a date.
19:54Ho, ho, ho, ho!
19:56Seems a little peculiar to me.
20:00When they started shooting that angle with Liz,
20:02you know, all of a sudden it came real to Randy.
20:07I just remember Randy being so intense about it.
20:10I think it was the first time I felt any type of jealousy there.
20:14Like a little weird.
20:16That was the first time I felt any kind of weird stuff,
20:20that he might be a little bit uncomfortable
20:22with me being friends with Elizabeth.
20:25Here is Spring right now, the Eiffel Tower,
20:28one of the world's greatest men's competitions yet.
20:31No, out of the way.
20:33I'm a very jealous macho man.
20:35Isn't that right?
20:36Yes, I am.
20:38We were in Paris, France, and I was wrestling Randy.
20:41And when we went to the ring, there were no steps.
20:48I grabbed her under the armpits,
20:51picked her up over the top rope like a Barbie doll
20:53and sat her on the ring next to me.
20:55All of a sudden, the referees get between me and Randy.
20:58You grabbed her boobs.
21:00I saw you.
21:02You grabbed her breasts on purpose.
21:04You're going to pay for that.
21:06Whoa, bro.
21:07I said, I didn't do nothing on purpose.
21:09Oh, bullsh... Hogan, you got less for Elizabeth.
21:15He's a real... through the whole match.
21:19This capacity crowd is coming alive.
21:22Yes, here comes the Hulkster
21:24with his manager, the lovely Elizabeth.
21:26Hulk Hogan knowing full well what the odds are here.
21:29And yes, holding the rope for the lovely Elizabeth
21:31to step through.
21:33Chivalry is not dead yet, macho man.
21:39You talk about that triangle forming
21:42between Randy, Hulk, and Elizabeth.
21:45They're going after Elizabeth.
21:47Randy Savage, chair on hand, leaps in the ring,
21:49swings at the big boss man.
21:51Elizabeth attending to Hulk Hogan,
21:53who has been severely beaten.
21:55Macho man over the query,
21:57Elizabeth, about what's been going on, I think.
21:59Isaac Macho's a little more concerned over Elizabeth,
22:02concerned over Hogan.
22:05To use Elizabeth in the storyline
22:08was so easy.
22:10It was so easy.
22:12Randy did not like anyone to put hands on Liz,
22:15except for himself.
22:17And Randy was adamant.
22:19He did not want Liz being touched in any way.
22:23It's simple storytelling.
22:28He was not happy about it, storyline-wise.
22:31So I would do everything I could
22:33to throw some extra gas on the fire,
22:35whether it be open the ropes,
22:37or give her an extra hug when we won,
22:39or put her on my shoulder.
22:41Liz got very ugly after a while,
22:44because he just did not dig that at all.
22:47I understand, but, you know,
22:50it's either you bring your wife in,
22:52and we go wide open, or don't bring her in at all.
22:55You're going to have one of the great
22:57World Wrestling Federation main events tonight,
22:59the Mega Powers against the Twin Towers.
23:02That was such a weird night.
23:05You could definitely feel something was going on.
23:10Between Randy and Hulk.
23:16I kind of took it as, you know,
23:19they're really amped for this.
23:29The match was incredible.
23:31Hakeem and the Big Boss Man.
23:34And then...
23:41It's a pretty solid shot.
23:43It wasn't for the faint of heart.
23:45And that was like sacrilege, to touch her.
23:48You know, there were so many different layers
23:50and so many different ways that you could
23:52kind of perceive that story.
23:54If she's not there, it doesn't happen.
23:56It doesn't happen.
23:58Randy Savage hurled onto Elizabeth.
24:00Hulk Hogan is down.
24:02It's a pretty solid shot.
24:04It wasn't for the faint of heart.
24:06It's a pretty solid shot.
24:08Randy Savage hurled onto Elizabeth.
24:10Hulk Hogan covering both of them.
24:12I remember the spot where Randy went through the ropes
24:15and hit Liz.
24:17He crossed-bobbed her through the ropes
24:19and her head hit the floor.
24:20I was shocked.
24:22This is a major problem.
24:24Elizabeth is out.
24:26If he would have landed on top of her,
24:28he probably would have done some serious damage.
24:30Randy was an incredible tactician.
24:32He knew what he was doing, but she went down.
24:35Randy Savage, appearing now to Hulk Hogan,
24:39who's attending to Elizabeth.
24:41Hulk takes her backstage.
24:44Hulk Hogan with Elizabeth.
24:46Come on, somebody help us.
24:48And Randy, of course, sells that perfectly.
24:51Like, what are you doing? We've got work here.
24:53Oh, God, please save her.
24:55Oh, please.
24:57Doc, is she okay? Do something for her, please.
25:00And look what this has done to the Macho Man.
25:02It's left the Macho Man in the ring
25:04all by himself.
25:06And so the match continues.
25:08Hogan returns to the ring.
25:13Come on, Hogan!
25:16I can't believe Savage hasn't attempted anything.
25:18Oh, and a tap out!
25:20And now Hulk Hogan reaching for the tag.
25:23Ooh, and a slip!
25:25Savage struck Hogan.
25:27What was that for?
25:29Anybody that had known Randy and Miss Elizabeth
25:32behind the scenes, they knew that Randy
25:34was very, very overprotective.
25:36I imagine there's real-life jealousy,
25:38and then there's the on-screen jealousy you're presenting.
25:41But Savage finally crosses the line at main event.
25:45Randy Savage, I think, is leaving the area.
25:49Hulk finishes the match.
25:51Drops the bag!
25:53The cover! One, two, three!
25:56And goes backstage.
25:59Randy.
26:01With over 20 million viewers,
26:04it finally happens.
26:06You know what's wrong with you, man?
26:08What do you mean, what's wrong with you?
26:10Why did you leave me out there? What is wrong with you?
26:12The major powers exploded from that point on.
26:14There was no turning back.
26:16To his finger, he just poked me.
26:18I thought he was gonna poke me in the eye.
26:20Those eyes!
26:22You lost to Elizabeth.
26:24You got lost to Elizabeth right there.
26:26It got real intense.
26:29Try and find some sense to it.
26:34When he turned his back on me and swung that belt,
26:37he definitely made some serious contact with that belt.
26:40You know, I know I couldn't have taken another one.
26:46They send Gene back there
26:49to do the interview,
26:51and Hulk ain't talking.
26:53I get that one.
26:54Back here on the first table.
26:55I'm gonna get a chance now, I think,
26:57to talk to Hulk Hogan after everything that's happened.
27:03I remember Gene saying,
27:05what the hell did they send me back there for?
27:07He's not gonna talk to me.
27:08What the hell?
27:14Then you've got Hulk storming down the arena hallways,
27:17throwing crates,
27:19knocking people out of the way.
27:21People got hurt in that.
27:23Randy!
27:24Like, man, was that good television.
27:28At the time as a kid,
27:30obviously I was heartbroken,
27:32but as an adult looking back at it...
27:34Was Savage a little bit right about Hogan?
27:37He brings her back to get her help.
27:39I mean, did Hogan have to stay in the locker room?
27:43This was really built on a lot of truth
27:46that Randy was jealous,
27:48and he thought Hogan had eyes for Elizabeth.
27:50I think the realism helps the talent.
27:52Right.
27:53You know, because we're not Al Pacino,
27:55we're not trained actors.
27:56I think it's just easier for people to play that
27:58because they actually can feel that way.
28:00Big ideas from Hulk Hogan.
28:02He had to go in there and try to catch Elizabeth's eyes.
28:06Yeah.
28:13Randy Savage was not thrilled
28:15at the idea of this love triangle storyline.
28:21But ultimately, Savage was a true professional
28:24and was going to tell the story that needed to be told.
28:30Okay, stand by.
28:32Here we go.
28:33In three, two, one.
28:35That friendship couldn't last
28:37because it was all built on Hulk Hogan's lies, yeah!
28:41Excellent.
28:43Excellent.
28:44Colorful.
28:46Let me tell you something, macho man.
28:48At WrestleMania V, I'm going to take my belt back from you.
28:52Let's go to Sean Moody.
28:54Sean, go ahead.
28:55Macho man Randy Savage will indeed face Hulk Hogan
28:58at the World Wrestling Federation Championship
29:00at WrestleMania V.
29:02His promos ahead of WrestleMania V were intense, emotional.
29:07You've got lust in your black heart.
29:10Are you going to be in the corner of Hulk Hogan
29:14or the Macho Man?
29:17I'll be in a neutral corner,
29:19and from there I will continue to support both men.
29:22Elizabeth, you want to be in a neutral corner?
29:25It's fine, because I don't need you either, yeah!
29:28He went so far as to put our manager,
29:30the lovely Elizabeth, right between us, man.
29:33WrestleMania V, the mega powers explode in Atlantic City.
29:38If you look at the entire rivalry,
29:41it's one where you can flat out say
29:43if Miss Elizabeth's not there, it doesn't happen.
29:46There's only one title.
29:47There's only one person that could be there,
29:49and something had to give.
29:50Open your mind!
29:53I didn't sound like myself.
29:57Wait a minute.
29:58I'll tell you when.
30:00Okay, go.
30:03Before WrestleMania, Randy Savage would end up
30:06suffering a laceration in a match,
30:08which would become seriously infected.
30:10We heard that he had a pretty serious medical issue
30:14with that infection.
30:15He was really in bad shape.
30:17He had busted his bursa sac.
30:19His elbow was really, really bad
30:21to the point of doing the blood poisoning thing.
30:23You could see it moving up his arm,
30:25the red and everything.
30:26Randy, if you don't feel...
30:29Let me try that again.
30:31That's embarrassing.
30:32He was in the hospital,
30:34basically checked himself out against doctor's orders.
30:41And you've got WrestleMania V coming up.
30:46I can't feel a thing.
30:54At the end of WrestleMania V,
30:56I will be the World Wrestling Federation Champion.
31:00And what you're gonna do, macho man?
31:03The day comes.
31:04WrestleMania V, the mega powers explode.
31:08It was my Super Bowl.
31:09Hogan and Savage and Elizabeth,
31:11that story had the people.
31:13You want a nice button on things.
31:15You know, you want a nice button on storylines like that
31:18that last years.
31:19And this was a nice button.
31:20Get out of here!
31:21I told you no interviews!
31:23Come on, knock it out!
31:25Hulk Hogan, I'm ready!
31:31He had a horrible injury on his elbow.
31:35And he went out there in excruciating pain.
31:40If you knew Randy, you knew there was no chance.
31:43They could have taken a limb.
31:44He would have found a way to have gotten into that ring.
31:52He was just as intense as ever.
31:54I mean, he would really turn the dial up
31:56when he worked with me.
31:57So I was not getting a night off, that was for sure.
32:04Oh, you're biting your nails.
32:06This is not gonna end well.
32:09Miss Elizabeth chose to go into a neutral corner.
32:12And then she finds herself in the middle of the match.
32:15Oh, come on, give me a break!
32:18Having Miss Elizabeth involved helped contribute
32:21in a major way to that being so exciting.
32:24He's gonna run him into the steel post.
32:26What's this?
32:27Look at Elizabeth!
32:28Miss Elizabeth stepping right in front of him.
32:31She's not staying in a neutral corner.
32:33Look at this!
32:34Miss Elizabeth is causing all kinds of complications
32:38in this match.
32:41Burberry Headroom just put Miss Elizabeth out.
32:44Macho Man has just had Elizabeth escorted away from the ring.
32:48And finally, we have mano y mano.
32:52Hogan and Savage.
32:54Look at that.
32:56What a battle this is.
32:58The Hulkamania legend definitely in trouble.
33:02Savage punched up there in the upper arm.
33:05He got him, he nailed him!
33:07He got him!
33:09And it's dishonorable.
33:11But I don't believe this.
33:13This place is going crazy.
33:16I can't believe this is happening.
33:19The Hulk throws at the bell.
33:22And the Hulk drop.
33:24One, two, three!
33:28And the new World Wrestling Federation
33:32is coming in to play!
33:34You know, the timing and everything felt magical.
33:36It felt like we were on point,
33:38but I didn't realize how special it really was.
33:48Randy being intense and being way over the top
33:52and everything was over,
33:54Randy being intense and being way over the top
33:56and everything was overkill and overcheck and overrecheck.
34:00Did we truly close the garage door?
34:02We just went by twice.
34:04Maybe it's still open, you know.
34:06Randy, we closed the garage door when we left.
34:09That intense part of Randy was part of me also.
34:14I just didn't externally expose it the way Randy did.
34:19You get into my frazzled brain for 24 hours
34:21and you need a vacation.
34:23I'm locked in.
34:25I have to do this.
34:27This is me.
34:33Savage not short!
34:36It was one thing for Randy to pick Elizabeth
34:40to be his manager right after entering WWE.
34:46But now Elizabeth had become a star too.
34:49And with stardom comes pressure.
34:52And now they were feeling that pressure together.
34:56And there was no place to really escape that pressure.
35:01Naturally, their relationship was impacted.
35:06They are together every day.
35:08That can be tough on a couple,
35:10especially if you're doing 300 shows a year
35:12and you're seeing each other every day.
35:15Let's face it, every day's not peaches and cream.
35:19We were in Florida. We were on this boat.
35:21And they put me off at my dock and they drove off.
35:24That's when my wife, at the time Linda,
35:27invited Ms. Elizabeth to come down to Miami.
35:30And about a week after that, everything exploded.
35:35Liz confided in her that I'm leaving Randy.
35:38You know, I just can't handle what was going on.
35:43We had a suite at the Jockey Club.
35:46There's a hotel in North Miami Beach.
35:49Randy was actually going on the road for a while.
35:52I go down to the pool and Liz is down there with this tennis pro.
35:57And they are acting more than friendly.
36:01But I didn't know that she'd left Randy like a note
36:05and said she was leaving him.
36:08All of a sudden, about three days later,
36:10you know, I don't talk to Randy, I don't talk to anybody.
36:13I'm getting out of that shower about five or six o'clock.
36:18And as I'm getting out of the shower, I hear,
36:20where is she at? Tell me where she's at.
36:23I said, hold on, brother.
36:24Just pull your roll back up a little bit.
36:26So I took Randy down to the front desk.
36:29Me and the manager and Randy all went around to where
36:33Elizabeth's apartment was.
36:34Randy took the key from him, opened the door,
36:36and as he pushed the door open, he said,
36:38hey, Liz, what's up?
36:40And I hauled ass.
36:41And I hauled ass.
36:42I was gone.
36:43I mean, as soon as he got in that room, I took off.
36:49About 20 minutes later, I go out front.
36:51There must have been 20 cop cars out there.
36:54So I'm not exactly sure what happened in the room
36:56or if the tennis pro was there or what was going on,
36:59but that was the beginning of the end.
37:01It's your fault. You destroyed my marriage.
37:04You're the one that did it.
37:05He hated my guts. He blamed me for everything.
37:12So after Randy and Liz's divorce,
37:15Hulk and Savage's friendship started to deteriorate.
37:20Within a few years, both men would leave the WWE,
37:23but you knew that it was only a matter of time
37:25before both men ended up in the ring again.
37:28WCW was looking to compete with WWE,
37:32and they were throwing a lot of money at Hulk Hogan.
37:37In WCW, Eric Bischoff came to me.
37:40We got a chance to bring Randy Savage in,
37:42and Eric knew how our relationship was.
37:44I said, well, brother, if there's money to be made, bring him in.
37:52And then when Eric came to me, he goes,
37:53hey, we're going to bring Liz in.
37:54I said, well, this is a personal thing with Randy.
37:59Randy gave Eric the green light. Bring her in, man.
38:04Elizabeth ends up coming to WCW.
38:06At this point, they've been divorced,
38:09but Randy Savage has to find a way to make something work.
38:14It was a very awkward situation,
38:17and I think it hurt him a lot.
38:21They mended the fences, but only on a working situation.
38:24While they were at the ring, everything was happy.
38:31WWE eventually would buy out WCW,
38:34and Hulk Hogan had one of the greatest second chapters in wrestling history.
38:39Randy Savage's career had pretty much wound down.
38:42Unlock the thing! Take the chain off!
38:45But he still had an incredible pop culture presence.
38:48Hey, freak show! You're going nowhere!
38:53Then, out of nowhere, he put out a rap album,
38:56and he's calling out Hulk Hogan.
38:59All your Hulk-a-maniacs are knocking on your door.
39:02They're saying, be a man, Hogan. Be a man. What's up with that?
39:07Randy's personal attacks on Hogan
39:10were pretty much the lowest point of their relationship.
39:13You know, he became a prima donna. He believed his own publicity.
39:16He became a legend in his own mind.
39:18At the same time, they both suffered a profound loss.
39:22Someone that was very close to both men.
39:26She's known to millions of wrestling fans as Miss Elizabeth.
39:33She's been found dead in her Georgia home.
39:38Liz was so young and so vibrant and so full of life.
39:43And I know on his side of the fence,
39:46he loved her until the day she died.
39:50Elizabeth's story is really tragic.
39:55I remember, you know, meeting them.
39:57You could see that connection between those two.
40:02First of all, I want to ask you about, you know, Miss Elizabeth,
40:05you know, her loss and everything.
40:07Yeah, we were actually married.
40:09And, you know, we were married for a long time.
40:12And, you know, we were married for a long time.
40:15You know, her loss and everything.
40:17Yeah, we were actually married.
40:19And we got a divorce, which happens in life sometimes.
40:22We had separation, we had closure.
40:24But I really feel real bad for her and her family.
40:29I don't doubt for a moment, he always loved her.
40:38For eight years, he hated my guts.
40:40You know, 10 or 12 years before that, we were best friends.
40:43We did everything together.
40:48After a while, I was in a heart doctor
40:50because I was having some issues with my heart.
40:53Huck was on the table, and all of a sudden,
40:55he sees somebody standing over, and he goes,
40:57Huckster?
41:01He walked in the room, and I said,
41:02Man, Macho, you look great.
41:06And so, we talked for a few minutes.
41:08He had this wedding ring on,
41:10and he said he remarried his high school sweetheart.
41:13Things were going great.
41:15It kind of made my life to see how happy he was,
41:18and he forgave me for whatever I did.
41:24We talked over the phone several times,
41:26and we were planning a barbecue.
41:30If you follow pro wrestling, you know Randy Macho Man Savage.
41:33One of pro wrestling's best-known former stars.
41:36Randy Savage died after suffering a heart attack while driving.
41:39Randy Macho Man Savage was 58.
41:46Feels like he's still here.
41:50I was looking at some pictures of him yesterday.
41:53Seems like he still should be here.
41:57He had everything.
41:59He had the look.
42:00He had the gimmick.
42:01The physicality.
42:03He understood the art form of storytelling.
42:10He was the perfect wrestler.
42:16With Randy, just his presence made him feel more of a spectacle.
42:20But Hogan had depth as well.
42:22He goes against this colorful guy
42:24that is this super intense human being
42:27with this beautiful wife,
42:28and now he's kind of caught in a love triangle.
42:31That's a pretty divergent path.
42:35You think about the 80s, it's always those two.
42:38You always think Hogan, Macho.
42:40We could be seeing the meaning of the madness in the mania.
42:46Yes, there it is!
42:48People say, oh, well, it was meant to be.
42:50God put us together for a reason.
42:51We met for a reason.
42:53Him and I were in the ring for a reason,
42:54because it just worked.
42:57Randy and I went through a lot.
43:01It was really nice to bury the hatchet
43:04and get back on the same page with him.

Recommended