Hello everyone. As always, I would like to thank all of you for once again joining me today.
Before I begin my 100th article, there are some people that I would like to thank: Each and every one of you has made this a great place for me to talk about and write about my passion for pro wrestling.
I would like to thank Sulayman, Mark, Rob, Scrappy, E.T., Juan, J. Robinson, RKO's Numba 1 fan, Michael, Scott, Wyatt, Kevin, Captain Charisma, Andrea, Benjamin, Kendrick, Robert, Tom, Mike, Zander, Connor, Shane, Patrick, Turner, Jason, Jack, Ricky, DJ, John Loui, Brandon, Chad, Candice, Rashonda, Svyato, Peter, Ben, Michael, Kevin, Chipper, Dan, Bobby, Justin, Jeff, James, Malik, C, Chedda, Leroy, and Tayler.
I would also like to thank anyone that has ever taken the time to read my ramblings. I know sometimes I am stubborn and can go on and on.
I decided that for my 100th article that I would talk about someone special to me in the wrestling world. He would ultimately make me the wrestling fan that I have become today.
While there have been a lot of influences on me—guys like Bobby Heenan, Bret Hart, HBK, Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude and many others—there is one person that is solely responsible for getting me hooked into the wrestling world.
The wrestler I am referring to is none other than the second-to-none legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Randy Savage has been, without a doubt, one of the most influential heels in the history of pro wrestling. If you were a fan of the bad guys, he was your Hulk Hogan. He would also help break ground for high flyers all over the world.
He had the ability to cut a promo that still can't be duplicated today, and he would always end it off with an: OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YYYYEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH! He had a sense of style and class that could not be matched.
This is not to be out-shined by his in-ring abilities. He knew how to play the crowd and set the story of the match. His heel tactics that he created are still used today by our young grapplers.
My friends, make no mistake about it, their will never be another wrestler like Randy Savage again. I hope that you enjoy this journey with me. It will be a fun and entertaining ride that I hope no one forgets.
In order to understand the life of Randy Savage we have to travel all the way back, a trip back into simpler times, when Randy Poffo was just a glimmer in his father Angelo’s eyes.
Angelo Poffo would come to this country way back in the 40s. He would have a tough childhood living in the windy city of Chicago. He would often have to fend for himself when picked on because of his inability to speak English well.
His parents were strict with Angelo and would often force him study hard and work harder. It's these values that would be passed through the blood of his sons. All his hard work would pay off when he joined the Navy.
It was there that his dedication and good work ethics would earn him top honors in the military. He would also be known for something else that would make him a bit more famous.
He would set the record for doing over 6,000 sit-ups. This would not only get him bragging rights on the base, but it would also get him a spot on TV for Rippley's Believe It or Not.
He would meet his wife in 1949 while she was in high school. They bumped into each other at a local gym and the rest would be history. They would go on to have a family of two boys: Randy and Lanny Poffo.
The 50s would be a defining moment for young Randy, as he would often go watch his dad wrestle. Not knowing at a young age that wrestling was fixed, he would often get into fights when his father would lose.
"Randy would come home from school with his tie off to the side, and his hair a mess, and I knew he'd been fighting," says Judy. "He couldn't take anyone saying a bad word about his dad if he'd lose a match. Lanny was calmer. He'd walk away. But not Randy."
Playing sports would be a major part of both Randy and Lanny's lives growing up. It would be Randy who would excel, though. As a junior in high school, in 1971, he would hit over .500.
He would follow it up his senior year batting .521. These staggering numbers would land him a spot with the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Randy would be on his way to a good baseball career. He would make it to two straight All-Star games in the minors.
Then, fate would take a turn for the worst for young Randy. He would suffer a freak injury during a play at the plate with the other team's catcher.
He would separate his right shoulder and his muscles would be torn from the bone. He was, later, traded to the Reds, but at that point the writing was on the wall.
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