WWE Missed Opportunities: Randy Savage's Long-Awaited Hall of Fame Induction

The biggest news in WWE this week was the announcement that "Macho Man" Randy Savage will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania 31.

If you were to ask anyone who followed the career of Savage, most of them would have him on a very short list of the greatest performers of all time.

The fact that Koko B. Ware and Hacksaw Jim Duggan are in the Hall of Fame but Savage isn't shows that the Hall of Fame can't be taken too seriously. At least not yet.

Yet, fans had to wait until the year 2015, four years after his untimely death, to see Savage take his place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

There could be any number of reasons as to why WWE chose to wait so long to give Savage the honor he so rightfully deserves, but at least they have finally decided to do it.

There isn't much Savage didn't accomplish during his career. He competed at WrestleMania eight times. He was a two-time WWE Champion as well as a four-time World Heavyweight Champion during his time in WCW.

But it was his unique ability and personality, in addition to his accolades, that set Savage apart.

He was excellent in the ring and could have a good match with just about anyone. He knew how to tell a story. He was great with a microphone in his hand. There wasn't much Savage couldn't do and do well.

However, his departure from WWE in late 1994 while he served as one of the commentators on Monday Night Raw came as a surprise. Was it because he and Vince McMahon no longer saw eye-to-eye, or something else?

Sadly, Savage would never compete in WWE again.

Despite burying the hatchet with guys like Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and later, Ultimate Warrior, McMahon never did with Savage.

A car accident in May 2011 took the life of Savage at the age of 58.

That was the first opportunity that WWE missed. Perhaps there were issues behind the scenes, but the Hall of Fame should be for fans to celebrate their favorite stars from the past, not for WWE brass to hold grudges.

And though WWE finally made the decision to induct Savage, he will have to be honored posthumously.

But that wasn't the only missed opportunity on the part of WWE.

Just after letting fans know that Savage would be officially placed in the Hall of Fame, they made the announcement of the person who will induct Savage—Hogan.

Hogan and Savage engaged in one of the best rivalries in WWE history following their time as a tag team known as the Mega Powers.

But outside the ring, their relationship slowly deteriorated over the years. In the interview below, Savage actually challenged Hogan to a fight to raise money for charity.

Keith Elliot Greenberg mentions in this article that just prior to Savage's death, the two men may have been able to patch things up.

Even so, that shouldn't put Hogan in the spot to induct him. Why not have Lanny Poffo, Savage's brother, do the honors? Unless WWE contacted Poffo and the rest of Savage's family and got their blessing, Hogan isn't the proper choice.

The whole thing feels like WWE has finally decided to do something that they know is long overdue, but they still have to do it on their terms and put their spin on it.

In fact, Vince Russo appeared on WrestleTalkTV and had an interesting view of the situation.

Though it's easy to disagree with Russo, he could be right about this.

Just once, WWE needs to let their guard down and do the right thing for their fans. Properly honoring the Superstars being inducted needs to be their top priority when it comes to the Hall of Fame ceremony each year.

Instead, fans will have to settle for seeing Savage take his place in the Hall of Fame after he's gone.

The announcement that was made on Monday night said two things. First, WWE finally gave into the fans that wouldn't allow Savage to be completely forgotten. But it also showed that the induction will take place on their terms.

Savage should have had this moment many years ago, and though he's no longer around, WWE should have done a better job finding the person Savage would have wanted to present him the most.

That likely would not have been Hogan.