The Definitive List of Must-Watch Matches from 'Macho Man' Randy Savage

"Macho Man" Randy Savage is one of the most enduring and beloved stars of WWE's golden era; a charismatic, athletic performer with a larger-than-life personality who was light years ahead of his time.

He was a crossover sensation, who enjoyed recognition in the entertainment and advertising industry beyond the squared circle. He was a genuine SUPER-star.

Savage was also one of the best wrestlers in the business for the majority of his run, turning in many classic matches against top stars. But which are the most must-watch bouts of his storied career? 

Find out now with this look at the contests that defined his career and gave an insight into his excellence as a performer.

10. Saturday Night's Main Event vs. Honky Tonk Man

The October 3, 1987 match against The Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Championship on Saturday Night's Main Event may not have been a classic Savage match from an in-ring quality standpoint, but it was key in his development into the star he would eventually become.

Still transitioning into a full-fledged babyface, Savage challenged the Elvis Presley-ripoff for the title he lost to Ricky Steamboat months earlier at WrestleMania III. Honky Tonk Man was such a hated villain, and Savage was so respected following that classic match against The Dragon, that it made Macho Man the de facto hero in the bout.

If he wasn't before, though, he certainly would have been after.

Bret Hart interjected himself in the match, drawing the DQ and costing Savage the title. A three-on-one beatdown at the hands of Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation ensued, including the antagonist shoving Miss Elizabeth to the mat and breaking a guitar over Macho Man's head.

Elizabeth retrieved a confused Hulk Hogan from the back, and he proceeded to make the save. An appreciative Savage extended his hand to the federation champion and the foundation of The Mega Powers was formed.

This isn't an article looking at the best Savage moments, though. The focus is on matches and this is a definitive one as it gave fans a look at Macho Man as a babyface worker. It also ranks as one of, if not the, best of Honky Tonk Man's career, which is a major testament to Savage's abilities between the ropes.

Further evidence of his excellence and proof he could still generate the same energy and excitement from the crowd as a babyface make this a key match in Savage's career and essential to telling his story.

9. Superstars: With Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair (July 20, 1992)

Credit: WWE.com

Savage. Bret Hart. Shawn Michaels. Ric Flair.

Arguably the four greatest professional wrestlers of all time shared the ring for a single, untelevised (in America) tag match on July 20, 1992. Macho Man was the WWE champion, Hart the intercontinental champion, Flair the top heel and Michaels a young star on a meteoric rise. 

Together, they worked a nearly 20-minute match full of great, old-school psychology. Flair and Michaels dominated Savage, beating him down and cutting off numerous attempts at a tag to his partner. And therein lies what made the match so special.

Savage could have stood on the apron, waited for the hot tag and then exploded into the match like the mega star he was. He could have unloaded on Flair and Michaels, dropped the elbow and called it a night. Instead, he took the heat portion of the match and let the surging Hart receive the hot tag.

Even when he inevitably scored the win for his team, he didn't definitively beat HBK and extinguish his heat. He rolled him up for the win, forgoing the opportunity to deliver his finisher for the victory.

Macho Man was a selfless worker. It was on display here and later during his WCW days, when he was almost solely responsible for elevating Diamond Dallas Page and establishing him as a main event player. He had every right to shine, but he was smart enough to think of the future and recognize he had to have another group of guys ready to hand the baton to.

Is the tag match hugely significant to the legacy of Savage as we know it? Probably not, but it is reflective of the giving performer he was and a clash of all-timers in one spot. 

Go out of your way to track it down.

8. Tito Santana at the Boston Garden

Savage exploded on the scene in WWE in 1985, just after the inaugural WrestleMania, and wasted little time establishing himself as one of the brightest stars in Vince McMahon's traveling circus. 

His larger-than-life personality, booming voice and Superstar presentation helped him connect with audiences early on and left the promoter seeing obvious dollar signs. It made sense, then, that he wasted little time pushing Savage as one of his top stars, beginning with his February 1986 victory over Tito Santana for the Intercontinental Championship.

The Boston Garden was the site of his first title victory in WWE, and fans inside the historic venue reacted with great enthusiasm to the win. Not because they didn't love the legendary Santana but because Savage was so fresh and exciting. He won the title, injected a spark into the promotion and cemented himself as a star of WWE's expanding future.

It was key to his development and the first indication that McMahon recognized his potential stardom. He was the enormous personality he wanted guiding his company moving forward and someone who could make a great opponent for Hulk Hogan.

As it turned out, he would be so much more for a company that would become, at least partially, defined by Savage and his exploits in the years that followed.

Oh, and Savage and Santana are really good at the pro grappling thing and delivered a dramatic, red-hot title match that made it that much easier for fans to invest in the action.

7. WrestleMania VIII vs. Ric Flair

There are just some things you do not do: Don't tug on Superman’s cape, spit in the wind and under no circumstance whatsoever should you ever disrespect Miss Elizabeth.

It is a lesson Ric Flair learned the hard way at WrestleMania VIII. The self-proclaimed "Real World's Champ" made the mistake of claiming he had engaged Elizabeth in a torrid affair behind Savage's back. He went as far as to claim there were explicit photos and that he would have them displayed from the Hoosier Dome when he defended the WWE title against Macho Man on wrestling's grandest stage.

What ensued was a physical battle that saw Nature Boy bloodied and Savage nursing a knee injury that threatened his championship aspirations. Then, after several instances of Mr. Perfect intervening on behalf of Naitch, Macho Man fought fire with fire, rolling Flair up and grabbing his trunks for the title win.

There are few performers who can match Savage's intensity, if any. The man was, somehow, more intense between the ropes than he was in his day-to-day life. He knew when to dial it up and exactly how to get to where he needed to be to elicit the desired reaction from the fans. 

Flair could do the same. They meshed so well together because they were similar performers with a common goal: to deliver the best match possible and convey the emotion they hoped to get in return.

A hidden gem of sorts in WrestleMania history, this deserves your attention if you're looking for a match that oozes with aggression.

6. Jerry 'The King' Lawler in Memphis

The Memphis rivalry between Savage and Jerry Lawler took the pair through wild brawls and steel cages before a Loser Leaves Town match that would serve as Macho Man's swan song in the territory ahead of his arrival in New York and WWE.

The brash, arrogant bad guy pummeled the hometown hero, bloodying King and leaving the referee to stop the contest. The defiant Lawler ordered it to be restarted and put Savage away with a piledriver, sending him off to the bright lights and marquees of WWE.

That match itself is a great insight into what Savage was doing in his territory days, before the more polished persona that fans would become familiar with down the line. He had the opportunity to craft a character that would enthrall an entire generation of fans during his time in Memphis and his father Angelo Poffo's promotion in Kentucky.

Without those days of learning his craft and understanding what went into a match that captured the attention of the fans, it is a real possibility he would never have developed into the defining performer he did.

5. Halloween Havoc 1997 vs. Diamond Dallas Page

The rivalry with Diamond Dallas Page in 1997 marks the very best of Savage's WCW days. Sure, there were high-profile, big-money matches with Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Bret Hart and Lex Luger, but it was the series with DDP that allowed him to have great contests and elevate a talented performer in the process.

The Spring Stampede main event put Page on the map as a fresh main event competitor in a company that needed it. Macho Man's victory at the Great American Bash two months later escalated the rivalry and evened the win-loss record at one apiece.

Their best match took place later that year, at October's Halloween Havoc pay-per-view, a Texas Deathmatch in which the only way to win was to render the opponent incapable of answering the referee's 10-count. Months before "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Dude Love would popularize what would eventually become the Attitude Era brawl, Page and Savage fought through the stands, up the ramp and back into the ring.

Kimberly Page and Miss Elizabeth got involved, two integral elements of the feud dating back to the start, but it was Hogan's involvement as a fake Sting and the baseball-bat shot to the injured ribs of DDP that proved the downfall of the babyface.

For Savage, the match marked a shift in his work. Physically, he couldn't do the things he did earlier in his career. Macho Man of 1989 wasn't walking back through the door and flying around the ring with reckless abandon. He had to be more calculating and lean more into his storytelling ability. 

The match stipulation allowed him to channel his creativity into a brawl setting, and he proved he could adapt and evolve as the style of wrestling did. This was, arguably, the last great match of his storied career. 

4. WrestleMania IV vs. 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase

As Savage stood across the ring from "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the finals of the tournament to crown a new WWE champion at WrestleMania IV, there was no longer any doubt he belonged in that position.

After wowing fans by way of his instant classic with Ricky Steamboat a year earlier, undergoing a successful babyface turn and garnering the love of the crowd, it was his time.

He and DiBiase delivered a technically fine match that will never rank among Macho Man's greater in-ring exploits but absolutely belongs among the most must-see of his career.

Savage, exhausted from competing in three other matches that same night, found himself fighting from underneath and having to fend off interference from Andre the Giant. When Miss Elizabeth ushered Hulk Hogan to the ring, the embattled competitor found new life. He fought back and, following a steel chair shot to the back of DiBiase by The Hulkster, he dropped the elbow to win the match and capture the title.

It was a monumental moment for Savage, who had spent much of his career to that point hearing about how he was too small to headline in the realm of the giants. He turned that notion on its ear and became one of the biggest stars in the industry. The WrestleMania main event against DiBiase, and his coronation as champion, proved it.

That it coincided with the start of an all-time great storyline with Hogan that would conclude the following year, only intensified that sentiment.

3. WrestleMania V vs. Hulk Hogan

By 1989, there was still no bigger star in professional wrestling than Hulk Hogan.

No matter who got hot, who scaled the mountain to the top of the industry or who held what title, The Hulkster was still the be-all, end-all in the industry. That is why it was such an enormous deal for Savage to work alongside him for an entire year, first as allies in The Mega Powers and then as sworn enemies.

Paranoia had gotten the best of Savage, leading him to accuse Hogan of having "lust" in his eyes for Miss Elizabeth. With every passing week and every adoring glance or touchy celebration, that paranoia grew more and more evident, culminating in a shocking betrayal on the February 3, 1989 edition of The Main Event.

With tensions high and mystery surrounding just whose corner Miss Elizabeth would be in, the two icons of the era would clash in a WrestleMania V main event dubbed "The Mega Powers Explode."

Savage was at his heelish best, chastising and controlling Elizabeth in between beating down and bloodying Hogan. He was now back to his heel roots and relished the opportunity to drum up anger and jeers from the fans in Atlantic City, many of whom had cheered him on to victory just one year earlier.

He would ultimately lose the match when Hogan dropped the leg and regained a title he had not held in two years, but Savage's performance and mere presence in the match was yet again proof of his stardom within the industry and his status as one of WWE's pillars.

Savage was the best wrestler on the card, in the most significant match of his life and against the biggest star in the industry. Best of all, he excelled and delivered the best WrestleMania main event to date.

2. WrestleMania VII vs. the Ultimate Warrior

When wrestling is at its best, there is no better form of entertainment.

The glitz, glamour, athleticism, physicality, artistry and immediate feedback from an appreciative audience come together to make for an experience that simply cannot be matched or duplicated.

At WrestleMania VII, Savage squared off with The Ultimate Warrior in a Retirement match that had its roots in the 1991 Royal Rumble. There, The Macho King blasted Warrior with his scepter, costing him the WWE Championship and igniting a rivalry that intensified quickly.

With a clause stipulating retirement for the loser of their match, emotions were at an all-time high and the match reflected it.

There was incredible drama in the form of Warrior kicking out of five top-rope elbow drops. Then came Warrior nearly walking out after a conversation with his higher power, only to return and put an end to his opponent's career with a barrage of shoulder tackles.

Tack onto the end of the match the betrayal by Queen Sherri followed by the tear-inducing reunion with Miss Elizabeth and you have a near-perfect example of pro wrestling done to perfection.

Could Savage go out there and have a mat classic with Ric Flair, Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels if he wanted/needed to? Of course, but it was as a storyteller that Savage was at his greatest. He worked with Warrior to craft an unforgettable morality play and added a storybook ending to the ordeal after the bell.

There are other, more storied WrestleMania classics but as a pure example of what makes the art form so incredibly special, it is difficult to find a match that better encompasses every element.

1. WrestleMania III vs. Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat

It's not every day that a match is recognized almost instantaneously as one of the best in the history of professional wrestling. That was the case on March 29, 1987, though, when Savage defended his Intercontinental Championship against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.

The match, the culmination of a feud that saw Macho Man damage his rival's throat and nearly end his career, was one of the marquee bouts on the WrestleMania III card and did not disappoint.

A dramatic encounter full of otherworldly near-falls, it cut a frenetic pace that never allowed fans to take themselves out of the action. The involvement of George "The Animal" Steele tied the encounter back to the previous year, when Savage defended against the green-tongued babyface infatuated with Miss Elizabeth and set up the finish.

It was Steele, previously dismissed by his foe as a simpleton, who would be pivotal in the closing moments. He grabbed the bell away from Savage and shoved him off the top rope. Steamboat would then cradle his stunned opponent and score the win and title, a happy ending to a transformative match.

Savage would lose the match but the outcome was relatively small potatoes compared to what the instant classic would mean to his career.

By then, no one doubted he was a great wrestler and a considerable star in the expanded WWE. There were, however, questions about his ability to succeed at the top of the card as a smaller wrestler in the land of giants. His performance, in front of 93,173 fans in Detroit's Pontiac Silverdome, erased that doubt.

Size mattered not for Savage. He was a storyteller, an all-time great in-ring performer who could captivate fans and get them to invest in whatever narrative he was selling them.

He didn’t need to be 6'5" because he could do something guys bigger could not: He made the audience care—about him, his opponent and the morality play they were performing in front of them.

The five-star bout that stole the show from underneath Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant gave McMahon all the evidence he needed to prove Savage could be a top star in his company, even if it took a little longer and some unrelated circumstances to get him there.

History tells us he did and became one of the most iconic stars in pro wrestling history. It can be argued this does not happen without the extraordinary display of excellence on the parts of both Savage and Steamboat on wrestling's grandest stage, which serves only to underline the significance of this contest.