Disclaimer: As you can see by scrolling down this is an unusually long post for this kind of thread. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to take the time to bother reading it.
WrestleMania III is hard to argue against but one of my all time favorite matches is Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior from WrestleMania VII. When I say match I mean everything that encompasses it, not just the bell to bell action. I mean the hype, the drama, the aftermath, everything. This was a huge match and belongs near the top of all time great mania matches. Let me paint the picture.
Randy Savage entered the WWF in 1985 with the lovely Elizabeth as his manager. For two years Savage mistreated Elizabeth and verbally abused her. The fans loved Elizabeth but hated Savage for the way he treated her. As time went by Savage became one of the top stars in the WWF but his poor attitude remained the same. Then came The Honky Tonk Man. After getting disqualified in a match against Savage, The Hart Foundation held up a helpless Savage so Honky could smash him over the head with his guitar. Elizabeth sacrificed herself by jumping in front of Honky as he was about to deliver the blow. Fortunately Honky stopped himself before connecting with Elizabeth but he violently shoved her to the mat and hit Savage with the guitar anyway. It was at this point that Savage began to appreciate Elizabeth and treat her with the respect she deserved. Savage would go on to become the most popular wrestler in the WWF and with Elizabeth as his inspiration he would become world champion. His partnership with Hulk Hogan was the hottest thing going in the WWF. Alas jealousy would rear its ugly head as Savage felt Hogan was getting too close to Elizabeth. Savage was never one to control his emotions and the old aggressive Savage was starting to reemerge. A bitter feud between Savage and Hogan took place with Elizabeth caught in the middle. Elizabeth saw the old Savage had returned and rather than take his abuse again she left the wrestling world making only a few appearances over the next two years. In the meantime Savage joined up with the evil Sensational Sherri and was once again one of the most hated men in the WWF.
As the fans hatred for Savage grew another star had won over their affection. The Ultimate Warrior was filling the void that Savage had left and arguably became more popular than Savage had been. In early 1991 the two had crossed paths. The Warrior was champion and Savage was seeking a title shot. Simple enough except for one problem. The Warrior had turned down Savage’s challenge deeming him unworthy of a championship match. This infuriated Savage and he decided to take it upon himself to take the title off Warrior even if it wasn’t going on to himself. At the 1991 Royal Rumble Savage continuously interfered in Warrior’s title defense against Sgt. Slaughter. Eventually the interference was too much to overcome and Slaughter was crowned the new champion courtesy of a major assist from Savage. Over the next several weeks the feud became so heated that a decision was made that the WWF wasn’t big enough for the both of them. It would all come a head at WrestleMania VII in a career ending match. These were the two biggest names besides Hulk Hogan and a showdown between the two would be a blockbuster under any circumstances. The career ending stipulation sent the hype off the charts.
WrestleMania had finally come and there was electricity in the air. Savage entered first propped high on his throne in all his glory. The fans welcomed him with a chorus of boos. Then to a thunderous ovation came The Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior normally hit the ring like a house on fire but this match was different. The Warrior very slowly and methodically walked to the ring. Both these men had been champion before. Both had headlined WrestleMania against Hulk Hogan. Despite that this was the biggest match of both men’s careers. Unbeknownst to Savage a familiar face was in the audience. The lovely Elizabeth had purchased a ticket to see what could be Savage’s last match. Was she there to cheer him on or see him fail? Only she knew the answer. The bell rang and the action was underway. These two hit each other with everything they had. Warrior started out strong as always but it wasn’t long before Savage got the upper hand. Sherri wasn’t shy about getting involved in this match and with so much on the line the referee was letting a lot slide. The referee would pay a price for allowing such leeway as eventually he was knocked out of action. More interference and chaos ensued before the ref was able to regroup. Savage had control and went up for his famous flying elbow drop. He hit the move and it looked like the final chapter on Warrior’s career had been written. Shockingly though Savage did not go for the pin. The fans stood in amazement wondering what was going through Savage’s mind. He went to the top again and hit Warrior with another elbow. Surely this had to be the end. It was unlikely that anyone could kick out of one of Savage’s elbow drops much less two. Still though Savage did not go for the pin. It looked like the third time would be the charm as Savage again went to the top and hit Warrior with another elbow. And still no cover. Savage went up for a fourth and fifth time hitting two more elbow drops before finally going for the win. The ref went for the three count and it looked like Warrior was through but he amazingly kicked out at two. Savage was in utter disbelief. The adrenaline was flowing through Warrior now and he was on the comeback trail. After a few clotheslines Warrior went for his patented gorilla press finisher. He held Savage high above his head and stepped out from underneath him letting Savage crash face first to the mat below. One big splash later and it seems as though the three count is merely a formality. To the shock of everyone Savage kicked out at two. Warrior couldn’t believe it. He hit Savage with everything he had but could not keep him down. Warrior began to question himself and seemingly was giving up on the match. He appeared to be headed back to the locker room but was cut off by Savage. Savage draped Warrior over the guardrail outside the ring like he had done to so many others before. He climbed to the top hoping to deliver the final blow that would end the career of The Ultimate Warrior. Savage flew through the air but Warrior had moved out of the way. Savage went crashing into the rail as his career flashed before his eyes. Warrior threw Savage back in the ring and hit him with three flying shoulder blocks, each one sending him to the floor. Savage was spent. It was a grueling battle and he just didn’t have anything left. Warrior stood over Savage and placed one boot on his chest as the referee made the final three count in the career of Randy Savage. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief before erupting with applause as their hero had survived with his career in tact. After a brief celebration an exhausted Warrior walked back to the locker room victorious.
With Savage still laying in the ring reality was sinking in for Sensational Sherri. The end of Savage also meant the end of Sherri. Shock turned to anger as Sherri entered the ring and began kicking a beaten down Savage. Savage was helpless and the crowd was wondering if someone would come to his rescue. Someone did. An unlikely someone. Elizabeth, someone who was easily intimidated and rarely physical, hopped the guardrail and ran to the ring. She grabbed Sherri by the hair and threw her from the ring. Savage remained face down on the mat as Elizabeth tried to help him up. He swatted her away still unaware of what had taken place. Finally he made it to his feet and turned around to see Elizabeth standing before him. He looked like he was in a dream. Savage never knew Elizabeth was there and he couldn’t believe his eyes. With the crowd going crazy, Sherri yelling at him from the outside, and Elizabeth crying in the ring Savage was trying to make sense of the whole situation. He put the pieces together and realized it was Elizabeth who saved him from an attack by Sherri. With tears streaming down her face Elizabeth opened her arms to Savage and he opened his to her. The two embraced as Savage’s music hit and the crowd went crazy. Savage hoisted Elizabeth on his shoulder as they shared the ring together just like they had done in the good old days. They left the ring but Savage rolled in for one last farewell. He hit every corner and acknowledged the fans. The same fans that booed Randy Savage on his way to the ring gave him a proper sendoff giving him the standing ovation he deserved. Savage entered the arena a hated man who was trying to end the career of one of the all time most popular stars. He lost the match and his career but won over the fans. He realized although he lost his career he won something even more important. It was one of the most emotional moments in WWF history.
Savage may have been other matches that had better and more fluid action from bell to bell, but as many of us have come to realize professional wrestling is about so much more than just the match. It’s about the drama, the emotion, the spectacle. Thanks to those who bothered to take the time to read this post. This match is one of the best stories ever in wrestling and it’s a story I enjoyed telling.
