Randy Savage’s Best Wrestling Matches

Certain phrases in the world of wrestling have the tendency to bleed over into mainstream pop culture. After all, most people recognize the distinctive “woo” of Ric Flair or the “You can’t see me” of John Cena. In addition, anyone partially familiar with ‘80s pop culture might have their ears perk up when they hear the bellowing cry of “Oh, yeahhh,” as delivered by the iconic “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

One of the most recognizable wrestlers to ever compete in WWE, Savage achieved the same level of fame and recognition as his contemporaries in Hulk Hogan and André the Giant, delighting audiences with his talented in-ring performances, his energetic promos, and his famously theatrical attire.

1. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (WrestleMania III)

Often ranked as the greatest wrestling match of all time, Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat made history in more ways than one at WrestleMania III. The first standout match in the pay-per-view’s history, Savage and Steamboat’s meticulous preparation for the match ensured a bout of timeless quality, predating the back-and-forth nature of more recent wrestling matches today.

2. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania VIII)

The standout match between Randy Savage and his recurring nemesis Ric Flair came at 1992’s WrestleMania VIII. Though the Nature Boy’s widely-anticipated feud with Hulk Hogan never came to pass, Savage still served as a more than worthy stand-in for the Hulkster, his smash-mouth, high-flying style clashing well with Flair’s technical wrestling background.

With Flair alluding to a potential romantic entanglement with Miss Elizabeth in the weeks ahead of the match, the final showdown between Flair and Savage saw Macho Man on his A-game.

3. Randy Savage vs. “Diamond” Dallas Page (Halloween Havoc 1997)

As fantastic as Savage’s WCW match-ups against Ric Flair had been, Macho Man’s standout rivalry in WCW came courtesy of “Diamond” Dallas Page.

Joining the villainous n.W.o. at the start of the year, Savage spent the bulk of 1997 feuding with Page, laying the groundwork for a series of matches between the two. Concluding their rivalry at Halloween Havoc in a vicious Las Vegas Death match, Savage managed to put D.D.P. away with some critical aid from Mega Powers tag partner, Hulk Hogan, ending the war between Macho Man and Page in dramatic fashion.

4. Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania V)

Billed as “The night the Mega Powers explode,” WrestleMania V marked the fateful clash between Savage and his Mega Powers tag partner, Hulk Hogan. One of the most famous WrestleMania main events ever produced, Savage played his role as the insecure, jealous heel to a T. Evoking a more aggressive offensive style, Savage did all he could to defend his WWE title against the Hulkster, although it came to naught when combatting Hogan’s miraculous comeback.

5. Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VII)

Having cost The Ultimate Warrior his WWF Championship in the months ahead of WrestleMania VII, Savage found himself engaged in an all-important match against Warrior at the grandest stage of them all. With both of their careers at stake, the two ‘80s icons went all out, overshadowing the pay-per-view’s main event between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter.

Though Savage ended up falling victim to The Warrior’s unrelenting might, Macho Man still managed to enjoy his heartfelt WrestleMania moment, reuniting with Miss Elizabeth and rejoicing in front of the riotous Los Angeles crowd in attendance.

6. Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase (WrestleMania IV)

One of the crowning moments in Savage’s career came in the closing moments of WrestleMania IV. Having reinvented himself as a people-friendly face instead of a bullying, flamboyant heel, Savage managed to gain enough momentum to vie for the WWE Championship at the show to end all shows. Locking horns with his frequent adversary, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and fending off André the Giant at ringside, Macho Man managed to live out his foremost dreams as a wrestler, winning his first WWE Championship in the process.

7. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair (The Great American Bash 1995)

Departing WWE for WCW in late 1994, Savage found himself face-to-face with his long-time rival, Ric Flair. Reigniting their memorable WrestleMania feud, Flair and Savage competed in a series of matches throughout 1995, the best of which came in the main event of The Great American Bash. With Flair using the cane of Savage’s own father against Macho Man, the Nature Boy managed to pull one over against Savage with his trademark dubious tactics (although Savage soon returned the favor, triumphing over Flair at Bash at the Beach one month later).

8. Randy Savage vs. Bret Hart (Saturday Night's Main Event 1987)

In late 1987, Randy Savage stood face-to-face with brash, up-and-coming Canadian talent, Bret “The Hitman” Hart. In one of only two televised matches between Macho Man and the Excellence of Execution, Savage helped The Hitman look like a top-class performer, selling each of Hart’s moves with convincing realism. While Hart may have had a long way to go before he became “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be,” his early match with Savage established him as a star to watch out for in the future.

9. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (Superstars Of Wrestling 1986)

In an interesting side note, Randy Savage’s match against Ricky Steamboat at Superstars of Wrestling predated their later, more famous encounter at WrestleMania by about one year. While their 1986 bout may not have captured the same fanfare, Savage and Steamboat still demonstrated acute chemistry in the ring together.

Though unsuccessful in his attempts to win Savage’s Intercontinental title, The Dragon continued his long ascent to the top of WWE, thanks in large part to his exceptional dynamic with the Macho Man himself.

10. Randy Savage, Lex Luger, and Sting vs. The Outsiders (Bash at the Beach 1996)

Yes, Savage’s role in the Bash at the Beach 1997 pay-per-view may have been minimal. However, as most wrestling observers often point out, Savage’s participation in the match made him a key part of wrestling history. With Macho Man, Lex Luger, and Sting facing off against The Outsiders, Savage helped his WCW allies fend off Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Though relegated to a mere supporting role in the main event, Savage saw firsthand the era-defining formation of the n.W.o., with his former Mega Powers partner, Hulk Hogan, betraying him and turning heel for the first time in 15 years.

11. Randy Savage vs. “Diamond” Dallas Page (The Great American Bash 1997)

Whether fans watched it in 1997 or reviewed it from today’s perspective, something about Randy Savage’s Falls Count Anywhere match against “Diamond” Dallas Page at The Great American 1997 felt so real. In their all-time classic WCW bout, Savage and Page made the violence of their match seem so genuine, blurring the lines between scripted TV and reality. With an enraged Savage pummeling referees and cameramen at ringside, The Great American Bash 1997 sees Macho Man in his most crazed performance.

12. Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior (SummerSlam 1992)

Reigniting his WrestleMania VII rivalry against The Ultimate Warrior in mid 1992, Savage transitioned from his feud against Ric Flair to defend his WWE Championship against Warrior at SummerSlam 1992. With both competitors offering their begrudging respect for one another this time around, Savage and Warrior conducted a match on par with their WrestleMania showdown one year earlier. Despite the fantastic quality of the match itself, the bout’s disappointing finish left fans wanting more, even if Warrior and Savage embraced each other afterwards not as enemies, but as equals.

13. Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana (WWE On MSG 1986)

In the mid-1980s, Savage had only begun his momentous ascent in WWE. A transitional point in WWE history, the middle of the decade found the future stars of WWE’s golden age combating the old guard of Vince McMahon’s company, like Bruno Sammartino, George “The Animal” Steele, and Tito Santana. At WWE on MSG 1986, Savage achieved his first significant milestone in WWE, besting Santana for the Intercontinental Championship in a fiery slobber knocker of a match.

14. Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase (WWF On MSG 1988)

Three months after beating “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania IV, Savage defended his title against DiBiase in the confines of a steel cage on the June 25 edition of WWF on MSG. More of a two-on-one handicap match than a traditional cage bout, Savage had to fend off the joint forces of DiBiase and his faithful bodyguard, Virgil. Overcoming the odds, Savage beat out his WrestleMania IV rival in grand fashion, hopping over the cage wall to retain his championship.

15. Randy Savage vs. Dynamite Kid (The Wrestling Classic 1985)

In the autumn of 1985, Macho Man and one-half of the British Bulldogs locked up in the semifinals of a prestigious wrestling tournament at The Wrestling Classic. Though a mere five minutes in length, Savage and Dynamite Kid used every second of their match to maximum effect. Combining mat-based technical wrestling with an occasional punch or suplex, the bout further cemented each wrestler’s place in WWE at the time.

16. Randy Savage vs. Shawn Michaels (UK Rampage 1992)

Like his 1987 bout with Bret Hart, Savage’s match against rising star Shawn Michaels helped the Heartbreak Kid forge a reputation as a legitimate solo competitor at the start of the 1990s. Mirroring his own matches against Tito Santana, Savage–cast as the more ring-savvy veteran wrestler–beat out his stylistic successor in a hotly-contested event between HBK and the Macho Man.

17. The Mega Powers vs. The Mega Bucks (SummerSlam 1988)

Headlining the first-ever SummerSlam pay-per-view, Savage joined his Mega Powers partner, Hulk Hogan, to take on “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and André the Giant to close the show. With Jesse “The Body” Ventura as special guest referee and both Miss Elizabeth and manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan at ringside, the subsequent bout read like a who’s who of 1980s-era wrestling, leaving little wonder as to why SummerSlam became the flagship WWE show it soon became.

18. Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts (Saturday Night’s Main Event XXX)

Coaxed out of his temporary retirement by Jake “the Snake” Roberts, Savage re-entered active competition in WWE by 1991, staving off the partnership of Roberts and The Undertaker. Battling each other from the end of the year to the start of 1992, Savage soon faced Roberts at Saturday Night’s Main Event XXX. Gaining revenge over The Snake for his repeated attacks (including the infamous moment where Roberts attacked Savage with a king cobra), Savage’s victory over Roberts marked his momentous return to wrestling, leading to a long and successful decade in WWE and WCW.

19. Randy Savage vs. “Diamond” Dallas Page (Spring Stampede 1997)

Competing in the first of several pay-per-view matches in 1997, Savage squared off his most notable 1990s WCW nemesis, “Diamond” Dallas Page. Like their later rematches at The Great American Bash and Halloween Havoc, Savage and Page went at each with ardent tenacity, brawling throughout the Cadence Bank Arena. While the latter focus of the match shifted to the sudden appearance of disgruntled n.W.o. referee Nick Patrick, the first half of the bout saw Page and Savage in an all-out street fight against one another.

20. Randy Savage vs. Bret Hart (Slamboree 1998)

An unsung chapter in the n.W.o civil war storyline, Slamboree 1998 pitted Bret “The Hitman” Hart of n.W.o. Hollywood with n.W.o. Wolfpac member, Randy Savage. Despite some hokey interference from the n.W.o. members at ringside, Savage and Hart enjoyed a match as memorable as their earlier encounter at Saturday Night's Main Event in 1987. With Hart now an established veteran and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper acting as the special guest referee, the pay-per-view ushered in the long-awaited reunion between these two wrestling legends (not to mention ensuring the best match in the n.W.o Hollywood versus n.W.o. Wolfpac rivalry).