Goody Bag VIII: Randy Savage, Cream of the Crop

 

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Randy Savage: From a house show in Houston Texas on May 15 1987, and notable for being one of the few (if only) matches between them from AFTER WrestleMania III that were taped. Feeling out process to start, and Savage gets him into the corner, and unloads to take control. Snapmare, but Steamboat counters to a backslide for two, so Macho backelbows him down, then throws him over the top. Whoever was in charge of setting up the ring that night did a horrible job, as the ropes are way too loose, and the ring skirt is improperly hung. That's uncharacteristically bush-league for the WWF. The crowd is totally pro-Savage as he pounds on the champion, but the Dragon counters a bodyslam with an inside cradle for two. Savage responds with a flying bodypress, but Steamboat rolls through for two, so Randy ties him up in the ropes to slow the champ down. Corner whip and a hangman's clothesline setup a flying axehandle, and a running overhead elbowsmash gets two. Funny bit, as Steamboat starts throwing chops to knock Savage into the ropes, but the ropes are so loose that Randy ends up slipping through them while trying to get himself tied in them. I hope Vince personally chewed out whatever idiots were doing the setup that night. Steamboat destroys him anyway, and a 2^nd rope flying fist gets two. Randy goes to the eyes to turn things around, but Ricky gutpunches him out of the air during a flying axehandle, and a rollup gets two - only for Steamboat to bump his bad throat into the ropes as Savage kicks out! He tries a straddling ropechoke, but Ricky dodges, and hits a slingshot into the turnbuckles. Savage tries a piledriver, but Steamboat counters with a backdrop, and adds a flying tomahawk chop for two. Randy tries a bodyslam, but Ricky blocks that as well, and a criss cross ends in a double-knockout spot. Savage recovers first and grabs a weapon, but it backfires, and Ricky retains at 10:57. Decent enough, but nowhere near breathing the same air as WrestleMania III. **

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Randy Savage: From a TV taping on August 9 1989, which ended up on Coliseum Video's Hulkamania 4 and on Best of Hulkamania. Despite those releases, this version is presented without commentary. A distraction from Sensational Sherri allows Macho to attack from behind, but Hulk sends him to the outside with an atomic drop, then threatens to beat on Sherri before she manages to get away. I know it's all scripted, but it's always bothered me just how fucking INTO IT the fans are whenever a male wrestler threatens to let a woman have it. Like, that's something that should play out as a lot more awkward and uncomfortable than it tends to. Hulk keeps knocking Randy around, but another Sherri distraction allows Savage to knock the champ to the floor with a high knee - where Zeus is ready and waiting with some abuse! He rolls Hulk back in for Savage to hit with a flying axehandle for two, and Macho grounds him with a chinlock. That goes on for quite a while before Hogan escapes, and puts Macho down with a shoulderblock - only to get tripped up by Sherri, and hit with a straddling ropechoke. Sherri is fucking awesome, and I've really come to appreciate just how much she added to Savage's shtick a lot more than I ever did as a kid. Savage snaps Hulk's throat across the top rope to setup another flying axehandle, but it only triggers the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Liz Slap! Clothesline! Legdrop! 8:03! The usual Hogan/Savage match from 1989. * ¾

Randy Savage and Jim Duggan v Jake Roberts and The Undertaker: From a TV taping on December 4 1991 (one day after This Tuesday in Texas), which ended up on Coliseum Video's Invasion 1992. I'm surprised they didn't run a Mega Powers reunion here, given Hogan's issues with Undertaker, but Hulk worked this show against Ric Flair instead. Duggan starts with Undertaker, and gets the life choked out of him in the corner, but manages to clothesline the Dead Man over the top. Duggan tries pulling him back in, but ends up getting his throat snapped across the top rope, and Jake gleefully adds some choking from the floor as well. More choking from Undertaker, but Jim gets away from Jake long enough to tag, and Savage blitzes him! Flying axehandle hits, but Roberts is knocked right into a tag to Undertaker - 'Taker quickly putting Macho down for Jake to abuse. They cut the ring in half on Randy, but Undertaker misses and elbowdrop, and Duggan gets the tag. He also quickly runs into trouble against Undertaker though, and Jake hits a short-clothesline. DDT, but Savage comes in with a chair for the DQ at 7:09. Shitty match - I have no idea why they included this. The only reason I revisited this one is because I thought for sure that I must have underrated it the first time, but nope. Still a DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Randy Savage and Bret Hart v Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels: From a TV taping on July 20 1992, which later ended up on Coliseum Video's Grudges, Gripes, and Grunts. This one is also presented without commentary. Bret starts with Shawn, and it's a feeling out process, until Savage comes in and starts clotheslining everything in sight. He and Flair feel each other out next, but an attempt to double-team with Shawn in the corner ends badly, and Savage passes back to Bret to work Michaels' arm. Shawn fights him off with a bodyslam and passes to Flair, but Ric misses an elbowdrop. Hart goes for the arm, so Flair goes for the eyes, and he unloads with chops in the corner, but Bret reverses a cross corner whip, and backdrops the Nature Boy. Over to Savage to hammer Ric with jabs and a ten-punch, but Flair escapes with an inverted atomic drop. Figure Four, but Randy blocks - only to get blasted with a superkick from Michaels. It's 1992 though, so that's enough to put Macho down on the outside, but not a finisher yet. Mr. Perfect abuses Randy out there before rolling him back in for Shawn to hit with a high knee, as the heels cut the ring in half on Savage. It's kind of funny to see Sherri now taking cheap shots at Savage during the heat segment, after getting so used to her as his cheating manager. She'd actually end up as the heel manager for three-quarters of the guys involved in this one at one time or another during the early 1990s. Gal got around. Shawn hits the Teardrop Suplex for two, but Savage fights out of a sleeper from Flair, then slams him off the top rope to allow the tag to Bret - Roseanne Barr the door! Despite not being the legal men, Savage reverses a whip into Sherri on the apron, and schoolboys Michaels for the pin at 17:16. This is one of those matches that sounds incredible on paper, but fails to live up to the hype we create in our minds for it. That's not to say that it's bad by any means, but anything short of, like, a four-and-a-half-star classic was going to be disappointing here. ** ½ (Original rating: ** ¾)

WCW United States Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Randy Savage v Steve Austin: From WCW Saturday Night, May 27 1995 (taped May 11). This is not only notable for being the only meeting between these two, but also for being Austin's last televised WCW match. Austin was reaching that dangerous level of baldness where the longer you grow your hair, the less it looks like you have. Luckily, he'd start shaving it by the end of the year. Savage fights him off at the bell, and chokes him on the ropes, so Austin goes to the eyes, and hammers him in the corner. Steve tosses Macho out of the ring for some quick abuse on the outside, then snapmares him on the way back in to setup a flying splash - Randy rolling out of the way! He returns the favor by dumping Steve to the outside for a couple of shots into the post, then back in for a bodyslam to setup the Flying Elbowdrop at 2:19. Though this is really only on here for the historical significance, it was a good effort for what it was. *