A Moment in Time: The Macho Man Randy Savage’s Final Run in Pro Wrestling

Brian Damage

The Macho Man Randy Savage had a legendary career in professional wrestling. From being a world champion and main-eventing for both the WWF and WCW, to feuding with the likes of Jerry Lawler, Ricky Steamboat, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. While achieving some of the greatest accolades in the wrestling business, Savage ended his career with a whimper rather than an extravagant retirement tour. Today, we look at how the Macho Man walked away from the industry with a very brief and unmemorable run with the then upstart TNA.

In November of 2004, TNA wrestling was a struggling promotion that was seemingly hemorrhaging money by the day. It was reported that the main financial backer of TNA…Panda Energy run by the Carter family had lost around 17 million since they bankrolled the company back in October of 2002. Jeff and Jerry Jarret, who originally founded TNA, were constantly trying to find ways to keep the Carter family invested by looking at securing TV deals and bringing in name talent. Another way, was putting together their very first three hour pay per view called ‘Victory Road.’

The Jarretts had signed Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to big money deals and wanted to also bring in another big name surprise. According to Jeff Jarrett, they needed a big surprise to end the show to hook fans to continue to watch their product. The first name they attempted to sign was Sting, but Sting at the time was content not to commit to wrestling anywhere for any extended amount of time. After Sting rejected TNA’s offer, Jerry Jarrett came up with the idea to try and lure ‘The Macho Man’ Randy Savage out of “hiding.” Savage hadn’t been visible in pro wrestling since he walked away from WCW in May of 2000. 

Savage had a love/hate relationship with the Jarrett family that dated back to the early years of his career. The Jarretts and Poffos were engaged in a very real, bitter promotional war over territory when Jerry Jarrett ran the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee and Savage’s father Angelo Poffo ran the outlaw promotion International Championship Wrestling in Lexington, Kentucky. The promotional war was very personal and spilled into real life confrontations outside of the ring. According to Randy’s brother Lanny Poffo, there was always those scars that never fully healed between the families.

Jeff Jarrett believed that for the most part, all was forgiven once his father Jerry brought Savage into his Memphis territory and helped put a spotlight on his talent that led to getting noticed and brought to a national level when Vince McMahon and the WWF came calling. Jeff said Savage always appreciated what Jerry did for his career and the two developed a friendship with one another. That is what led to Jerry having the idea to bring in Savage to help create a buzz for TNA. After back-and-forth talks, Jeff felt that Savage seemed “wishy washy” about the idea and not fully committed. He said that Savage had pretty much took himself out the wrestling business and was trying to bolster an acting career in Hollywood.  Savage was just two years removed from starring in the Spiderman movie and wanted to try and build something out of his appearance in that film. 

The Jarretts were able to convince Savage to appear at the Victory Road pay per view and laid out a plan to have Savage eventually challenge Jeff Jarrett for the world title. It was reported that Savage verbally agreed to join TNA for approximately $25,000…a sum which Jeff vehemently denies. Regardless, Savage had a handshake deal and showed up for the event. Savage was fully dressed in all black including a long black leather jacket, a long sleeve black shirt, black pants and boots. Randy refused to take off his jacket at the building, despite sweating profusely. It was said that Randy appeared a great deal smaller than he ever was during his career and in no way TV ready. Savage apparently knew this and that is why he hid his physique from everyone backstage.

Savage made his TNA appearance by walking to the ring and going after Jeff Jarrett. While this was happening, Hulk Hogan had driven up to the site of the show in Orlando from his home in Tampa, Florida. Hulk came up to visit friends and chat with the Jarretts and Panda Energy CEO Bob Carter about potentially working with one another down the line. When Savage got wind that Hulk Hogan was in the building, he became livid. Savage had a bad falling out with his former friend Hogan and even produced a rap album dissing the Hulkster and publicly challenging Hulk to fight him for real. When Hogan and Savage met face to face backstage at Victory Road…it did not end well.

Reportedly, Hulk offered to shake Randy’s hand to try and bury the hatchet, but Savage wanted no part of Hulk Hogan and refused to shake his hand, He then allegedly cursed out Hogan to which Hulk responded by offering to take this issue outside. Savage allegedly backed down and walked out of the show without saying a word to anybody. The Macho Man was scheduled to return to TNA for their TV taping, but 15 minutes before the taping began, Savage informed the Jarretts that he wasn’t going to do it. He felt that Hulk Hogan appearing at the pay per view was a direct slap to his face and said that TNA was an “unsafe work environment” and would no longer be a part of their promotion.

Jeff Jarrett and booker Dusty Rhodes pleaded with Savage to appear at the taping, as a majority of the show was going to revolve around him and his potential feud with Jarrett. Despite their pleas, Savage refused and the entire show had to be re-written on the fly. A few days later, Jerry Jarrett was able to talk to Savage and convince him to return. Savage agreed to wrestle in a six-man tag match at the following month’s Turning Point PPV. Before Savage agreed to return to TNA, he had a long list of demands. Some of which included that Jimmy Hart (a close friend of Hulk Hogan) who worked behind the scenes could not be allowed anywhere near him or produce any match he was involved in. He also demanded a limousine for him and his entourage to and from the shows. His entourage included wrestlers Brian Adams and Ron Harris and they were to be paid $1,000 a night when Savage was there. He also requested a private dressing room. In exchange for meeting those demands, Savage agreed to appear on 8 shows for the company. The Carter family agreed to his terms. 

Naturally, when word of this deal leaked to the rest of the TNA locker room, it created a ton of dissension among the boys. Many felt that Savage wasn’t worth that money and expense and especially Adams and Harris who were being paid better than them and they didn’t have to wrestle. The tension got so bad, that Dusty Rhodes and Dixie Carter had to have a meeting with the other wrestlers to try and calm the situation. It reportedly didn’t help matters at all.

At the Turning Point pay per view, Randy Savage showed up in no real condition to wrestle, as he looked old and out of shape. Dusty Rhodes booked a quick run in by Savage during the six-man match pitting Savage, Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles vs Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett with Savage getting the pin on Jarrett. This was going to set up a title match between Savage and Jarrett, but word got back to Savage that he was booked to lose to Jeff and Savage flat out refused. Not only did he refuse, but he quit the company a second time. He no showed the TV taping and despite numerous attempts, Savage never returned their calls. That was the end of not only Savage’s run in TNA but was the end of his career as a professional wrestler. A very weak and unmemorable end to such a Hall of Fame career.