The Most Tender Moment in Wrestling History

I finally finished watching the 9-hour long Macho Man Randy Savage anthology and wanted to share what was, by far, the most touching moment.

To set the scene, Savage had been with the lovely Miss Elizabeth since 1985. He started out his WWF career as a bad guy, often mistreating the tenderhearted Elizabeth. Despite his poor behavior, she always stood by his side.

Things took a turn for the better in 1987 as Savage began treating everyone but his opponents with much less hostility. One night later in the year, Savage was battling the Honky Tonk Man in hopes of regaining the Intercontinental Championship. When the match was interfered with by the Hart foundation, Elizabeth ran back to the locker room to enlist the help of the mighty Hulk Hogan. As Hogan rescued the Macho Man, the “Mega Powers” were formed.

The Mega Powers went on to a period of world domination, though trouble developed in early 1989 when Hogan also took the endearing Elizabeth as his manager. The Macho Man’s jealously led the duo to eventually split and face off at Wrestlemania V. This ended the Macho Man’s brief tenure as a good guy and led to the replacement of the virtuous Miss Elizabeth by the wicked Sensational Sherri.

The newly named “Macho King” and Sherri continued together as Wrestlemania VII arrived in the spring of 1991. Savage would face-off against the Ultimate Warrior in a match with unusual rules. The stipulation was that the loser would have to retire. Though Miss Elizabeth had largely disappeared from television and the public eye, she was on hand to witness the Macho King eventually lose the match.

As the Macho Man lay bruised in body and in spirit in the middle of the ring, Sherri turned on him and started attacking the fallen and defenseless star. At this point, the heartbroken Miss Elizabeth had seen enough. She couldn’t help but still care for the Macho Man and rush to his side. Now, the Macho Man had to decide how to respond. Would he once again spurn Elizabeth’s goodness or would Elizabeth finally manage to soften the Macho Man’s hardened heart?

What happens next is the most tender moment in Wrestling history. Facing retirement, defeat and the betrayal of Sherri, the Macho Man finds out that what it means to win isn’t always so straightforward. Meanwhile, Miss Elizabeth finds healing and restoration in a love which finally breaks through.

Now, I know what you’re thinking right now. Wrestling is fake.  To that, all I can say is take a look at the reactions of all the fans in this video.  You think some of them might have been picked on as kids? Could it be that some of that really cared about someone who never felt the same way in return? Is it too much of a stretch to assume that some of them, unbeknownst to even themselves, were looking for something more than acrobatic men throwing each other around in a tiny ring? In that moment, Wrestling touched on something having to do with love, pain and the desire for reconciliation which is as real as ever.

I know what else you’re thinking. This post is absurd. Let me tell you what’s absurd: anyone who chooses to mess with the Macho Man.

OOOOOOOOOH YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!

 

Category: Gallery, Musings