Ranking every Macho Man Randy Savage match at WWE WrestleMania from worst to best

Just like I mentioned in my Hulk Hogan ranking column, I wanted to do the same thing with “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Savage had a total of 11 matches at WrestleMania, since he competed in four matches at WrestleMania IV. So, let’s start this ranking with his worst match.

11. Macho Man vs. One Man Gang (WrestleMania IV)

This was the semifinals of the title tournament, and quite frankly, it was only interesting to see how Savage would move on to the finals. The ending felt flat, as it ended in a dumb DQ finish where One Man Gang tried to hit Savage with Slick’s cane but never managed to do it in a very short match.

10. Macho Man vs. Butch Reed (WrestleMania IV)

What a boring way to start Savage’s road to the title. Reed was already on his way out of the company and played a very bland heel. Savage sold for a lot of the match, and thankfully it lasted less than five minutes after Reed got distracted by Liz and was thrown off the top rope.

9. Macho Man vs. Crush (WrestleMania X)

This was a Falls Count Anywhere match, but it wasn’t the type of match we know today. The rules were that after you pinned your opponent, you had to get back in the ring before the count of ten, which made the match a real mess and took you out of it. The botched ending didn’t help either, as Savage was supposed to hang Crush upside down by the feet and get back to the ring. Sadly, the rig didn’t work properly, and Crush fell to the floor while Savage left for the ring. The sad thing about all this is that it was Savage’s last WrestleMania match, as he left for WCW not too long after and never came back.

8. Macho Man vs. George “The Animal” Steele (WrestleMania II)

From the last WrestleMania match of Savage’s career to his first—and boy, this was another nothing match. Steele was very popular but was on the tail end of his career, and you could see it here. We all knew Savage was going to retain, but we wanted to see how he would do it. In the end, this was a TV-level match at best, and there’s not much more to say about it.

7. Macho Man vs. Greg Valentine (WrestleMania IV)

This was a second-round match in the title tournament, and if they had been given more time, it probably would have ranked higher. Both were great performers, but the fact that they only had six minutes made it feel rushed, which is a shame.

6. Macho King and Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire (WrestleMania VI)

This was another filler match made solely to take up space on the card. Savage and Rhodes did well carrying most of the match, but having a non-wrestler like Sapphire in there hurt the overall quality. Still, it was entertaining for what it was.

5. Macho Man vs. Ted DiBiase (WrestleMania IV)

This was the finals of the title tournament and one of the longest matches of the night, going nearly ten minutes. These two would have better matches after WrestleMania, but this was still a strong showing for both guys. Even though Savage needed help from Hogan to win the belt, it was still a great moment that fans remember to this day.

4. Macho Man vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania VIII)

The build-up to this match felt rushed, as the original plan was for Flair to face Hogan before Hogan decided to retire. WWE called an audible and put Savage in instead. Quite frankly, out of all the matches Flair and Savage had over the years, this was their best. You could feel the hatred Savage had for Flair. The fact that Savage won the title made it a great moment of vindication and gave fans a true feel-good ending.

3. Macho Man vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania V)

I talked a lot about this match in my Hogan ranking, but again, this was a great way to cap off a year-long story. Both guys looked great coming out of the match.

2. Macho Man vs. Ricky Steamboat (WrestleMania III)

This might be a controversial pick, since for most fans this is one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history—and I can’t argue with that. Quite frankly, it easily could have been number one, but the deciding factor was who was in the match. Steamboat and Savage were both incredible performers, and we had no doubt they’d deliver a classic—which they did.

1. Macho King vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VII)

For me, this is the best WrestleMania match of Savage’s WWE career because he was able to get a great performance out of Warrior, which not many wrestlers could do. The ending also perfectly wrapped up the story of Savage and Elizabeth and got everyone emotional—which is exactly what wrestling should do.

Conclusion

In the end, Savage was a better performer than Hogan but was stuck with a lot of nothing matches at WrestleMania, which is a shame for someone of his caliber. Still, he managed to deliver several great matches and unforgettable moments, which is a testament to just how special he was.