DVD Review: “Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Collection”

Produced By: World Wrestling Entertainment Home Video

Written By: “Wild” Bill Brown

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Content: 9.0

The latest home video provided by World Wrestling Entertainment features one of the most legendary performers to have disappeared from the WWE for the last 15 years & has never been positively reviewed until now. “Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection” is three discs with nearly nine hours featuring this pro-wrestling icon in some of his most memorable matches, feuds, & storylines during his history in the WWE. Hosted by Matt Striker & WWE Diva Maria, each portion on all three discs of these DVD’s are guided in with prepared dialogue by our hosting duo with the material shown, as they guide you through “Macho Madness.”

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Audio/Video: 9.0

The WWE once again is state-of-the-art in production when it comes to any current DVD release. This one features all footage from the mid 80’s & the 1990’s, so while the footage used is not in High-Definition as used today by the company, what they have & used has been well-preserved & showcased perfectly. The audio is clear & crisp, and with the exception of some overdubs on a few theme songs that the WWE does not own the rights to, the blend of audio & the great commentaries from such legendary announce teams mainly involving Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Vince McMahon, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan is a very enjoyable listen throughout the release.

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Special Features: 9.0

Over a dozen extra interviews, a wedding (at SummerSlam ’91), Miss Elizabeth ’s debut, & a “Macho King” coronation are the great special features provided in this DVD. While nice to see & great to watch all those vintage promos, I would have liked to see maybe just one other person besides your hosts (Matt Striker & Maria) throughout all nine hours say something about their time with “The Macho Man.” “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes , & even “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels: just one addition from someone else saying anything about Randy Savage would have been a nice touch, but instead leaves me with a very incomplete & disappointing feeling.  

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What’s On The DVD’s?

Matt Striker & Maria are your only hosts, and what they say will guide you through a slew of matches. Is Maria there because she is the closest resemblance to Elizabeth ? She reads off some facts in some parts, which looks very bad, because she clearly does not know the history given, and any viewer can tell she is reading a script. And without the cooperation of the Poffo’s, any older clips or footage from their own promotion in Kentucky when they were breaking in or photos from childhood is not pieced in. I wish there was some type of little story here, but the WWE did not design it that way this time. But anyways…onto the awesome WWE & WCW matches:

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The Matches & DVD Features:

Disc I



WWE Debut

Randy Savage vs. Rick McGraw

Prime Time Wrestling — July 9, 1985

Madison Square Garden, “The Mecca,” is the first place Savage wrestled in the WWE

Savage’s Choice For A New Manager

Your first look at a very shy & totally timid Miss Elizabeth

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Boston Garden — December 7, 1985

First time these two greats lock up, having a classic battle in the process. The finish was exactly the same as a future match in The Boston Garden two more months down the line

WWE Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan

Madison Square Garden  — December 30, 1985

Savage was a serious threat, and gives “The Hulk” a run for the money & a count-out loss

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match

Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana

Boston Garden — February 8, 1986

Brass knucks on the back suplex in the ring, and we have a new WWE Intercontinental Champion. Fans just saw this finish in this same building two months prior with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Bruno Sammartino

Boston Garden – January 3, 1987

A living legend tries to teach “The Macho Man” a wrestling lesson

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

WrestleMania III – March 29, 1987

What many quote to this day as the greatest match in WrestleMania History

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. The Honky Tonk Man

WWE’s “The Main Event” — February 5, 1988

33 million viewers saw this live on NBC, told as the largest audience in WWE history

WWE Championship Tournament Final

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase

WrestleMania IV — March 27, 1988

Randy Savage captures his first WWE Championship

WWE Championship Steel Cage Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase

Madison Square Garden — June 25, 1988

The fan that gets involved at the finish should be getting royalty checks, because he has appeared in this match numerous times before. A great Steel Cage Match.

Special Features

“A Match Made In Heaven”

The Wedding Of “The Macho Man” Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth

WWE SummerSlam — August 26, 1991

Disc II



“The Macho Man” Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant & “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase

WWE SummerSlam — August 29, 1988  

The Mega Powers Unite to face The Mega Bucks

WWE Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan

WrestleMania V — April 2, 1989

Randy Savage goes heel & loses to “The Hulkster”

WWE Championship Match

“The Macho King” Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan

WWE’s “The Main Event” — March 22, 1990

“The Macho King” & “Sensational” Queen Sherri are now together. Buster Douglas gets a knock-out as well

Intergender Mayhem

“The Macho King” Randy Savage & “Sensational” Sherri vs. “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire

WrestleMania VI — April 1, 1990

“Intergender Mayhem” for the first time in WWE History

Retirement Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior

WrestleMania VII — March 24, 1991

Career on the Line & a reunion with ‘Liz

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

WWE’s “This Tuesday In Texas” —  December 3, 1991

Jake was a venomous heel, so evil that this footage is edited down from the original nowadays

WWE Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

WrestleMania VIII — April 5, 1992

Was ‘Liz with ” Space Mountain” before “Macho Madness?” Their first big war together

Special Features

Miss Elizabeth ‘s Debut

Championship Wrestling — July 30, 1985

The Coronation of “The Macho King”

WWE Superstars — September 30, 1989

 

Disc III

WWE Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels

WWE’s “European Rampage” — April 19, 1992

One of Randy’s last matches in the WWE

Lifeguard Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

WCW Bash At The Beach — July 16, 1995

The feud lives again in WCW

WCW Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

WCW Monday Nitro — January 22, 1996

“The Macho Man” captures yet another World Championship from “The Nature Boy”

Falls Count Anywhere Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page

WCW Great American Bash — June 15, 1997

This feud & the match here was really good

WCW Championship Match

“The Macho Man” Randy Savage & Sid Vicious vs. Kevin Nash & Sting

WCW Bash At The Beach — July 11, 1999

Another weird title change in a tag team match for “Team Madness”

Special Features

Nothing But Garbage

WWE Prime Time Wrestling — October 29, 1985

Yesterday’s Newspaper

WWE Prime-Time Wrestling — December 3, 1985

A Champion’s Prerogative

WWE All Star Wrestling — March 1, 1986

The Most Important Man in the World

WWE Prime-Time Wrestling – April 21, 1986

Talkin’ About History

WWE Prime-Time Wrestling — May 5, 1986

Free Word Association

WWE Tuesday Night Titans — July 2, 1986

Cuppa’ Coffee

WWE Prime-Time Wrestling — May 11, 1987

The Cream of the Crop

Prime-Time Wrestling — May 11, 1987

The Beat Goes On

WWE Superstars — September 19, 1987

Bow To “The Macho King”

Madison Square Garden — November 25, 1989

“The Macho King” Rules The Peasants

WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event — January 27, 1990

You Don’t Say No To “The Macho King”

Madison Square Garden — January 21, 1991

A Little Bit Insane

WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event — February 8, 1992

Whatever It Takes

WWE Superstars — June 13, 1992

The Ultimate Maniacs

WWE Superstars — October 24, 1992

One Cool Dude

WCW Monday Nitro — June 17, 1996

nWo Madness

WCW Monday Nitro — April 28, 1997

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The Verdict:

Covering almost fifteen years of classic footage, this DVD is sure to please any viewer old & new. Randy Savage is featured very well, and unlike another video release in the past about The Ultimate Warrior, this one speaks continuously high of a wrestling icon & makes any viewer get a feel that Randy Savage will be considered soon for a WWE Hall Of Fame future. This is a great display of a top performer, and you deserve to have him within your personal wrestling library. This release by World Wrestling Entertainment is very highly-recommended to everyone. 

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Final Thoughts:

You will see a strong second with “The Macho Man,” that being “The First Lady Of Wrestling” Miss Elizabeth. After watching this home video release, you will realize she was a huge part in getting “The Macho Man” character over even more with the fans, and it is a shame that the hosts do not even bring to mention much of anything in regards to her involvement in almost all of the shown footage. Elizabeth was a wonderful person & is still truly missed, and the WWE should have at least made some comments in some sort of way to explain & pay tribute to a great lady who did a fine job in any company she worked for.

Overall Rating: 9.0

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