Welcome to a new (hopefully) weekly segment where we talk about some of our favorite rivalries. The first one up is a classic for many reasons: Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
Rivalries begin when two people or teams of similar skill and/or popularity begin to face each other regularly and leave awesome, unforgettable moments in their wake.
In the WWE, or professional wrestling in general, the best rivalries often come from fractured friendships.
The Mega Powers formed
This arc began when Randy Savage challenged the Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental championship on Saturday Night’s Main Event. When the Hart Foundation (Jimmy Hart was theirs and the Honky Tonk Man’s manager) came out and attacked Savage, Hogan came out to help him. Savage’s face turn was now complete.
Savage later the won the heavyweight championship at WrestleMania 4 tournament in part due to Hulk Hogan. During his reign, he ran afoul of a few heels and Miss Elizabeth had brought Hogan out to help a couple of times. Following an impromptu tag team match on Saturday Night’s Main Event, Savage had to contemplate whether he’d be safe with a friend watching his back.
It made sense, as Hogan had had the Junkyard Dog, HIllbilly Jim, Jimmy Snuka, or even Andre the Giant (before their falling out) to help out if needed. Given his meteoric rise through the ranks and him being a heel, Savage hadn’t collected many friends aside from Elizabeth.
So, in the coming weeks, Savage and Elizabeth appeared on WWE’s Superstars. During his interview, Savage said he needed somebody he could trust, and after gesturing to the curtain, Hulk Hogan came out.
During their time, and possibly ever, there wasn’t a better tag team in regards to their popularity and talent.
But, all good things must come to an end.
Mega Powers explode…
was the tagline heading into Wrestle Mania 5 where Savage and Hogan faced off for the heavyweight championship.
The rift came about through jealousy, as Hogan had become too comfortable around Miss Elizabeth. He went so far as to put her on his shoulder after a match.
This angle played off of Savage’s real life marriage with Elizabeth where, at the time, it’s been reported that she was pulling away from him. Since he and Hogan had become close friends out of the ring, so had their wives. Elizabeth and Linda, Hogan’s wife at the time, were said to spend a great deal of their time together. It was a bond forged by being on the road, and it gave Savage reason to think Hogan and Elizabeth were having an affair.
Please keep in mind that that is based on what’s been said in interviews, so it’s conjecture and rumor, not fact.
But Vince McMahon and the WWE used it as fodder for the reason the two superstars ring personas split. The result was a buildup to their WrestleMania match that was unparalleled, matching and possibly surpassing the buildup to WrestleMania 3.
In the end, we were treated to an awesome match and conclusion to one of the best rivalries in professional wrestling history.
