Oooh Yeah! Macho Madness has finally come to DVD. This 3-disc DVD set features 23 Randy Savage matches from his tenures in both the WWE and WCW. In addition, you can see his wedding, Elizabeth's debut, the coronation of the Macho King, and 17 Macho Man interviews/sketches. The one thing you won't find here is the answer to one of wrestling biggest mysteries, what are the issues between Savage and the WWE?
The Review and Recommendation
This DVD set is hosted by Matt Striker and Maria. The two provide analysis and recap the events leading to everything you see on the DVD. Unfortunately, their shtick gets annoying very quickly.
The obvious thing missing from this DVD set is a biography of the Macho Man. Since Randy Savage was not involved in this DVD, the lack of a biography might be a blessing in disguise. I would have been very angry if the WWE would have provided a hatchet job biography like they did to the Ultimate Warrior when he wouldn't partake in their DVD of him.
My other gripe with the set is that there is no way to view the 17 special feature chapters on disc-three with one touch of the remote. Would it kill the producers of these DVDs to provide a play all feature on their DVD menus?
Overall Recommendation: Fans of the Macho Man and '80s wrestling will want to own this DVD. Newer fans that are unfamiliar with Savage or wrestling from that era should go out of their way to check this DVD set out.
Matches on the DVD
For matches that are available on other non-PPV DVDs, I will note the DVD it is also available on in parenthesis and italics.
Disc One
- Prime Time Wrestling 7/85: vs. Rick McGraw - This was Savage’s MSG debut.
- Boston Garden 12/85: vs. Ricky Steamboat - This match took place a year before Savage crushed Steamboat’s larynx.
- MSG 12/85: vs WWE Champion Hulk Hogan - This is the first of their three consecutive MSG main events against each other during this chapter of their feud.
- Boston Garden 2/86: vs Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana (History of the Intercontinental Championship) - Tito wouldn’t get his revenge on the referee of this match until WrestleMania III.
- Boston Garden 1/87: vs. Bruno Sammartino - This chapter of their feud started when Bruno attacked Savage after he bragged about injuring Ricky Steamboat.
- WrestleMania III: vs. Ricky Steamboat (History of the Intercontinental Championship) - This is one of the greatest matches in wrestling history.
- The Main Event ’88: vs. Honky Tonk Man - Peggy Sue is played by Sherri Martel, someone that you will be seeing a lot of in this DVD set, both as an ally and as an enemy of Savage.
- WrestleMania IV: vs. Ted DiBiase – The original bracket for the tournament is shown on the DVD.
- MSG 6/88: vs. Ted DiBiase in a Steel Cage Match - Not only is there action inside of the cage, a fan and Virgil get into it on top of the cage.
Disc Two
- Summer Slam ’88: Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant & Ted DiBiase - Jesse Ventura is the referee of this match which is most famous for Elizabeth’s distraction.
- WrestleMania V: vs. Hulk Hogan (Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology) - As great as this match was, for the second straight year Flair put on a better match for free against it. This time he fought Ricky Steamboat. A year earlier, he fought Sting.
- The Main Event ’90: vs. WWE Champion Hulk Hogan - The big story going into this match was the change of referee due to the biggest upset in boxing history a few days earlier.
- WrestleMania VI: Randy Savage and Sherri Martel vs. Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire (American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story) - For some reason, Dusty’s theme has been edited off the DVD and replaced by a generic music clip. The theme appeared on Dusty’s DVD.
- WrestleMania VII: vs. Ultimate Warrior in a Retirement Match (Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior) - Unlike on the Warrior’s DVD, the post-match segment is shown on this DVD. I’ve never seen fans cry like this in celebration before.
- Tuesday in Texas ’91: vs. Jake Roberts - The post-match incident this match is most famous for, Jake slapping Miss Elizabeth, is not on the DVD.
- WrestleMania VIII: vs. WWE Champion Ric Flair - She was mine before she was yours. Woooooh!
Disc Three
- European Rampage ’92: vs. Shawn Michaels - According to the historyofthewwe.com, this match features the final appearance Miss Elizabeth made in the WWE.
- TV Taping in Worchester, MA 7/92: Randy Savage & Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair & Shawn Michaels - A changing of the guard match as two of the biggest stars of the ‘80s are involved in a tag team match against the two men that would come to define the WWE for the next several years.
- RAW 2/94: vs. Yokozuna - Yokozuna’s WWE Championship was not on the line in this match.
- Bash at the Beach ’95: vs. Ric Flair in a Lifeguard Match – Baywatch fans will remember this battle was over the youth center Flair had bought and planned to turn into condos.
- Nitro 1/96: vs. Ric Flair – It’s nice to see that Woman and her contributions to the sport are still being put on WWE DVDs. However, be on the lookout for a very famous unnamed woman leading Savage to the ring.
- Great American Bash '97: vs Diamond Dallas Page in a Falls Count Anywhere Match – Before the WWE had their Divas pose in Playboy and then base feuds off of that, WCW did it first with this feud.
- Bash at the Beach ’01: Randy Savage & Sid Vicious vs. WCW Champion Kevin Nash & Sting – Regardless of what was said prior to the match, this is not the first time in history that a World Title has been up for grabs in a tag team match.
