“Why do you watch that crap?”

Chances are that, as a pro wrestling fan, you’ve been ask ed that question, or some variant, a few times during your viewership tenure. Of course, we all have our reasons as to why we watch said “crap”. Some of us love the hybrid of sport, comic book, and movie, where battle is waged over pride, glory, prestige, and infamy. Others appreciate the intricacy that some wrestlers demonstrate in their craft, with such crisp execution making wrestling seem as real as possible. And then there’s a sizeable group that enjoys the camp element that wrestling provides.

I mean, UFC fans can extol the virtues of Frank Mir and Georges St. Pierre if they wish, but unless one of them enters the Octagon dressed as a plumber, it’s going to be hard to convert a number of wrestling fans into fight freaks. I mean, if Mir were to smash a coconut over the head of St. Pierre, it’s possible that we may truly be ushering in a new crossover audience between the two mediums.

It goes without saying that wrestling has, and will always have, a large number of die-hard supporters who enjoy the show for a number of reasons. To the opposite effect, the business will always have its doppelgangers, a collection of detractors who thumb their noses at it. I guess Jeff Jarrett put it best when he said on a 1998 A&E special on wrestling; “To a critic, no explanation will do. To a fan, no explanation is needed”. Either you love wrestling, or you don’t. And to those who love wrestling, such as me and possibly you, the reader, we are a large congregation. Millions of people watch every week, and a good number of us are not ashamed to admit it. Do you own a wrestling t-shirt? Ever purchased a pay-per-view? Use a catchphrase or wrestling lingo in conversation with a non fan? Have you ever locked an ex-girlfriend in a full nelson just to see if she could break free from it?

….maybe.

The point is, we watch wrestling because we see something in it. And the recidivism rate is very high. If we sat through this week’s show where John Cena “overcame the odds” yet again, Hornswoggle embarrassed Chavo Guerrero again, and Michael Cole uttered many moronic statements again, then chances are you’re going to watch next week as well. Because as wrestling fans, we accept the stupidity, willing to squint our eyes in search of instances of lucidity. We generally succeed, finding moments where we can justify our fandom. Maybe it’s a great match. Maybe somebody like Chris Jericho or Shawn Michaels captivated you on the microphone. Whatever the reason is, if you’re invested enough in the product from what you see in the arena, you’re not going to need much to convince you to watch future shows, right?

WWE is not going to leave that to chance.

Beginning in 2008, WWE began a tradition that would take place for ten seconds on each televised show. Raw, Smackdown, and ECW would each feature the dreaded “Did You Know?” factoid. The factoid would pop up after a commercial break, and inform us viewers about something we may not have been aware of. Not a historic moment in the annals of WWE history, mind you, but of something that they’re proud of in regards to the product they present.

Well hey, they SHOULD be proud of themselves, right? I mean, for half a century, they’ve been the model of consistency in the world of wrestling, providing great entertainment to the fans willing to invest their time and energy to it. In fact, let s take a look at some recent examples of their pride, shall we?

Raw, September 14, 2009: Raw was seen by more people the previous week than every show on ABC, The CW, and Fox.

Whew! I am SO glad to see that the show that I watched did better in the ratings than first-run episodes of Castle, Gossip Girl, Lie to Me, and One Tree Hill. You know, my mavenism of WWE was really contingent on those Nielsen ratings. Lord knows I only watch wrestling when it beats out reruns of network television shows. Had Raw lost to Gossip Girl that week, I’d have to just get rid of every WWE DVD I own and whole-heartedly support Blake Lively. Because I’m a trendy front-runner! WWE won the ratings “war”, so it’s them that I will support!

Superstars, September 10, 2009: WWE Superstars was WGN America’s #1 show for all of last week.

Yes! Not only is WWE defeating reruns of CURRENT network television shows, they’re also soundly defeating shows like In the Heat of the Night, Nash Bridges, 7th Heaven, Barney Miller, and Bewitched! How does Vince McMahon do it? How does he create a product that is capable of drawin g more viewers than television shows that haven’t been relevant since, at latest, George W Bush’s first term in office? I feel like a player on a winning team! Go WWE!

Raw, August 24, 2009: more than one million more viewers watched Raw the previous week than Monday Night Football on ESPN

Well, as if my devotion to WWE couldn’t be any HIGHER, the Raw brand talent proved that they are the place to be on Mondays! They beat the NFL! Yes, the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE! Was it an important game? Well, no, it was a pre-season game between the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants. And since it is pre-season, the starting players were all deactivated after the second quarter so that the understudies could compete for roster spots. But still, victory! Let not honesty get in the way of a technicality.

These are just samples from the buffet of facts that World Wrestling Entertainment provides for me, you, and its millions of other viewers on a weekly basis so that we understand just how great they are. Sure, they could just, I don’t know, provide a compelling product with quality writing and performance, but this cinches it. Every week, if you have even the tiniest doubt that the wrestling show you’re watching is leaving you sterile and unfulfilled, then just wait for the “Did You Know?” factoid. It’s all of the reassurance you’re going to need.

I myself have been a fan since 1989. Yes, for twenty years, I’ve been an avid follower of World Wrestling Entertainment, being a privy to many classic moments. I could rattle off my wonderful memories such as Randy Savage being bitten by a snake, Roddy Piper painting half of his body black to intimidate Bad News Brown, The Undertaker dying and then levitating toward heaven after a soliloquy, Brian Pillman using a firearm to ward off Steve Austin, Mark Henry fondling a transvestite, a militant Black Panthers-esque army like The Nation of Domination spreading fear, Dawn Marie killing her elderly husband with pulse-pounding sex, Kane allegedly consummating love with a dead body, a terror cell attacking The Undertaker with piano wire, and Vince McMahon dying in a limousine explosion. And as you and I clamor for more priceless treasures to be broadcast over our HD TV sets, the WWE feels insecure. They don’t want to lose our loyalty, hence the “Did You Know?” spots.

I think I speak for all of us when I say this: as long as WWE continues to win in the Nielsen ratings over TV shows that most of us have never considered watching, then Vince McMahon will still get our top dollar.

But should Gossip Girl surge ahead on ratings points, I may have to alter my viewing habits.

Until then, never fear, Vince. I’ll still watch that “crap”.

(Credit to thehistoryofwwe.com for their transcription of WWE’s Did You Know facts.)

When he isn’t watching WWE, TNA, or his beloved Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies, Justin Henry can be found writing. It is his passion as well as his goal in life to become a well-regarded (as well as well-paid) columnist or author. He tweets at twitter.com/notoriousjrh and facebooks himself at http://www.facebook.com/notoriousjrh.

Win WWE: The Best of SmackDown 10th Anniversary DVD here on CamelClutchBlog.com by clicking here.

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From the ring to your wall – WWE REAL.BIG Wall Graphics on sale now at Fat Head!

For the second time in less than two weeks, the WWE released another big superstar. WWE.com quietly announced the release of Umaga. The 6’4 350 pound Samoan was wished future endeavors on Monday afternoon.

The news was quite a shocker to say the least. This comes less than two weeks after releasing Mr. Kennedy. One could argue that Umaga was on the same level of superstar as Kennedy. Between losing Batista to injury and this, the WWE is down three top guys in a matter of two weeks.

The circumstances surrounding the departure of Umaga have yet to be revealed. Umaga is a repeat offender of the WWE Wellness Policy. One would suspect that a third strike would explain the immediate dismissal. Other than a third strike, there aren’t many other reasons to explain such a quick decision.

Umaga comes from the long line of Samoan wrestlers with lineage all the way back to Peter Mavia. Umaga is part of a third generation of Samoan wrestlers which include the Tonga Kid, Rikishi, and the Rock. Other than the Rock, this generation of Samoan wrestlers have a hard time keeping their jobs once they get to the WWE.

Earlier this year, Umaga’s cousin Manu was fired from the WWE after a short run in the Legacy. Umaga’s brother, the Tonga Kid had several runs with the WWE that never ended well. The shame of it is that most of the Samoan wrestlers are great workers who just have a hard time adjusting for whatever reason.

Umaga was always thought of as a top guy. A feud with the Undertaker had been in the works for months. It was rumored that Umaga and Undertaker would likely feud once Undertaker returned. Umaga has had several main-event runs which include John Cena, Triple H, and Batista.

I always liked the Umaga character. I find that most of the newer WWE wrestlers are too alike in today’s WWE scene. Umaga was a bit of a throwback to the old-school era of characters and monsters in wrestling. In addition to his look, I always found his matches exciting. One of the few times I ever looked forward to seeing John Cena wrestle was during his feud with Umaga.

For Umaga, he will likely be a big hit on the summer pro wrestling convention scene. Umaga could do multiple appearances reuniting with either his former manager Armando Estrada or his former partner Rodney of Three Minute Warning.

In the ring, Umaga won’t have a hard time getting work. Umaga could easily return to All Japan Pro Wrestling. Umaga could also return to TNA, where he once wrestled with Sonny Siaki. Umaga’s brother Rikishi books a very successful international wrestling company. Umaga could keep himself just as busy as an independent wrestler as he was in the WWE if he wishes.

For the WWE, this opens up a huge void. You can’t just replace a guy like Umaga with anyone. Umaga played a very unique role and character in the WWE. Umaga was able to pull off a monster heel character in 2009 to perfection. In a day where everyone is in on the secret, that is incredibly difficult. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Umaga back by next year’s Royal Rumble.

Man, I’d hate to be the guy that served him his walking papers.

Click here to pre-order WWE Extreme Rules on DVD and see Umaga’s last WWE match.

Save up to 67% off select DVDs at WWESHOP!!

See Umaga vs. John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match on the WWE Royal Rumble 2007 DVD by clicking here.

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Headlocks and Eye Gouges – I will be back on Pro Wrestling Radio tonight, Wednesday night June 10 at 7 PM/EST. I will be talking lots of Batista, Extreme Rules, Umaga, and more. Call in with a question or comment at 1-877-800-8834. Listen live and visit the chat room at http://www.tvbydemand.com/radio_prowrestling_radioshow.asp.

Former WWE Diva and Wrestling Queen Torrie Wilson has made the jump. Torrie has followed in the steps of ex-Diva Stacy Keibler and has jumped into the world of reality television competition. Torrie Wilson is currently stuck in a jungle on NBC’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.

The 2002 WWE Golden Thong Award winner is competing for charity with several other celebrities or should I say “celebrities.” Losers will be voted off by the public once a week. Torrie survived Week 1 after a tense moment of the chopping block.

As far as the show, I have to admit I like it. NBC airs the show four nights a week. Originally that was a bit of a turnoff. However, I sit here on Friday kind of disappointed that the show won’t be on tonight. Yes, count me in as another sucker for a bad reality show.

Speaking specifically of Torrie, she has been fun to watch. I think she has come across as a very likeable character. While her athleticism has never been in question, she has held her own against everyone on the show. I wondered going in how her back would impact her, and so far it hasn’t impacted her at all.

The show offers viewers the chance to call in and save someone from elimination. I was actually quite surprised that Torrie didn’t win out. Other than Sanjaya, I don’t think anyone on there has a more loyal following. I did read some posts online that claimed they tried to vote to save her but couldn’t due to a phone malfunction.

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich’s wife Patti was saved. That just boggled my mind. She definitely comes across as a sympathetic figure on the show. She seems a lot more genuine than anyone else on the show. However, let’s face the fact she is only there because of her husband’s misgivings. I didn’t think she’d last the week but I was wrong.

As for the entire cast, it is a weird bunch to say the least. I definitely need to beef up on my pop culture because I don’t know who half of these people are. To me, the comedians from VH1 are just downright annoying. One half of the unfunny duo, Angela Shelton was sent home.

The kids from MTV’s The Hills are the ones stealing the show. Heidi and Spencer Pratt have quit and rejoined the show several times among other things. I must say that I have never even heard of these two kids before the show. In my opinion, they are playing a very strategic game and milking every minute of the show to cement their celebrity. I am sure VH1 is getting ready to milk this into a spinoff.

Lou Diamond Phillips has come off as one of the more sane members of the cast. Although it was a bit creepy when he opted for a foot massage from Sanjaya. Janice Dickenson has her moments, but she isn’t as crazy as you would think. Stephen Baldwin has surprisingly remained rather subdued for now. Ex-NBA star John Salley had a bit of a meltdown otherwise it has been the Spencer and Heidi show.

Wrestling fans can be proud of their ex-WWE Diva. Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler previously made the jump into reality television competition. Keibler competed on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Surprisingly, I don’t think it has done much for her career. For Torrie, I expect big things coming out of this including a win.

Check out one of Torrie’s finest moments from her days in the WWE.

Order a 24 x 36 Torrie Wilson poster by clicking here.

Order Torrie Wilson’s Playboy magazine by clicking here.

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Headlocks and Eye Gouges – I will be back on Pro Wrestling Radio Wednesday night June 10 at 7 PM/EST. Call in with a question or comment at 1-877-800-8834. Listen live and visit the chat room at http://www.tvbydemand.com/radio_prowrestling_radioshow.asp.

WWE Hall of Famer, “Cowboy” Bob Orton will be appearing at George’s Cards and Collectibles in Fairless Hills, PA on June 6 from 12-2 PM. Check out http://www.georgescollectibles.com for more information.

This Sunday marks the first Extreme Rules pay-per-view from the WWE. The show is an extension of the WWE/ECW One Night Stand series. One Night Stand may be gone, but it is certainly not forgotten. Today I look back at the top five moments in One Night Stand’s short history.

This year’s show has veered away from the One Night Stand brand, yet the same ECW concept of hardcore matches will still apply.  Tommy Dreamer will be the lone representative on the show from the original ECW. Rather than preview the show, I want to look back at some forgotten classics. You may still see  an “Oh my God” moment on Sunday, but you definitely won’t hear it.

The Top Five Moments in ECW/WWE One Night Stand history.

1 – Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena for the WWE title (One Night Stand 2006). This is one of the greatest main-events in all of WWE pay-per-view history. The match, the opponents, the story, but most importantly the fans have turned this match into legend.

Rob Van Dam won his opportunity to challenge for the title by winning Money in the Bank at WrestleMania. Van Dam had been a crowd favorite from his first day in the WWE. However, the politics and Rob’s lack of browning his nose kept him from getting a push that correlated with his ability to draw fans.

Surprisingly, an ex-WWE writer wrote a revealing fact about Rob Van Dam. When the WWE split brands, Van Dam was allegedly the original choice to become the SmackDown champion. Unfortunately for RVD fans, maneuvering behind the scenes switched those plans to Brock Lesnar.

A sign in the crowd that read, “If Cena wins we riot,” said it all. The fans booed John Cena like never before the second he walked through the curtain. The crowd went just as crazy for RVD’s entrance as the fans in Philly did for Hulk Hogan when I saw him in 1985 at the Spectrum. Keep in mind that the Hammerstein Ballroom only sits a couple thousand people, so the reaction was multiplied more so than most big shows.

The match was fantastic and the wrestlers played to the crowd like a tee. Cena was a true professional and had a lot of fun with the fan reaction. RVD of course soaked up the moment. RVD won the match with a controversial Paul Heyman 1-2-3. Cena’s main rival, Edge interfered as well to set up the win. I don’t think that  the WWE will ever be able to capture this kind of moment for years to come, if ever again.

2 – Paul Heyman’s promo (WWE One Night Stand 2005). Paul Heyman was the booker of ECW when it went Extreme and has been seen as the anti-establishment for years. Heyman could have walked out that night in a WCW t-shirt and the fans still would have gone crazy for their God. There were so many rumors of inner-turmoil in setting up the show that just about everyone wondered what wrestling’s evil madman was going to say.

What made this so great is that most WWE fans have never heard anything like this before. For ECW fans like me, we had heard these Heyman rants many times and loved every one of them. But the gravity of the impact is that fans unfamiliar with the “ECW” Paul Heyman were probably shocked yet curious.

The highlight of the long rant was Heyman’s comments on the Edge-Matt Hardy-Lita situation. Hardy wasn’t even under contract to the WWE at the time. Most of the fans knew the situation with the three, but it was never truly acknowledged up to this point. Once Heyman acknowledged the yellow elephant in the room, the place went absolutely crazy and made this one of the greatest moments in One Night Stand history.

3 – Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka (One Night Stand 2005). In the ring, these two guys stole the show that night. The amazing part of this is that neither was under contract to the WWE at the time. In Awesome’s case, he had been under contract but never given the opportunity like this to shine. In Tanaka’s case, he was an ECW legend who finally had his chance to shine on a big stage. To the fans, this was one of their favorite ECW series coming back to life.

Both men had absolutely brutal ECW matches back in the original ECW. Yet, nobody was sure what kind of shape both would be in on this day. The two went out there and had absolute magic in the ring. The match was fast, hard, stiff, and absolutely brutal. The match ended any confusion between WWE’s version of hardcore and ECW’s version of hardcore.

I spoke to Mike Awesome about this match on my radio show before he passed away. I asked Mike whether he realized that he and Tanaka had just stolen the show following their match.

“Oh yeah, yeah it was obvious. Um, you know actually you feel it when you are having the match. You know the caliber of match that you are having while you are actually in it and as soon as it was over I felt it, I could tell. There was no question. I talked to Tanaka after and even he came up to me and said something about it. You know, and he doesn’t even speak the language.”

4 – Vince McMahon defends the ECW title against Bobby Lashley in a Street Fight Match (One Night Stand 2007). To ECW fans, this was truly a slap in the face. Of course the real slap in the face would come the following the year when the show was headlined by John Cena vs. Great Khali. Vince McMahon continued his feud with Bobby Lashley from WrestleMania and the two wrestled on the show in their first-ever Street Fight.

The match was better than you’d expect in that it was entertaining. The match featured interference from both Shane McMahon and Umaga. In the “ECW moment” of the match, Shane flew high in the air and crashed his elbow through Bobby Lashley onto a table outside of the ring. Lashley would recuperate and spear Vince for a 1-2-3 and win the ECW title.

The idea of Vince McMahon defending the ECW title on One Night Stand was appalling to most original ECW fans. Seeing Vince stroll into the ring with the title truly did make it a memorable moment. It would have been something to see if this show had been held in the Hammerstein Ballroom. The next night Vince McMahon “died” on RAW, while our hopes for the new ECW died months earlier.

5 – Joey Styles opens up One Night Stand (One Night Stand 2005). Like him or not, Joey Styles is the voice of ECW. For many wrestling fans, Styles is to them what Gordon Solie is to fans over the age of 40 from Florida and Georgia. It almost never happened, and Paul Heyman wrote about it in the Heyman Hustle.

“Even a few weeks before the show, I was writing “announcers” because the decision still hadn’t been made to finalise the deal with Joey. Trivia note, by the way: The backup plan was to go with Jim Ross.”

Seeing Joey Styles in the middle of the Hammerstein Ballroom for the first time in over four years was breathtaking. Fans of the original ECW all had chills hearing Joey open up the show. In retrospect, it is amazing think that Heyman had to fight for something that should have been the easiest decision going into the show.

Click here to pre-order WWE Extreme Rules on DVD.

Click here to order the original ECW One Night Stand on DVD

Click here to order ECW One Night Stand II featuring Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena.

Check out this video of WWE champion Randy Orton being interviewed on Mexican television. The interview starts well until the host asks Randy why he is so fragile. Orton loses his cool and comes close to pulling a David Schultz-John Stossel on the host.

Keep watching the video after Randy storms off. The reaction of the hosts back in the studio is priceless.

Here are some other classic wrestling television appearances…

Vader in Kuwait

Hulk Hogan choking out Richard Belzer 

Dr. D David Schultz slapping John Stossel

Pre-order WWE: Randy Savage – Macho Madness DVD by clicking here.

Check out all of the latest DVDs and more at The Camel Clutch Blog’s official Amazon store by clicking here .

The words legend and pioneer are used loosely in pro wrestling. However, both words apply when speaking about Randy Savage. This is why I got so excited when I received the new WWE 3-disc DVD Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Collection.

I can’t say enough great things about this DVD. I was a big Randy Savage fan growing up. I noticed something different about Savage the second he debuted in the WWF. Savage was quick, charismatic, athletic, and often had the best matches on the cards. Savage was definitely a notch above his peers, playing second only to Hulk Hogan.

This DVD captures all of Savage’s great moments in his WWF career. The DVD chronicles some of Savage’s greatest rivalries and legendary matches from the 80s and 90s. Savage’s WCW career is also covered as well to close out the video. This DVD is a must for anyone that grew up on the Macho Man or heard the legendary tales of WrestleMania III, the crazy angles, and Savage’s legendary promos.

The DVD is hosted by Matt Stryker and Maria. Stryker and Maria get a little corny at times, but overall do a tremendous job. Stryker used to do a Macho Man imitation on the indys pre-WWE and is a noted big Savage fan. Neither says anything embarrassing or as some like to say, pull a Todd Grisham on the DVD.

Stryker and Maria transition the DVD like a documentary. Both discuss angles and history behind the matches and feuds. Viewers are treated to clips of those angles and moments as Stryker and Maria voice them over. The DVD does as great a job as possible at telling Savage’s story without comments from Savage himself.

All in all, the DVD is fantastic. They do a great job of covering just about everything in Savage’s WWE run. The WWE also did a great job of mixing the well-known matches with some gems. My only criticism would be the selection of Savage’s WCW matches. Only four matches are selected, two being matches with Ric Flair. Ironically it came off a bit lazy to me as only one of the four is something that I would consider worthy of this collection.

The third disc features a ton of classic Savage promos and some great rarities. Only two WCW promos are featured in the collection. There is a segment from T.N.T. shown here which is just absolutely hilarious. The segment features on a couch getting evaluated from a psychologist. A great house show promo from Madison Square Garden is also included from the Macho King era.

Some notes about the matches: My favorite of the 3-discs by far is the first DVD. The first DVD features Savage’s run from 1985 to just shortly after he won his first WWE title in 1988. I just want to make a couple of quick notes about some things that stuck out to me during these matches.

WWE Prime Time Wrestling Debut July 9, 1985
Randy Savage vs. Rick McGraw – This match was also Savage’s Madison Square Garden debut. I noticed right away the tremendous amount of charisma that Savage had. Remember, this was his debut. Savage had the fans going crazy within the first few minutes of the match. Proof of this was Savage getting doused with a soda by a fan. I also thought it was interesting that the replay featured Savage’s patented double-axe to the outside rather than the finishing move itself.

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat
Boston Garden December 7, 1985 – This is one of the gems of the collection. This match is over two years before their WrestleMania III classic, and before Savage won the WWF Intercontinental title. The match doesn’t feature the crazy false-finishes like their WrestleMania III match. It was different, but a great match nonetheless. The finish of the match is what stuck out to me. The finish was the exact same finish Savage used to win the Intercontinental title from Tito Santana in the same building with the brass knux. I don’t know if this was done purposely or if someone referenced this when looking for a finish in the Savage-Santana match. The Santana match is featured later in the DVD. When going for the brass knux, the Steamboat match isn’t referenced. Nonetheless, a great match to add to your Savage-Steamboat collection.

WWE Championship Match Madison Square Garden December 30, 1985
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan – Immediately you can’t help but notice the buzz among the crowd for this match. There is a brief moment before the wrestlers enter when it is announced that the next match is for the title. The fans go nuts before either one of the guys enter the ring area. The buzz continues and the fan atmosphere is just awesome for this one throughout the match. This one also had a very unique finish with Savage winning on a count out.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match Boston Garden January 3, 1987
Randy Savage vs. Bruno Sammartino – There are a lot of matches from the old Boston Garden on this collection. What stood out to me here was how incredibly over Bruno was in 1987. Bruno had a lot of great matches in the Garden during his previous runs. The crowd chanted “Bruno” like crazy several times during the match. A fun match, but more of a brawl than most of Savage’s other matches on the DVD.

WWE Championship Match WrestleMania VIII April 5, 1992
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair – In my opinion, one of the most underrated WrestleMania matches of all-time. It is interesting to note that Savage was coming back from a long layoff here. I thought the match was great, and one of Flair’s best in his early WWF run. The match is just non-stop action with lots of blood for the hardcore fans.

WWE Championship Match European Rampage April 19, 1992
Randy Savage vs. Shawn Michaels – This one has been a favorite among tape traders for years. A rare match between these two as HBK was just starting to hit he main-events as a singles wrestler. The match is a little slower than you’d expect throughout the match. However, the speed picks up big-time towards the end of the match. The final minutes of the match are fantastic. Elizabeth and Sherri Martel both get involved. I think these two would have had killer matches if they had gotten more time in the States to develop a feud.

Worcester, MA July 22, 1992
Randy Savage & Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair & Shawn Michaels – This is probably the rarest match of the collection on the set. This was a dark match main-event at a set of television tapings. I was a bit disappointed quite honestly. The finish of the match comes quick, which prevents the guys from taking it up a notch. This was a good match for the collectors, but disappointing nonetheless.

Falls Count Anywhere Match Great American Bash June 15, 1997
Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page – This is one of the most underrated matches in WCW history. This was just a phenomenal match that featured the best of both men and get ready for this…great WCW booking. The match features a ton of false finishes that have the fans going crazy by the end of the contest. Savage is just a maniac, going crazy and attacking everyone from referees to photographers. I think this one is going to surprise anyone who hasn’t seen the match.

The entire match listing is as follows:

Disc 1

WWE Debut
Randy Savage vs. Rick McGraw
Prime Time Wrestling July 9, 1985

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat
Boston Garden December 7, 1985

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden December 30, 1985

WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana
Boston Garden February 8, 1986

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Bruno Sammartino
Boston Garden January 3, 1987

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat
WrestleMania III March 29, 1987

Randy Savage vs. Honky Tonk Man
The Main Event February 5, 1988

WWE Championship Tournament Final
Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase
WrestleMania IV March 27, 1988

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase
Madison Square Garden June 25, 1988

Disc 2

Randy Savage & Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant & Ted DiBiase
SummerSlam August 29, 1988

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
WrestleMania V April 2, 1989

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
The Main Event March 22, 1990

Randy Savage / Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes / Sapphire
WrestleMania VI April 1, 1990

Retirement Match
Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior
WrestleMania VII March 24, 1991

Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts
This Tuesday in Texas December 3, 1991

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
WrestleMania VIII April 5, 1992

Disc 3

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Shawn Michaels
European Rampage April 19, 1992

Randy Savage & Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair & Shawn Michaels
Worcester, MA July 22, 1992

WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Yokozuna
RAW February 28, 1994

Lifeguard Match
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
Bash at the Beach July 16, 1995

WCW Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
Nitro January 22, 1996

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page
Great American Bash June 15, 1997

WCW Championship Match
Randy Savage & Sid Vicious vs. Kevin Nash & Sting
Bash at the Beach July 11, 1999

Macho Madness – The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection DVD is available next Tuesday June 9. Pre-order WWE: Randy Savage – Macho Madness DVD by clicking here.

See some of Randy Savage’s classic Memphis matches on the Classic Memphis Wrestling – All Roads Lead to Memphis DVD by clicking here.

Order Randy Savage’s rap CD – Be a Man by clicking here.

Check out all of the latest DVDs and more at The Camel Clutch Blog’s official Amazon store by clicking here.