1 00:00:04,910 --> 00:00:11,690 If you were to try to package intensity and electricity and 2 00:00:11,690 --> 00:00:17,610 just pure explosiveness into one package, that would have been the Macho 3 00:00:17,610 --> 00:00:18,610 Randy Savage. 4 00:00:18,630 --> 00:00:19,630 Oh, my God. 5 00:00:20,290 --> 00:00:21,290 Macho Man. 6 00:00:22,350 --> 00:00:27,030 It's a stick of dynamite. It is lit. The fuse has gotten very short. 7 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,200 A hundred percent of men will come at you with a hundred percent. The macho 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,000 Randy Savage. He was loud. 9 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:35,420 The cream of the crop. He was colorful. 10 00:00:35,860 --> 00:00:36,860 He was intense. 11 00:00:37,220 --> 00:00:38,220 Oh, yeah. 12 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,940 Miss Elizabeth was not. 13 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,140 Elizabeth was an icon and a role model for so many women. Her character was 14 00:00:46,140 --> 00:00:48,820 something that brought a lot of feeling and emotion to the matches. 15 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:50,940 Elizabeth, I love you. 16 00:00:51,820 --> 00:00:56,440 Randy Macho Man Savage and Miss Elizabeth were wrestling royalty, and 17 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,020 rollercoaster romance captivated audiences around the world. 18 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,460 It's Bonnie and Clyde, it's Romeo and Juliet. 19 00:01:04,300 --> 00:01:11,180 They were the first, you know, male -female package that was created in that 20 00:01:11,180 --> 00:01:12,760 WWF model. 21 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:15,220 They were the first and they were the best. 22 00:01:16,020 --> 00:01:21,220 Dysfunctional, as it may have been in some respects, but I saw it. 23 00:01:22,220 --> 00:01:23,280 It's a love story. 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,820 On this episode, Art imitates life as we examine a fictional love story 25 00:01:29,820 --> 00:01:34,240 surrounding a real -life marriage that explodes beyond the ring with tragic 26 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:35,240 consequences. 27 00:01:42,380 --> 00:01:44,540 Well, first, actually, tell us who you are. 28 00:01:44,860 --> 00:01:46,140 I don't want to do that. Okay. 29 00:01:46,340 --> 00:01:50,220 Look at how ripped I was. Look at that belly. Good God. 30 00:01:51,470 --> 00:01:52,970 It's in fighting shape right there. 31 00:01:53,210 --> 00:01:58,490 My name is Bruce Pritchard, and I have actually worked in the wrestling 32 00:01:58,490 --> 00:01:59,850 for about 45 years. 33 00:02:00,050 --> 00:02:05,090 First time I met Randy Savage was in 1987 in Houston, Texas. 34 00:02:05,490 --> 00:02:09,810 Randy got into the wrestling business. He's a second -generation wrestler. His 35 00:02:09,810 --> 00:02:15,670 father, Angelo Poffo, was one of the greats. And Angelo had a wrestling 36 00:02:15,670 --> 00:02:17,370 territory. It was considered... 37 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,220 Back in the day in outlaw wrestling territory. 38 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,920 Can't do nothing against the macho man, yeah. Number one professional wrestler. 39 00:02:26,060 --> 00:02:30,920 Complete mental insanity, yeah. What a champion, Randy. 40 00:02:31,140 --> 00:02:35,680 You're going down in history as the greatest. Yeah. The greatest. I also 41 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,240 this chair by sitting down. 42 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,280 Then all of a sudden, it's time for Randy Savage to appear. 43 00:02:41,580 --> 00:02:44,760 Jimmy, baby, the best thing that you can do is probably just stand back and let 44 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,840 the macho man talk because there's nothing that you could say that I 45 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:48,840 say better myself. 46 00:02:48,980 --> 00:02:53,740 There was a period in the wrestling business where if you were crazy on 47 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:55,020 you were crazy off screen. 48 00:02:55,620 --> 00:03:00,300 You had to live your gimmick. And Randy played crazy really well. 49 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,340 He lived it 24 -7. 50 00:03:06,180 --> 00:03:10,000 Just... Personally, do you think it'd be okay if I came out that Randy was a 51 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:11,000 bedwetter? 52 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,460 What was it like growing up with Randy and the brother? 53 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:24,400 He's the same as any other alpha male, except his dial is not only past 10, but 54 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,180 it's broken and it's gone off the hinges. 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:32,040 I was upstaged every day, but I knew it was getting over, so I was proud to be 56 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:32,999 holding the rope. 57 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,980 He had a dream that he could be a villain, a bad guy. 58 00:03:36,410 --> 00:03:41,710 a ruffian. He wanted to be an antagonist because he felt he had more creativity 59 00:03:41,710 --> 00:03:44,590 than just being the pawn of the villain. 60 00:03:44,890 --> 00:03:47,350 Randy would take a lot of risks. 61 00:03:47,670 --> 00:03:51,550 He would say, yeah, stare into a candle for two hours. 62 00:03:52,710 --> 00:03:56,590 Stare into a candle for about two hours and cut my head together. 63 00:03:57,310 --> 00:04:01,650 Some people loved him, some people hated him, but everybody respected him 64 00:04:01,650 --> 00:04:05,690 because when you see that kind of athleticism, you have to buy into it. 65 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,060 So this is my autograph table. 66 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,560 Okay, this was another night where, like, I think everybody was drinking too 67 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,160 much red wine. And right here is that little thing. 68 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:23,500 Never know what he meant by it, but that's what Macho carved into the table, 69 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:25,920 he used to say, whatever it takes. 70 00:04:26,980 --> 00:04:31,840 I'm Linda Bollea, married to my ex -husband, professional wrestler Hulk 71 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:33,160 for 25 years. 72 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,320 Oh, that was back when we loved each other. 73 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:37,160 In the olden days. 74 00:04:37,660 --> 00:04:41,860 So once I met Miss Elizabeth, we ended up being friends because I was really 75 00:04:41,860 --> 00:04:43,580 only other female on the road. 76 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:46,180 Elizabeth was from Frankfort, Kentucky. 77 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:51,300 Good upbringing. She addressed her mom as mother, and she said, we were broke. 78 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:56,340 My dad left early. It was just me and my mom and my brother, and money was 79 00:04:56,340 --> 00:04:57,340 always really tight. 80 00:04:57,500 --> 00:05:01,660 There was a gym called Sintay Sports Center, and Randy worked out there, and 81 00:05:01,660 --> 00:05:02,860 then one fine day... 82 00:05:03,260 --> 00:05:08,560 A new girl came, and that was Elizabeth Hewlett. And she said Randy was in the 83 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,560 gym about 6 in the morning, and she's working the front desk. 84 00:05:11,860 --> 00:05:15,480 And he comes in, and she goes, oh, my, your eyes are so red. 85 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,500 And he goes, you should see them from this side. 86 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,720 And I looked at Liz and said, that did it for you? That one line, like, reels 87 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:24,379 you in? 88 00:05:24,380 --> 00:05:25,980 My name is Scott Oliver Hall. 89 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,740 I also was wrestled as Razor Ramon, the bad guy. 90 00:05:30,020 --> 00:05:33,000 I don't know. If I was a chick, I'd have banged Randy. I thought he was cool as 91 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:34,000 hell. 92 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:36,940 Randy would always tell the story that it was love at first sight. 93 00:05:37,180 --> 00:05:39,340 Yeah, she saw me and fell in love. 94 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:40,920 What more could she want? 95 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:46,420 Liz would always be like, eh, it took a little while to get used to it. 96 00:05:47,260 --> 00:05:50,500 She was beautiful, she was phenomenal, and she was excellent. 97 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:52,280 What a nice person, too. 98 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,380 And I think that came across on television. 99 00:05:55,940 --> 00:06:01,020 Elizabeth got involved in ICW as an announcer, and she also helped with the 100 00:06:01,020 --> 00:06:03,900 editing. Because it was a mom -and -pop shop, we did everything. 101 00:06:04,460 --> 00:06:08,820 And she was adaptable and brilliant and very quick to learn. 102 00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:15,860 Their first wedding was in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the home of Elizabeth's 103 00:06:15,860 --> 00:06:16,860 mother. 104 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,820 And that was about six months before Randy made his debut with WWE. 105 00:06:22,460 --> 00:06:24,660 All right, this is going to be a Jimmy Hart one. Here we go. 106 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:28,880 He's a mouth of the towel, Jimmy Hart. The sun is shining. Life is great. 107 00:06:29,420 --> 00:06:34,040 There's Randy and myself and Hulk and WCW when I managed them for a few 108 00:06:34,420 --> 00:06:38,020 The rest was history. He goes, how's New York? I said, it's great. I said, look, 109 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:39,080 they just saw your tapes. 110 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:45,020 They want you in New York. The module man, Randy Savage, who is quite a 111 00:06:45,020 --> 00:06:47,680 competitor, making his World Wrestling Federation debut. 112 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,000 Vince and Linda McMahon had come down to Florida to... 113 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,080 Get the contract signed before WrestleMania 1. 114 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:56,320 Is that Vince? 115 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:57,400 Oh, my gosh. 116 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,620 Whoa. When Vince took over, he went around every territory and took the very 117 00:07:01,620 --> 00:07:04,480 best of what was available. He made you bigger than life. 118 00:07:05,900 --> 00:07:09,820 Vince was taking it to a whole completely new level that none of us 119 00:07:10,330 --> 00:07:14,830 ready for or even knew about or used to. And we were all in for a big, huge 120 00:07:14,830 --> 00:07:18,270 learning curve. You know, when Macho came on board, Vince was like, well, you 121 00:07:18,270 --> 00:07:23,330 know, we really want your character to have a valet, a woman, a manager. 122 00:07:24,030 --> 00:07:27,290 I think Randy probably just sat down and said, look, you know, I want to come up 123 00:07:27,290 --> 00:07:29,530 here and I think I can make you money in the territory. 124 00:07:29,850 --> 00:07:33,550 Can we work a spot out for Liz? Because she's going to go with me on the road. 125 00:07:33,810 --> 00:07:34,850 She's going to be with me. 126 00:07:35,170 --> 00:07:39,190 Randy, if he loves somebody, whether it was his brother or whether it was Liz or 127 00:07:39,190 --> 00:07:40,990 whoever, he was going to be very loyal to them. 128 00:07:45,580 --> 00:07:49,080 And we've got to know who the manager is going to be. 129 00:07:49,340 --> 00:07:52,480 They fell in love with her as soon as she opened up the door and stepped into 130 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:53,480 wrestling history. 131 00:07:53,660 --> 00:07:54,660 Oh, 132 00:07:56,220 --> 00:07:57,860 my. 133 00:07:59,580 --> 00:08:04,240 Liz was very demure, very quiet, gentle soul. 134 00:08:05,180 --> 00:08:10,140 The person and the character were really one and the same. As far as the... 135 00:08:11,050 --> 00:08:16,430 persona of the macho man and the package of the macho man and miss elizabeth was 136 00:08:16,430 --> 00:08:23,270 they were two opposites and randy so intense and elizabeth so subdued they 137 00:08:23,270 --> 00:08:28,770 wanted you to love elizabeth and hate randy picture of elizabeth no picture of 138 00:08:28,770 --> 00:08:34,690 the macho man that's very very very bad elizabeth randy would have bring her out 139 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,760 She'd stand at ringside, he'd get in the ring, he'd circle around, then he'd get 140 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:39,500 out. No, I told you to stand here. 141 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,679 And people were hating Randy just for browbeating the beautiful young girl. 142 00:08:43,700 --> 00:08:46,200 Like, you could do better than him, honey, get away from him. 143 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:52,280 And there would be times that Randy would give Liz a look and just turn his 144 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,720 and give her those eyes, and she would almost be subservient. 145 00:08:56,260 --> 00:08:58,280 Macho man Randy Savage, isn't that right, Liz? 146 00:08:58,640 --> 00:08:59,519 That's right, Randy. 147 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:04,000 Shut up and keep piloting. If I lose tonight, it's your fault. Each time he 148 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,880 it, they'd say, oh, you sorry son of a, you know, and that's exactly what they 149 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:13,320 wanted. And you want Liz to see the light, but Liz, underneath this, you're 150 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,040 seeing, man, she loves her man. 151 00:09:15,660 --> 00:09:21,220 And you infer that Randy mistreats her, but he never really does. 152 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:23,520 He's just a little intense. 153 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:29,140 By the spring of 1987, Elizabeth and Randy are red hot and are about to make 154 00:09:29,140 --> 00:09:32,360 history in front of a record -breaking crowd of 93 ,000 fans. 155 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:37,460 WrestleMania III was, at the time, the largest indoor attendance record. I 156 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,960 the largest gathering indoor of any event in the world. 157 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:42,320 Oh, Jesus. 158 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:45,440 It's unbelievable, man. 159 00:09:45,660 --> 00:09:46,900 90 ,000 people. 160 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:52,080 I had Alice Cooper with me. I mean, the electricity from the crowd was just 161 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:53,080 unbelievable. 162 00:09:53,500 --> 00:09:55,000 I mean, your skin is crawling. 163 00:09:55,260 --> 00:09:57,120 It feels like your hair is growing. 164 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:01,960 The Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat match, WrestleMania 3, I think a lot of people 165 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:03,920 consider one of the greatest matches of all time. 166 00:10:04,180 --> 00:10:07,480 Two of the greatest athletes that I have ever seen in my life. 167 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:14,680 All that athleticism, all the drama, all that excitement, it killed him that he 168 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:19,220 could never surpass that match. He was a perfectionist, and perfectionists are 169 00:10:19,220 --> 00:10:20,220 never happy. 170 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,400 The thing with Savage, I learned later on, of course, when I started working 171 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,920 with Savage, was trying to hold him down. 172 00:10:28,140 --> 00:10:30,640 Because he always wanted to give more. 173 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,180 Well, sometimes you can give too much. 174 00:10:34,540 --> 00:10:39,540 Two years after their debut, Randy and Elizabeth are taking the WWF by storm. 175 00:10:39,660 --> 00:10:44,260 But a surprising twist in their storyline would propel them to the top 176 00:10:44,260 --> 00:10:45,260 wrestling world. 177 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,820 I pulled out a bunch of pictures I tried to find that had Liz and Randy. This is 178 00:10:52,820 --> 00:10:53,820 sweet. 179 00:10:54,740 --> 00:10:58,240 This was just at the condo. We were just hanging out in Florida. 180 00:10:59,140 --> 00:11:00,140 Polaroid picture. 181 00:11:00,900 --> 00:11:03,240 Macho. Little picture of Elizabeth. 182 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:04,479 So sweet. 183 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,140 So Macho Man, he always kept Elizabeth in the dressing room, so nobody really 184 00:11:08,140 --> 00:11:08,999 knew her. 185 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,920 Then one night, Macho came into our dressing room and said, Where's Linda? 186 00:11:14,780 --> 00:11:17,700 And Liz needs some help with her hair. 187 00:11:19,829 --> 00:11:24,490 And she had her hair kind of, like, coiffed and tightly curled, and it was 188 00:11:24,490 --> 00:11:28,130 sort of church girl. And I said, bitch, you need to just bring that stuff out, 189 00:11:28,210 --> 00:11:31,770 you know? And so I started, like, getting her hair teased up and kind of 190 00:11:31,770 --> 00:11:33,530 it out. She's like, oh, yeah, I like that. 191 00:11:34,180 --> 00:11:37,600 Once we all realized that, hey, I live in Tampa. Oh, you live in Tampa? Yeah, I 192 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:38,740 live in Kluwer. I live in Largo. 193 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,680 We all kind of lived in this area, so we thought, hey, let's all get together. 194 00:11:43,220 --> 00:11:47,340 It was nice because when we did get a few days off, I could call on her and 195 00:11:47,340 --> 00:11:50,580 could call on me and we could either go shopping or we could hit the beach. 196 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,920 And it was just great because at least you had somebody to do something with. 197 00:11:55,390 --> 00:11:58,570 Hulk would have big parties over there and invite everybody, you know, and 198 00:11:58,570 --> 00:11:59,570 and Liz would go to it. 199 00:11:59,790 --> 00:12:03,290 And it seems like that's when she was the most happiest, when she could be out 200 00:12:03,290 --> 00:12:04,750 around the people and kind of be herself. 201 00:12:05,170 --> 00:12:08,490 You know, we'd be barbecuing in the backyard the weekend before. Terry would 202 00:12:08,490 --> 00:12:11,790 always, like, kind of lay it out. Here's how I want to run it. And then Randy 203 00:12:11,790 --> 00:12:14,850 would throw in some ideas, you know, and Liz would always just go along with 204 00:12:14,850 --> 00:12:16,710 whatever, talking about the angle. 205 00:12:17,190 --> 00:12:22,430 The hotter the heel and people after a while will begin to respect you. And 206 00:12:22,430 --> 00:12:23,530 Randy was so good. 207 00:12:24,140 --> 00:12:25,240 He was hard to boo. 208 00:12:25,500 --> 00:12:27,400 The audience liked him, and it was hard to ignore. 209 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:33,860 Randy Savage was really catching on as a babyface, and people had grown to 210 00:12:33,860 --> 00:12:37,000 really love the Macho Man. 211 00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:42,100 By the end of 1987, the fans' love for Randy Savage inspires a revelation in 212 00:12:42,100 --> 00:12:46,880 Vince McMahon, a partnership with the company's top hero to create a team 213 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:48,760 anything pro wrestling has ever seen. 214 00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:52,220 The two biggest names in the wrestling business at that time. Going to combine 215 00:12:52,220 --> 00:12:56,520 forces. You know, the madness in Hulkamania combining forces, brother. 216 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,920 With the madness and the maniac mega powers, yeah. 217 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:01,700 I mean, who's going to match up against them? 218 00:13:01,980 --> 00:13:06,420 By the summer of 1988, Hogan and Savage with Elizabeth as their manager appear 219 00:13:06,420 --> 00:13:11,080 invincible. They've destroyed all challengers and the only place left to 220 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:14,800 on each other. What we knew is that we would have the mega powers explode. You 221 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,480 create the mega powers for the mega powers to explode. 222 00:13:18,190 --> 00:13:22,970 Especially when one is a paranoid schizophrenic and the other is the all 223 00:13:22,970 --> 00:13:24,010 -American dude. 224 00:13:24,450 --> 00:13:29,310 And what is the easiest thing for two men to argue? 225 00:13:30,330 --> 00:13:31,330 A woman. 226 00:13:31,890 --> 00:13:32,869 SummerSlam 80. 227 00:13:32,870 --> 00:13:37,050 Randy hoists Liz up on his shoulder and goes around. And when he does, there's 228 00:13:37,050 --> 00:13:38,050 like a little slip. 229 00:13:38,090 --> 00:13:40,530 Hulk puts his hand up, steadier. 230 00:13:40,830 --> 00:13:45,190 Freeze it! Look at how long his hand is on Elizabeth. 231 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:47,860 Nobody touch you. 232 00:13:48,660 --> 00:13:51,880 Uh -oh. There was Hulk. Say your prayers. Take your vitamin. 233 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:56,680 You know, here's the American flag. And here's Randy going, you know, I don't 234 00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:59,080 think you're as truthful as everybody thinks you really are. 235 00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:02,760 They don't realize that underneath, he's been boiling. 236 00:14:03,060 --> 00:14:08,460 You got luck. You really hit in your black heart for Elizabeth. 237 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:14,400 Randy is the jealous, raving lunatic, and Hulk is the best friend who's trying 238 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:15,700 to screw his best friend's girl. 239 00:14:15,980 --> 00:14:21,560 Picked her up and put Elizabeth where she has never been before, on top of 240 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:22,900 another man's shoulder. 241 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:27,200 It's easy for him to blow it out of proportion because you can tell the 242 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:28,200 side of him. 243 00:14:28,220 --> 00:14:30,780 He's blinded by love and he's blinded by rage. 244 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:32,300 He's paranoid. 245 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,560 He's got the championship. He's got the whole world on his back. 246 00:14:35,820 --> 00:14:37,680 So, of course, everybody's trying to knock him off. 247 00:14:38,110 --> 00:14:41,170 Even his best friend. His best friend's not only trying to knock him off, he's 248 00:14:41,170 --> 00:14:42,009 trying to take my girl. 249 00:14:42,010 --> 00:14:45,430 They were really playing off of Randy's paranoia, and it was real. So that's 250 00:14:45,430 --> 00:14:46,430 what made it really work. 251 00:14:46,670 --> 00:14:51,610 The Twin Towers, Big Boss Man, and Akeem, again, you know, Randy and Hulk, 252 00:14:51,610 --> 00:14:56,070 mega powers. But there was a point in the match where Randy took a bump out 253 00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:57,750 ended up taking Liz out. 254 00:14:58,550 --> 00:15:03,050 Hulk sees that she's hurt, carries her back to get her help. 255 00:15:03,870 --> 00:15:06,470 You're hovering over, over the bed. How dare you? 256 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:09,360 I'm out there fighting for my life. 257 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,780 But you're more concerned about her. It all makes sense now. 258 00:15:13,980 --> 00:15:20,960 When you take a look at the madness's eyes, all you're going to see is 259 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:23,660 and utter rage. 260 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:27,080 Match made. 261 00:15:27,980 --> 00:15:30,140 What corner is Elizabeth going to be in? 262 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,580 Well, a lot of people wondered, did Randy really control her in and out of 263 00:15:34,580 --> 00:15:35,900 ring? Absolutely. 264 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:37,240 Randy. 265 00:15:37,730 --> 00:15:39,770 Very protective of my God. 266 00:15:39,990 --> 00:15:41,170 You have no idea. 267 00:15:41,950 --> 00:15:48,670 And he would get visibly upset with anybody that tried to talk to her or 268 00:15:48,670 --> 00:15:52,950 on a conversation with her. He just did not like it. When they would be getting 269 00:15:52,950 --> 00:15:58,650 ready for an event, we didn't want any malfunctions. The wardrobe, though, he 270 00:15:58,650 --> 00:16:00,290 would literally take the tape. 271 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:06,060 and, like, wrap it all around her whole body. And then the other big thing was, 272 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:09,840 because she was always in a short dress, was getting into the ring and entering 273 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,140 the ring over the robe. And was she going to go over the second robe? Should 274 00:16:13,140 --> 00:16:13,999 go under it? 275 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:17,700 This was all a big, huge thing for Randy because this was his wife. He loved and 276 00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:21,860 respected her, and he didn't want anybody to be making fun of her. He was 277 00:16:21,860 --> 00:16:26,120 definitely in charge of that relationship, and she was just the tag 278 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:31,120 I think that that started to grow on her. I think that started to just 279 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,240 her. That may have been where a lot of the rules would start. 280 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,980 In so many of five, are you going to be a Lomato man? 281 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:44,170 Randy Savage is cornered. When you take real -life situations and you put it in 282 00:16:44,170 --> 00:16:47,770 front of the camera, it's great because it's usually very relatable. 283 00:16:48,050 --> 00:16:49,510 No! No! 284 00:16:49,970 --> 00:16:55,730 However, when you take your real -life feelings and you put them on camera and 285 00:16:55,730 --> 00:16:59,110 you make it a part of a storyline, they don't know you. 286 00:16:59,810 --> 00:17:05,030 They don't know what you guys do when the doors shut at night. They have no 287 00:17:05,030 --> 00:17:06,030 clue. 288 00:17:06,290 --> 00:17:10,030 But... They know you're really married and they know what you said on TV, you 289 00:17:10,030 --> 00:17:11,250 sorry son of a bitch. 290 00:17:11,690 --> 00:17:13,109 Like imitating art? 291 00:17:14,390 --> 00:17:16,450 And sometimes art imitates life. 292 00:17:17,730 --> 00:17:23,790 And then you get really... Being 293 00:17:23,790 --> 00:17:30,450 on the road 24 -7 with your spouse, it's not an easy task. You know, Elizabeth, 294 00:17:30,730 --> 00:17:34,870 as his wife, had those same duties as I did. 295 00:17:35,290 --> 00:17:41,210 I did travel with Randy and Liz a lot, and their relationship was that of a 296 00:17:41,210 --> 00:17:45,110 married couple on the road. They didn't go out and party, went back to the room, 297 00:17:45,110 --> 00:17:46,810 went to bed, and they had their privacy. 298 00:17:47,750 --> 00:17:51,210 You'd get back to the room, and she would have to scrub the blood off the 299 00:17:51,210 --> 00:17:54,590 like I did to have to tarry from their wrestling match. 300 00:17:54,790 --> 00:17:58,050 You know, you'd put the wrestling boots in the bathtub of the hotel and wash 301 00:17:58,050 --> 00:18:00,810 them off, get all the blood off, because they had to wear them the next night. 302 00:18:00,890 --> 00:18:04,950 And I'm sure he probably wanted to get laid, and I'm sure she probably didn't. 303 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:09,860 You know, and maybe she did and he didn't. Then her, unlike me, she has to 304 00:18:09,860 --> 00:18:10,860 about herself. 305 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,680 What the hell dress is she going to wear? 306 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,400 I had my wife involved for a while, man, and it's brutal, man, having your wife 307 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:17,259 around the guys. 308 00:18:17,260 --> 00:18:19,400 They did practical jokes that were cruel. 309 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:23,380 I'm telling you, they used people's suitcases as toilets. 310 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,720 There were no boundaries. That was the problem with me. You know, cutting 311 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:29,660 somebody's hair off while they're passed out. 312 00:18:29,900 --> 00:18:32,000 I mean, I wouldn't want my wife around that shit. 313 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:37,280 The pattern seemed to be that Randy wanted to keep Elizabeth away from the 314 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:41,620 as much as possible. I don't blame him, really. 315 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:47,020 Randy being so intense and being so watchful over her, she couldn't have 316 00:18:47,020 --> 00:18:51,200 freedom. And I think you can't smother somebody all the time like that. 317 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:53,560 Elizabeth wanted to leave the road. 318 00:18:54,010 --> 00:18:58,610 and she wanted Randy to quit. Randy wasn't done yet. Randy was still 319 00:18:58,610 --> 00:19:03,370 it. I knew she needed to have more socialization and more friends, and she 320 00:19:03,370 --> 00:19:08,630 missed having the normal life, but Liz apparently was looking for something 321 00:19:08,630 --> 00:19:10,750 than that. Then I realized it's time. 322 00:19:11,010 --> 00:19:16,430 By 1990, an exhausted Elizabeth asked for some time off the road, and the WWF 323 00:19:16,430 --> 00:19:20,330 sees this as an opportunity to reinvent the Macho Man into a new. 324 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:25,080 kind of villain we did randy as the heel we made randy the macho king and 325 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:30,000 thought that sensational sherry to be his manager another female and make the 326 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,220 queen sherry was a women's wrestler and the guys loved working with sherry 327 00:19:34,220 --> 00:19:38,640 because she could take it she was tough as nails queen sherry has a whole new 328 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,320 dimension to the macho man's character but the fans demand to see wrestling 329 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:47,940 first lady back in her rightful place Every day that Randy spent with Sherry, 330 00:19:47,940 --> 00:19:51,140 everybody said, let's bring Elizabeth. Where's Elizabeth? Where's Elizabeth? I 331 00:19:51,140 --> 00:19:53,280 mean, the people hungered for Elizabeth. 332 00:19:53,700 --> 00:19:58,020 Going into WrestleMania, Randy was looking to take the summer off. He and 333 00:19:58,020 --> 00:20:03,280 were looking to spend time together as husband and wife, not being on the road 334 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:09,080 all the time. So the idea was WrestleMania 7 have a career match with 335 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:10,080 Ultimate Warrior. 336 00:20:10,140 --> 00:20:12,800 If Boyer lost, he was gone. If Randy lost, he was gone. 337 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:18,920 We had shown earlier in the night that in attendance that night was Elizabeth 338 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,740 the crowd, sitting like in the fourth row. And when Sherry started to kick 339 00:20:23,740 --> 00:20:29,140 and go after Randy, Liz made her way to the ring and pulled Sherry off. And, you 340 00:20:29,140 --> 00:20:34,780 know, they're fighting for a man. And people are slowly applauding, and you 341 00:20:34,780 --> 00:20:36,360 grown men with tears in their eyes. 342 00:20:38,190 --> 00:20:40,350 That's emotional. That's good stuff. We got them. 343 00:20:41,770 --> 00:20:47,510 Because they felt it, and people could feel that too, getting back together, 344 00:20:47,710 --> 00:20:49,430 getting back to the one you really love. 345 00:20:49,730 --> 00:20:54,890 Elizabeth, will you marry me? 346 00:20:55,630 --> 00:20:59,730 Despite being married in real life for seven years, which was kept secret from 347 00:20:59,730 --> 00:21:03,770 fans, Randy and Elizabeth's characters finally tied the knot on live television 348 00:21:03,770 --> 00:21:05,970 on August 26, 1991. 349 00:21:10,250 --> 00:21:14,630 And they were excited. I mean, they were like two kids planning for their 350 00:21:14,630 --> 00:21:17,930 wedding. I think it was just the first time you ever saw the macho man break 351 00:21:17,930 --> 00:21:22,350 down and have a human emotion other than anger. You saw him actually happy, and 352 00:21:22,350 --> 00:21:26,930 you saw him emotionally care for someone outwardly, which you had never seen 353 00:21:26,930 --> 00:21:27,930 before. 354 00:21:28,630 --> 00:21:32,050 Liz and Randy are having this beautiful wedding ceremony. 355 00:21:33,550 --> 00:21:35,050 Now cue the devil. 356 00:21:37,580 --> 00:21:39,400 And did the reception and bullshit. 357 00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:42,780 Put the snake in the box and all that crap. 358 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,620 And I got it started and I kicked it off. 359 00:21:44,860 --> 00:21:47,200 14, 15 foot king cobra. 360 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:48,820 Look at that son of a bitch. 361 00:21:49,620 --> 00:21:51,640 A beautiful, beautiful animal. 362 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:58,700 Randy came to me and said, so tonight I hear we're going to do something a 363 00:21:58,700 --> 00:21:59,700 little different. 364 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:03,640 I'm like, yeah, man, the snake's biting you. He's like, yeah. 365 00:22:05,450 --> 00:22:07,490 Has the snake been fixed? 366 00:22:09,290 --> 00:22:14,330 Yeah. It's a cobra, you dumb shit. Of course it's been fixed. 367 00:22:15,010 --> 00:22:17,110 Maybe it has and maybe it hasn't. 368 00:22:17,930 --> 00:22:20,090 How about the snake biting you first? 369 00:22:20,750 --> 00:22:22,790 What? You, man. Oh, 370 00:22:23,570 --> 00:22:25,350 you don't want it to bite you? 371 00:22:25,810 --> 00:22:29,450 Because if you won't let the snake bite you, that tells me it hasn't been fixed. 372 00:22:30,490 --> 00:22:32,490 He's dead serious, man, so... 373 00:22:33,260 --> 00:22:36,560 I went and got the snake, rolled up my pants leg, and let it bite me. 374 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:42,080 And he's like, don't move, don't take no pills, don't take no antidote, don't 375 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,840 take no serums, no nothing, brother. 376 00:22:46,580 --> 00:22:49,760 For like 20 minutes, man, he's like, I'm going to get you okay. 377 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,880 How do you feel, man? I'm pissed off right now, to be honest with you. So it 378 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,440 time for that snake to bite him. I got the snake out and turned my back to him, 379 00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:01,380 and I paintbrushed the shit out of that snake. 380 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:02,640 pissed it off. 381 00:23:03,500 --> 00:23:08,220 And then whenever I turned around, that snake was just, you know, he was ready. 382 00:23:09,180 --> 00:23:13,680 And I got him close to Randy and he latched on and would not let go. 383 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:19,480 I mean, the time that you see it on television was nothing to the real time. 384 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:21,420 It went on forever. 385 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:23,920 Vince wound up sending a list of it down. 386 00:23:24,220 --> 00:23:27,400 Get the snake off of it. Get it off of it, Vince, now. 387 00:23:27,820 --> 00:23:28,599 I'm like, I'm... 388 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,700 Trying. And I'm pulling on the snake and it wouldn't let go. 389 00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:33,500 It's just chewing on it. 390 00:23:33,780 --> 00:23:37,520 And it's like anything else. First time it's ever been done. Shocks people, man. 391 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:39,440 The visual, you know. 392 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,840 Bottom line is nobody ever felt sorry for Randy. They felt sorry for her. 393 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,500 And it's not a good situation like with me whenever I slapped Elizabeth. 394 00:23:49,220 --> 00:23:53,740 And then they tried to go home to see her family. 395 00:23:54,420 --> 00:23:58,020 Grandpa meets him on the porch and says, you're not coming in this house, boy. 396 00:23:58,570 --> 00:24:01,390 He promised us he'd always protect our little girl. 397 00:24:01,670 --> 00:24:07,130 The only way he could gain access back into their home was basically kicking my 398 00:24:07,130 --> 00:24:10,050 ass and getting even, so to speak. 399 00:24:10,530 --> 00:24:12,330 These are Tennessee folks, bro. 400 00:24:12,670 --> 00:24:15,890 You know, wrestling's real. People are fake. 401 00:24:16,550 --> 00:24:19,350 What was the state of their relationship at the time that they were getting 402 00:24:19,350 --> 00:24:21,610 married again? I would say tumultuous. 403 00:24:21,970 --> 00:24:23,570 I'm the verge of breaking up. 404 00:24:25,790 --> 00:24:28,890 So, Terry had been cast in a movie called Mr. Nanny. 405 00:24:29,130 --> 00:24:32,930 It required us to be down in Miami for about eight weeks. So, Liz called and 406 00:24:32,930 --> 00:24:36,770 goes, when are you going to be back home? And I said, I'm going back the 407 00:24:36,770 --> 00:24:38,330 week. She's like, oh. 408 00:24:38,850 --> 00:24:41,730 She's like, Randy, can I please go? I heard her talking to him on the back of 409 00:24:41,730 --> 00:24:45,070 the phone. She's like, can I please go? I want to go help Linda with the kids. I 410 00:24:45,070 --> 00:24:48,210 just want to go see them and hang out with Nick and Brooke in the pool and 411 00:24:48,210 --> 00:24:51,950 stuff. And he's like, well, only if you're going to be babysitting and 412 00:24:51,950 --> 00:24:52,950 going to be with Linda. 413 00:24:53,260 --> 00:24:56,280 She flew down with us. It was so much fun. She helped me unload the kids. 414 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,000 We got the toys. We were hanging out. 415 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,220 We're all going to go out to dinner, you know. I said, so I'll just go get 416 00:25:01,220 --> 00:25:03,540 ready, do whatever, come back from your workout or whatever. 417 00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:07,520 And 7 .30, I'm thinking, like, aren't we going to do our makeup together and our 418 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:10,220 hair together, which is what we always did. So I'm kind of, like, knocking on 419 00:25:10,220 --> 00:25:12,200 her door, and I see the light is on. 420 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,880 I can see under the door, but she's not answering. 421 00:25:22,750 --> 00:25:27,630 In 1992, leaving her husband Randy Savage behind, Elizabeth travels alone 422 00:25:27,630 --> 00:25:30,270 Miami to stay with Hulk Hogan and his wife Linda. 423 00:25:31,690 --> 00:25:35,330 Terry had to film the next morning, and the whole next day goes on, and I see 424 00:25:35,330 --> 00:25:36,950 her at the pool. I'm like, Liz, where were you? 425 00:25:37,430 --> 00:25:40,910 You know, we were worried about you. And she's like, oh, well, I met this other 426 00:25:40,910 --> 00:25:44,430 gentleman that lives in the building, and he has an extra room here in the 427 00:25:44,430 --> 00:25:46,930 building, and he thought maybe I'd want to take it. 428 00:25:47,550 --> 00:25:50,670 The way I heard the story was that Liz wanted away from Randy. 429 00:25:51,260 --> 00:25:55,640 And so she contacted Hulk's wife, Linda, and went and stayed with them. 430 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:00,080 Now, meanwhile, Randy is freaking out because he doesn't know where the love 431 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,080 his life is. 432 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:05,260 Randy kept calling my room, wanting to talk to Liz. 433 00:26:06,020 --> 00:26:07,720 And I was like, Liz is not here. 434 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,760 I didn't say she had her own room. I just said, she's not here. I think she's 435 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,400 with friends or something like that. He goes, well, where is she? I was like, 436 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:15,440 she's not here. She's not here. 437 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,320 Randy was like, I'm going to fly down. 438 00:26:17,850 --> 00:26:21,270 You know, don't tell her because I don't like this. You know, she's never like 439 00:26:21,270 --> 00:26:25,350 missed my calls and she should be answering or she should at least be 440 00:26:25,350 --> 00:26:30,850 back. Three hours later, he lands, comes in blazing in the door, blazing, guns 441 00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:32,870 fired, looking for Liz. 442 00:26:33,130 --> 00:26:35,010 And I'm sitting there and he's like, where's Liz? 443 00:26:36,430 --> 00:26:38,650 I was like, Randy, look, I don't know. 444 00:26:39,590 --> 00:26:40,610 He's like, what? 445 00:26:41,210 --> 00:26:42,990 You know, where do you think she is? 446 00:26:43,450 --> 00:26:45,330 You know, who was she with last? 447 00:26:45,790 --> 00:26:46,970 What did you guys do? 448 00:26:47,210 --> 00:26:48,550 I'm going to go find Liz. 449 00:26:48,830 --> 00:26:50,930 And I want you sitting here in the chair. 450 00:26:51,130 --> 00:26:54,790 And if you so much as leave this chair and you smarten her up and tell her that 451 00:26:54,790 --> 00:26:58,350 I'm here looking for her, you're going to hear about it. I'd never seen Randy 452 00:26:58,350 --> 00:27:01,830 like this before in my life because I'd never even seen him argue or fight. 453 00:27:02,310 --> 00:27:03,670 Seriously, I really hadn't. 454 00:27:03,910 --> 00:27:06,710 So him and Terry went out the door and... 455 00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:10,320 I didn't know what was going on. I just knew I wasn't leaving the chair. And I 456 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:11,320 guess he found her. 457 00:27:11,460 --> 00:27:14,940 Terry came back to the room and said, I left them on their own. They're sorting 458 00:27:14,940 --> 00:27:18,440 it out. So they got in their rental car and they drove back home. And he 459 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,540 basically told Terry in so many words or less, like, Liz is not coming back to 460 00:27:21,540 --> 00:27:25,520 Miami. And there's no more hanging out. Party's over. This is ridiculous. 461 00:27:25,740 --> 00:27:30,720 She just went too crazy, you know. I think Randy felt, you know, again, life 462 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,760 imitating art, that Hulk was taking Liz's side. 463 00:27:35,550 --> 00:27:38,430 Well, that was the beginning of the end for them, but the beginning of the end 464 00:27:38,430 --> 00:27:42,570 for Randy and Hulk, too, because Randy always thought that Hulk had something 465 00:27:42,570 --> 00:27:43,469 do with it. 466 00:27:43,470 --> 00:27:47,390 I've been Hulk for 39 years. Hulk had nothing to do with that. He was shooting 467 00:27:47,390 --> 00:27:48,390 the dadgum movie. 468 00:27:48,530 --> 00:27:53,950 I think that when you separate and, like, she's at home and he's on the 469 00:27:54,110 --> 00:27:59,550 that all of a sudden it's a newfound freedom, and that's a whole brand -new 470 00:27:59,550 --> 00:28:00,550 on both parts. 471 00:28:01,510 --> 00:28:04,130 You know, it's just a normal day. I was just home with the kids. 472 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:09,540 Beautiful day out. And this is probably like five, six weeks after we wrapped 473 00:28:09,540 --> 00:28:10,760 filming and we left Miami. 474 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:15,880 You know, hard line phones. I'm in the kitchen. I'm giving Nick a bottle or 475 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:20,220 whatever. And Liz, I'm like, hey, Liz. God, I miss you. How are you? You know? 476 00:28:21,220 --> 00:28:23,960 And it was like dead silent on the other end of the phone. 477 00:28:24,180 --> 00:28:25,180 I was like, Liz? 478 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:26,640 She's like, Linda? 479 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:29,640 I left Randy. 480 00:28:33,060 --> 00:28:36,680 I was listening to her, and she sounded like she was at a gas station or 481 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,340 something, like your car is going by on the freeway, you know. I was like, oh, 482 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,400 my God. She goes, I'm done. I left him. 483 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,060 And I said, oh, my God. I said, are you home? Can I come help you? Can I talk to 484 00:28:45,060 --> 00:28:47,320 you? I was like, I need to talk some sense to this girl, you know. 485 00:28:47,860 --> 00:28:51,300 And she wasn't home. She goes, nope, I'm halfway to Miami. I'm going back. 486 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,100 I met some people there, and I've got a place to stay. 487 00:28:54,580 --> 00:28:59,000 She goes, promise me you don't tell Randy that I'm on the road. 488 00:29:00,100 --> 00:29:01,980 She had a convertible little red Cadillac. 489 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:07,220 The mental picture in my mind was her like a country music video or something 490 00:29:07,220 --> 00:29:10,680 with two suitcases in the back of her just driving her convertible down to 491 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:12,460 with the wind blowing through her hair. 492 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:19,760 Probably feeling free and relieved the constant submission that Randy had on 493 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:24,040 her. And it wasn't that he was trying to do it out of being mean or anything. It 494 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,980 was his protective way, but she had just had enough of that suppression. 495 00:29:28,460 --> 00:29:33,880 When Randy and Liz split up, You could tell there was a change in the macho 496 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:35,960 You know, he was a little drawn back. 497 00:29:36,220 --> 00:29:40,040 He really wasn't as intense as he was when they were together. 498 00:29:40,460 --> 00:29:46,320 Once he was gone, he really kind of just went silent. He lost all, 499 00:29:46,500 --> 00:29:51,680 he didn't really care about the business. You know, it was like the 500 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:57,180 on, but nobody's home. Sad, but yet there was that exterior that was, okay, 501 00:29:57,180 --> 00:29:57,959 got to move on. 502 00:29:57,960 --> 00:29:59,580 I think Randy was tormented. 503 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:03,300 You know, I mean, he had all the money, all the stuff and all that, but he 504 00:30:03,300 --> 00:30:08,100 always was never, I don't know, he was always so wound up. And I'm thinking, 505 00:30:08,180 --> 00:30:09,620 Mach, like, you've made it, bro. 506 00:30:10,620 --> 00:30:13,700 Like, what's missing? Like, what's it going to take to make you happy? 507 00:30:14,460 --> 00:30:20,840 One day, we were sitting in the car, waiting for Vince to come down, take him 508 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:26,040 forever. And Vince gets in the car and shuts the door and says, Gentlemen, 509 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:28,880 Savage is now the proud property of World Championship Wrestling. 510 00:30:31,659 --> 00:30:36,240 And we're like, what happened? 511 00:30:41,740 --> 00:30:48,600 WCW was owned by Ted Turner, competition to the WWF. Ted Turner had started 512 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:54,420 to try and lure talent from the WWF over to WCW. 513 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:56,620 Hulk Hogan was the first talent. 514 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,720 That made the big jump. The Macho Man, Randy Savage, he's interested in coming 515 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:05,420 over. Because in WWE, Randy had been put out to pasture by Vince McMahon. 516 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:10,080 Vince McMahon basically said, Randy, you're too old. Your gimmick's over. 517 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:11,059 stick is done. 518 00:31:11,060 --> 00:31:15,120 You're going to be a color commentator. And that hurt Randy. I didn't want to 519 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,740 reinvent a wheel that I believed already worked. 520 00:31:17,980 --> 00:31:21,060 And by the way, when Randy Savage came over... 521 00:31:26,140 --> 00:31:29,560 $750 ,000 a year of Slim Jim money came with him. 522 00:31:29,860 --> 00:31:33,940 And Slim Jim wasn't interested in changing Randy Savage. 523 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:39,260 WCW has given the macho man a renewed career, but his protective nature won't 524 00:31:39,260 --> 00:31:41,320 allow him to leave his one true love behind. 525 00:31:41,740 --> 00:31:45,760 Randy called her up and said, come on in, you can be a part of the storyline, 526 00:31:45,980 --> 00:31:50,340 make some money. He's divorced from Elizabeth at this point, but cares about 527 00:31:50,340 --> 00:31:53,220 enough that he gets her a $250 ,000 a year contract. 528 00:31:53,770 --> 00:31:56,770 Just to kind of stand around and look pretty. She wasn't even on camera much. 529 00:31:57,130 --> 00:31:58,610 But he wanted her looked after. 530 00:31:58,930 --> 00:32:02,510 Except this time, she was the villain and Randy was the baby fake. It was 531 00:32:02,510 --> 00:32:07,390 perfect. She had changed so much. She wasn't like the same little quiet girl I 532 00:32:07,390 --> 00:32:10,970 remember. She was more talkative. So I said, well, what's happening? I go, were 533 00:32:10,970 --> 00:32:11,809 you dating anybody? 534 00:32:11,810 --> 00:32:15,390 She goes, well, I'm kind of like seeing Lex. 535 00:32:15,630 --> 00:32:19,610 And I go, you're like seeing Lex. I go, Lex is married. 536 00:32:19,950 --> 00:32:21,470 And she goes, I know. 537 00:32:21,930 --> 00:32:22,930 That's the problem. 538 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,320 I go, that's not good. 539 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:31,980 Lex Luger was oftentimes considered, you know, the second coming of Hulk Hogan. 540 00:32:32,340 --> 00:32:36,660 Lex had a million -dollar body, and he had a great look. 541 00:32:36,900 --> 00:32:42,040 Lex Luger is one of the top names ever in the professional wrestling industry. 542 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:48,380 He's easy to hate because it's like there's nothing wrong with him. She was 543 00:32:48,380 --> 00:32:49,860 over heels over him. 544 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:51,280 I could tell that. 545 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:55,860 Paired together as part of a wrestling storyline, Elizabeth and Lex Luger's 546 00:32:55,860 --> 00:32:59,380 professional relationship evolves into a secret love affair. 547 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,260 They were a very happy couple. They'd go work out in the gym together. They 548 00:33:03,260 --> 00:33:04,560 would spend a lot of time together. 549 00:33:04,900 --> 00:33:08,180 They were being a little bit sneaky with the joining rooms and stuff. 550 00:33:08,380 --> 00:33:11,660 And I guess you can't help who you're attracted to and who you fall in love 551 00:33:11,660 --> 00:33:14,980 with. And I always liked Lex and I always liked Liz. And hey, if you guys 552 00:33:14,980 --> 00:33:19,960 each other happy, go for it. So when the idea started bouncing around about... 553 00:33:21,090 --> 00:33:25,470 Blurring the lines, if you will, between scripted and reality with regard to 554 00:33:25,470 --> 00:33:29,230 Elizabeth's relationship with Randy and their marriage and their divorce. 555 00:33:29,490 --> 00:33:36,490 I was really shocked at first 556 00:33:36,490 --> 00:33:38,830 that Randy would entertain some of those ideas. 557 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:49,780 He was still very protective of Elizabeth, but in a much different way. 558 00:33:49,780 --> 00:33:53,400 watched Lex like a hawk. It wasn't just that they were in a relationship. 559 00:33:53,620 --> 00:33:55,620 Lex was married and had kids. 560 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,000 Everybody knows that that's going to end badly one way or the other. 561 00:33:59,300 --> 00:34:02,480 Where are you living? Do you have an apartment or whatever? She's like, no, 562 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,660 got another place. He's keeping me in, but the weird thing is that it's in the 563 00:34:06,660 --> 00:34:09,400 same complex as where he and his wife live. I go, oh. 564 00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:11,639 I said, this is not good. 565 00:34:12,340 --> 00:34:14,080 It was pretty apparent also that 566 00:34:15,020 --> 00:34:19,260 They were both, um, they were pilled up. 567 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:24,420 They were just spending too much time doing too many drugs. 568 00:34:24,820 --> 00:34:29,100 I've never witnessed her doing any kind of drugs or pills, and in fact, when 569 00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:33,699 we'd go out and drink, she'd have two glasses of wine, and she'd be already, 570 00:34:33,739 --> 00:34:37,840 like, feeling it. I'm like, oh, time to go home, you know? Thing is, Liz doesn't 571 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:39,840 weigh 270 like me and Lex. 572 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:42,480 Liz weighs about 85 pounds. 573 00:34:43,469 --> 00:34:48,030 So she's taking the same amount of pills that the 300 -pounder's taking. You 574 00:34:48,030 --> 00:34:52,969 know, they had some kind of a fight, and she fell down the stairs, and she ended 575 00:34:52,969 --> 00:34:54,210 up with two black eyes. 576 00:34:54,690 --> 00:34:59,050 In April of 2003, squad cars respond to a domestic disturbance at the home of 577 00:34:59,050 --> 00:34:59,928 Lex Luger. 578 00:34:59,930 --> 00:35:03,250 Upon their arrival, the police notice Elizabeth has bruised eyes. 579 00:35:03,630 --> 00:35:07,290 At first, she denies the injuries are from Luger, but she eventually admits to 580 00:35:07,290 --> 00:35:08,610 the authorities that he did hit her. 581 00:35:08,870 --> 00:35:11,950 Luger was charged with misdemeanor count of battery and released on bail. 582 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:16,780 I thought falling down the stairs gave her two black eyes. 583 00:35:18,060 --> 00:35:23,220 Talk about the idea of getting Lex Luger on your podcast and talk about that 584 00:35:23,220 --> 00:35:28,600 process and what you want to talk to him about. When Nick, my producer and co 585 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:34,280 -host, suggested that we bring Lex on, you know, I had mixed emotions because I 586 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:40,020 still, honestly, Lex, I'm sorry, but I still had some resentment. 587 00:35:41,470 --> 00:35:46,830 during the time we were making the call. But Lex rose to the occasion. He was 588 00:35:46,830 --> 00:35:48,170 brutally honest. 589 00:35:49,030 --> 00:35:50,610 I'll never forget. 590 00:35:53,450 --> 00:35:56,090 It was actually early morning hours. 591 00:35:56,830 --> 00:36:01,570 We were having just an evening watching movies together and kicking back and 592 00:36:01,570 --> 00:36:08,310 sipping on some vodka and popping pills. And literally before 593 00:36:08,310 --> 00:36:09,490 the 911 call, 594 00:36:10,190 --> 00:36:12,010 I realized she had stopped breathing. 595 00:36:12,490 --> 00:36:16,430 Okay, what I want you to do, I want you to go over and see if she's breathing. 596 00:36:16,870 --> 00:36:20,730 Please send somebody here so we know what they're doing. 597 00:36:21,130 --> 00:36:26,070 I understand that, sir. I have somebody on the way. But if she's not breathing, 598 00:36:26,310 --> 00:36:28,010 you need to help her breathe. 599 00:36:28,470 --> 00:36:30,790 You need to find out whether or not she's breathing. 600 00:36:31,090 --> 00:36:33,790 Go over to her, sir. 601 00:36:34,350 --> 00:36:35,350 Oh, my God. 602 00:36:35,670 --> 00:36:39,510 Lay down and check to see if she's breathing. Look at her chest. 603 00:36:43,860 --> 00:36:48,300 Terry called me and he just said, you know, really, really bad news. 604 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:49,760 Liz is dead. 605 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:55,160 And, like, when he said that, I just felt like somebody poured a bucket of 606 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:55,959 on me. 607 00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:57,660 Oh, I was at home in Atlanta. 608 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:00,680 Heard it on the morning news. 609 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:04,680 I was pissed. 610 00:37:05,100 --> 00:37:08,880 I was pissed because I saw Lex. 611 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:17,540 manipulating and exploiting a vulnerable person and using prescription drugs to 612 00:37:17,540 --> 00:37:18,279 do it. 613 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:21,880 They told me that Elizabeth had just passed. I thought she was going to make 614 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,120 and she was going to go to the hospital and regret that she didn't make it. And 615 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:30,640 then I was arrested on, I think, 17 felony counts and all the drugs they 616 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:31,379 in my house. 617 00:37:31,380 --> 00:37:35,960 I thought I had the drugs under control, but I ended up getting control of 618 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:39,720 Elizabeth and I. The tragedy of that... 619 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:44,540 To witness that firsthand, it was a very dark time, without a doubt. 620 00:37:44,940 --> 00:37:49,160 I knew he was telling the truth. I knew he was being honest and accepting 621 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:52,380 responsibility. I look at him so differently now. 622 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:55,980 I respect him. 623 00:37:56,220 --> 00:37:58,600 I never thought I'd hear myself say. 624 00:37:58,860 --> 00:38:02,800 I want to ask you about, you know, Miss Elizabeth, you know, her loss and 625 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:03,800 everything. 626 00:38:03,900 --> 00:38:06,480 Earlier in your career, you guys... 627 00:38:06,890 --> 00:38:11,690 helped each other out in your careers yeah we were actually married and we got 628 00:38:11,690 --> 00:38:15,390 divorce like which happens in life sometimes and we had separation we had 629 00:38:15,390 --> 00:38:21,490 closure but i really feel real bad for her and her family and uh situation 630 00:38:21,490 --> 00:38:25,250 we hadn't seen each other in about maybe five six years but you know we had 631 00:38:25,250 --> 00:38:29,110 closure and we said hello and everything was all good but i feel bad for her 632 00:38:29,110 --> 00:38:34,280 family elizabeth tragically passed away at the age of 42 But grieving fans would 633 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:38,360 have no idea that this epic saga was approaching its final chapter. 634 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:50,100 This is my brother getting married for the second time to the lovely Lynn Payne 635 00:38:50,100 --> 00:38:55,660 Poffel. In 2010, seven years after Elizabeth's death, Randy Savage finds 636 00:38:55,660 --> 00:38:56,660 once again. 637 00:38:57,430 --> 00:39:00,930 He, you know, weathered the storm through his divorce, and he was finally 638 00:39:00,930 --> 00:39:07,170 of on his feet. He was remarried and just starting to kind of really enjoy 639 00:39:07,170 --> 00:39:12,030 life. When Randy retired from wrestling, he was able to devote a lot of his time 640 00:39:12,030 --> 00:39:18,690 to the Special Olympics. That was his passion, and he enjoyed his final years 641 00:39:18,690 --> 00:39:22,590 as a sedentary person. I was supposed to go to San Jose, California. 642 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:25,040 American Airlines stopped in Dallas. 643 00:39:25,300 --> 00:39:30,060 I turned on my phone and there was a message on there and it said, this is 644 00:39:30,060 --> 00:39:33,920 Medical, your brother and his wife were in a... 645 00:39:35,399 --> 00:39:36,399 automobile accident. 646 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:41,300 And she's banged up and your brother's in critical condition. But the way they 647 00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:45,060 said it, I knew. I got a phone call early that morning from Lanny Papa. 648 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:48,640 yeah, Lanny, I hadn't had time to call yet because it's early. He goes, no, 649 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,060 listen, I'm coming back home. Why? And I could tell his voice was really shaky. 650 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,480 He goes, what? He goes, I just got a phone call. 651 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:56,420 He said, my brother just got killed. 652 00:39:56,830 --> 00:40:00,530 We want to share some breaking news with you now regarding Randy Macho Man 653 00:40:00,530 --> 00:40:03,910 Savage. You may know him well. He is a pro wrestler. 654 00:40:04,110 --> 00:40:09,390 We have just confirmed that Randy Macho Man Savage has died. Coming from the 655 00:40:09,390 --> 00:40:11,610 Florida Highway Patrol, there was a car accident. 656 00:40:11,950 --> 00:40:16,310 I was literally on my way to the airport to leave Clearwater when I got the 657 00:40:16,310 --> 00:40:18,090 phone call from Hulk or Terry. 658 00:40:18,650 --> 00:40:22,810 He crashed into a tree and died as a result of a heart attack. 659 00:40:23,950 --> 00:40:26,650 It's hard to believe. Even now, sitting here doing this interview, it's hard to 660 00:40:26,650 --> 00:40:30,750 believe it's true because he was so full of life. He was so full of energy, 661 00:40:30,990 --> 00:40:34,210 brother. It's hard to imagine that he's not here, really. 662 00:40:36,570 --> 00:40:41,970 We're going to the site where my brother lost control, and you're going to see 663 00:40:41,970 --> 00:40:45,550 the tree. They've still got a few flowers, although they've taken some of 664 00:40:45,550 --> 00:40:48,210 down. It's been seven years, you know. 665 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:04,700 I judge people by the way, for example, Randy treated my kids. Oh, and that was 666 00:41:04,700 --> 00:41:07,480 it for me. If I start thinking about that too much, I'll cry. 667 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:13,960 He went out of his way to be really, really good to kids, and that's how I 668 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:14,960 people. 669 00:41:15,260 --> 00:41:20,340 He loved Brooke, and he loved kids. I'm sure he probably would have said yes at 670 00:41:20,340 --> 00:41:24,180 any time and loved to have kids with Liz. I think it's a shame Liz isn't in 671 00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:25,180 Hall of Fame. 672 00:41:25,260 --> 00:41:29,720 I think that she was called the first lady of wrestling for a reason. She was 673 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:36,640 the first significant female star who never wrestled. Because he had her at 674 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:40,660 side made him even more special because she was the special. 675 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:48,120 She was the first female that was depicted in a powerful role. She was 676 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:50,960 beautiful, quiet, but she was class. 677 00:41:51,220 --> 00:41:52,220 Elizabeth was class. 678 00:41:52,570 --> 00:41:58,630 Maybe a boy named Timmy would come up with his father, and they'd say, May I 679 00:41:58,630 --> 00:41:59,630 have your autograph, sir? 680 00:42:00,570 --> 00:42:03,430 He'd say, Oh, yeah, here's the deal. 681 00:42:03,730 --> 00:42:07,970 Timmy, I'm going to sign your autograph, but you've got to do something for me. 682 00:42:08,790 --> 00:42:09,790 Well, what's that? 683 00:42:10,990 --> 00:42:12,750 How are you doing in school, Timmy? 684 00:42:12,990 --> 00:42:16,330 How are you doing in school? Are you doing your best? Because, Timmy, I'm 685 00:42:16,330 --> 00:42:17,330 to sign your autograph. 686 00:42:18,250 --> 00:42:21,990 But if you don't do well in school, if you don't do your best every single day, 687 00:42:22,250 --> 00:42:25,530 it's going to be real, real bad for you. 688 00:42:26,390 --> 00:42:30,110 Randy and Elizabeth were greater than the sum of their parts. They were 689 00:42:30,110 --> 00:42:32,150 undoubtedly key to each other's legacy. 690 00:42:32,490 --> 00:42:37,210 Fans had never before experienced a more emotional and relatable storyline on 691 00:42:37,210 --> 00:42:38,330 the complexity of love. 692 00:42:38,690 --> 00:42:43,090 Together, they transcended television and, well, wrestling, too. 693 00:42:43,570 --> 00:42:44,850 Even after the divorce, 694 00:42:45,580 --> 00:42:49,040 They still had a tremendous amount of love and respect for each other. They 695 00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:51,360 true, true celebrities and icons. 696 00:42:51,620 --> 00:42:54,180 There's not one person on the whole planet Earth that doesn't know who they 697 00:42:54,180 --> 00:42:57,080 were. From a wrestler's point of view, she's one of the greatest performers 698 00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:58,080 ever, you know. 699 00:42:58,140 --> 00:43:02,520 While both passed too soon, they left their legions of fans with an epic love 700 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,440 story that will last long after they're gone. 701 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:09,560 To me, Randy Savage is on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling. 702 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:12,900 Could perform, could do an interview, had the right look. 703 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:16,900 He was the macho man. He was an innovator. He was a creator. 704 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:21,780 And he made the business better, in my opinion. 705 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:25,160 I would call Randy Savage one of the all -time greats without a doubt. 706 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:31,480 And the real human being, Randy Poffo, was really a very good man and a loving 707 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,760 man. There was a lot of art imitating life. You know, sometimes in the world, 708 00:43:35,780 --> 00:43:38,050 what really happens... It's not really planned. 709 00:43:38,310 --> 00:43:41,150 After you roll with it, then all of a sudden you really turn into that 710 00:43:41,150 --> 00:43:43,390 character, turn into that dilemma that takes place. 711 00:43:44,250 --> 00:43:48,610 I think people always want to think of her as Miss Elizabeth, the one that came 712 00:43:48,610 --> 00:43:49,610 with Randy. 713 00:43:50,090 --> 00:43:53,430 You don't want to remember her being with somebody else. It just doesn't seem 714 00:43:53,430 --> 00:43:54,428 right. 715 00:43:54,430 --> 00:43:57,010 I mean, that's what we were fed, you know, that's what we believed.