2. Randy Savage Vs. Ricky Steamboat - WWF Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania III)
Either 78,000 or 93,000 people watched Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage engage in a 30-plus minute contest that involved 19 two-count falls and enough high-paced action that it influenced the wrestling style of not just one, but two generations of professional wrestlers. The set-up of the match is phenomenal, too. Randy Savage dropped a ring bell onto Ricky Steamboat's throat, "crushing his larynx" and threatening Steamboat's ability to ever be able to speak again. As well, in the interim, Randy Savage was also feuding with George "The Animal" Steele who had a crush on Savage's manager Miss Elizabeth, with Steele (who accompanied Steamboat to ringside) playing a role in the finish, too. This match is still absolutely incredible, and in typical Savage form is off the wall and insanely athletic as well. Steamboat besting Savage after the 14-month run that put Savage on the map as a mega-star on the rise actually is totally immaterial to much of anything as the match is of such a high quality that it benefits both combatants.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
