10 Major Career-Making Wrestling Matches

3. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE Vs. Randy Savage - WCW Spring Stampede 1997

DDP Savage
WWE.com

In the face of an undeniable rising star, Randy Savage could only attempt to deny him. He denied Diamond Dallas Page by cutting a withering pre-match promo before denying him the opportunity to get at him, avoiding his opening flurry with a spot of chickensh*t escapism.

Taking a cue from Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13 a few weeks prior, Page and Savage brought the fight to the arena crowd, smashing one another with assorted weaponry. Though the brief was not as complex, the action wasn’t a mere pale imitation; where Hart was tasked with slowly conveying his dark heart, Savage exposed his immediately, hiding behind Page’s valet before launching himself at Page with microphone cable. Savage, denying the twilight of his career, set upon ring announcer Dave Penzer to wrest his chair away from him. It wasn’t yet time to call time on his main event run, a role he clung to with a vicious desperation.

In response, Page used his charisma and uplifting macro story to create a micro masterpiece of a superb babyface performance, selling valiantly with perfect, crowd-popping timing against the twinned forces of an über-skilled legend using his vast experience of the dark arts.

Consider what The Undertaker did to DDP; everything he did to him, Savage did for him.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!