10 Ridiculous Wrestling Booking Decisions Nobody Can Explain

2. Ostracising Macho Man Randy Savage

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As the WWF hurtled perilously close to extinction in the face of the steroid and sex scandals of the early 1990s - and attractions like Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior departed the company in acrimonious circumstances - Vince McMahon felt a youth movement was the best way forward, as a means of disassociating the public from the ghosts of the gassed-up Golden Era.

This doesn't explain the relegation of Macho Man Randy Savage to commentary duties, since he still looked in superb condition, having slimmed down considerably. Savage desperately wanted back in the ring. As he proved in the great Indian summer of 1997, he could still go in said ring. McMahon refused to relent, outside of a programme with Crush, of all people. No: Savage was a dinosaur, and McMahon was the meteorite - even though he really could have done with a man of Savage's star power in a turbulent period of fading popularity. Savage wasn't even booked as gatekeeper, really; just a commentator.

What's incredible about this sequence of events is that, bang in the midst of formally declaring this nascent philosophy via the 'New Generation' branding, McMahon booked Roddy Piper Vs. Jerry Lawler as the main event of King Of The Ring 1994 - which Savage called.

It was possibly the most insane aspect of a career built on 'Macho Madness',

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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!