One of the most iconic stars in the history of professional wrestling, Randy Savage debuted for WCW shortly before the advent of WCW Monday Nitro but became a major star on the weekly program immediately. One of the smartest and most talented workers in the business Savage knew how to hide his physical limitations at his advanced age than many of his peers and thus, was still having extraordinary matches. Whether he was working the WWE rejects that populated the Dungeon of Doom or stars such as Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, Savage could be counted on to bring his work boots. Like Hulk Hogan, he was very much considered an premier acquisition for Eric Bischoff and WCW and as a result, was pushed accordingly. His work in the New World Order may have fallen off a bit, especially considering the rather lazy nature of that group in general from an in-ring perspective, but he was still showing effort. In particular, his feud with Diamond Dallas Page in spring of 1997 was both one of the best and most intensely personal that WCW churned out at the time. While Bischoff and company were concerned with putting Vince McMahon out of business and bringing Dennis Rodman into the mix for a big pay-per-view payday, Savage and Page were busy delivering great, old-school wrestling matches and a passionate program that fans could sink their teeth into. Unfortunately, it was that feud that would serve as Savage's last great bit of work for the company. He remained active with the company through 1999 but his work never again reached the level it did against DDP.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
