In the 1980s, wrestling underwent a huge boom thanks to the rise of WWE. Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania was at the center of this, of course, but the Hulkster had a close number two who nearly became his equal in popularity. No matter if he was a babyface or a heel, the "Macho Man" Randy Savage demanded your attention, not only through his superior ring work, but from his charisma and unforgettable promos. In the early 90s, Savage's time as an in-ring performer in Vince McMahon's promotion began to wind down. In 1994, he had what would be his last televised bout in a match against Crush at WrestleMania 10. It fell far below the standards that the living legend had created in the decade before.

Vince McMahon Made The Decision

• Randy Savage retired in kayfabe after losing to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 7.
• Jake "The Snake" got Randy Savage to return when he had his cobra bite the arm of the "Macho Man".
• Randy Savage became a commentator on Raw and WrestleMania 9.

In the early 90s, Randy Savage's WWE career began to slowly wind down. He went in to WrestleMania 7 against the Ultimate Warrior with the stipulation of, if he lost, that he'd have to retire. Savage did lose, but there was a heartwarming moment bigger than almost any win when he reunited with Miss Elizabeth, who saved him from an attack from Sensational Sherri. The crowd roared as if he'd won the title and adults wept in the stands.

It was a shocking storyline that brought Savage back to the ring in the famous moment where Jake "The Snake" Roberts' cobra bit the "Macho Man" on the arm. Eight months after leaving the ring, Savage was back in December 1991 for a feud with Roberts. That rivalry went so well that it launched Savage to a second WWE Championship when he beat Ric Flair for the gold at WrestleMania 8. By January of the next year, however, Vince McMahon began pushing Savage out of the ring for a role on commentary. Savage did color commentary on Raw and called the action with Jim Ross at WrestleMania 9. McMahon wanted to move away from veterans, and with Savage now being 40-years-old, he was being phased out. He would return for one last major feud with a man Vince was hoping would be a big star in the new generation.

Randy Savage's Final Feud Was With Crush

Crush Turned Heel And Attacked The "Macho Man"

• Crush was a tag team champion as a member of Demolition.
• Crush came back to WWE with a character based on his Hawaiian background.
• Crush attacked Randy Savage for not supporting him after he was injured by Yokozuna.

Brian Adams was a wrestler who competed all over the world, from NJPW, to All Japan Pro Wrestling, WCW, and most notably, WWE. His first run in WWE saw him become Crush, the third member of Demolition. While he had success and was a tag team champion, he never quite fit in with the group. Demolition was always seen as being just Ax and Smash, with Crush being a wrestler doing cosplay. Adams left WWE in 1991, but he returned the next year as a repackaged character. The dark colors of Demolition were gone, and instead, Crush dressed in bright colors and sported bright blonde hair. Being that he was born in Honolulu, WWE played into his Hawaiian heritage, and it worked to a degree, making him a decently popular babyface, but not one who was a top star.

One of Crush's biggest moments saw him trying to bodyslam Yokozuna at the Independence Day Stars and Stripes Challenge, but Brian Adams hurt his back for real and then was written off TV when Yokozuna destroyed him during a WWE Championship match. This set up Crush to return as a heel, and he immediately went after Randy Savage, attacking him for not being there for him while Crush was out injured. The bright colors disappeared and Adams wore darker gear again as he now sided with Yokozuna, along with Mr. Fuji. Savage and Crush had an encounter during the 1994 Royal Rumble, with Crush tossing his former friend out of the ring during the match, setting up for a showdown at WrestleMania 10.

WrestleMania 10 Saw Randy Savage Vs Crush In A Falls Count Anywhere Match

Randy Savage Left WWE For WCW

• WrestleMania 10 had several huge matches on the card.
• Randy Savage was stuck in a gimmick match that didn't last long.
• Randy Savage became a world champion again in WCW.

The first problem with Crush vs Randy Savage is that Crush was not Savage's equal in the ring. He was a big man who did power moves, while Savage was a master technician. WWE tried to cover this up by making their battle a Falls Count Anywhere match, but the "Macho Man" was someone who didn't need a gimmick match. With so many major matches on the show, which had Owen Hart battling Bret Hart in a classic, Razor Ramon taking on Shawn Michaels in an unforgettable ladder match, and two WWE Championship matches, which saw Bret Hart become the champ at the end of the night, Savage vs Crush felt like a forgettable, throwaway feud. Despite being Falls Count Anywhere, it didn't even last ten minutes. The vast majority of the match was a brawl, with Savage mostly selling in an attempt to get Crush over. The match ended when Savage took Crush backstage and hung him by his legs, making it impossible for Crush to get back to the ring. It felt like a cheap victory for one of the most famous wrestlers who ever lived.

Savage had an on-air role at SummerSlam, but he never wrestled on WWE TV again, with his last official match being in a tag match in Germany where he and Bret Hart beat Owen Hart and Jim Neidhardt. In October 1994, his contract ended, and Randy Savage would never be seen in WWE again. He took Ted Turner's money and jumped to WCW, where he was immediately made a star in the ring once more, becoming a four-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.