In the late ’80s and early ’90s, there were few wrestlers as immediately recognizable and popular as “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. Led by Savage’s pure athleticism and skill and Hogan’s undeniable showmanship and charisma, the two helped plow the furrow for the WWE during this period. Amazingly, they even briefly entered into a tag team group, The Mega Power Alliance, that brought true drama and excitement to the wrestling world for two brief years.
The Mega Power Alliance
Before 1987, Hulk Hogan and Savage were bitter enemies in the ring and out. Some of this was showbiz fun, but much of it was true distaste. Hogan was far more popular than Randy Savage, which bothered that athletic and competitive wrestler. However, pairing the two was too good to ignore.
The alliance began during a 1987 match during which the Honky Tonk Man was attempting to seriously hurt Savage after losing. Surprisingly, Savage’s real-life wife and manager, Miss Elizabeth, emerged from backstage with Hogan, who saved his former enemy from danger.
As a result, the two became friends and started dominating the wrestling world in a tag team match. On the surface, this is a brilliant idea. As the two most popular wrestlers of the time, burying the hatchet gave them the chance to create amazing matches and storylines.
The Fall of the Alliance
The end of this partnership was brilliantly written. It centered on Savage’s (very real) love for Miss Elizabeth and Hogan’s perceived interest in her. Throughout their matches, she would act protective towards both men. Hogan’s attempts to be friendly or similarly protective irked Savage.
As a result, the friendship starts souring and, eventually, leads to a huge moment when Savage accuses Hogan of lusting after Miss Elizabeth. Hogan then responded by challenging Savage to a match in Wrestlemania V, during which Miss Elizabeth would be in no man’s corner.
The following match was a brilliant display of both men’s ability to work the ring. While Savage did a lot of the difficult athletic stunts, Hogan used his natural charisma to win over the audience and beat Savage with his trademark leg drop. The two never became friends in the ring again.
Unfortunately, their actual personal friendship turned sour when Miss Elizabeth left Randy Savage in 1992. Savage blamed Hogan and his then-wife. Whether that has any truth to it or not, it was sad to wrestling fans to see the in-ring acrimony turn to the real world.
Brilliant Storytelling Makes the WWE Great
Showrunner Vince McMahon truly knew how to make his wrestling stand out from his competitors. While many other leagues turned up their nose at such soap-opera-like antics, McMahon and his team knew that it gave his matches stakes that fans loved. It set WWE apart from other leagues that mostly focused on wrestling and athleticism. It’s also inspired legions of others to follow suit with complex and fascinating storylines involving dozens of competitors.
