Jim Ross checked in with a blog entry before Raw, and here are some highlights:
on Wrestlemania 9
I did not know Savage extremely well even though I worked with him in the broadcast booth many times in my early years in WWE. Honestly, I’m not sure who REALLY knew Randy Savage as he was a complex man in many ways who seemed to remain in ‘guarded’ mode more often than not. At WM9 Savage, the brilliant Bobby Heenan and I comprised the three man team that broadcast the event outdoors at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. (No, I did not mind wearing a toga nor do I still have the rented costume.)
on Randy’s reputation
When I first arrived in WWE, many could not wait to tell me a litany of Savage stories of his days with Miss Elizabeth, one of the great combinations in wrestling history, and how paranoid and untrusting Randy was at it related to his then wife. I wasn’t there to see it so t’s all folklore to me but those that did live it said it was challenging. I looked at that matter as ‘none of my business material’ and never really spoke to Randy about it but knew it was a touchy subject with him and I had no desire to raise the ire of the Macho Man. We even lived in the same building in Stamford, Ct for a while and I never even realized it. We’d work together much of many days and nights and I did not even know that we lived in the same apartment building.
on him and Savage not being close
The point that I’m making is that Randy Savage and I were never close pals but I had immense respect for his in ring work and his mic work as well. He was one of the best all around performers ever in the biz….bar none….case closed. With that said, today is a day for celebration for all those who, like me, enjoyed Randy’s game especially his bell to bell exploits in WWE and before. The match Savage had with Ricky Steamboat at WM3 is a classic but putting the match together was extremely taxing according to the Dragon himself. Again, Savage was a perfectionist and his arch rival Hulk Hogan was set to defeat the incomparable Andre the Giant on that same show so Randy wanted he and Steamboat to “steal the show.” Many say that they did even though WM3 will always be know primarily for the Hulk-Andre match.
Check out the full blog entry at JR’s BBQ
