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- One of the most colorful wrestlers in and out of the ring, Randy "Macho Man" Savage became a larger-than-life pop icon along with other wrestling superstars, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka (aka "Superfly Jimmy Snuka"), Jesse Ventura and Dwayne Johnson (aka "The Rock").
When signed to the WWE (then known as the WWF), Savage immediately became a top heel (bad guy). He was managed by WWE Hall of Fame managers such as Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Classy Freddie Blassie (Freddie Blassie) and, of course his best known manager--the gorgeous Miss Elizabeth (Elizabeth Hulette). During his time in the WWE Savage went up against other WWE legends in the 1980s, such as Junkyard Dog (Sylvester Ritter), Merced Solis (aka Tito Santana), Bruno Sammartino and George 'The Animal' Steele. He also had a well-known feud going with WWE superstar Hulk Hogan.
While in the WWE Savage won the Heavywieght Title two times, the Intercontinental title once and was the 1989 King of the Ring. He then moved to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and signed a $6-million contract with them. He won the WCW Heavyweight Title four times,.
To fans, Savage is most notable for having an off- and on-screen relationship with Miss Elizabeth. Their relationship became the most famous love story in WWE history. However, their relationship started to go downhill, and it began to show in his professional life. Soon they split up. After having left the WCW, Savage went to TNA (Total Non-Stop Action) Wrestling.
Randy Savage died of cardiovascular disease on May 20, 2011, in Seminole, FL. - Pro wrestling's Miss Elizabeth was born in Frankfort, KY in 1960, and grew up in Kentucky. According to the WWF's Spotlight magazine, Elizabeth enjoyed walks through the meadows and horses during her childhood. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Kentucky. She rose to national prominence in the fall of 1985 when she was introduced as the manager of WWF wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage (Randy Savage, whom she had married a year earlier). The two quickly became successful: Elizabeth guided Savage to the WWF's Intercontinental title in Boston on Feb. 8, 1986, and later the WWF World Title on March 27, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Merchandise and magazines bearing her picture were big sellers. She also figured as a key part of several angles, or story lines, in Savage's feuds with WWF foes George 'The Animal' Steele, Wayne Farris (aka "The Honky Tonk Man"), Jake Roberts, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Elizabeth later served as Hogan's manager, which touched off one of the WWF's fiercest feuds of 1989. Miss Elizabeth was never a "Diva" like the other women in WWE today. She was and will always remain the First Lady of Wrestling.
Elizabeth and Randy Savage were part of the "Match Made in Heaven" portion of the WWF's Summerslam '91 on August 26, 1991. Alas, the marriage was a work (i.e., fake), as the two were already married; the "wedding" was used to help set up Savage's feud with Roberts. In reality, the marriage (both the real and storyline marriage) wouldn't last; Elizabeth left the WWF in 1992, shortly before she and Savage divorced.
She returned to wrestling in 1996 in the rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where she served as manager for Hogan and Lex Luger (Larry Pfohl, who soon became her real-life boyfriend) while also working with ex-husband Savage on occasion. She left the WCW in early 1999. She later owned a clothing store in the Miami, Florida, area. She died on May 1, 2003, leaving behind many fond memories with her fans. - Actor
- Additional Crew
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bret Hart is one of Canada's most successful wrestlers. He is also recognized as one of the worlds best wrestlers ever. Hart comes from the legendary Hart Family of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He owns a junior hockey team named after him and has his own column in the Calgary Sun. Bret has held the WWF World Title (5), Intercontinental Title (2), co-held the Tag Team Title (2), the US Heavyweight Title (2) and was the 1993 King of the Ring. He and his brothers and sister hold dual citizenships in both Canada (where he was born) and the US (where his mother was born).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Began his career in Texas. Trained by the legendary Jose Lothario, Shawn Michaels wrestled in Kansas, where he met fellow wrestler, Marty Jannetty. A year later, after sending tapes of his matches to the major wrestling companies at the time, he was contacted by the AWA, who proposed that he team up with Marty Jannetty again. Together, Michaels and Jannetty became known as the Midnight Rockers. The AWA had just received a TV deal with ESPN, which did wonders for his career. The Midnight Rockers had a major feud with "Playboy" Buddy Rose and "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers. Their matches were considered bloodbaths at the time. Eventually the Midnight Rockers came out the victors and were the AWA World Tag Team Champions. The WWF (now WWE) noticed their efforts and signed them to a deal. Both Michaels and Jannetty were soon fired for a incident in a bar, which Michaels claims was a misunderstanding. The duo went back to the AWA for a brief time. After a while, they contacted the WWF, who gave them a second chance and they returned in late 1988. They were known simply as The Rockers. The duo had a great influence on many of the present teams in wrestling. Their trademark was being tag team specialists and using great double team moves on their opponents.
They had major feuds with The Brain Busters, The Fabulous Rougeaus, The Hart Foundation, The Orient Express, and Power & Glory. At one point the Rockers won the WWF Tag Team Titles. The match was taped before being shown Jim Neidhart of the Hart Foundation was negotiating his release at the time, then eventually came to an agreement to stay. They were stripped of the Tag Team titles which was returned to the Hart Foundation with the explanation that a turnbuckle collapsed which caused the match to go bad for both teams. Sometime after the Rockers were split apart and Shawn Michaels became a singles wrestler, after turning on his partner Marty Jannetty. In a related story, Michaels actually met with Vince McMahon to discuss his character. He told him he worked hard and would like to be pushed as a singles wrestler. He wanted to know what he had to do to convince Vince McMahon to do so. McMahon told him he just did it by coming to him. Michaels defeated Tito Santana in his first WrestleMania as a singles wrestler. He was managed by Sherri Martel, who supposedly had a crush on him. In a major upset, Michaels defeated The British Bulldog on Saturday Night's Main Event. Michaels thus won the Intercontinental Title from the Bulldog. One night on Raw in May 1993, Michaels wrestled former partner Marty Jannetty with the Intercontinental Title on the line. The match became Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Match of the Year. Jannetty won the bout.
The following year, Michaels wrestled Razor Ramon (Scott Hall, who is one of his best friends) in a ladder match at WrestleMania X. This match was voted by Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the Match of the Year and became one of wrestling's most innovative matches. In 1995, Michaels was again voted in Match of the Year by wrestling another great friend, Diesel (Kevin Nash) at WrestleMania XI. Michaels won both the 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumbles, and again was in match of the year when in 1996 he wrestled Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII in a one hour Iron Man Match. Michaels was involved in the big Montreal Screwjob on Bret Hart, that Vince McMahon was behind. The match was stopped and awarded to Shawn Michaels because Vince McMahon was worried that Hart would refuse to lose and take the WWF Title belt to WCW Nitro. This severed a friendship between Michaels and Hart. Michaels originally denied knowing about it in advance. Later on he admitted he knew but wouldn't refuse to do what Vince McMahon wanted him to, since Vince McMahon made his career. Michaels innovated another match against the Undertaker, when he wrestled him in a Hell in the Cell match. After WrestleMania XIV, Michaels didn't wrestle for 4 years due to a back injury, but maintained an on air role on occasion. During his time off, Michaels became a father, and also became a Born again Christian. At SummerSlam 2002, Michaels returned to the ring to face his friend Triple H. The two had a great feud, and Michaels who didn't think he could wrestle as well as he used to, dazzled the audience. He wasn't sure if he would be able to continue his normal wrestling schedule due to the nagging injuries, but after that, he went strong for almost 8 full years. He won his last World Championship from Triple H later that year, which he held for a month.- Frank Goodish was born on 18 June 1946 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), WCW Worldwide (1975) and WWF World Championship Wrestling (1972). He was married to Barbara Goodish and Nola Marie Neece. He died on 17 July 1988 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
- Fritz Von Erich was born on 16 August 1929 in Jewett, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for World Class Championship Wrestling: Star Wars (1981), The Von Erichs: Front Row Ringside (1987) and AWA All-Star Wrestling (1972). He was married to Doris Adkisson. He died on 10 September 1997 in Lake Dallas, Texas, USA.
- Actor
- Director
Kevin Von Erich was born on 15 May 1957 in Belleville, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Best of the Von Erichs (2004), AEW Rampage (2021) and AEW Dynamite (2019). He has been married to Pam Adkisson since 1 August 1980. They have four children.- David Von Erich was born on 22 July 1958 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for World Class Championship Wrestling (1972) and World Class Championship Wrestling: Star Wars (1981). He was married to Patricia A. Matter and Candy L. McLeod. He died on 9 February 1984 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Kerry Adkisson was born on February 3, 1960, to Jack and Doris Adkisson. Jack was a wrestler, so most of Jack's children followed in his footsteps (one child, Jack Adkisson, Jr., tragically died in 1959 from electrocution). Kerry was a standout discus thrower at University of Houston, and actually held the SWC discus record; coincidentally, Kerry's father Jack was the previous record holder). Kerry began wrestling around 1980, and his biggest achievement was pinning Ric Flair for the NWA world heavyweight title on May 6, 1984, at Texas Stadium at the inaugural David Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions, a wrestling super-card in memory of Kerry's brother David who died in Japan during a wrestling tour in January of that year; Flair would regain the title 18 days later in Yokohama, Japan. Kerry was poised to be a superstar for years to come, but a serious motorcycle accident in 1986 would change his life forever. His injuries from the accident were so severe that a foot had to be amputated, and he wrestled with a prosthetic foot for the rest of his career. As a result of these injuries, he became addicted to painkillers, and in 1991 he was arrested for forging prescriptions; this resulted in him being fired from the WWF. He was given probation, but a little over a year later, he violated his probation by being caught in possession of unauthorized prescription drugs. Recently divorced and despondent over an impending prison sentence. Kerry Adkisson took his own life on February 18th, 1993, at the family ranch. He was preceded in death by his four brothers: Jack (1952-1959), David Von Erich (1958-1984), Mike Von Erich (1964-1987) and Chris Von Erich (1969-1991).
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Von Erich was born on 2 March 1964 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for World Class Championship Wrestling: Star Wars (1981), Mid South Wrestling (1981) and The Von Erichs: Front Row Ringside (1987). He was married to Shani Garza. He died on 12 April 1987 in Lake Dallas, Texas, USA.- Chris Von Erich was born on 30 September 1969 in Denton, Texas. He was an actor, known for World Class Championship Wrestling: Star Wars (1981) and World Class Championship Wrestling (1972). He died on 12 September 1991 in Smith County, Texas, USA.
- Gino Hernandez was born on 8 August 1957 in Highland Park, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for World Class Championship Wrestling (1972), Mid South Wrestling (1981) and World Pro Wrestling TV (1984). He was married to Janice Marie Bancroft. He died on 2 February 1986 in Highland Park, Texas, USA.
- Actress
- Camera and Electrical Department
Lillian Ellison was born on 22 July 1923 in Tookiedoo, South Carolina, USA. She was an actress, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), WWE Smackdown! (1999) and Saturday Night's Main Event (1985). She was married to Walter Carroll and Johnny Long. She died on 2 November 2007 in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.- Christopher Michael Benoit is a Canadian wrestler who was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Michael and Margaret Benoit. He grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, from where he was billed throughout the bulk of his career. He had a sister living near Edmonton.
During his 22-year career, Benoit worked for numerous promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Industry historian Dave Meltzer considered him "one of the top 10, maybe even the top 5, all-time greats".
Benoit held 22 championships between WWF/WWE, WCW, NJPW, and ECW. He was a two-time world champion, having been a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time World Heavyweight Champion in WWE; he was booked to win a third world championship at a WWE event on the night of his death. Benoit was the twelfth WWE Triple Crown Champion and sixth WCW Triple Crown Champion, and the second of five men in history to achieve both the WWE and WCW Triple Crown Championships. He was also the 2004 Royal Rumble winner, joining Shawn Michaels as the only two men to win a Royal Rumble as the number one entrant. Benoit headlined multiple pay-per-views for WWE, including a victory in the World Heavyweight Championship main event match of WrestleMania XX in 2004.
Benoit murdered his wife and son on June 22, 2007, and hanged himself two days later. Research suggests depression and brain damage from numerous concussions are likely contributing factors leading to the crime. - Nancy Daus-Sullivan was born on 21 May 1964 in Orlando, Florida, USA. She was an actress, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), WCW Worldwide (1975) and Eastern Championship Wrestling (1993). She was married to Chris Benoit, Kevin Sullivan and Jim Daus. She died on 22 June 2007 in Fayetteville, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
One of the great Hispanic wrestlers, Eddie Guerrero grew up part of the famous wrestling family: The Guerreros. His father Gory Guerrero became a star in the U.S., an icon in Texas and a legend in Mexico. Eddie's brothers, Hector, Amadno and Chavo, Sr. also became wrestlers. Both Hector and Amando gain success, but only in the Indie federations, and not much success as their father or other two brothers had gained in the majors. Eddie's nephew, Chavo Guerro, Jr., son of Chavo, Sr., also became a wrestler (Chavo, Jr. was only three years younger than his uncle). Eddie was also uncle of Enrique Llanes and cousin of Javier Llanes, who are popular wrestlers in Mexico.
Eddie had wrestling since the 1989. He really made his name in the now-defunct ECW (Extreme championship Wrestling) by winning the ECW Ecxtreme Championship Wrerstling) TV Title against Dean Simon (aka Dean Malenko). Eddie also made his name later that year in now-defunct WCW (World Championship Wrestling) to win the Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Chris Jericho. Also while in the company, he formed Latino World Order (A playoff to Hulk Hogan's (Hollywood Hogan at the time)stable, New World Order).
The stable included popular Latino wrestler Rey Mysterio, Jr. (Oscar Gutierrez), La Parka (Adolfo Tapia Ibarra), Psychosis (Dionicio Castellanos) and Juventud Guerrera (Eduardo Annibal Gonzalez Hernandez).
When Eddie came to the WWE, he was a heel, and immediately gained fame when he was part of the Radicalz, with Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko and long time friend of fifteen years, Chris Benoit. In recent years, he and and his nephew Chavo, Jr. began a tag team called Los Guerreros and won the WWE Tag Team titles on Smackdown! against Team Angle (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin). After this stint, Eddie Guerrero went on to win the WWE Championhip (His first and only time) at No Way Out in 2004 against Brock Lesnar. He lost the title to John "Bradshaw" Layfield four months later at the Great American Bash in a Texas Bull Rope Match.
Recently, wrestling fans and the people of the WWE mourn of the lost of Eddie when he was found by his nephew, Chavo Jr. (who back then known as Kerwin White) on a Sunday morning in November, 2005. The result of his death was most likely been caused by his problems in the past: Drugs and alcohol.- Jerome "New Jack" Young first received national attention from the wrestling world when he wrestled for Jim Cornett's Smokey Moutain Wrestling as a member of wrestling tag team The Gansta's with Mustafa Saedd. After SMW's bancrupcy he soon went with Saedd to Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling. He won the tag team titles several times both with Saedd and John Cronos before going solo. He currently wrestles for XPW.
- Jimmy Snuka is a classic example of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (formerly known as World Wrestling Federation (WWF)) bad guy who became a baby-face (a good guy) without trying. Originally a "heel", he came into the WWE under the guidance of heel manager Capt. Lou Albano. After receiving many title shots at the WWE Championship, which he never won, the final match between he and then-WWE Champion Bob Backlund was in Madison Square Garden in the famous "Steel Cage Match", in which Snuka did his trademark "Superfly Splash" off the top of the steel cage.
Snuka attracted many fans with his acrobatic wrestling style. Soon he broke away from Albano and became a face. However, this wouldn't be the last time Snuka would see Albano, who brought in Snuka's former Mid-Atlantic tag team partner Ray Stevens to feud with him. With Albano in Stevens' corner, Snuka brought in former WWE Champion and WWE competitor "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers as his manager.
At the top of his game after a year in the WWE, Snuka would face a personal crisis that haunted him for the next few years. In 1983, after he finished his last match, his girlfriend Nancy Argentino was found semi-conscious next to a sleeping Snuka. Argentino died at the nearby hospital. In court it was ruled that the death was accidental.
After recovering from his girlfriend's death, Snuka's real shot at fame was when he feuded with Don Muraco, a former WWE Champion. In another famous "Steel Cage Match", Snuka faced Muraco but lost. However, he had gotten the last laugh by dragging Muraco back inside the cage, and that's when Superfly's proudest moment came. He climbed up to the top of the 20-foot steel cage and executed his "Superfly Splash". This became one of the most memorable moments in WWE history. Both wrestling veterans Mick Foley and Tommy Dreamer were there when it happened. Both also shot to fame in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which Superfly first started and he later became the first ECW Champ (during that time it was formerly known as Eastern Championship Wrestling).
Another fan favorite highlight came along when Snuka started feuding with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, which Piper called Snuka a "big shot" and a "monkey". After Snuka came out confronting Piper, Piper smashed Superfly's head with an actual coconut. The story line went through the first WrestleMania when Snuka was managing Hulk Hogan and TV veteran Mr. T in the main even against Piper and Paul Orndorff. With Snuka in Hogan and Mr. T's corner, Piper and Orndoff had Bob Orton.
After a stint of alcohol/drugs rehab, Snuka went back into wrestling, but this time, in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) where he became a tag team partner with another wrestling veteran, Verne Gagne.
After AWA, he went back into the WWE in 1989, to help younger wrestlers who would also become legends such as "Mr. Perfect" 'Curt Cunning' and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Then 1991, he started to feud with a much younger Mark Calaway (aka "The Undertaker) and lost to 'Taker at Wrestlemania VII, marking Snuka the first victim of Undertaker's 14-0 winning streak. After leaving WWE the same year, Snuka started touring with smaller wrestling promotions and also began working again with ECW, alongside Don Muraco and wrestling legend, Terry Funk.
Then in 1996, Snuka's biggest moment of his life came. He became part of the class of 1996 to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He also was inducted with legends such as his former manager, Lou Albano, 'Killer Kowaski', and 'Pat Patterson'. He was inducted by former rival, Don Muraco.
Recently, Superfly showed up at the WWE Homecoming, and was chosen by the fans that he would team up with newcomer Eugene (Nick Dinsmore), on Taboo Tuesday in a non-title tag team match against Rob Conway and Chris Master. Both Superfly and Eugene won by pin-fall when Snuka did his signature "Superfly Splash".
When he was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame back in 1996, Snuka said that even though he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, it doesn't mean he will retire from wrestling. Today, even though in his 60s, Snuka still wrestles in the independent circuit and appears on WWE, occasionally. - Adolph Bresciano was born on 6 August 1948 in Montreal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Spectrum Wrestling (1977), Saturday Night's Main Event (1985) and WrestleMania VI (1990). He was married to Diane Rivest. He died on 10 March 1993 in Vimont, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
- David Schultz was born on 1 June 1955 in Madison County, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), AWA All-Star Wrestling (1972) and Wrestling at the Chase (1959). He has been married to Sarah Winston since 14 January 2007. He was previously married to Mary Granger.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
John Stossel was born on 6 March 1947 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for 20/20 (1978), Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death? with John Stossel (1994) and The Blame Game: Are We a Country of Victims? (1994). He has been married to Ellen Abrams since 16 January 1983. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Herb Abrams was born on 9 July 1955 in Amarillo, Texas, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) (1990), UWF Rampage (1993) and Club Life (1986). He died on 23 July 1996 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Joseph Michael Laurinaitis, better known by his ring name Road Warrior Animal (or simply Animal), was an American professional wrestler. Along with Road Warrior Hawk, he was one half of the tag team The Road Warriors/The Legion of Doom. He headlined multiple pay-per-view events for the WWF and WCW, competing for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at 2001's Sin. Animal was inducted with Hawk and their manager Paul Ellering into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.- Michael Hegstrand (January 26, 1957 - October 19, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors (The Legion of Doom in WWF), with Road Warrior Animal. Outside of The Road Warriors, Hawk was a sporadic challenger for world heavyweight championships on pay-per-view from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. He headlined the inaugural 1993 edition of ECW's premier annual event, November to Remember.
- Owen Hart was one of twelve children from a legendary Canadian wrestling family. His brother Bret is also one of the most well known wrestlers of all time. Owen was one of the best wrestlers in the business and his major accomplishments include being the 1994 King of the Ring, former Intercontinental Champion(2), former European Champion, and co-holder of the Tag Team Championship (4). Sadly, Hart plunged to his death on May 23, 1999 during a PPV when he was performing a spectacular entrance. Hart was only 34 and is survived by his wife Martha, his son Oje and his daughter Athena.