Sadly the pro wrestling world got the news Friday that “Macho Man”
Randy Savage tragically died when his vehicle swirled off a Tampa Florida road and struck a tree. A heart attack at the wheel was the initial cause of death though an autopsy was scheduled for Saturday.

So the pro wrestling world is once again in mourning. Savage, 58-years old and from a legendary pro wrestling family was surviving on his virtues of being a former WWF world and intercontinental champion. Though the past few years, when seen in public, there was a different look and no resemblance of the Savage we saw when Vince McMahon and the WWF once again became prominent.

There were no suspicions of steroid abuse, and alcohol was not a reason as to why Savage lost control of his vehicle. According to his brother, “Leaping Lanny” Poffo, there was no evidence of alcohol abuse. It was probable heart failure at the wheel that still has to be confirmed, an unfortunate and untimely death that has the wrestling community reflecting on the impact Savage left.

For the moment, we don’t have to blame the abuse of pain killers or anabolic steroids as a cause for the loss of a real pro wrestling Hall of Famer. And that is a pleasant change because over the years the death of a pro wrestler has always been attributed to the abuse of body enhancement drugs and pain killers.

With all of that out of the way it is time to reflect a bit about a second generation wrestler who arrived at the right moment. It was a time in the 1980’s when the pro wrestling revival revolved around Savage, his real wife Elizabeth Hulette, known as the valet “Miss Elizabeth, a character Savage did not want his wife to pursue.

And of course at a time when “Hulkamania” was running wild as Savage and Hulk Hogan became friends, partners, and then real adversaries in and out of the ring.  There was this jealousy that reportedly developed between Hogan and Savage, at the time, two of the most prominent stars on the WWF roster. Of course Hogan was the model citizen for Vince McMahon and Savage was a part of the storyline who kept the pieces together for Hogan.

At one time, Savage said to this writer, “The business is good. One day Hogan will fall apart. The business should not evolve around one wrestler.” Meaning? Of course the marketing plan was all “Hulkamania” and nothing else. Though Savage was right behind Hogan when it came to the sold out arenas, pay-per-view main events, and sales of merchandise and it helped the WWF to what has become a billion dollar empire.

In due time the Hogan-Savage alliance was going to end, it had to, because a good run always comes to a conclusion in pro wrestling.  Hogan would continue to highlight the cards, sell out arenas, even as his ego continued to swell more, and the Randy Savage image for some reason continued to dwindle.

But Savage, who got fame because of his charisma and his “Oooh Yeah!” catchphrase, would eventually fade away. Injuries and his continued marital problems with Miss Liz made it more difficult to be a top line performer for the company.  Many say Hogan had a lot to the demise of Randy Savage. Rumors were rampant that Hogan and Liz were in a relationship that contributed more to the Savage animosity towards Hogan.

Hogan and Liz were often seen together and Savage was not to be found. That added fuel to the fire that a divorce was imminent with Savage and Liz, but that could never be confirmed. Then it was Hogan and Savage appearing together again, and all the rumors were put to rest. Part of pro wrestling theatre maybe, or was it reality because getting reports were not as accurate or quick with web sites in infancy stages.

Hogan recently mended fences with Savage after not speaking to him the past 10-years. He was quoted Friday saying, “He had so much life in his eyes and in his spirit. I just pray that he’s happy and in a better place and we miss him.”

He last wrestled for TNA in 2004 and there were reports last week that “The Macho Man” was going to return to Total Nonstop Action wrestling. Of course it was another rumor as Savage, who spent much of the last few years as a recluse, could not be reached for comment.

“He was a friend and a true icon to this business,” commented Hall of Famer Terry Funk from the double-cross ranch in Texas. “His charisma and how he always was there for you was something special,” he said.  “I am saddened and will miss him.”  Those sentiments came one-by-one from current and former superstars who grew up watching Savage or had the pleasure of working with him

The immediate reaction of Savage’s death surely showed how respected he was in and out of the wrestling ring. His patterned move of the flying elbow off the top rope was never duplicated. It was a move that wrestling fans knew would lead to another Savage win, and when he went to the top tope the cameras would flash for that special moment.

In what is now known as the WWE Universe, millions of fans who watch and attend WWE programming every year, to them Savage was also an icon. And to Savage the fans were special. He once said to this writer that WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome, an indoor attendance record of 93.173 that still holds “Was a highlight because it was a every fan screaming for The Macho Man.”

We will never forget all of his WrestleMania moments. Or the interviews with Mean Gene Okerland when Savage would take over, because there will never be another “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

Time to celebrate the life of a pro wrestler that gave us thrills. Rest in Peace “Macho Man” a true icon.

Yes, I watched Monday Night RAW tonight and when the telecast ended, I too, extended a Happy Birthday greeting to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Now we are not accustomed to seeing a WWE superstar, that is, if the Rock still is, provided such an occasion. Reality it was for sure and well deserved!

I recall meeting the Rock, years later, at the MTV Music Awards in New York City. This was after many years of not knowing who “Little Dwayne” was. You see, there was a time when Dwayne wasn’t The Rock. He used to attend shows with his father Rocky Johnson. Little Dwayne needed to be watched while his father went in the ring.

And so, years later, at the awards, I get the stare. The sun glasses came off. His finger pointed at me to come over to him. “You…You..You…Rich Mancuso,” he said. I wondered? Why would The Rock call me over? “You.. You… don’t remember,” he would say. “You used to take me by the hand and me and you watched my father in the ring,” he said.

Yeah, that was not Little Dwayne. It was now The Rock. And he was it his best. Little did I know that it was Little Dwayne all grown up, the WWE superstar and later a prominent motion picture character that has come home to WWE, this time for the year- long buildup to the WrestleMania main event in Miami Florida next April with John Cena.

And it is indeed The Rock who will once again carry the WWE Empire of Vince McMahon the next year. He is home, as McMahon proclaimed Monday evening. A deserved tribute for the Rock’s 39th birthday in Miami and of course John Cena with the championship belt made it known that he has arrived once again with the title. And the WWE title now has to go through Cena.

Again, I would like to see how WWE writers are going to keep this suspense going with Mania, 11 months from now. It is unprecedented to stage a main event so far off, but The Rock is one person that can keep it going. That is, assuming, Cena does not get hurt and if they don’t flip-flop the title on and off Cena. It’s a gamble and if anyone can pull it off it is the creative team at WWE, even though the product has lost some interest with their bizarre angles. Let’s face it, The Rock back on WWE programming, is better than watching Michael Cole each and every week make himself look like a fool.

So that was the real Dwayne Johnson getting a serenade of Happy Birthday wishes from the WWE Universe in Miami. His mother, proudly at ringside with other family and good friends, and it was real. You could see The Rock gloating, almost fighting back the tears.

He has done so much for the business over the years. There were times when The Rock had his doubters. Even Vince McMahon and the creative team gave it a chance. Dwayne Johnson and McMahon devised the character. The Rock became one of the biggest wrestling superstars of this new entertainment era of pro wrestling.

There was never resentment. The “Boys” in the locker room welcomed him, not because he was the son of a legend. There was talent, and the character and finishing move have entertained fans and other superstars since its inception. And now The Rock is home for the limited run of WWE programming engagements leading up to his match with Cena that will surely surpass every WrestleMania to date.

Yes, The Rock had a Birthday bash on Monday Night RAW. And he made it one heck of a spectacle for two hours. Happy Birthday Dwayne Johnson, or is it Little Dwayne, and many more!

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

See they do what they want to do at WWE corporate headquarters up in Stamford Connecticut. What the heck is the decision making in moving John Cena and Randy Orton to Friday Nights? Oh wait a second, because Cena is once again on RAW. Apparently Christian is not enough to draw ratings on Smackdown. So the unexpected retirement of Edge was a major blow. So here comes, Orton to save the show.

Plus you can never understand the real concept of roster moves made by the WWE with this annual draft. But remember this is pre-determined and a part of the script. Because the WWE writers have not been getting it right with the products they deliver two times of week on their network programs.

Now to go a step further because Orton is dratted to Smackdown and his feud with CM Punk should come to a resolution at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view Sunday. Oh how predictable is this match because Punk stays on RAW and Orton is now on Friday nights. We want to see this feud conclude. So WWE goes along and spoils the fun by staging this draft on Monday Night before Extreme Rules instead of doing it the week after.

You can understand Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara changing places. Cara is the young Mexican projected to succeed Mysterio as the high flying superstar. Smackdown will benefit with his acquisition. Mysterio, with constant talk of an impending retirement, benefits by the move to Monday night where there will be a mass audience. And if as it appears, Alberto Del Rio, now on the RAW roster gets the WWE title, the natural thing to do is feud Del Rio and Myterio on Monday night.

Okay, but Christian and Del Rio have a match for the world title at Extreme Rules. Does that mean we can automatically assume that Christian becomes the new champion? Not necessarily because the Smackdown roster now has Orton, perhaps more popular than Christian. And now it is more realistic the way the Smackdown roster has changed to put the belt around Orton.

All of this is speculation of course. And if Edge was still in the picture we would have not been talking about the roster changes. It is all about ratings at WWE headquarters and when one of their major superstars is off a show, like an injured player on a team, roster moves have to be made.

You see they meet in this big board room once a week at WWE headquarters. They discuss ratings and who is going over and who is not. They could care less about what we want to see on what program. And it really does not matter. Because how many times do you see a Smackdown superstar on RAW Monday night and a RAW superstar on Smackdown Friday night?

Quite often there is back-and-forth from Monday night to Friday night because the shows have also become an indicator as to where the ratings are headed. What superstar will bring better ratings to Monday Night RAW or to Friday Night Smackdown? Watch in the next few weeks as the ratings will determine.

So don’t worry about Orton on Friday night or Punk not seeing Orton again because this time they will bump into each other on Friday night, or again on Monday night. This is not the NFL draft that has rules. WWE superstars all work for the same company, just different brands.

Oh, only one thing remains. Draft Michael Cole off the announce team of both brands.

Ladies and Gentleman, may I have your attention please. And with those words Michael Cole has become a major part of the WWE script. Now, may I have your attention please? Cole is no Vince McMahon and the writers at WWE, if they are still referred to as a wrestling company, need to end the Cole angle and end the feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler.

You can’t distinguish who the real Michael Cole is. The voice of WWE and broadcast journalist, or this horrible heel that continues to draw heat from the WWE universe, and there seems to be no resolution when it comes to destroying the integrity of a legend, Jerry “the King” Lawler.

So let me have your attention please. Michael Cole at the “Extreme Rules” pay-per-view should be destroyed by Lawler and Jim Ross. At least it should happen this way. He takes a few weeks off, and like most story lines go, he returns and we are to forget how awful this angle has been the past few months.

Can I have your attention please? Cole is so out of character. He is not a Paul Heyman, and have you observed his mannerisms trying to be a second coming of the evil minded Vince McMahon. Did you see that terrible act of Cole getting royalty from a fake Queen on Monday Night RAW? How about duplicating what McMahon did to Ross a few years back?

Though this time it was Ross forced to kissing the fungus on Cole’s foot and not the bosom of McMahon on national television. It was horrible, even the mannerisms of Cole as an all-time heel announcer. And the humiliation that Lawler and Ross continue to take is redundant and ridiculous.

So let me have your attention please? And how many times does Cole revert to being this professional broadcast journalist in the course of a broadcast. That stupid protected cube, where Cole is situated every week, needs to be crushed and destroyed once and for all.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” says Cole time and time again on RAW and Smackdown broadcasts. Come on, a heel announcer needs to always be in character. Address the universe as fans. They are not all ladies and gentleman, plenty of kids in the arenas the last time we looked.

And the divas, as much as they are more there for other purposes, demographics and ratings, Cole destroys their integrity and spotlight as the writers have Cole going to the top of his protective cube and asking the divas to end their match. Because Cole has another major announcement: “May I have your attention Please?”

Yeah, Vickie Guerrero is annoying with “Excuse Me, Excuse Me,” but that gets quality heat and it works. So let me have your attention please for a moment and provide some thoughts.

Lawler and “Good Old JR” end this travesty of a wrestling angle a week from Sunday. It was good while it lasted, the WrestleMania match that grabbed some interest but also was disappointing. They can’t let this continue after the Pay-per-view.

There is only so much pain that JR can take from a Swagger ankle lock submission. Lawler is never around to save JR, and if you noticed, Cole gets to do the pounding as we wait, when he will be humiliated and the heel character becomes a thing of the past.

Oh one more time, Let me Have Your Attention Please. This is pro wrestling or entertainment. And the writers of the script need to convince Mr. McMahon to revive his character one more time.

Mr. McMahon make the save and assists Lawler and Ross by humiliating Michael Cole a week from Sunday. That should be a good climax, we can only hope.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

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The first night of CHIKARA’s King of Trios weekend rocked the ECW Arena last night before a full house.

The evening began with an emotional video tribute to Larry Sweeney.