Vince, Randy and Stephanie,
the biggest triple threat of the
WWF
After numerous speculation over years was questioned what
truly held the connective bond so strongly between Vince McMahon and ‘Macho Man’
Randy Savage many labelled like an idolised son McMahon never had in the
business, the pair’s falling out when Savage fell on tougher times in the WWF
defecting for WCW was abruptly unknown.
McMahon was said to have blacklisted and boycotted certain
areas of his appearances and bookings while in the competing company as his
personal feelings were upset like no other and felt utterly betrayed. Vince
also blocked Savage’s DVD release of Macho Madness.
Industry experts and loyal sportsfans deliberate Vince’s
stern behaviour was implemented to a possible reasoning. That Savage was having
a backstage affair for many years with company daughter Stephanie McMahon.
While the lid has and can never truly be lifted on this accusation, legions
today vividly accept and deny the story, though fans and experts are further
inclined to support the ideas as true.
Opening the floodgates for numerous rumour mills, one high
debate is the personal tension between the two. Clearly there was pressure in
both camps with such a personal and intertwined relationship.
Various consider the issue stemmed from McMahon mainly, as
Savage, regarded as a private individual who respected his outside life to his
professional one, may have snubbed McMahon’s constant offers to remarket a
comeback for Savage. Savage was classed as financially supported from his
wrestling career at those points of seldom lifestyle able to switch off from
the pro wrestling landscape from time to time. Savage didn’t necessarily require
the reliance on the business as much as say the Hogan’s and Flair’s suffering finical
turmoil to return for another paycheck.
The rift further intensified and reason not fully known.
This was debated as Savage having a sexual relationship with Stephanie McMahon,
Vince McMahon’s daughter. Naturally the tension bore an unhealthy upset between
both men. McMahon, highly protective for daughter Stephanie from the business
of muck he clearly understood, was incensed with Savage so vehemently that many
insiders believe the allegation to be true. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, to which
McMahon has constantly subscribed and offered close links to in a backstage
alliance, believes the situation to be an honest account.
Meltzer stated "I think that the reason is the same
reason that everyone says. It's the reason everyone in (WWE) says. It's the
reason that is the only one that makes any sense. So I think that's the reason.
I can't come up with any other reason. I don't know. I mean, I've heard that
reason from so many people that are not internet rumormongers, I mean people
who - all I know is that within the company as far as the top people, they all
believe it, and nobody knows for sure, because it's never brought up.
"When I first heard the story I didn't believe it
because I thought it was just some story, but then, and I mean even when people
who are very high up in that company, after they left the company, would tell
me that story I still didn't believe it, but, you know, after a certain number
of years when it's just, you know, ideas are brought up for Randy Savage and
the reaction - there's something real, real bad because, let's face it, I mean,
I couldn't count the number of times Vince said he would never do business with
Hulk Hogan, and he always does. So, I don't know... Actually, as time goes by,
more people talk about it trying to say that it didn't happen."
McMahon has been known to abort any staff or performers that
upset him in the slightest inclination and will form a vindictive and spiteful
stance to make sure those stains are blotched out from the business for defying
him and his only way forward, if necessary.
It is also fair to suggest Stephanie could have become pregnant
and forced to have an abortion. How would the image be if the bosses’ daughter
in the 90’s era was bearing youngling with the WWF’s top superstar with tons of
PR endorsements?
Others believe the nature of the betrayal was deflowering
Stephanie’s virginity. McMahon was also rumoured to have caught them in the act.
Talent back then were informed NEVER to mention the words “Randy Savage” in front
of McMahon afterwards. Stephanie would have been at the age of 14, roughly.
Clearly WWE would have suffered just as much publicity damage as Savage, who
was also accused by a minor proportion of backstage workers of paedophilia.
This is speculation of course, and could be jealousy, however, if true, highly
damaging to any organisation, especially with involvement to the daughter of
the owner already fresh off of the recent child abuse scandal with ring boys
attested to by Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham.
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| Becoming Undertaker's "Virgin Bride" |
In 1994 after the act allegedly happening, Savage was hastily
removed from the Summerslam card and his mysteriously pulled reasoning never
acknowledged.
All wrestling soap operas are closely intertwined that eventually
play out in reality as a consequence. Is this the one we are truly witnessing
now instead? The greatest myth unveiled, if true, could be the most damaging to
the industry and WWE itself and many still believe an ‘inside job’ had been
constructed to keep details from everyone.
Others simply suggest the defection to rival WCW was the
cross to bear for Savage after McMahon gave him ‘everything’ in the WWE as his
biggest star once Hogan faded out. Vince
even gave an on air statement on the November 7th 1994 broadcast of Raw.
“At this time, obviously conspicuous by his absence, is the
“Macho Man” Randy Savage. And I’d like to announce, unfortunately, that Randy
Savage has been unable to sign a contract with the World Wrestling
Federation—not unable to, rather to come to terms with the World Wrestling
Federation for a new contract. But Randy, I know you’re out there listening,
and on behalf of all us here in the World Wrestling Federation, all of your
fans, and certainly me, the number one fan, I’d like to say thank you for all of
your positive contributions to the World Wrestling Federation. Thank you, Randy
Savage, for all the wonderful memories for so many years here in the World
Wrestling Federation. We wish you nothing but the best. God speed, and good
luck.”
Insiders again believed this statement to be a murky and disingenuous
warning of sort to Savage and present McMahon and his WWF as righteous in a PR
war. Savage was later mocked on air in vignettes over ‘bitter’ billionaire Ted
Turner, then owner of WCW. However, with McMahon giving his blessing to join WCW, belief was suspended on this one as not legitimate to the reason of hatred.
Even the option transferring from wrestling to commentary
was under the microscope when Savage chose not to leave the ring at the time
the WWF asked him to present commentary instead.
Close co-worker Bobby “The Brain” Heenan revealed in his
autobiography Bobby the Brain: Wrestling’s
Bad Boy Tells All, Heenan wrote “Randy Savage was great to work with too.
He was very professional. If I had a territory, I would have Randy, his brother
Lanny Poffo and their father Angelo working for me. Because they'll always be
there on time. They'll always care about the business and do what is right.
They know what they should do and what they shouldn't do. They're
businessmen."
Or was this McMahon’s golden handshake mentality of doing
immense favours for wrestling talent abused by mindless, unthoughtful choices ungrateful
for giving them a forward and helpful place to capitalise their careers in the business
to ignore those who gave them their platform without any respect or recognition
to become the root cause of their dysfunction and McMahon’s willingness to, in
his mind, rightfully teach them a lesson the hard way for their ignorance?
With a man who offered a crazed father-daughter incest storyline,
in the late 2000s, where Stephanie was going to have her father’s child in a storyline,
which Stephanie had the sense to reject, could this have been a revelation? Nine
times out of ten Vince and WWE will always use real life situations to create
storylines.
Former WWE diva Lita mentioned in her autobiography supported
the notion that McMahon would do anything to protect his daughter and warned
her of remaining out of the business and wearing skimpy outfits in the
McMahon-Helmsley era.
Lita also explained WWE diva Chyna was looked down upon when
planning to leave the WWF in 2001, when Women’s champion and still receives a
backlash today for entering the adult industry after her wrestling stints dried
up.
Is it possible, that Triple H truly has replaced Savage as
the second coming with the daughter and father in-law in every right?
Power player Hulk Hogan was said
to have used this opportunity to claw back his fading star by also strategically helping to sideline
Savage, who replaced Hogan’s star potential to regain his postion in wrestling
and with no other stars, Vince was said to be desperate and in despair and
elected to support his manmade Hogan character.
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| Mega Powers. |
Savage implied that the internet
was correct with the suggestion once McMahon continued to block Savage’s
options. Savage would reveal certain truths from the inner circle after years
of neglecting abuse after containing the knowledge was not appreciated.
McMahon prides himself on the
fact all grievances with staff eventually send all those fallouts back to Vince
in the ultimate dominance of power, being able to work out differences and
returns on programming though Savage was the one that was the ultra-exception.
The beef between the pair is more than extreme. McMahon has always been
personal when it comes to something deeper involving himself at the helm.
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage recently
appeared on The Hitman and Groberman Show discussing his fallout with Vince
McMahon, saying he was clueless knowing what McMahon's problem with him was.
He added the one person he would
like to wrestle is Vince McMahon. Savage made the claim McMahon could have
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in his corner, and that he would give Stephanie
a kiss "for old time's sake."
So damaging is the story in pro
wrestling that every talent in the business will not address the issue.
Roddy Piper also added Savage
smacked McMahon at a bar over their disputed grievance/s.
McMahon mentioned to his
employees “under no circumstances” would Savage work with them again.
Savage divorced sweetheart Miss
Elizabeth in summer ’92.
The rumour when Steph was 15 is
dumbfounded as Stephanie would have been 15 in 1991. Savage left in 1994, so if
they did as rumour suggests, she would have been 17 and aware of her actions,
however technically underage as legally 18 is the age required for sexual
relations. Many felt Savage, at the end of his tether with the bitter ego of
McMahon, chose to rib him with mild snippets of secrets pouring out. Randy
commented on his YouTube and rap songs implying Stephanie was a ‘mover’
sexually. Stephanie’s school days were classed as a ‘wild child’ era of
misbehaviour.
The story even goes further with
son Shane McMahon who was said to have idolised Savage and Macho introduced
Shane to Peruvian marching powder. (Cocaine) Whether Shane-O formed an
addiction or not is a hazy topic.
What we do know is that there was
an unbearable tightness between the two and that tension was unaddressed.
McMahon has hate the press ever since and continues to veto any links to the
adult industry. Child scandals rang rife throughout the 90’s and the ideas presented
were flabbergasting. It is highly possible this ‘rumour’ is legitimate and
shouldn’t be ignored so blissfully by an uneducated audience.
Our conclusion?
We know what we would state, but we aren’t giving it away just yet. Maybe
later.
© Max Waltham 23rd April 2013
