Lanny Poffo Talks Old Randy Savage Rumor, Which Wrestler Mocked Savage's Death, Hulk Hogan, More
"The Genius" Lanny Poffo, brother of the legendary "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was the guest on Sean Waltman's X-Pac 1,2,360 this week. They sent us these highlights:
Lanny and Sean talk about Brian Knobbs' surprising reaction to Randy Savage's death
Poffo: "I want to say something in front of all your fans, Sean. I know what you did in San Jose. Thank you for taking up for Randy."
Waltman: "I didn't even want to go there but I can't believe I'm the only one that said something."
Poffo: "I'm getting emotional. Sean, why don't you tell them?"
Waltman: "We get there, everybody is just so sad, and this is the show Lanny ended up not coming to, going back with his mother [when Randy passed away.] It was like a convention and a wrestling show mixed in. So we're all sad, in tears, and in comes [Brian] Knobbs and he's like faking a heart attack, like Fred Sanford going, [imitating Randy Savage] oh yeah, oh yeah. I just?oh my God, I got so pissed. I wanted to beat his ass so bad, Lanny, you know? When I got back I was on [Colin] Cowherd's show and I actually called him out about it. He was all backpedaling after that. I think he even called you and trying to apologize. But what the **** is so funny about that? I don't get that, how you can make a joke."
Poffo: "I'm going to tell you what. He did call me up. He gave me his version of an apology and a denial together. In other words if you're gonna deny it, why apologize? If you're gonna apologize, why deny it, right? I'm exhausted. I'm emotionally bankrupt, and I stayed that way for about six months, and then I had myself a little comeback. But there are stages of grief. I am exhausted. I don't want to argue. I don't want to fight. Brian Knobbs called me up. He apologized. I accepted it. I said thank you for the apology and whatever. I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Randy reconciling with Hulk Hogan shortly before his death"
"About a month before Randy died. My brother took my mom to the cardiologist, and the nurse said, 'Hulk Hogan is here.' Randy said, well keep him there. So Randy goes in there and gives him a hug or something. Here's your scoop in the midst of all this drivel. Randy had a 'blank you' list a mile long, right? It seemed like the last two months of his life he went around making amends to everybody that he ever had any problem with, including Hulk Hogan. Let me tell you what. Even at the worst it was a love/hate relationship. Even at the worst, because Hulk was the Babe Ruth of wrestling and anybody that was lucky enough to be in his shadow for a moment was instantly catapulted to success. That was Randy in 1985, and they just clicked personally, professionally, inside the ring, outside the ring. But you know things happen."
Savage wanting to work with Shawn Michaels during his last WWE run:
"Randy had a very bad leaving with the WWE. It was right about the time Randy was on the announcing table, right? You were there, the 1-2-3 Kid, and doing fantastic for yourself. Well Randy started watching and getting the bug back, you see what I mean? He started getting that, maybe I'm not too old. Maybe I can have one more match. He was always known for his match with Ricky Steamboat. So he thought that he could possibly start a little something with Shawn Michaels, and then have a two year program, then have the showdown at WrestleMania. His intention was to have a Hair vs. Career match, where Shawn Michaels would shave his head or Randy would give up his career and go to the announcing booth. Randy would drop the match, go back to the announcing booth, but he wanted to end his career with a better match than he had with Steamboat."
Lanny offers inside insight on two infamous matches:
"When Bruno Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers, that was a shoot. Bruno walked over, put him up on a bear hug, he said, give up or I'll break your back. Yeah Buddy had heart problems. Or that's what he said. You see what I mean? Listen, I got the story from Buddy and Bruno, and I know whose story had the hole in it, OK? Before that, you know what happens when a guy becomes a megastar, he doesn't want to lose, right? So you got Argentina Rocca against Buddy Rogers and Vince McMahon, Sr. wanted Buddy to win. Rocca didn't want to lose. So Buddy was a very charming guy?Well Buddy said, OK Daddy, here's what we're going to do, and he's real charismatic when he spoke and he's charming too, you know?makes you fall in love with him. He says, I'll win the first fall, you win the second fall and the third fall, two out of three match. So he goes out there, wins the first fall and everybody goes home. The fans go home, the referee goes home, Buddy goes and leaves. He told him there was going to be a two out of three match?and it was just a one fall match."
Hulk Hogan inducting Randy into the Hall of Fame:
"First of all, I didn't choose Hulk Hogan. Secondly, if I were given a choice I would've picked Hulk Hogan. That would be the final olive branch. I personally love Hulk Hogan. I know Randy really did too. Some of the trouble was because of the [Miss] Elizabeth thing."
Rumor that Randy locked Elizabeth in a locker room:
"They were on [the WWE Randy Savage DVD] saying Randy locked Elizabeth in the locker room. I happen to know this was false because I was there. See what I mean? First of all, Elizabeth didn't want to be taking a shower with Brian Knobbs? Put yourself in her shoes. These wrestlers were not the Boy Scouts. They were using people's suitcases for toilets."
Lanny reveals that a Superstar Poffo for the next generation could be on the way:
"In March I'm going to have a nino. I'm a little pumped up. My first and only. I only have one daughter and she's only going to have one boy. So this is it."