Former TNA employees discuss Randy Savage in TNA
From Brett Buchanan:
4 new chapters from former Barbaric Wrestling Radio host Brett Buchanan’s The Genesis of TNA free e-book have been released on BarbaricWrestling.com and TNAbook.net. The new chapters are about Randy Savage’s infamous brief TNA run, Dusty Rhodes, Monty Brown, and Chris Candido’s death. You can find all 14 chapters that have been released thus far simply by entering ‘The Genesis of TNA’ section on BarbaricWrestling.com. New chapters are released every Monday, and there are still 12 to go. Also check out some free shoot interviews with many wrestlers and MMA fighters including Rob Van Dam, Samoa Joe, Rampage Jackson, Jay Lethal, and many more to come on Barbaric Wrestling Radio’s YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/BWRofficial . Below is an excerpt from The Genesis of TNA ‘Chapter 11: Randy Savage, DDP, Nash & Hall’ about Randy Savage’s late 2004 TNA stint, which included his final match ever at Turning Point 2004.
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were not the only talent to debut at Victory Road, the show closed with the debut of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Savage wound up only staying in TNA for one month but he made quite the impression backstage. Savage first quit the day after he debuted only to return the next week; he was also rumored to have turned down a fight with Hulk Hogan backstage at Victory Road and hired a bodyguard after the incident. At Turning Point 2004 Savage was set to team up with Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles against the Kings of Wrestling, but the Kings kidnapped him before the match. Savage eventually ran out at the tail end of the match in a long sleeve shirt looking out of shape, he threw some weak punches and put Jeff Jarrett in a headlock before falling down on him and pinning him.
RUDY CHARLES: It was pretty cool to have [Randy Savage] there. My understanding was he wanted to win the title, coming in. I don’t know the whole story behind it, but something happened and he was there one month and gone the next. So I’m not exactly sure what happened, whether it was over the title thing or not. At least it gave TNA video clips to use of the Macho Man.
SONJAY DUTT: It was cool being in the ring with Savage and meeting him and what not and stuff like that. I don’t know what he did, was he in there for more than a week for something? [Turning Point] is where he won with a punch to the face, it was unbelievable awesome stuff.
SCOTT HUDSON: Randy is exactly like he is on camera. That was the only time I had a chance to work with him, but I know that what you see on camera, he’s not talking about that same sort of stuff but he’s wound that tightly. He’s very much a perfectionist guy, you don’t mess around. He wants to know what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it, what word is your cue out and all of that.
BILL BEHRENS: First of all Randy is extremely limited and he drank all day. The first time I had to send him to the ring I literally had to help him up the ramp, he just had to be seen at the end of the show, that’s all we needed. I’m trying to get a cue from the truck when because I know he’s not going to get out there easily. I literally finally just called the cue myself because I knew it was going to take him awhile because once he was at the top of the ramp I couldn’t walk him out. I had to hope he could get out there himself. He did that spot then he did an in ring spot where he couldn’t hit his own moves and he couldn’t throw a punch bless his heart. Then after that he was supposed to do another spot an actual match, and he went to Jerry Jarrett and said I won’t do it unless I win the title. Jerry Jarrett talked to him and talked to him and then left the meeting came to me and said: this man is insane. That pretty much was the end of Randy’s run.
PETEY WILLIAMS: I don’t think [Savage] did much for the company honestly; literally he was there for like a PPV and maybe two TV shows. I think he was there for honestly a month, I mean he didn’t do much. I remember Christopher Daniels asked him he’s like, Mr. Macho Man or whatever you called him, Mr. Savage, we have a match and I’m going to do a top rope elbow, I just wanted to make sure that’s okay with you. He’s like brother more power to you because I can’t do it anymore. I mean Macho Man’s great, just hearing him talk and stuff like that, I’m like this is what this guy is like in real life.
BILL BEHRENS: I only had to deal with him once he got to the go area and that was enough of a challenge. The rest of the time he would, Bruno and Tilly who eventually joined the company had some kind of hookup where they used to bring a big trailer gimmick. The stars, particularly the most dysfunctional stars, would go in that and pretty much just drink. Randy was one of the guys that did that, so his run was bad all the way around. It made it clear that there wasn’t going to be a good final run that Randy Savage would have in wrestling.
