Very few wrestlers have been able to leave one organization and continue to make a name for themselves somewhere else. But the Macho Man Randy Savage was such a big personality that he thrived no matter where he showed up.
It wasn't just his work in the ring that made Savage a megastar in the world of wrestling. It was the intriguing rivalries that he was a part of that either had you cheering for the Macho Man, or wishing for him to get destroyed inside the squared circle. Savage managed to draw the crowd into his madness no matter if it was inside a WCW or WWE ring or if the opponent was someone he was already familiar with.
10 WWE: Honky Tonk Man
The Honky Tonk Man kicked off this rivalry by proclaiming that he was the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. Savage had previously held the title for 14 months and had started winning over the fans. He prepared for his title shot by defeating some of the biggest heels on the roster, including Hercules, Harley Race, and Killer Khan.
But his bout with The Honky Tonk Man would be spoiled by The Hart Foundation. The fight that ensued would lead to the creation of the Mega Powers and a series of battles involving The Honky Tonk Man.
9 WCW: Roddy Piper
After splitting from the nWo to form The Wolfpac with Kevin Nash, the Macho Man would start fighting with Roddy Piper. It was the only time that two of the most unpredictable wrestling personalities would have a meaningful feud with the company.
Their rivalry would force them to team up at The Great American Bash, where they lost to Hollywood Hogan and Bret Hart. They were then scheduled to fight one another. Piper would get in a cheap shot before the bell rang and then make Savage tap out to the Figure Four Leg Lock.
8 WWE: Ultimate Warrior
In 1991, The Macho King would set his sights on the WWE Championship, held by The Ultimate Warrior. Warrior had refused to give Savage a title shot and played a major part in him losing the belt at the Royal Rumble. The interference would cause Warrior to challenge Savage to a retirement match at WrestleMania VII.
The Macho King would lose the contest, and it would lead to Queen Sherri attacking her client. This forced Miss Elizabeth to come to the ring to protect her man and resulted in an emotional reunion between the couple that left many fans in tears.
7 WCW: Lex Luger
Savage's rivalry with Lex Luger started after The Macho Man helped Buff Bagwell get a win over the Total Package. Luger was naturally enraged about the loss and would challenge Savage to a fight.
After trading wins back and forth, the two would go on to main event Souled Out with Luger picking up the victory. Savage would continue to take out Luger in the following weeks, which led to another encounter at SuperBrawl that The Total Package also won.
6 WWE: Dusty Rhodes
After a confrontation on the Brother Love Show, The Macho Man and Sensational Sherri would get involved in a feud with Dusty Rhodes and his valet, Sapphire. They would do battle at WrestleMania VI in a mixed tag-team match that saw Miss Elizabeth side with Rhodes.
The betrayal from his former valet would send Savage into a rage and continue the feud until SummerSlam. The Macho Man would pick up the victory and then look towards taking the WWE Championship.
5 WCW: Ric Flair
One of Savage's first main rivalries in WCW was with The Nature Boy Ric Flair. It began after a crazed fan interfered in a match with Avalanche. However, the fan turned out to be Flair dressed in drag.
Several months later, the two fought for the Heavyweight Championship. Savage and Flair would pass the belt back and forth in classic encounters on Nitro and at SuperBrawl. The feud also saw Flair use Miss Elizabeth to get into Savage's head.
4 WWE: Hulk Hogan
Problems between the Mega Powers started when Savage grew jealous of Hogan's interactions with Miss Elizabeth. It continued to escalate when Hogan eliminated Savage in the Royal Rumble and when The Macho Man said that his partner was an inferior wrestler.
It ultimately built up to a showdown at WrestleMania V. The Macho Man would lose the fight and his WWE Championship after holding it for 371 days. They would then go their separate ways and not meet in the ring again for several months.
3 WCW: DDP
One of Savage's longest feuds in WCW was with Diamond Dallas Page. DDP has spoken at lengths about his appreciation of the rivalry as it helped elevate him to the main event scene. The two would do battle over eight months with Savage getting nailed with the Diamond Cutter on multiple occasions.
Kimberley Page and Miss Elizabeth got involved and made the rivalry seem more personal. With the exception of the storyline involving Sting, it was one of the biggest angles in WCW at the time.
2 WWE: Jake Roberts
After being retired by The Ultimate Warrior, Savage took a seat at the commentator's table and became an announcer. He would also propose to Miss Elizabeth. The wedding would get Jake The Snake Roberts' attention and began one of the most personal feuds on WWE TV.
The last straw for Savage was getting bitten on the arm by one of Roberts' cobras. The bite would get The Macho Man reinstated and let him fight Roberts in some classic battles.
1 WCW: Hollywood Hogan
One of the first rivals of the nWo was the Macho Man Randy Savage. After being defeated by the New World Order at Bash At The Beach, Savage would call out is long-time rival Hollywood Hogan. But every attempt to get his hands on the leader of the group would result in the gang attacking Savage.
They eventually did battle at Halloween Havoc, but Savage was unsuccessful in defeating Hogan. Instead of continuing the rivalry, The Macho Man would go on to join the nWo and face the best WCW had to offer.