The year 1985 marked a major milestone in WWE history with the arrival of Macho Man Randy Savage, who had been impressing fans in the southern territories, particularly in Memphis. In his new home, Savage became a top heel in the promotion and ultimately a pop culture icon, capturing two runs with the WWE Championship before the end of what’s been called WWE’s Golden Era in the summer of 1993.

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During those nine years, Savage had numerous rivals ranging from goofy thorns in his side to expert in-ring technicians, to some of the top names in wrestling. Let’s take a look at his most notable feuds during this period, from the worst all the way to the best.

10 George “The Animal” Steele

Randy Savage v George Steele WrestleMania 2 Cropped

When it comes to Golden Era storylines, Randy Savage’s goofiest rivalry was with George “The Animal” Steele, a comedic wildman with a blue tongue and a penchant for chewing on turnbuckles. Kicking off when “The Animal” developed a child-like crush on Savage’s valet/wife, Miss Elizabeth, Macho Man defeated Steele in about five minutes to retain the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 2. But their feud didn’t stop there — Steele was a frequent, goofy thorn in Savage’s side including in his classic match with Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 the following year.

9 Dusty Rhodes

Randy Savage vs. Dusty Rhodes

Upon winning the King of the Ring gimmick from Jim Duggan and rechristening himself Macho King Randy Savage, the now regal Savage found himself feuding with pro wrestling's ultimate “common man,” Dusty Rhodes. While it sounds like a dream match for many fans — one of WWE’s top heels and a former top babyface in the NWA — the feud left a lot to be desired. Their big WrestleMania 6 match was a mixed tag team match with Savage backed by Miss Elizabeth while Dusty had his valet Sapphire, and then their match at SummerSlam had Savage winning in mere minutes.

8 Honky Tonk Man

Randy Savage vs. Honky Tonk Man

After losing the Intercontinental Title to Ricky Steamboat, Steamboat in turn dropped the belt to The Honky Tonk Man, an Elvis impersonator who went on to have the longest reign with the IC strap ever by virtue of ducking most matches. By this point, Savage was en route to a face turn, and determined to win back his belt.

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The feud did a lot to get Savage over as a face, but the Macho Man failed to regain the IC strap. Instead, during their title match on an episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Hart Foundation intervened to beat down Savage, causing a disqualification.

7 Ted DiBiase

Randy Savage v Ted DiBiase WrestleMania 4

There are two phases to Randy Savage’s feud with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. The first had the two meet in the finals of WrestleMania 4’s tournament to crown a new WWE Champion, which Savage won thanks to Hogan cheating on his behalf. As The Mega Powers, Hogan and Savage feuded with DiBiase and Andre The Giant, who called themselves The Mega Bucks. This led to a couple of huge matches, including the main event of the very first SummerSlam.

6 Tito Santana

Randy Savage v Tito Santana WWE on MSG April 22 1986 Cropped

Shortly after arriving in WWE, in late 1985 Macho Man Randy Savage began pursuing the Intercontinental Championship, which at the time was held by Tito Santana. After a couple of unsuccessful title shots — including on the third-ever Saturday Night’s Main Event — Savage was finally able to dethrone Savage on an episode of the regional show WWF on NESN in February of 1986, albeit by use of a foreign object. It’s a crucial feud in Savage’s career, as it earned him his first title in WWE and therefore some credibility early in his run.

5 The Ultimate Warrior

Randy Savage pointing at Ultimate Warrior

When The Ultimate Warrior denied Randy Savage a shot at the WWE Championship, the Macho Man made sure to cost Warrior the belt in a bout with Sgt. Slaughter at Royal Rumble 1991. As a result, Warrior and Savage collided at WrestleMania 7 in a “Career Ending Match,” with Savage losing and thus being forced to retire. However, in defeat, Savage ended up reuniting with Miss Elizabeth in the post-match, resulting in one of the more emotionally triumphant moments in WWE history.

4 Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Randy Savage Jake Roberts The Snake Bite

Following their reunion, Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth had a kayfabe wedding at SummerSlam. However, Jake “The Snake” Roberts began to target Savage and Miss Elizabeth, committing acts like invading their wedding reception, attacking Macho Man with a live cobra, and even attempting to bash Miss Elizabeth with a steel chair.

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It was a surprisingly intense rivalry for the time, and resulted in some huge matches, with Savage scoring victories over Roberts at This Tuesday In Texas and Saturday Night’s Main Event.

3 Ricky Steamboat

Randy Savage v Ricky Steamboat WrestleMania 3 Cropped

This Golden Era period also yielded one of the best matches of Randy Savage’s career, if not WWE history. In October of 1986, a bout between Randy Savage and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat turned ugly when Savage injured Steamboat’s throat with a ring bell. Steamboat recovered, however, and challenged Savage for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 3. Meticulously planned with nearly 20 near-falls over the course of less than 15 minutes, the ‘Mania match between the two rivals certainly lived up to the hype.

2 Ric Flair

Randy Savage v Ric Flair WrestleMania 8 Cropped

In 1992 plans for a WrestleMania 8 match between WWE Champion Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were changed to Randy Savage challenging “The Nature Boy” for the promotion’s top title. Their rivalry turned incredibly personal as Flair began to claim that he and Miss Elizabeth had a prior relationship, going as far as creating doctored photos depicting himself and Elizabeth dating. Beyond personal stakes, the match itself was a standout bout, too, with Savage capturing the belt for a second time — even though it didn’t main event the show.

1 Hulk Hogan

Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 5.

Savage’s aforementioned beatdown at the hands of The Hart Foundation saw Hulk Hogan running in to make the save, with the former rivals forming their famous tag team The Mega Powers. While they scored some major victories, the Mega Powers soon fell apart due to Randy Savage’s jealousy surrounding Miss Elizabeth, resulting in him turning on the Hulkster. This led to a huge match at WrestleMania 5 in which Hogan defeated Savage for the WWE Championship, putting an end to a nearly two-year storyline.