1992 WWF Title Reign of Macho Man Randy Savage - An evalutaion

One of the most recognizable names in the world of wrestling, Macho Man Randy Savage, concluded his final run as WWF (WWE) champion in 1992.  With Hulk Hogan's exit from the company after WrestleMania 8, this was a period of transition for the WWF and an ideal opportunity for a champion to carve out his own niche. That somehow didn't happen despite all of Macho Man's charisma and verve. So, what preempted Macho Man from cementing a legacy defining second reign? Let's take a look:

• Exit and face turn of several top heels post WrestleMania 8: You are only as good as your opponents, an all-conquering hero needs a credible villain to prove his mettle. This of course didn't happens as:

1. Sid Justice and Jake "the Snake" Roberts both left the WWF immediately after WrestleMania 8
2. The Undertaker turned face and was now a monster slayer rather than a tormentor of good guys
3. Earthquake who once put Hulk Hogan on the shelf was now straddling the tag team scene with Typhoon as The Natural Disasters
4. Ted Dibiase who served as the apt foil for Macho Man in his first reign was also saddled with tag team responsibilities and had forged Money Inc. along with IRS
5. Mr. Perfect who had been injured since the fall of 1991 was firmly entrenched in a managerial role to Ric Flair
6. Hercules, Haku, The Barbarian and The Warlord had all departed from the WWF in 1992, leaving a vacuum in the mid-card  

• Title defences against middling opposition: With the downturn in the roster, Macho Man had to make do with what he had. Here's everyone who took on the champion in the spring and summer of 1992 (courtesy: History of WWE)

1. The Mountie: The former intercontinental champion had slipped down to the lower midcard by this point but that didn't stop him from contending for the title on the European tour which started immediately after WrestleMania 8
2. Shawn Michaels: The future Hall of Famer was only months into his singles run at this time and had a decent enough match with the champion at UK Rampage 92. If only they could have feuded a couple of years down the line then it would have certainly reached its dream match potential
3. IRS: One half of the reigning tag teams champions, Money Inc., was next. This was a decent challenge but hardly one that was expected to trouble the Macho Man
4. Repo Man and Skinner: Both reliable hands, primarily being utilized as lower midcard talent at that point
5. Kamala: Certified main eventer in the 80s who had just returned to the WWF after WrestleMania 8 and had not yet established himself as a legitimate threat to the top contenders
6. Ric Flair: Bonafide legend and foremost challenger for the Macho Man's title until SummerSlam 92. This was an overworked feud as the WWF audience had already seen what these two could do at WrestleMania 8
7. The Ultimate Warrior: The Warrior was firmly entrenched in a poorly received rivalry with Papa Shango. In view of their excellent match at WrestleMania 7, a rematch between the two would have certainly set the cash registers ringing but we would only see them face-off once at SummerSlam 92

Everyone who challenged Macho Man for his WWF title in 1992

• Inconsistent booking: While Macho Man won handily against mid-card and lower mid card opposition. His booking was rather topsy turvy against top flight opposition such as Ric Flair and The Ultimate Warrior. Towards the end of his run, Macho Man was retaining his title mostly by decision reversal against Flair (Flair would cheat to win and then a referee would run down to reverse the decision). The SummerSlam 92 title defence resulted in a count-out victory for The Ultimate Warrior further dipping the champion's stock. A little over a week after SummerSlam, Ric Flair would finally end Macho Man's final reign as WWF Champion with assistance from the debuting Razor Ramon

We will never know if Macho Man's personal problems contributed to this dwindling championship run but we do know that for sure that a more varied set of adversaries and a consistent push at the top would have certainly elevated this tenure. It was not all drab though, the SummerSlam 92 match was amongst Warrior's best and this tag team match which pits him and Bret Hart (world champion and intercontinental champion respectively) against Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels is a fun watch for anyone who has closely followed these great legends.

Until Next Time,

Your fan of wrestling's golden era.