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| Macho Man Randy Savage and Mean Gene Okerlund in 1987 |
By the summer of 1987, Randy “Macho Man” Savage had become one of the most fascinating performers in the WWF. At WrestleMania III, his unforgettable battle with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat had helped elevate Savage’s reputation as one of the company’s most exciting in-ring performers. He was still an intense, unpredictable heel, but something was beginning to change. The fans were responding to him differently.
That change became even more noticeable after Honky Tonk Man defeated Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship in June. While Savage remained focused on Hulk Hogan and the WWF Championship, his growing popularity was becoming impossible to ignore. Throughout the summer, Savage continued to work against some of the WWF’s most recognizable villains, including King Harley Race and Butch Reed, while his charisma and remarkable work rate continued to win over audiences.
There was no dramatic night when Randy Savage suddenly became a good guy. Instead, his transformation unfolded gradually, almost naturally. By September, he had won the King of the Ring tournament, defeating one fan favorite and three established heels along the way. His promos with Mean Gene Okerlund became must-see television, with Savage's larger-than-life personality making it increasingly difficult to place him neatly on either side of the good-versus-evil divide.
As Mean Gene would soon observe, Randy Savage had entered what could only be described as a “no man's land.”
One week, he was challenging the enormously popular Hulk Hogan. The next, he was standing across the ring from the newly crowned—and deeply despised—Intercontinental Champion, Honky Tonk Man. And somewhere in between, the Macho Man was slowly becoming a hero.
Through three memorable interviews with Mean Gene Okerlund, we can watch that transformation take place in real time—from the summer of 1987 through the fall, when the direction of Savage's career, and his relationship with the WWF audience, had clearly changed forever.
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