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Macho Man Randy Savage Induction Adds Credibility To WWE Hall of Fame

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By @sdmeyers1

Macho Man Randy Savage

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Although the WWE created its Hall of Fame in 1993, the company has made significant strides over the past two years in making it legitimate. That continued last week, when the WWE announced that legendary Macho Man Randy Savage would be the headliner of the Class of 2015.

In the 20 years following its inception, the Hall of Fame included some of the all-time greats in wrestling history, including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Andre the Giant. It also included some dubious entries, such as Koko B. Ware, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Wendy Richter, as well an array of celebrities enshrined. A trio of top names in WWE lure were noticeably absent, however.

That changed in 2013, when the WWE finally inducted Bruno Sammartino, perhaps the greatest world champion of all time. Sammartino competed in the WWE (known as the WWWF at the time) for nearly 30 years, and held the world title for more than 11 years, an unprecedented reign. After his retirement, however, he became outspoken against pro wrestling, and often criticized Vince McMahon. After years of failed attempts, the WWE, reportedly headed by efforts of Triple H, reached an agreement with Sammartino for his inclusion into the Hall of Fame.

Last year, the Ultimate Warrior, one of the WWE’s biggest stars in the late 80′s and early 90′s, took his rightful spot in the Hall of Fame, just days prior to his death. Much like Sammartino, the Warrior had long-standing issues with the company, including holding the company up for an increased paycheck prior to SummerSlam in 1991.

With Sammartino and Ultimate Warrior inducted, Savage was the remaining major name not in the Hall of Fame. Much like the other two, Savage allegedly had a strained relationship with McMahon and the company following his departure in 1994. He had repeatedly been honored on WWE programming since his death in 2011 though, including tributes by competitors such as CM Punk.

Like many of the other headliners in the WWE Hall of Fame, Savage left in indelible mark on the wrestling industry. Despite often playing second fiddle to Hogan throughout the 80′s, he helped revolutionize the in-ring performance of the competitors. His match with Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 is considered one of the best matches of all time, and his feud with Hogan was a classic rivalry in WWE lure.

Savage’s induction into the Hall of Fame makes business sense for WWE as well, as the company can use it to promote newly-released items, such as memorabilia and a DVD documentary.

Ultimately, Savage will add another level of credibility to a Hall of Fame that has come a long way in just a few years. Macho Man was one of the best in the history of the business, and his inclusion is long overdue. His induction will signal the final chapter in the legendary career of Randy Savage.

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.

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