WWE goes on a treasure hunt for some Savage mementos on A&E
It takes a lot to stand out in the wild world of pro wrestling, but “Macho Man” Randy Savage did that and more. On his way to becoming a pop culture icon (stop for a moment and think about how “meme-able” and “gif-able” Savage would be were he wrestling today), the Macho Man made his mark through his ring work, mannerisms, and certainly his outfits and accessories.
That’s where WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures steps in, with Booker T, Lita, and Mick Foley on the hunt to gather famed pieces of wrestling memorabilia to showcase in the WWE Warehouse in Stamford, CT. Along with Diamond Dallas Page, the three hosts look back on Savage’s incredible career and his most famed items.
Here’s what’s on their list: the monster truck in his image, priced at $50-$70K; the Macho King’s crown and scepter , valued at $20-$25K; and his Mega Powers robe valued at $10-$15K.
DDP and Foley hit the road, with Page remembering leaving a message thanking Savage for what he did for him (because the Macho Man, according to DDP, never answered his phone), something that Savage told DDP later meant a lot to him.
Backed by overly suspenseful music, Foley and DDP meet with Dr. Marty Urban and his incredible collection of wrestling merch. He has several jackets that belonged to Savage amongst a prized baseball jersey that Randy wore when in the minor league system of the St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s Foley, though, that spots the crown — one of the items that the WWE is looking for. Urban shows them the rest of his set, including the ring gear … but no scepter. Still, Foley and DDP walk away with the ring gear and crown on loan from Dr. Urban.
Meanwhile, in Yorkville, IL, Lita picks up Molly Holly — or more appropriately, the former Miss Madness. Wearing a classic purple Macho Man t-shirt, Molly retells Savage getting in touch with her to help train Gorgeous George, his girlfriend at the time, for a short-lived wrestling career. This, in turn, led to Molly’s much longer-lasting career.
Back with Foley in Stamford, he meets with WWE archivist Ben Brown, who has concerns that the crown Foley brought back is not the original. In fact, it’s more than concern: it becomes obvious that this isn’t the original crown. He acknowledges that it’s possible this crown was worn by Savage for a house show, but he doubts it.
Lita and Molly meet Dan Kelly, who shows off — not the Macho Man monster truck, but the big yellow hat that rested on top of the truck. Amazingly, Kelly found it outside of a thrift store, but he’s not ready to let it go for the $2,500 that Lita offers. He counters with $5,300 which is what he paid for it, and a deal is struck.
There’s a little sojourn with Ben Brown presenting Booker T, Lita, and Foley with a box of International Championship Wrestling tapes, recordings of the Kentucky promotion ran by Savage’s father Angelo Poffo. More on that later.
Foley and Molly head to Ramsey, NJ to hunt for the Mega Powers robe from collector Kevin Fuchs. He recalls his father winning the robe in a silent auction, and is hesitant to part with it. Foley starts with $5,000, then ups to $10,000, and Fuchs makes a deal for that plus four ringside seats to WrestleMania.
Back at Stamford, there’s a bittersweet sequence as Booker T and Brown have invited Lanny Poffo, deceased only a few months’ prior to this episode’s release, to authenticate the ICW tapes. They’re real, and Lanny has a great time watching the old footage and trying on the Mega Powers robe.
For what this series has to offer, this was a touching episode with the truly heartfelt tributes paid to Randy Savage and some interesting wheeling and dealing for his items.
