Whaddaya
know, the WWE FINALLY had the guts to release a Randy Savage
compilation DVD set of his matches, just stopping short of an
Ultimate Warrior backhanded compliment/all out hate fest. I
don't want to get into WHY the company has never decided to
milk the proverbial Macho cash cow in years past. If you do
a Google search for "Randy Savage Stephanie McMahon"
and you'll find the rumors as to the situation, but no one seems
to want to verify that. Heck, even Dave Meltzer won't answer
it directly, advising everyone to ask "Oliver", because
"Oliver
knows."
What
this man would know about the situation may be the biggest mystery
of all.

I
joke, I joke. But yes, the DVD is finally here, and at the end
of the day, that's all that really matters. And what a DVD it
is. Not only do we get countless Randy Savage matches, but it's
hosted by the exceedingly nutty duo of Matt Striker and Maria.
I get the Teacher; he's a wrestling uber nerd, and for that,
I love him. Maria? Well, let's just say I wouldn't be shocked
if five minutes before the cameras started rolling they had
to explain who, precisely, Randy Savage and Elizabeth were.
Ah, to have been a fly on the wall for that pre-production meeting.
I think it's in the WWE Divas' contracts that they're required
to say Miss Elizabeth was their idol to have an excuse to stand
there and look worried/blank very prettily, though in a surgically
enhanced way.
Anyways, to celebrate the release of this set (which you can
help out the site by buying righchere: WWE:
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection ),
let's go back a few years when WWE television paid tribute to
Macho Man Randy Savage while simultaneously promoting a wrestling-related
cinematic vehicle.
The year was 2006, ECW made its alleged return to television
under the WWE banner and soon went to Hell in an IcoPro-powered
XFL blimp. It was also the year of Jack Black's wrestling comedy
Nacho Libre.

Don't remember Nacho Libre? Don't fret. You're not missing much.
The best scenes are in the trailer.
| Unforgettable
moments such as the horny fat lady (cause they all are,
amIrightfolks?) setting her sights on the underweight
uncomfortable potential male rape victim... |
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...a
young nun being subjected to Franciscan Monk Jack Black's
clenched buttcheeks (3 Hail Mary's won't be enough to
get that out of your system...maybe you should just
cut your eyeballs out, sister)...
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...and
the scene where Jack Black's character invites the pretty
young Sister to eat toast with him while they sit there
in awkward silence for about 5 years....
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...and
of course the scenes with Nacho and his malnourished
tag team partner having a series of hahalarious misshaps
in the ring such as fighting midget Bigfoots...or Bigfeets....or
maybe they're tiny Ron Perlmans from the Beauty and
the Beast tv series from the 80s.
(Note
from RD: Mike Check just called...he said your references
are very dated.)
And
did I mention this was based on a true story?
There,
I just saved you 90 minutes.
And
your sides, which surely would have split open from
all the laughter.
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Regardless,
the movie was a modest hit in its first week but word
of mouth was not positive and the movie quickly faded
from the Top Box Office list. The WWE decided to capitalize
on the movie while it was still hot by creating a character
called "Macho Libre", played by Tony Devito,
a former member of "Da Baldies" during the
original ECW's final days. Macho Libre was dressed like
Jack Black's character but spoke and gestured like a
familiar "Macho" character and wore the same
sunglasses that'll cause you to walk into a wall or
knock grandma over.
And
what better place to use this character than the BRAND
NEW RE-LAUNCHED ECW?!
Why
I can hear Paul Heyman's famous battle cry now:
"This....is
EXTREEEEEEEEEEEME!!"
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Joey
notes "last week we had a friggin' zombie and now
this" as Tazz forces himself into the fakest fake
laughter this side of Michael Cole.
Macho
Libre then cuts a
KILLER promo that the Albany crowd is fast asleep
for. I swear, you can hear a pin drop. It's so silent,
in fact, that I'm surprised we couldn't hear Vince screaming,
"Laugh, dammit...LAUGH!" over the headset
to his announce crew.
I can only assume that Joey and Tazz are laughing throughout
this promo because they are thinking of Rodney Dangerfield
in Back To School. "Hey everybody, we're
all gonna get laid!"
|
| "I'm
Livin' La Vida Loca! I'm Livin' La Vida Loca!" Way
to win the crowd (comprised at that time of original ECW
fans) over by referencing a crappy overplayed song from
7 years earlier, dummy. "Say everything twice! Say
everything twice!"
I'm telling you, NO ONE is saying a word. It's as quiet
as a movie theater showing Nacho Libre!
(Note
from RD: I'm confused...Vince killed off Pirate Paul Birchill
because he had never seen Pirates of the Caribbean.
Are you telling me that he actually sat through Nacho
Libre? What kinda sick freak is he?) |
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"So
this is E....C.....W".
Man,
where oh where is the backstage shot showing us Paul
E., RVD, and Dreamer? I can just see them banging their
heads against the wall and sobbing like DeNiro in Raging
Bull.
(Note
from RD: Which I also bet Vince has never seen.)
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What's
that do I hear?? Generic rock entrance music?? It's
GOTTA be THE SANDMAN!!! YES!! The 5-time ECW World Champ
coming through the crowd and doing his non-Metallica
royaltied entrance. The crowds are cheering their lungs
out because they know what's coming. Oh yes. If you'll
remember, the first month of the re-launched ECW, The
Sandman was given the task of coming to the ring to
murder a variety of annoying over-the-top gimmicked
characters. I must admit, The Zombie was the best. He
ruled so friggin' hard. RD and Blade will back me up
on this. :)
(Note
from RD: As will this bonus
induction.)
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The
Sandman enters the ring for a staredown while Macho
Libre taunts him. "I know we're in the state capital
but not even the Governor can save Macho Libre!",
says Joey.
I'd
make a Governor of New York/Client Number 9 joke but
I'm not sure how many people visiting this site would
get it.
Probably
the same amount that got my Bernard Hermann reference
from a few weeks back.
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| Sandman,
who has, without question, the greatest pissed off look
in wrestling history somehow tops himself here by looking
even more irate.
Seriously,
look at that guy - would you ever want ANYONE looking
at you like that?
And
he gets even more ticked as Macho Libre has some harsh
words for him. "Let me tell you something something
something, OH YEAH!!"
Hey
pal, you didn't have to get personal! |
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Sandman
has had enough, like us all, and quickly dispatches
Macho Libre with his trusty Singapore Cane...
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...pausing
only to down a beer.
Remember
that moment right before they revealed Hornswoggle as
Vince's kid and they teased it was Sandman?
If
they had actually gone THAT direction, WWE ratings would
have gone so high Neilsen would have had to invent a
new system.
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And
a Side White Russian Legsweep finally ends Macho Libre's
WWE...I mean ECW career for the 1-2-3.
Oh
come on, Jim.
A
wrestling move?
How
passe.
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*sigh*
That entrance-way is sadly the last thing this would have
in common with the original ECW. |
|
Macho
Libre sucked, Macho Libre sucked. It was not funny, it was not
funny. Oh no I'm stuck on "say everything twice",
Oh no I'm stuck on....
(RD
slaps Kelly)
Thanks
Deal, I needed that.
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