“Macho Man” Randy Savage was one of the most well-known and quintessential professional wrestlers of all time. After making a name for himself by launching  International Championship Wrestling out of Lexington, Kentucky with his father and brother in the 1970s, he went on to join World Wrestling Entertainment in 1985 and became a beloved “heel” or villain with his “entering matches to the highbrow arrangements of ‘Pomp and Circumstance,’ his flamboyant costumes and his signature ‘Oh yeah!’ growl,” per Biography. He often faced off against Hulk Hogan, although the two later joined forces as the “Mega Powers” tag team.

Born Randall Mario Poffo on November 15, 1952, in Columbus, Ohio, his father was professional wrestler Angelo Poffo. After a shoulder injury ended his plans to become a baseball player, Poffo, Jr. left the diamond for the ring in 1973. Originally using the stage name “The Spider,” he became “Randy Savage” after a Georgia wrestling promoter, Ole Anderson, told him he needed a nickname that reflected his wrestling style — “savage.” But where did the “Macho Man” portion of his name come from?

It’s generally accepted that it was a suggestion from his mother, but the origin of her inspiration is slightly controversial. In a 2012 interview with IGN, when asked where “Macho Man” had come from, Savage replied that it was a suggestion from his mother, Judy, who “was reading Reader’s Digest one day, long before the ‘Macho Man’ song came out, and they said in this article that ‘Macho Man’ was going to be the next hot term.”

Savage's mom suggested 'Macho Man'

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