Photo

Reuters Photojournalism

Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography.  See more | Photo caption 

Photo

Rage in Brazil

Mass protests erupt in the biggest cities of Brazil.  Slideshow 

Photo

The Afghan Army

The many faces of the Afghan National Army, which has taken over security of the country from NATO.  Slideshow 

Sponsored Links

Famed pro wrestler "Macho Man" dies in crash

''Macho Man'' Randy Savage in an undated publicity photo. REUTERS/WWE

''Macho Man'' Randy Savage in an undated publicity photo.

Credit: Reuters/WWE

Related Topics

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla | Fri May 20, 2011 6:16pm EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (Reuters) - Professional wrestling great "Macho Man" Randy Savage died after a car crash on Friday near his home in Seminole, Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The colorful champion -- known for his husky voice, gaudy costumes and "oooh, yeah!" catch phrase -- appeared to have lost control of his 2009 Jeep Wrangler on Friday morning, crash investigators said.

Savage, 58, drove over a concrete barrier into oncoming traffic lanes before crashing head-on into a tree. He died of his injuries at a nearby hospital, a crash report said.

Though some media outlets quoted his brother as saying the former wrestler suffered a heart attack while driving, the Florida Highway Patrol said that could not be confirmed until an autopsy is performed.

The crash was not alcohol-related, authorities said.

The wrestler, whose legal name was Randy Mario Poffo, and his wife Barbara, who was a passenger in the car, were both wearing seat belts. His wife suffered minor injuries.

Once a minor league baseball player, the wrestler rose to fame as "Macho Man" in the 1980s.

He was "an iconic figure," said hall of fame professional wrestler Dusty "The American Dream" Rhodes on Friday.

Under contract with the WWE from 1985 to 1993, he sparred against Hulk Hogan and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. He clinched two WWE Championships, two World Heavyweight Championships and held a 14-month reign as Intercontinental Champion.

His entrance music was "Pomp and Circumstance" and his signature accessories were sunglasses, bandannas and cowboy hats.

"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the greatest Superstars of his time," read a statement posted on the WWE site on Friday. "Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends."

(Additional Reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Greg McCune and Jerry Norton)

We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (4)
bigbandjohn wrote:
I will sorely miss him. I remember when he took a heated crowd as a guest on a tv show during an era when you didn’t break character, and had the crowd loving him at the end of the show. The setup that clinched it was when Regis Philbin mentioned how Randy was doing so well until the Million Dollar Man shook the ropes and he ended up straddling them. He responded:

“Well, the Macho Man learned he does have one weakness, and I have an operation scheduled this afternoon to fix it.”

God Bless you Randy!

May 20, 2011 3:19pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
R.I.P brother, you will be missed and remembered for all you did to being joy to our lives.

May 20, 2011 5:28pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
Vodka wrote:
OOOOoooooh YEAAAAAAaaaaa!!!!! R.I.P. Macho Man Randy Savage!

The world loss a great performer today. I loss someone who was a childhood hero and someone who still makes me smile and laugh thinking about him.

May 20, 2011 10:28pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.