In the ‘90s, a real feud ignited between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk. These wrestling giants clashed on two intense occasions—first at a New Japan show and later in the VIP bathroom of a Kid Rock concert. Their confrontations led to a costly legal battle and left Hawk’s wife suffering permanent damage due to their second altercation.
There was real-life animosity between Road Warrior Hawk and Macho Man Randy Savage, and on two occasions, these wrestling giants got into heated brawls.
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The Real Heat Between Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk
Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk: Their real-life feud escalated into intense confrontations, leaving a lasting impact on both their lives. Photo: WWE.
In the ’90s, there was real heat between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk.
These two wrestling giants would get into it on two separate occasions: once at a New Japan show and another time in the VIP bathroom of a Kid Rock concert.
It would lead to a costly battle in court and Hawk’s wife suffering permanent damage due to their second altercation.
Backstage Brawl: Randy Savage and Hawk in New Japan
Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk: Wrestling icons whose real-life feud became the stuff of legend. Photo Credit: WWE.
In 1996 at a New Japan show, Randy Savage was set to have a match and was on his way to the ring when he got ambushed by Hawk backstage.
It all started over suspicion of a wandering eye.
Lanny Poffo on Randy Savage and Hawk’s Feud
The “Cream of the Crop” Randy Savage would clash with Road Warrior Hawk on two occasions. Photo Credit: WWE.
According to Randy Savage’s brother, the late-great Lanny Poffo, “Hawk had a mistaken notion that my brother had made a pass at his wife. Now, I know my brother, and I met his wife, and may I say, not true.
“It couldn’t possibly be because my brother, for all the good things about him, is like Shallow Hal, just like me, and beauty is a high premium, and, um, this woman was well below his standards."
Lanny went on to add, "My brother doesn’t go making passes at people’s wives. Even if she were beautiful or to die for, he wouldn’t do that because he was a gentleman."
Road Warrior Hawk’s Side of the Story on What Happened in Japan
Road Warrior Hawk, known for his intense persona in the ring, clashed with Randy Savage in two heated real-life confrontations. Photo Credit: WWE.
When asked about this incident in Japan, Hawk replied, "[Randy] got the living [snot] kicked out of him. Simple slap, knocked him over."
Hawk would claim that he beat Savage up. However, former WCW manager Sonny Onoo, who was there when the incident took place in Japan, claims otherwise.
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Sonny Onoo’s Account of the Savage-Hawk Confrontation
WCW manager Sonny Onoo details what he witnessed between Macho Man and Hawk. Photo Credit: WWE.
“In back of the curtain, Randy Savage and Hawk were going at it. I mean, they were going at it. They were face to face about to go, and the music hits, and he’s not going out."
“What happened was he was on his way to the ring in Japan, and they have those shoots you come out of, and Hawk was joking with him moments before. Then, [Randy] assumed his place before [Hawk] ambushed him on the way to the ring.”
Lanny continued, “Randy, being the professional that he was, took the punch and kept walking to the ring because he had a job to do. He did his job, and when he came back, he went there to attack Hawk before the boys split them apart."
Savage vs. Hawk: The Second Clash at a Kid Rock Concert
Kid Rock performing at WrestleMania 25 on April 5, 2009. A few years earlier, a Kid Rock concert set the stage for a fierce backstage brawl between Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk. Photo Credit: WWE.
"Randy never forgot anything," admits former WWE manager Zeb Colter, aka Dutch Mantell.
It’s well-known amongst those who knew Randy Savage that he was not one to forgive or forget easily. This would manifest itself when Savage and Hawk crossed paths again several years later at a Kid Rock concert in Tampa.
We’ll preface this by saying that there have been different versions of this second encounter.
Conflicting Stories: What Really Happened Between Savage and Hawk?
Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk: Two wrestling titans whose rivalry went beyond the squared circle. Photo Credit: WWE.
According to Hawk, he knew Randy Savage was going to be at the event, so he told security ahead of time that he had a problem with him and to be on the lookout in case things kicked off.
When the two eventually bumped into one another, Hawk claimed that he went over to shake Savage’s hand, but Randy pushed his hand away and punched Hawk in the face.
Randy Savage’s Brother Lanny Poffo Gives His Take on Hawk Fight
Randy Savage with his brother Lanny Poffo. Photo Credit: Lanny Poffo.
The brother of Randy Savage, Lanny Poffo, gave further background to this second altercation.
"So you might say Hawk won [the first altercation] with the sucker punch- Hawk 1, Randy nothing.
“Then, they met again in Tampa. Randy saw him and attacked Hawk. This time it was one to one, okay? But then Hawk litigated. Now since the plaintiff [Hawk] is deceased, I believe it’s out of court."
Gorgeous George on the Savage-Hawk Fight
Randy Savage with Gorgeous George in WCW. The two were an item off-camera, and she was a witness to the second fight between Randy and Road Warrior Hawk. She even got involved in the action! Photo Credit: WWE.
Randy Savage with Gorgeous George in WCW. The two were an item off-camera, and she was a witness to the second fight between Randy and Road Warrior Hawk. She even got involved in the action! What happened after the punch was unclear. Hawk claimed that after he was "sucker-punched," he "steered" Savage up against the wall, and eventually, security broke it up, and then the police arrived.
However, Stephanie Bellars, aka Gorgeous George, former girlfriend and wrestling manager of Randy Savage, tells a different story.
When she was asked about the incident, she shared, "All I know is that Randy wanted to use the bathroom and we were with my sister and a girlfriend of mine. When we walked into the bathroom, we didn’t even know [Hawk and his wife] were there."
Gorgeous George admits that she didn’t recognize Hawk without his wrestling face makeup on, and that Savage and Hawk "just went straight into a fight."
She continues, "They had the urinals ripping off the walls, the doors, oh lord. It was like two monsters fighting!"
According to Gorgeous George, fifteen security guards were standing around, but they didn’t stop the fight.
Gorgeous George also admits that she got involved by whipping pop cans at Hawk’s head during the struggle. This led to Hawk’s wife and Gorgeous George going at it, too!
"[Hawk’s] wife got in my sister’s face and was pushing my sister. My sister’s younger than me, so you ain’t doing that. We got in a fight. So, you got two huge men fighting, us fighting, and nobody’s stopping it."
The Aftermath of the Randy Savage and Hawk Fights
Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk: Two legends who clashed both in and out of the ring. Photo Credit: WWE.
As a result of the scuffle in the bathroom, Hawk claimed that his wife sustained a serious injury and that "she hears bells all the time."
He went on to call Gorgeous George a host of colorful names, such as a “gorgeous [c-word]” He also stated that Gorgeous George and her sister attacked his wife for no reason and that he sued Savage over what happened to his wife.
A Tense Reunion: Hawk and Gorgeous George Meet Again Years Later
Randy Savage and Gorgeous George share a moment in WCW, where their off-screen relationship added an extra layer of drama to their on-screen partnership. Photo Credit: WWE.
A few years after the incident, Gorgeous George spontaneously bumped into Hawk on an elevator.
"After the whole thing was done, I actually went to XWF. We were in Orlando, and I didn’t even notice it, but I was in the elevator going like fifteen floors up with Hawk."
She admits to being incredibly nervous when it dawned on her who she was sharing the elevator with but took the high road by turning to him to apologize for hurting his wife.
Hawk thought it was "cool" that she said that, and afterward, they all went down to the hotel bar, got [wasted], and made up.
Randy Savage’s Lasting Grudge Against Hawk
Randy Savage never forgave Road Warrior Hawk. Photo Credit: WWE.
Randy, on the other hand, never forgave Hawk for what happened.
When asked to give his opinion on Hawk, he responded with, "Oh yeah, me and him don’t get along at all (laughs). We don’t get along at all. Any time two guys mix it and it ends up in court — one wrestler suing another wrestler — that’s ridiculous."
Randy Savage spent a great deal of money fighting the case, but with Hawk passing away in 2003, the lawsuit was thrown out.
The real-life rivalry between Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk led to a legal battle and left lasting scars, both physically and emotionally. Their story, and many others like it, shows that not all wrestling stories end when the bell rings.
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Geries Tadros is a contributor for Pro Wrestling Stories and has written for Furious Cinema and Grind House Database. He can be reached on Instagram at @geriestadros.
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