Author: 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.
What Led to the Heated Animosity Between Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk?
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 What Started the Animosity Between Randy Savage and Hawk
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."
Hawk on the Incident with Randy in Japan
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.
Sonny Onoo on the First Randy Savage and Hawk Confrontation
In an interview with Hannibal TV, Onoo shared, "They had Randy Savage’s music playing. He was one of the main event guys, you know? It might have been the main event match.
“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."
At about "135 pounds," Onoo had to step in between the two giants in an attempt to quell the possibility of a fight breaking out.
All the while, Randy’s music was playing, and the crowd was waiting anxiously for him to walk through the curtain.
Wrestling Moments After Backstage Altercation
Savage eventually went out to the ring and wrestled. When the match was over, Savage returned to the backstage area and went straight towards Hawk.
But before things could escalate further, they were both separated.
Lanny would go on to give his brother’s side of the events that took place.
“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."
Second Encounter: Brawling at a Kid Rock Concert
"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.
Different Versions of What Happened During Randy Savage and Hawk’s Second Fight
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’s Brother Gives His Take
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 Opens Up About What Happened
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."
Aftermath
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.
Bumping Into Hawk a Few Years Later
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 Never Forgave Hawk
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.
Did you know this story is featured as a documentary episode on the Pro Wrestling Stories YouTube channel? Hit play and follow along with the article!
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