Hogan again took the title at WrestleMania VII, the same night the Warrior won what may have been his greatest match ever...
Under conditions that made absolutely NO ONE care about his triumph, and made the entire wrestling world focus on what happened after he left the ring.
Randy "Macho Man" Savage had gone back into full heel mode after the break up of the Mega Powers. However, "The First Lady of Wrestling" Miss Elizabeth was far too beloved by fans to return to that state with him.
Instead the Macho Man employed Sensational Sherri as his manager.
To raise the stakes of his normally overwhelming persona, Savage won the King of the Ring tournament, making him "The Macho King with Sensational Queen Sherri." Nothing increases arrogance more than sticking a crown on someone's head.
Built on Savage's obsession with controlling all the details, including his dedication to planning and practice, the twenty minute battle seen that night was heavily prepared for. (With help again from Road Agent extraordinaire Pat Patterson.) It was considered by many to be the Ultimate Warrior's best work. The Macho Man knew how to carry a spectacle, and put over an opponent.
It wasn't a regular match but a "retirement match" meaning the loser would leave wrestling "forever."
Or at least leave in ring performances.
Or at least leave them until they could come up with an in story reason for them to return.
But never mind that now.
Due to some of the greatest crowd manipulation in the history of crowds, not a single hoot was given.
During that WrestleMania evening, Miss Elizabeth was noticed in the crowd.
While not in one of her stunning evening gowns, she was in a particularly spangly pants suit.
WHAT A COINCIDENCE!!!!
Sherri was clearly not a good loser and began berating and kicking Savage when he was down.
Though having shown no previous signs of in ring violence, Miss Elizabeth ran out of the stands to defend Savage by bodily hurling Sherri out of the ring by her hair.
Then the Macho Man stood up and saw her.
He lifted her up on his shoulder in triumph.
Then she went to hold the ropes open for him like she always did...
This is a man who tossed her aside on his heel turn.
When she was his manager, he often hid behind her to protect himself from attackers multiple times her size.
He always insisted she hold the ropes for him, and cruelly berated her if she was marginally slow to the task.
Yet, due to the performing abilities of these two, when the Macho Man dramatically shook his head "no" and FINALLY, gallantly held the ropes open for the beautiful Miss Elizabeth...
it took the entire audience on a romantic journey.
An arena full of hardened wrestling fans were invested in the emotional moment.
Grown men were openly weeping.
It was a thing of beauty, which eventually led to a proposal...
Which Elizabeth accepted with her man's trademark "OOOOOOHHHH YEAAAAAAHHH!"
Yes, Warrior made some unacceptable demands, threatening not to show up, and therefore was fired the next day.
Yes, Macho Man stayed on with the company as a commentator after the "retirement match" and wedding.
He was eventually reinstated in the ring for "reasons."
(No doubt connected to taking over a feud originally intended for the Warrior.)
Horribly sad behind the scenes spoilers follow:
Elizabeth Hulette and Randall Poffo had been married since before she first appeared as his manager when he joined the WWF. That role was to allow her to travel with him. Unfortunately, he wasn't only larger than life in the ring, so was his jealousy. There are stories of him keeping her locked in their room so she would be away from the other wrestlers. (There are other stories that this was completely warranted. Like all wrestling stories, there are a huge number of sides.)
By the time of their "in story" wedding, they were already separated for a while and the divorce finalized the next month.
She ended up aligning with bad influences and died of a drug overdose in 2003 at only 42.
Sherri Martel similarly overdosed at 49.
Both involved mixes of painkillers.
Savage's heart attack from an undiagnosed blockage came too early at 58.
He was also on painkillers.
Wrestling was an insanely hard life of overwhelming travel and physical punishment, with no health insurance. So many were lost due to the need of painkillers of any variety (prescription or illicit) to continue working to get paid.
That, plus the extreme physical toll is why many have left us far too soon.
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