Randall Mario Poffo, better known around the world by his ring name “Macho Man” Randy Savage, has died at the age of 58. An unnamed source told Fox News earlier today that the Pro Wrestling superstar suffered a heart attack while driving, lost control of his Jeep Wrangler and hit a tree in Seminole, Florida.
Florida Highway Patrol said Savage leapt a concrete median, veered into oncoming traffic and smashed into a tree head on. He died from his injuries at largo Medical Center.
The Macho Man had just celebrated his first wedding anniversary with his wife Lynn. It was his second marriage. His first wife died of a drug overdose shortly after their divorce in 1992. Lynn, who was in the vehicle during the accident survived with “minor injuries”. According to officials, both were wearing their seat belts at the time.
Professional wrestler Kevin Nash tweeted: “I lost a close friend today. If anybody in heaven is wondering who the cat in the ugly cowboy hat is it’s Randy. Love you Bro. Never another.”
Savage was recognizable by wrestling fans for his distinctively deep and raspy voice, his ring attire (often comprising sunglasses, a bandana or head band, flashy robes, and a cowboy hat) and his signature catch phrase “Ooooh Yeah!”
The WWE has said of Savage, “There has never been a Superstar more colorful than ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage. His style—perfectly punctuated by his entrance music, ‘Pomp and Circumstance’—has only been outshined by his performance in the ring.”
Here’s an interview Randy did on the Arsenio Hall show in 1982: