‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage dies in a car crash

One of my all time favorites!

"Macho Man" Randy Savage, a professional wrestler who became a fan favorite thanks to his outlandish outfits and trademark catchphrase, died Friday in a car wreck, according to TMZ.

The 58-year-old Savage reportedly suffered a heart attack while driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler in Tampa, Fla., and careened across lanes of oncoming traffic before colliding head-on with a tree. He died later at a local hospital.

Savage's wife Lynn, who was riding in the passenger seat, escaped with only minor injuries. Both passengers were wearing seatbelts and the police do not believe alcohol was a factor.

The World Wrestling Federation favorite from Ohio burst onto the scene in 1985 and quickly drew attention with his flamboyant outfits and "ooh yeah!" catchphrase. His marriage to Elizabeth Hulette, Ms. Elizabeth to fans, was one of the first high-profile wrestler/valet relationships. They divorced in 1992. Savage remarried last year.

He won two WWF championships in his career. His match against Ricky Steamboat in 1987's Wrestlemania III is considered one of the best WWF bouts ever. Savage won the title late that year, setting the stage for memorable battles with Hulk Hogan, who would eventually dethrone him as champion.

Cincinnati Reds farm system.

Randy "Macho Man" Savage died in Florida.

The Florida Highway Patrol says in a crash report that the 58-year-old former wrestler - whose legal name is Randy Mario Poffo - was driving a Jeep Wrangler when he lost control in Pinellas County around 9:25 a.m. The Jeep veered over the raised concrete median divider, crossed over the eastbound lanes and collided head-on with a tree

Police say he may have suffered a "medical event" before the accident, but the report did not elaborate, and it said officials would need to perform an autopsy to know for sure.

Savage began wrestling in the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s when it first reached widespread fame on cable television. By the time he retired in 1994, Savage had been declared World Champion by various professional wrestling organizations 10 times.

But according to Baseball Reference, Poffo, as he was known then, was an outfielder with the Tampa Tarpons in 1974, a Florida State League team for the Reds.

Poffo was playing his first year as a left-hander, a year after tearing a ligament in his right arm while playing with a St. Louis Cardinals farm team. Baseball Reference said that Poffo taught himself to throw left-handed rather than retire after the injury.

Playing mainly as a designated hitter in 131 games, Poffo finished third in the league in RBIs and tied for fifth in home runs. He was released at the end of the season.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/27967639/detail.html#ixzz1MvG2cDKL

I was really sad to hear this. One of the all-time greats...

An autopsy revealed that wrestling great Randy "Macho Man" Savage died from heart disease and not from any injury sustained in his May 20 car crash.

The St. Petersburg Medical Examiner's Office found that the 58-year-old had an enlarged heart with hardened coronary arteries. He became unresponsive while driving his Jeep Wrangler on a Florida highway in May and crashed into a tree. While the auto accident left minor cuts and bruises, the heart problems were the official cause of death of the wrestler.

At the time of his death, it was unknown whether the former wrestling star had died because of the heart issue or because the heart issue caused him to crash. The coroner said Savage was found with therapeutic levels of a number of prescribed drugs in his system and that alcohol wasn't a factor. There was no evidence he was taking any heart medication, leading to the assumption that Savage may not have known about his condition.

His wife, Lynn, was riding in the car during the accident. Their Jeep Wrangler flipped over a concrete median into oncoming traffic before skidding into a tree. The couple were married in a beachfront ceremony in 2010.

Born Randy Poffo, the future Macho Man had a brief minor league baseball career before joining the wrestling circuit. He grew to fame in the 1980 with the WWF where his bouts with Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and George "The Animal" Steele made him a star. Advertisements with Slim-Jim and his signature catchphrase, "Ooh yeah!," helped him become a household name.