WrestleMania Retrospective: Randy Savage & Ultimate Warrior Put Their Careers On The Line At WrestleMania VII

Sometimes, seduction backfires and leads to a career coming to an end.

At WrestleMania VII, Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior squared off in one of the biggest matches in WrestleMania history when they both ended up putting their careers on the line. But how did they get to that point?

THE BACKGROUND

The Ultimate Warrior won the WWE World Championship from Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI in Toronto and began the next era of WWE. WWE had attempted to find the next top babyface to lead the company believing it was time to move on from Hogan. Instead, Warrior’s reign included a title defense against Rick Rude at the 1990 SummerSlam event inside a steel cage, which Warrior won.

At the 1990 Survivor Series pay-per-view, Randy Savage challenged The Ultimate Warrior for a title opportunity.

Warrior’s next major title defense occurred at the 1991 Royal Rumble event challenging the newly returned Iraqi sympathizer, Sgt. Slaughter. Before the title match, Queen Sherri Martel attempted to seduce Warrior into giving Savage a title match. However, the seduction didn’t work well, and Warrior denied the request.

Later on in the night, Savage got involved during Warrior’s title defense against Slaughter. Savage ended up using his royal scepter to knock Warrior out. As a result, Slaughter picked up a shocking upset win pinning Warrior to win the World Championship. Two days later, on January 21st, Savage won a steel cage match against the Ultimate Warrior in a match that aired on the MSG Network.

The rivalry reached the point where only one man could be in the WWE. Thus, WWE President Jack Tunney signed a retirement match for WrestleMania VII between the two men.

THE ACTION

Right before they lock up, the camera cuts to Elizabeth watching in the crowd. Warrior displays his power advantage by casually tossing Savage to the canvas. Savage responds with a few strikes but bails to the floor after running into a shoulder block. Warrior continues his offense with a series of atomic drops and lifts Savage into a chokehold but tosses Savage down into Queen Sherri as Sherri tries to get involved early in the bout.

Savage battles back with a running clothesline out of the corner and heads to the top rope, looking for a crossbody but is caught by Warrior. Warrior puts Savage down and disrespects Savage by simply slapping him in the face. Savage goes to the floor and tosses a steel chair into the ring out of frustration. Savage tries to take advantage of the distraction but is decked several times by Warrior with punches.

Warrior misses a splash in the corner and crashes over the ropes to the floor. Sherri cheap shots Warrior with a slap. Savage leaps off the top rope to nail Warrior with a double axe handle on the floor. Sherri continues to cheap-shot Warrior, but Warrior responds with a shove on the floor. Savage defends his manager by sending Warrior into the ring post face first. They return to the ring, where Savage manages a near fall after a knee drop. Warrior counters a backslide with a backslide of his own for a two-count. They have a standoff until Savage spits at Warrior.

Sherri tries to distract Warrior, but Warrior decks Savage with a clothesline and runs the ropes several times but misses a splash. Savage covers Warrior but only manages a two-count on the cover. Macho tries to smother Warrior with a sleeper hold, but Warrior refuses to stay down on the mat and breaks free. Warrior collides with Savage on a double clothesline, and both men crash to the mat. Sherri distracts the referee when Warrior gets an inside cradle leading to a near fall. Savage knee strikes Warrior from behind, knocking Warrior into the referee, and the referee falls to the mat. Sherri climbs to the top rope with her shoe but accidentally nails Savage with the shoe.

Warrior confronts Sherri on the floor and begins to stalk Sherri around ringside. Sherri rolls into the ring, but Warrior gets his hands on Sherri on the apron. Savage nearly steals the bout with a rollup from behind. Macho sends Warrior chest first into the corner and drops Warrior throat first over the top rope to maintain the advantage. Macho leaps over the top rope to send Warrior throat-first into the ropes again. Savage slams Warrior but can’t put Warrior away on a cover attempt. Savage leaps off the top rope to deliver five elbow drops, but Warrior kicks out! Macho can’t believe it.

THE CONCLUSION

Savage continues to pummel Warrior with strikes, but Warrior gets a second wind and decks Savage with strikes and a series of clotheslines. Warrior signals for the gorilla press slam and drops Savage to the mat gut first, followed by a big splash to the back, but Savage also kicks out at two! Warrior looks up to the heavens and begins to talk to his Gods. At this point, Warrior begins to speak to his hands, seemingly questioning himself.

Warrior begins to leave the ring, but the referee tries to talk Warrior out of departing the contest. Warrior remains on the apron seeking answers. Savage decks Warrior off the apron to the floor. Sherri holds Warrior over the guard railing, but Warrior shoves Sherri away, and Savage misses an axe handle hitting the railing chest first. Warrior sends Savage back to the floor with a leaping shoulder block three times. Warrior pulls Savage back into the ring after the third time and puts one foot on Savage to win the match.

THE AFTERMATH

With Savage losing the match and his career, Queen Sherri turned on Savage by attacking him. The attack led to Elizabeth leaping over the railing and entering the ring to toss Sherri to the floor to save the man she once managed. Savage stumbled and pointed to Elizabeth, wondering what she was doing in the ring. Macho looks to the crowd, who are cheering for a reunion between them. Savage embraces Elizabeth, who is crying, and the crowd erupts joyfully. Savage entered the bout as one of the most hated men in the WWE but left the match beloved and with the right woman, the love of his life, Elizabeth.

Following WrestleMania VII, Warrior would feud with Jake Roberts and The Undertaker during the summer. Finally, Warrior teamed with Hogan at SummerSlam 1991 to defeat Sgt: Slaughter, General Adnan, and Col. Mustafa in the main event. However, SummerSlam would be Warrior’s last appearance until WrestleMania VIII due to a money dispute.

Meanwhile, Savage and Elizabeth married at SummerSlam 1991 and had their wedding reception. However, Jake Roberts gifted a snake to the newly married couple. Savage would be reinstated by the end of the year to get revenge on Roberts in one of the most heated feuds of the 1990s.