By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch specialist

PWTorch VIP member Abdou offered a fascinating question for a recent Ask the Torch that I am answering in extended-length form...

Abdou Asks: How does Triple H compare to Randy Savage in terms of their overall careers? It's fair to say that by the time it's all said and done history books will be written to favour Hunter, but on an objective scale how do they compare? I think Triple H was in more money-drawing events, but Randy had a more larger-than-life persona, way more charisma, and cut better promos. Randy was a better babyface and arguably a more respected worker for his era and also proved himself outside WWE. Triple H had a long career filled with good to great matches more so than Randy. Neither of them was the no. 1 guy for long stretches, but I favour Randy over Triple H because he was such a big part of the early WrestleMania years. I would love to hear your thoughts?

Valentino Responds: I am a big fan of both Randy Savage and Triple H. Macho Man was my favorite wrestler growing up, and the original DX of Shawn Michaels and Hunter my favorite act in wrestling history and what motivated me to return to watching WWF after a long hiatus as a fan. Let us take your question apart and compare them in a variety of categories.

WRESTLING ABILITY/ ATHLETICISM

I believe Savage is easily the more athletic wrestler and his matches were more entertaining. Triple H has had some classic big matches, but there are far too many plodding, dull battles. Look no further than the Scott Steiner series ten years ago. Savage was an amazing all-around worker because he could do the exciting high-flying spots and also the rugged brawling in the ring. Each of them knew how to present a compelling drama in the ring and utilize their persona to add to their matches. The Game is more limited in his moveset, but he knows how to make his limited arsenal seem devastating and has excellent psychology. Macho Man had that aura of danger as well, but combined it with incredible agility and timing.

ADVANTAGE: Savage.

PERSONALITY/ CHARACTER

Both Macho Man and Hunter are larger than life personalities. Each of them has an aura about them, and their presence is felt the moment they enter an arena. They both have memorable entrance themes that are instantly recognizable and pop a crowd. Both wrestlers could play heel or babyface effectively, but I never thought that Triple H was a good hero. Savage was a maniacal personality, but he knew how to channel it with his athleticism and charisma into becoming a believable good guy. In fact, I think he was a better face than heel, which is saying a lot because he was one of the greatest villains in wrestling history.

Triple H may be more versatile because he was not as cartoonish as Macho Man, and he was smart enough not to change roles unless it really made an impact. I loved him in Evolution, and I felt that faction has been overlooked as playing a huge role in creating stars that would define the past decade. I like how each of them generally do not break out of character and take how they present themselves seriously so it helps fans always see them as a big deal.

I think Savage was the more colorful and entertaining character that attracted mainstream audiences. Additionally, the presence of Elizabeth and the way he utilized her to his advantage also played an enormous factor in his success. That dynamic and magical chemistry has not been seen before or sense in wrestling. There was something so unique about him that it seemed as if he had popped out of a comic book, and I mean that in a good way. Macho Man is the template for a great wrestling character.

ADVANTAGE: Savage.

PROMOS

Although Triple H is very good on the microphone at times, I believe this is an easy win for Savage. Who has not tried to imitate a Macho Man promo after they have seen him? He was so intense and immersed in his character that it felt real, and you could were captivated by his every word, even when you could not understand what he was saying. Additionally, he had the benefit of being in an era where wrestlers did not have to talk for fifteen minutes in the ring so his promos were concise and effective. Savage was one of the greatest talkers I have ever seen, and it is why he has had so many memorable feuds with such a wide array of opponents.

The Game is great at times, but there is such a huge content of dull, long-winded promos and extremely lame latter year DX skits that it has tarnished his legacy. Triple H is at his best when he is intense and serious and he really knows how to bring out the nuances of a feud. Perfect examples of this are his segments in feuds against Shawn Michaels and Undertaker.

ADVANTAGE: Savage.

BODY OF WORK/ FEUDS AND MATCHES

Both Savage and Hunter had long legendary careers and a legacy of great matches. Savage was easily the best worker and all around act in WWF during the expansion years. Macho Man was an excellent big match wrestler and he is indisputably the Mr. WrestleMania from the first ten years of the event if you look at match quality. He had unforgettable matches and feuds against Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, and Ted DiBiase. He had possibly the best feuds and matches in the careers of Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, and it was Savage that was the catalyst both in and out of the ring for those rivalries to flourish. He also had amazing runs with Jake Roberts and Diamond Dallas Page. His versatility and ability to work heel and face both in the ring and on the mic made him able to have great feuds and matches with a wide variety of opponents.

Triple H has arguably had a longer run as a main event wrestler and more matches with other legendary superstars than any wrestler in WWE/F history. He has been a main event presence for nearly 15 years and he has fought in memorable battles with everyone from Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels to Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley to Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and John Cena. Of course, we cannot forget his classic WrestleMania bouts with the Undertaker that really elevated his standing in my eyes. He has benefited from being in an era where there are far more big shows so naturally he has had opportunities to have more spectacular fights, but he has also shown that he can have effective programs with a wide array of wrestlers. His enduring status as a main event performer through multiple eras gives Hunter the edge.

ADVANTAGE: Triple H.

MAINSTREAM STATUS AND RECOGNITION

This is also an area where I believe that Savage wins fairly handily. That is not to say that the casual fan does not know who Triple H is because he is a fairly recognizable mainstream figure, but Macho Man was an icon. During the Hulkamania era, Savage was probably the second most famous wrestler in the world and easily identifiable even by people that had no interest in wrestling. He had the Slim Jim campaign that created one of the most memorable catchphrases in television commercial history. He also had a featured role in one of the biggest box office sensations in movie history in Spiderman. His character was just so unique and colorful that it just jumped out of your television set, and it was impossible to forget him when you saw him.

Triple H obviously was one of the major keys to the success of the Attitude Era, but he was overshadowed by Rock and Austin. DX definitely is underrated as a factor in winning the Monday Night Wars, and their catchphrase and crotch chop definitely hit the mainstream, but I do not believe that the Game, as imposing as a figure as he is, ever reached the pop culture icon status of Macho Man.

ADVANTAGE: Savage.

OVERALL: If you look at each category, it seems as if Macho Man wins this debate in a landslide, but I do believe that the two wrestlers are close in terms of overall legacy and standing as wrestlers in WWE and the one category that Hunter won, which was body of work in the ring, counts for a huge amount in this argument. Obviously, Triple H has another chapter ahead as a corporate executive. Losing out to Savage in a comparison such as this is no embarrassment because Macho truly stood out as a major force in the formation of the foundation of the establishment that Hunter now attempts to guide into the future.

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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