Saturday, July 2, 2011

Autopsy Results are in for Randy Poffo (Macho Man Savage), Former Baseball Player and WWE Wrestler

Saturday July 2, 2011


MLB reports:  Last month we profiled former WWE superstar Randy Macho Man Savage, who passed away May 20, 2011.  At the time of the article, the cause of his death was unknown.  We took the time in the interim to look at the man behind the “Macho Madness”, a wrestling champion and icon in the industry.  A little known fact was that Randy Savage, born Randy Poffo, actually came up originally as a baseball player.  To learn more about Randy Poffo the baseball player, click here to view our past feature.   Today we learn about the cause of death behind the passing of Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

 What we knew until recently was that Randy Savage crashed his Jeep Wrangler into a tree near Tampa, Florida.  Unfortunately, the first reaction for many was to suspect drugs and/or alcohol as the cause for the accident.  A natural reaction, given that our society today that tends to be very jaded and suspect the worst of many of its heroes.  While reports indicate that Randy Savage had prescription medications in his system, it does not appear that they were the cause for his accident.  Both him and his wife were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash and Randy’s wife  Barbara Lynn only suffered minor injuries.  The autopsy has revealed that Randy Savage suffered from an enlarged heart and artery blockage, which likely caused him to crash the vehicle.  The medical condition likely caused Macho Man to lose consciousness right before the accident and drive the vehicle into a tree.  That was the indication previously in a statement at the time of the incident from brother Lanny Poffo, also a former wrestler.  The family did not necessarily know about his condition but suspected that Macho Man had a heart attack right before the accident.  In this case, the family’s instincts were correct.
 

While it is very sad that Randy (Savage) Poffo was taken from this earth much to early, it is somewhat of a relief to at least learn the cause behind his unfortunate passing.  With rumors always circulating in this age of the internet, the Poffo family can be relieved that Randy’s good name can be left intact.  It is likely that Randy did not even know about his medical condition, as the prescription pills he was taking were apparently unrelated to the heart condition.  Had he been diagnosed early, perhaps this misfortune could have been averted.  In the meantime, I will continue to remember both Randy “Macho Man” Savage, the wrestler, as well as Randy Poffo, the baseball player.  As discussed in his earlier feature, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Poffo had stayed with baseball instead of wrestling.  Even had he not injured his shoulder, Poffo statistically likely would not have remained in the sport.  His bat did not seem to be there and while there was always the chance he could have come around, Randy Poffo, the MLB player, was likely never going to materialize.  Yet I will always think of what could have been if the Macho Man had never come to be, if baseball had worked out for him.  But given the impact that Randy had on the wrestling industry and society as a whole by adopting the “Macho Man” persona, he definitely made the right choice.  Rest in peace Randy Poffo Savage.  You will be missed and remembered as a two-sport athlete/entertainer.  Thank you for all the good times and MACHOOOOO MADNESS! 

MLB reports:   Our Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback.  You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook .  To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.