The eyes say it all…

“Macho Man” Randy Savage was one of the many big-name wrestlers who came through Memphis during the independent territory era, which preceded the corporate takeover of the sport by almost a generation.

Savage won the AWA Southern Heavyweight title two times en route to a Hall of Fame career that saw him win the WWF/E belt twice and WCW strap four times. He died in 2011, aged 58.

Directly behind Savage in this pic is Lance Russell, perhaps the finest announcer in the sport’s history. The Memphis scene would not have been the same without his trademark commentary. Russell died in his native Memphis in 2017 at age 91.