A Monumental Movement

The grassroots initiative to construct a commemorative “Macho Man” Randy Savage statue

BY VALERIE HARDY

“Macho Man” Randy Savage left a lasting legacy as a professional wrestler and pop culture icon. Equal parts charisma and chaos, he presented as a caricature. Beyond his multiple World Heavyweight Championships, “Macho Man” was best known for his raspy voice – like gravel in a blender – and “Oooh yeah!” catchphrase, along with his Slim Jim commercials, colorful cowboy hats, wraparound sunglasses, and bedazzled wardrobe.

However, what many wrestling fans don’t know is that before he gained fame for his outlandish persona and for finishing off opponents with his signature flying elbow-drops from the top rope of the ring, “Macho Man” Randy Savage was Randy Poffo, a 1971 Downers Grove North High School graduate. The teenage Poffo made a name for himself around town as a decorated baseball player. He was named to the All-State Team and earned MVP recognition during his junior and senior seasons. Though he was not drafted by an MLB team straight out of high school, the fall following his graduation, Poffo attended a free-agent tryout for the St. Louis Cardinals and was offered a contract.

From 1971 to 1975, Poffo played in the Cardinals’ and later the Cincinnati Reds’ minor league systems before his MLB dreams were dashed when he was released by the Chicago White Sox before being rostered to their AA team. However, wrestling was waiting in the wings.

After all, wrestling ran in the family. His father, Angelo Poffo, had a lengthy professional wrestling career, and his brother – whose wrestling monikers were “Leaping” Lanny Poffo and “The Genius” – also made a name for himself in the WWE (formerly the WWF).

To supplement his income, Poffo had started moonlighting as a masked wrestler called “The Spider” back in 1973 during his offseason from baseball. After hanging up his cleats and gloves in 1975, he began wrestling full-time.

“Macho Man” made his WWF debut in 1985 and was a mainstay within it for years to follow. While he stopped publicly appearing within the WWE in 2004, behind the scenes, he continued to make an impact through his charitable work to benefit sick children. In fact, in 2013, two years after his death, “Macho Man” Randy Savage was posthumously inducted into the Child Advocacy Hall of Fame.

When Downers Grove resident Kevin Larke learned “Macho Man” had local roots, he thought it would be fun to memorialize him with a statue in his onetime hometown. Larke said he wasn’t “a big wrestling nut” but was inspired by “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s career, generosity, and drive (for example, the natural righthander taught himself how to throw lefty after experiencing an injury to his dominant shoulder during his baseball-playing days).

Jake Parillo, Kevin Moses, Kevin Larke and Dan Shea in their Macho Man T-shirts at Randall Park

A little over a year ago, Larke got to talking with a few of his Randall Park “neighbor guys” – Kevin Moses, Jake Parillo, and Dan Shea – about the “Macho Monument” concept. Together, they concocted the idea to sell t-shirts featuring “Macho Man” to raise funds for the statue.

“It all kind of started as a goof,” Larke explained, but they were all in on giving it a go.

They created a website and set a goal to raise $5,000 in profits through shirt sales by July 4th. They identified this deadline because it was “Macho Man’s” favorite holiday and “a convenient time for me,” Larke said.

“It was really random at first,” he added. “When we launched this thing, my wife didn’t even know.”

“It’s going to take considerable effort, but we’re going to get this done.”

– Kevin Larke, on the mission to get a Macho Man statue installed in Downers Grove

However, it picked up momentum quickly, and Larke fessed up to being the man behind the “Macho Monument” movement.

The shirts were primarily ordered by local supporters, and initially, Larke and his son would deliver them on weekends. This became more than they could manage alone, though, as they sold enough shirts to net $4,500 in proceeds by their self-imposed deadline.

While they didn’t quite meet their fundraising target, they received so much support for the initiative – including a local business willing to house the statue, interest from potential corporate donors, and “random press shoutouts, like one from the Q101 Morning Show,” Larke said – that the four men committed to continuing their fundraising efforts.

After eight months in operation, they sold thousands of dollars of shirts with sayings like “I’m Randy for a Statue in Downers Grove” and “Downers Grove North is Savage” – all with the likeness of “Macho Man” screen-printed on them. While grateful for the funds raised to date, after consulting with a sculptor, Larke learned that bringing the project to fruition will require additional funding.

“T-shirts are cool,” Larke said, “but it would be a long road” to raise enough money for the statue through shirt sales alone. “It’s going to take considerable effort, but we’re going to get this done,” he added.

Larke said his team plans to turn their mission into a registered nonprofit organization, entitled “Local Legends,” to not only construct the “Macho Man” statue but also host events to fund “things like scholarships in order to give back to the community in honor of people who left Downers Grove better than they found it.”

For additional information about this “monumental” movement, visit machomonument.com.

Downers Grove North Celebrates the legacy of “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Each November 15, Downers Grove North fully embraces the legacy of “Macho Man” Randy Savage with a spirited birthday celebration, now in its fourth year. The day features cake for students during lunch and Macho Man–themed trivia. During football season, the program also presents a “Macho Man Savage of the Week” award to recognize standout players at every level.