On May 1st, 2003, the wrestling world lost arguably the most beloved valet in wrestling history. Elizabeth Hulette, known to wrestling fans as Miss Elizabeth, was both the wife and manager of ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage.
Her career began working for Savage’s father, wrestling legend Angelo Poffo, as an interviewer. While she was there she met, Randal Poffo who would come to later be known as ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage. Today we are remembering Miss Elizabeth.
Scott Hall has retold the story that Savage told him of when he met Elizabeth.
She (Elizabeth) says ‘your eyes are so red’. He (Savage) responds ‘well, you should see what they look like from this end’.
It was a classic tale of beauty and the beast, leading to marriage at the end of 1984. As the story of their arrival came to be in 1985, Savage first came into the promotion.
The storyline around his debut was all of the managers on the roster were clamoring for him to hire them to represent them.
It would be after a match where Savage was thankful for all the compliments that he received but he already had another manager in mind.
From behind the backstage area out came as an unnamed, unassuming, and stunning woman. She wore the most stunning gowns and jewelry.
Miss Elizabeth: An Introduction of Class and Grace
Despite these material accessories, she didn’t carry herself with a sense of arrogance and conceit. Elizabeth’s gentle and timid nature made her all the more endearing to wrestling fans.
Less than a year after coming together Savage captured the Intercontinental Championship. As her and Savage’s time together began to unfold so did several storylines where the desire by fans was that they wanted her to get away from him.
This first became apparent during Savage’s feud with George ‘The Animal’ Steele. Steele would have a sweet crush on Elizabeth much to the chagrin of Savage.
“Elizabeth was different from any other woman in wrestling.
The crowd felt very protective of her. When [the heel] Savage would make an angry move towards Elizabeth, the fans wanted to jump over the barricade and stand in front of him.
She won the people over. [Later] their sympathy for her allowed them to see Randy as human…”
– Tito Santana on Miss Elizabeth
The next storyline that directly involved Miss Elizabeth was her calling on the help of Hulk Hogan.
Hogan was in the backstage area as Savage was laid out. The Honky Tonk Man used his guitar to get the better of the Macho Man.
It was at this point where the birth of The Mega Powers came to be. A feud with The Honky Tonk Man and a face turn by Randy Savage would soon follow.
Elizabeth was preyed upon by Savage’s adversaries, attempting to show their dominance. It would often act as a distraction for Savage who was protective of her.
WrestleMania IV was approaching and the WWE Championship was in limbo. A decision was made for a tournament to take place to determine the new champion.
Savage would be part of a tournament to determine the new champion. As the main event between Ted DiBiase and Randy Savage began to reach its climax, Elizabeth would go to the back and pull Hogan through the curtain.
Hogan would come to Savage’s aid and that would ultimately lead to the Macho Man capturing the WWE Championship.
As time passed the relationship between Savage and Hogan began to develop cracks. At Summerslam 1988, Savage and Hogan faced the team of The Mega Bucks. Andre the Giant and the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.
The caveat would be that Elizabeth who causes a major distraction. That distraction was none other than an ‘itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini’.
As the match was drawing to a close, Elizabeth stood on the apron and revealed a pair of very sexy panties. This ultimately led to a win by the team of the Mega Powers.
As the weeks and months would pass, cracks in the union between Savage, Hogan, and Elizabeth would come to be.
Savage’s overly protective nature for Elizabeth combined with Hogan’s friendly and at times equally protective feelings for Elizabeth set the wheels in motion.
In fact, despite accompanying Hogan to the ring it was apparent that Savage was only concerned with his valet Elizabeth. Hogan, beaten down by The Big Boss Man and Akeem until Savage came out to make the save.
However, as mentioned earlier Savage’s concern was for that of Elizabeth alone, with the suggestion by Bad News Brown that Miss Elizabeth was ‘doing favors’ for then WWF President Jack Tunny to protect the Macho Man’s reign as champion.
The idea was so foreign from the Miss Elizabeth character that it equally enraged fans watching. Her character was gentile and wasn’t the manipulative seductive character that dominated the Attitude Era.
Miss Elizabeth: The First Lady of Professional Wrestling
As 1988 turned to 1989 so furthered the tensions with the Hogan, Savage, and Elizabeth. At the Royal Rumble, Hogan eliminated Savage from the matchup. Savage was irate causing Elizabeth to try and play the cooler head and calm the Macho Man down.
When The Main Event II took place things between Savage and Hogan reached a fevered pitch. Akeem The African Dream threw Savage into Elizabeth. The hit knocked Elizabeth out.
This brought out Hogan who picked her up and carried her to the backstage area to receive medical care. After the match, Savage confronted Hogan and attacked him with the WWF championship. Savage said that Hogan had ‘lust in his eyes’ towards Elizabeth.
This all led to their match at WrestleMania V. As the weeks passed the story that was unfolding was whose corner would Elizabeth be in. When the match eventually took place, Elizabeth stood in a neutral corner in neither man’s side.
Throughout the match, Elizabeth attempted to prevent either man from being hurt. Hogan would eventually win the match and the WWF Championship.
After WrestleMania V, Savage would no longer be accompanied by Miss Elizabeth but rather Sensational Sherri. Elizabeth’s on-screen role diminished. The story involving her and the Macho Man had run its course.
Rather than being a prominent character or as part of a storyline, Elizabeth wasn’t a focal point in the least. She accompanied Hogan and Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake at the upcoming Summerslam event.
After an absence at ringside, she was embroiled in an angle involving Dusty Rhodes and his valet Sapphire. WrestleMania VI saw Sapphire and Rhodes faced Savage and Sensational Sherrie in a mixed tag team match.
It was one of the few times when Elizabeth would become physical in her time in the WWF. She pulled Sensational Sherri’s hair preventing her from collectively beating down on Dusty Rhodes. Elizabeth’s help allowed for Rhodes and Sapphire to pick up the win.
The Match Made In Heaven
Once again, Elizabeth was off-camera as Savage was entering another angle with The Ultimate Warrior. At WrestleMania VII, Savage faced The Ultimate Warrior in a match that saw Savage lose and be forced to retire.
After the match, Sensational Sherri proceeded to kick him and berate him in the ring. She took all she could take and Elizabeth reemerged to defend Savage. Elizabeth would take Sherri by the hair and throw her out of the ring.
Clearly, the love that Elizabeth had for the Macho Man remained. The roles had reversed and Savage would now proceed to be the gentleman holding the ropes for Miss Elizabeth.
After proposing to Miss Elizabeth, the two were part of a new storyline met with love and danger. What proceeded was a storyline involving a gift that had a snake inside of it at their wedding reception.
This prompted a feud with Savage and Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. Miss Elizabeth was once again used as a pawn here for the bigger picture which was a feud between the two. Elizabeth pleaded for Savage’s protection, after he was beaten down by Jake Roberts.
It was the first time we can recall another wrestler putting his hands on her in such an aggressive way. Roberts grabbed her by the hair and struck her across the face.
Miss Elizabeth’s last storyline in the WWF involved the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair.
In an interview with Mene Gene Okerlund, Flair would state ‘she was mine before she was yours’ to the Macho Man. As the storyline unfolded Flair prepared doctored photos of Elizabeth and Flair sitting at ringside together.
This led to a blowoff match between the two at WrestleMania VIII where Flair and Savage would face each other. Elizabeth wasn’t at ringside for the majority of the match but did towards its closing moments.
Savage defeated Flair to recapture the WWF Championship in the process. After the match, Flair began to kiss Elizabeth who then slapped Flair. Savage attacked the Nature Boy in the process promptly ending their feud.
The personal and professional relationship between Miss Elizabeth and The Macho Man came about in 1992.
At a time when kayfabe was still quite prominent, this was one of these instances where entertainment bled into reality. The WWF Magazine issued an article stating that the two were no longer together.
Miss Elizabeth: The WCW Years
Four years would pass before Miss Elizabeth would be seen again on-screen. Things would be much different this time around. The innocence of Miss Elizabeth was now gone. A new incarnation of the character would take its place.
She had a little edge to her something fans were likely unaccustomed to seeing. This time she was under contract to World Championship Wrestling. Elizabeth had ties to Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage once again.
However, unlike their time in the WWF, Elizabeth would turn her back on Savage and align herself with the ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. The angle was a different spin on their feud in WWF years earlier.
By the Fall of 1996, Elizabeth had ties to Hulk Hogan once again. This time it was as part of the new World order.
She and Savage (who would eventually join the nWo as well) would have a feud with DDP and his wife Kimberly Page. The on-again-off-again on-screen relationship with Savage eventually came to an end.
Her time in WCW also saw her involved in a false stalking angle against Goldberg, managing Lex Luger as part of Team Package.
Miss Elizabeth was last on television on WCW Monday Night Nitro in the Spring of 2000. Her contract with the company would expire in the Summer of the same year.
