Page vs. Savage
1997
Written by Canadian Bulldog
The rivalry between WWE Hall of Famers Diamond Dallas Page and Macho Man Randy Savage was significant for a few reasons, not the least of which being that it was the first singles rivalry of the nWo era that didn't focus on the original three members of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
DDP, of course, was the first person to refuse entry into the nWo, and his refusal to wear the black and white made him a frequent target of the faction's attacks. Savage, of course, gleefully joined the new World order and shortly after his entry, one of his first targets was Page, attacking him on the February 24, 1997 edition of Nitro.
As part of his new heel persona, Savage reunited with his former manager and wife, Miss Elizabeth, which made for a natural rivalry between Page and his manager and wife, Kimberly. The first couple of the nWo mocked Mr. & Mrs. Page every chance they got, even criticizing Kimberly's Playboy spread, which was a fairly controversial subject at the time.
What was particularly interesting was just how many times Page and Savage crossed paths in WCW, a rarity for the promotion known for having a fairly short attention span.
The two main-evented 1997's Spring Stampede PPV, one of the first times in that era that Hollywood Hogan didn't close the show. They faced each other on top at The Great American Bash that year, too, in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.
Next up was a tag team match at Bash at the Beach, with Savage partnering with Scott Hall and Page choosing a debuting Curt Hennig. Another tag team match took place at Fall Brawl, with Hall and Savage facing Page and Lex Luger in a No Disqualification Match.
Their final encounter of that year was a Las Vegas Sudden Death Match at Hallowe'en Havoc, with a fake Sting aiding the Macho Man to win the bout and presumably, the feud.
Although they would meet in the ring again (including a Steel Cage Match on Nitro in 1998 and a strange moment a year later where special referee Savage would help Page win his first WCW World Championship), nothing would quite match the time when the two had a headline feud right in the middle of the nWo's rise to popularity.