Wrestling Legends of the 1980s: The Fascinating Stories Behind the Superstars (5 of 6)

“Macho Man” Randy Savage

Before “Macho Man” Randy Savage carved out an illustrious career as a wrestler and Slim Jim spokesperson, he was Randy Poffo, catcher and outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league organization. He trained himself to be ambidextrous, although this skill wasn’t enough to get a call-up to the majors. He charged the mound in one of his final games after a pitch hit him. If that isn’t foreshadowing, we don’t know what is.

Jimmy Hart

Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart made his name as a wrestling manager, but this wasn’t his first brush with fame. He was once the lead singer of a band called the Gentries, whose 1965 hit “Keep on Dancing” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. He never entirely lost the desire to fill the world with song. In the 1990s he performed as part of Hulk Hogan’s Wrestling Boot Band.