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Lanny Poffo's passing has left a deep void in the wrestling world. One of the greatest stars of the 1980s, 'Leaping Lanny' became infamous for reading poems to mock his opponents and throwing frisbees into the crowd. He shared a real-life bond with Randy Savage, but that never transitioned to WWE TV.
Lanny Mark Poffo grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois. He was trained by his father, Angelo Poffo, while his mother, Just Sverdlin, tended the house. Lanny Poffo's older brother, Randy Poffo, went on to become the fashion trendsetter in WWE and named himself 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.
Randy Savage was two years older than Lanny. Both brothers, along with their father, traveled to the mid-American states to gain wrestling experience in 1974. Angelo Poffo even started International Championship Wrestling (ICW) to refine his sons' careers. Eventually, Lanny Poffo took to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) while his brother became a WWE icon.
Leaping Lanny was joined by his father in NWA and they picked up the World Tag Team Championships in late 1974. This was the highest point of Poffo's career. He did make it to WWE a decade later, but got recognition after playing the manager to Mr. Perfect. The Genius fought legends such as Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, and Brutus Beefcake, appearing last in Survivor Series 1992.
Lanny Poffo's brother Randy Savage was the inspiration for WWE superstars Bayley and Candice Le Rae. Click on the links to find out more.
Lanny Poffo allowed his brother Randy Savage to join the WWE Hall of Fame
An icon of the Golden Age of WWE, Randy Savage held various accolades and was a constant main-eventer for pay-per-views. His match against Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 is regarded as an all-time classic.
Lanny Poffo's brother died in 2011. Naturally, WWE would have posthumously given a Hall of Fame induction to Savage, but that wasn't the case that year. Lanny later disclosed that his brother wanted an induction alongside his family members.
"Randy didn’t want to go into the Hall of Fame unless our father [regional wrestling star and promoter, Angelo Poffo] and I were inducted with him. He was mad that the entire Von Erich family had been inducted, but WWE only wanted to induct him." (H/T TJR Wrestling)
WWE was adamant about not inducting Lanny and his father. Nevertheless, The Genius accepted an induction on his brother’s behalf in 2015.
