Former WWE Star Lanny Poffo Dead at 68

02/02/2023 01:31 pm EST

Lanny Poffo, a former professional wrestler for the WWF, passed away on Thursday at the age of 68. The news of his passing was broken via WWE Hall of Famer "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, who wrote on Instagram, "With a very, very heavy heart, I've been asked to let everyone know about the passing of our friend and colleague Lanny Poffo, The Genius."

Poffo, brother of former WWF Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage, made his pro wrestling debut in 1974 after being trained by his father Angelo. He'd work for various promotions like the National Wrestling Alliance, Mid-South Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Association before debuting for the World Wrestling Federation in 1985. He'd have a seven-year initial run with the company, first as "Leaping" Lanny Poffo and later as "The Genius." He'd never win a championship in the promotion but did challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1989 on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. He'd briefly return to the WWF in 1994 before working for WCW from 1995-99. He'd compete in his final match in January 2020.

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