"Leaping" Lanny Poffo Passes Away
Pro wrestling's "Genius" was 68
Second-generation wrestler and longtime WWE star "Leaping" Lanny Poffo has passed away, according to a notice posted Thursday by Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
Duggan wrote, "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. RIP Lanny"
Poffo was 68 years old. No cause of death has been reported.
The son of Angelo Poffo and younger brother of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Poffo began his career in the mid-seventies, working various NWA territories before joining his father's "outlaw" promotion International Championship Wrestling at the end of the decade. There, Poffo held the ICW Heavyweight title on three occasions.
After ICW's dissolution, Poffo and his brother began working for territories like Mid-South and Memphis' Continental. In the latter territory, the Poffo brothers famously feuded with The Rock n Roll Express.
After Savage jumped to the WWF in mid-1985, Lanny followed, and took on the "Leaping Lanny" handle. As this babyface character, Poffo would recite a poem before his matches, and toss frisbees (usually bearing written prose) to the crowd. In a heavyweight-dominated WWF, Poffo stood out for his highly-gymnastic style, complete with moonsaults and other moves that were unconventional in WWF at the time.
Poffo remained an undercard babyface until early 1989, when he turned heel and became The Genius, a cap-and-gown wearing nuisance that still read poetry, only now he insulted the intelligence of fans and babyface rivals.
As The Genius, Poffo still wrestled, but was often used as a manager. His biggest win was a countout victory over reigning WWF champion Hulk Hogan on a 1989 Saturday Night's Main Event, following an assist from new client Mr. Perfect.
After splitting from Perfect in 1990, The Genius fell back into an undercard role before becoming manager to The Beverly Brothers in 1991. Poffo remained in that role until leaving the WWF in late 1992.
Poffo signed with WCW in 1995, but aside from one reported dark match, never worked for the company. In fact, (in a sign of WCW's disorganization) Poffo continued to be regularly paid for several years without actually appearing. In WCW, Poffo was intended to play a modernized version of Gorgeous George (as his brother had bought the rights to the gimmick).
Post-WCW, Poffo worked numerous indies, having his final match in early 2020. He appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2015, accepting a posthumous induction for Savage. Poffo was also known for his anti-smoking advocacy, and released a book of limericks on the subject.
Cultaholic extends its condolences to Mr. Poffo's family and friends.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.
