Line #21 Wrestling/LannyPoffo


1	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lanny_poffo_48.jpg]]
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3	Lanny Mark Poffo (December 28, 1954-February 2, 2023) was a Canadian[[note]]He was born in Calgary, Alberta.[[/note]]-American {{Professional Wrestl\|ing}}er, manager, motivational speaker and actor best known for his time in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the 1980s and early 1990s. He debuted in 1973 and worked for various Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories as well as his father Angelo's outlaw promotion International Championship Wrestling, which ran in direct opposition to Wrestling/JerryLawler's CWA promotion in Memphis. His older brother was the legendary [[Wrestling/RandySavage "Macho Man" Randy Savage]].
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5	He was usually a {{Jobber}} in Wrestling/{{WWE}}, until he [[FaceHeelTurn turned heel]] and became "The Genius", manager for [[Wrestling/CurtHennig Mr. Perfect]] and [[Characters/WWETagTeams The Beverly Brothers]]. He would be signed to Wrestling/{{WCW}} in 1995, being paid $150,000 a year to just sit at home and do nothing after plans to give him the name "[[Wrestling/GeorgeWagner Gorgeous George]]" fell through. This arrangement apparently lasted until WCW closed its doors in 2001.
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7	Among his in-ring achievements, he was a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/icw/icw-h.html ICW World Heavyweight Champion]], a former 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/icw/icw-t.html ICW World Tag Team Champion]] (3x w/George Weingeroff and 1x w/Mike Doggendorf), a former 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/mi/nwa/mi-nwa-t.html NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team Champion]] (1x w/Angelo Poffo and 1x w/Chris Colt), a former [[https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/nwa/midam-h.html NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/nwa/midam-t.html NWA Mid-America Tag-Team Champion]] (w/Bobby Eaton) and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/al/gc/gc-t.html Gulf Coast Tag Team Champion]] (w/ Wrestling/RandySavage).
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9	----
10	!!"Genius Tropes":
11	* [[{{Biography}} Autobiography]]: 1988's ''Wrestling With Rhyme''
12	* TheCastShowoff: He wrote all his own poetry.
13	* CulturedBadass: Would read poetry to the audience on the back of frisbees as "Leaping" Lanny and on a scroll as The Genius.
14	* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: While it was only a count-out win, The Genius does hold a win over Wrestling/HulkHogan on an episode of ''Saturday Night's Main Event''.
15	* DemotedToExtra: After becoming The Genius he spent more time as a manager than as a wrestler.
16	* FinishingMove: Moonsault, [[PunnyName Honor Roll]]
17	* GeniusBruiser: Of the [[InsufferableGenius insufferable]] kind as a heel.
18	* InsistentTerminology: As The Genius, his boots were emblazoned with a monogram reading: '''"Hi I.Q."'''
19	* OvershadowedByAwesome: When your brother is '''Randy Savage'''...
20	* PowerStable:
21	** (In Memphis): The First Family, led by Wrestling/JimmyHart.
22	** (In WWF):
23	*** ''[[Wrestling/SurvivorSeries Survivor Series '89]]'': "The Rude Brood" with Wrestling/RickRude, Wrestling/CurtHennig and [[Wrestling/JacquesRougeau The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers]]. Co-managed by him and Hart.
24	*** ''Survivor Series '92'': "Money Inc." with [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase]], [[Wrestling/MikeRotunda Irwin R. Schyster]] and The Beverly Brothers. Co-managing with Hart again.
25	* RedBaron: "Leaping" and "The Genius."
26	* RhymesOnADime: The color commentators often referred to him as "The Wrestling Poet".
27	* SiblingYinYang: Macho Man was a [[TestosteronePoisoning wild, colorful alpha male]], while The Genius was a [[{{Bookworm}} poetic know-it-all]] with theatrical mannerisms.
28	* UnderwearOfPower: Picked almost the same color palette as Hennig did, Baby blue and orange were his default.
29	* UrExample: One of the first American wrestlers to use the Senton Bomb and the moonsault on a regular basis.
30	* WarriorPoet: Much of his [[TheGimmick/ProfessionalWrestling gimmick]] revolved into this.
31	* WrestlingFamily: His brother was [[Wrestling/RandySavage "Macho Man" Randy Savage]], and his father, Angelo Poffo, was a famous wrestler in the 1950s and 60s.

Context Wrestling / LannyPoffo