Canadian-American Lanny Mark Poffo was a professional wrestler, motivational speaker, poet, and actor who went by the ring aliases “Leaping” Lanny Poffo and The Genius.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is where Poffo was born to Italian American Catholic father, Angelo Poffo, and a Jewish American mother, Judy Poffo. The real-life sibling of “Macho Man,” Randy Savage, was the younger sibling. As a child, Poffo lived in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois.
Discovering the Cause of His Untimely Death
Those close to Lanny Poffo were shocked to hear of his passing. Numerous former coworkers expressed their sadness at his loss on social media. There has been no discovery of a cause of death for Poffo.
Former WWE wrestler Virgil said on Twitter, “Lanny Poffo. The genius. Man. I am so sorry, brother. Love you and Randy more than you ever will know.”
Lanny Poffo. The genius. Man. I am so sorry brother. Love you and Randy more than you ever will know. RIP pic.twitter.com/hAJozrZ5ck
— Virgil (@TheRealVirgil) February 2, 2023
Who was Lanny Poffo?
Canadian-American Lanny Poffo was a professional wrestler who went by the ring name “Leaping” Lanny Poffo. He entered this world on December 28, 1954, and he left this world on February 2, 2023, at the age of 68. The wrestler debuted in 1974 with the All-South Wrestling Alliance.
More than ten years later, in 1985, he joined the World Wrestling Federation and adopted the moniker “Leaping Lanny Poffo.” He became known as “The Genius” among wrestling fans after donning a cap and gown to fight rivals.
RIP The Genius, Lanny Poffo
My first memory of him, at SummerSlam 92, 30 years ago pic.twitter.com/hJfpjYD508
— On This Day in WWE (@OTD_in_WWE) February 2, 2023
Lanny Poffo’s Professional Wrestling Career
On April 16, 1974, Lanny Poffo wrestled for the first time, losing to Wayne Cowan in the opening bout of an All-South Wrestling Alliance show in Atlanta, Georgia. Poffo competed for the promotion for a long time, winning a rematch against Cowan and defeating The Great Fuji.
In their first bout as a team, against the seasoned Royal Kangaroos, he and his dad Angelo Poffo won on a card in Atlanta on July 9, 1974. After taking a hiatus from professional wrestling for six years, Poffo competed in Wrestle Reunion in Tampa, Florida from January 28-30, 2005, and won a match against “The Royal Stud” Adam Windsor.
As part of the Supershow, which evolved into Great North Wrestling and visited Ottawa, Pembroke, and Hawkesbury, Ontario in 2007 and 2008, he also wrestled in Canada. A year later, in 2009, Great North began operations in Thunder Bay, and in the fall of 2010, it expanded to New Brunswick. Poffo and The Honky Tonk Man would occasionally band together to do battle with Hannibal.
Poffo has wrestled on Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia as part of UCW’s East Coast Canadian tour. Poffo continued his wrestling career after the tour with appearances in England, Poland, and Florida.
On September 3, 2011, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Poffo defeated 25 competitors to claim the vacant Great North Wrestling Canadian Championship. Three weeks later at Perth-Andover, New Brunswick, he relinquished his title to Jeremy Prophet.
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At Rumblemania 8 on May 6, 2012, in Reading, PA, Poffo and JD Smooth lost to “Pretty Ugly” via disqualification. Poffo made a surprise comeback to WWE on March 28, 2015, to induct his late brother Randy Savage into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In this reading, Poffo reflected on his brother’s life through the medium of poetry. At WrestleMania 31, Poffo represented his brother alongside the other 2015 Hall of Fame honorees.
As “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Flip Gordon at All In on September 1, 2018, Poffo was there to support him. Lanny also made appearances on ROH telecasts, where he announced matches and provided ringside commentary utilizing the same expansive lexicon that made him renowned during his time as Leaping Lanny.
On January 19, 2020, at SCW Up In Your Face in Rensselaer, New York, Poffo wrestled in his final bout. His team won a 6-tag match.
For the most up-to-date information and breaking news, follow @Leedaily on Twitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Lanny Poffo married?
No
Who was Lanny Poffo?
He was a Canadian-American professional wrestler, motivational.
When was Lanny Poffo born?
He was born On 28, December 1954.
What was the net worth of Lanny Poffo?
His net worth was $800 thousand.
How old was Lanny Poffo?
He was 68 Year Old.
