Iirc Macho Man Randy Savage was also instrumental to unionization efforts and the company turned him heel for it. The result? Everyone loved Macho Man Randy Savage as a heel more than they ever loved him as a face. There's something extremely relatable to all of us about a guy who tries to speak up about injustice but doesn't get the traction and has to go back to making the magic our companies don't deserve
Randy Savage started his WWF career as a heel. Initially, he didn't have a manager, so a bunch of heel managers would attend his squash matches and marvel at how amazing he was ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBIXztSSNr0 ). Then after a few matches and promos, he finally announced that he had chosen a manager: Miss Elizabeth ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_G1iMUbbBs )
(In reality, I'm pretty sure he and Elizabeth were a package deal; she would be slated to be his manager/valet before he came to the WWF)
He definitely seemed like a good, genuine dude and someone that was good at most every aspect of pro wrestling (maybe not as technical as Brett Hart, but who is?) regardless, though.
Macho Man was just plain likable all the time. He always cut the greatest promos, had an ego larger than life, and he's one of the best things about the Raimi Spider-Man movies. Anytime I think of the wrestling greats, I think of Randy Savage.
When we were kids my brother and I met him once at a mini golf course in Florida. He was very nice even though we were assholes interrupting his family time.