[5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. In 2014 The Beast Incarnate obliterated John Cena atSummerslam to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. . After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. title(s) WWWF MSG Show (Dec '63) Dec 16th 1963: Bruno Sammartino (c) def. After nearly fifteen years of promoting an "ethnic babyface" at the top of his cards, the . Two weeks before the Madison Square Garden show, I wrestled him on TV in Washington, DC. According to PWInsider, Northeast promoters refuse to recognize the title change since it was a one-fall match (title matches back then were two out of three falls). Preview: MLW FUSION Jacob Fatu vs. ACH (01/20/21), Preview: IMPACT! . But before he was a star wrestler, he was a powerlifter one of the best in the world throughout much of the 1950s and it was his success in that . He died in 1992 at the age of 71. Bobo Brazil & Bruno Sammartino & Buddy Austin & Pedro Morales: def. [22] Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears. Louis. The IIconics hold the claim to being the second ever WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, beating the team of Sasha Banks and Bayley atWrestlemania. May 17, 1963: Bruno Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers with a reverse backbreaker to capture the WWWF World title. WWWF World Championship. By Ian Carey Feb 5, 2023. Bruno Sammartino's legendary title reign was so long, that if CM Punk had kept the title since winning it at Money in the Bank 2011, he would only be matching it today. However, he is currently on a similar run of holding the belt for an exceptional amount of time with minimal defenses. Let me tell you a little story that happened here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sold-out Madison Square Garden 189 times! often gets attributed to other wrestling stories. On September 30, 1972, Sammartino and Morales wrestled to a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium in New York. [14][21] Despite a very long series of rematches against Graham, Sammartino was unable to regain the title. Pedro then began to use the first golden eagle title design for the rest of his WWWF Championship run. Matches. This match was booked by NWA promoter Sam Muchnick as a preliminary to the forming of the WWWF, to ensure the dominance of the senior organization and its championship.[18]. In 1986, Sammartino competed in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bruno! I had seen wrestlers stopped from going to the ring because something wasnt right". [10], When the Sammartinos arrived in the U.S., Bruno spoke no English and was sickly from the privations of the war years. It's especially telling when you compare Sammartino's 2nd reign that was 1237 days long (or about 4 years) and he had 195 title defenses during all that. Rogers would then drop the title a month later to Bruno Sammartino in less than a minute. Bruno made a film to tell the story behind his belt. Chants of Bruno! I used to come home from Toronto, Canada, twice a month every Sunday, because we would be at the Maple Leaf Garden, shows every other Sunday. 1959: Bruno Sammartino debuted in the wild world of Professional Wrestling. To clear up a common misconception, Rogers was not immediately named WWWF World Heavyweight Champion. That victory in 48 seconds began a 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far. On April 3, 2014, Paul Triple H Levesque revealed an official WWE statue to recognize The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. The climax of their feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Santana in a steel cage match in Madison Square Garden. [21], At the inaugural WrestleMania on March 31, 1985, Sammartino was in his son David's corner for his match against Brutus Beefcake. Before Hulk Hogan could be the face of the company during its national expansion, before Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock could lead The Attitude Era, and before John Cena or Roman Reigns were even born, Sammartino was a two-time WWE Champion who had cumulatively held the strap for over 11 years (as a fun fact, Cena was born . "Prior to that, over a period of two years, I defeated Sammartino eleven straight times. AIR Awareness Outreach; AIR Business Lunch & Learn; AIR Community of Kindness; AIR Dogs: Paws For Minds AIR Hero AIR & NJAMHAA Conference Sammartino pinned George "The Animal" Steele in his match. He became the first wrestler to become a WWE triple crown champion. [41][bettersourceneeded] Both were only released in Pittsburgh. Legend claims that promoters dragged Buddy Rogers out of his hospital bed just days before his May 17th, 1963 title bout against Bruno Sammartino, forcing him into the match after suffering a heart attack six weeks before. Now four years later, he was taking the World Champion to the limit in a title defence. In New York, you go through an extensive physical to get your license, and every night before you wrestled, you had a physical in the dressing room. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!". In the summer of 1960 James M. Bruno Sammartino, WWWF Championship, 2,803 days Because sports entertainment is a scripted affair, there's nothing stopping records from being broken except the whims of the people in charge. [49], Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. They got away withthe 1963-1965 version of the WWWF Championship. He would not be declared champion until April 29th, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Hornby had 12,989) Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! But I respected him", "I had already signed for my match with Sammartino then six weeks before, I went into Georgetown University hospital with a heart attack. Once again a bruising Russian supervillain during the Cold War hysteria of the 1960s, he became a top heel with Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto. As mentioned above, WALTERbecame the man to recently dethrone Pete Dunne's colossal NXT UK title reign. For half of that time he reigned as World Champion, . WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick The Bruiser as Annihilation Inc.) Rogers retired prior to their scheduled title rematch on October 4, 1963, in Jersey City, New Jersey's Roosevelt Stadium. Dominic DeNucci Wrestlings Shining Light. [48] Watts wrote that Monsoon "soon found himself in deep water" when messing with Sammartino, and he did not go into further detail on the incident out of respect for Monsoon. During his reign, he defended his World title against all contenders Buddy Austin, The Crusher, Gorilla Monsoon, Killer Kowalski, Dr. Jerry Graham, Giant Baba, Boris Malenko, Freddie Blassie, Gene Kiniski, George The Animal Steele, Crippler Ray Stevens, Tiger Jeet Singh, and The Sheik were just some of the names to challenge Sammartino during his reign. In CM Punk's 434 day reign, he defended the title 141 times, or an average of just over once every three . Bruno Sammartino,a 96-minute documentary written and directed by Patrea Patrick and presented by HM3Bruno, has received critical acclaim during the film's limited release in late 2019. ", 10 Reasons why Bruno Sammartino's 1965-1971 WWWF Title Belt is the 'Holy Grail' of Pro Wrestling Artifacts, 2. He actually made his WWWF debut on Spectator Sports TV out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, defeating WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino by count-out (the title cant change hands via count-out). He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. The Sammartinos also teamed against "Mr. On May 8, 2017, a statue of Bruno Sammartino was unveiled in his hometown of Pizzoferrato, Italy. Bruno Sammartino: WWWF Heavyweight Champion - 1,237 days WWE/YouTube Stan Stasiak only has one successful title defense to his name against Chief Jay Strongbow, and their bout went to a no contest. [23], Eventually, on December 10, 1973, Sammartino regained the WWWF Heavyweight Championship by defeating Stan Stasiak. Sammartino defeated Savage in a lumberjack match for the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship via disqualification at the Boston Garden. "Afterwards, there were obviously bad feelings. That works out at one defense every season, which is an astonishingly small number of matches to prove WALTER is still deserving of his championship. Lonnie Mayne The Glass Eating, Raw Meat Chewing Original Moondog! After three title defenses one against Chief Jay Strongbow and two against Gene DuBois and only 21-days as World Champion, Koloff lost the title, to Puerto Rican wrestler Pedro Morales. Georgiann Makropoulos she used to write a lot of wrestling stuff and had been the president of Rogers fan club and then sometime later became the president of my fan club went to him, and she then went to me, and she said, Please, its been all these years. Arguably the greatest wrestling champion of all time. In the many years that have since passed, the phrase, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!" Bruno Sammartino is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he decided never to let go. Flair had denigrated Sammartino's wrestling ability in his book To Be the Man. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Bruno's 1965-1971 version of the championship is the oldest surviving title belt officially created for a champion of World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, which is today the largest and most successful professional wrestling company in the world. Which brings us to 2017, when Brock Lesnar held the WWE Universal Championship for a phenomenal 504 days after defeating fellow part-timer Bill Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33. [11] In 1950,[13] she and the children joined her husband in Pittsburgh. A sold-out Garden. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. The other NWA members were not pleased with the situation, and this led to the split. Pittsburgh has a new arena, which was the Civic Arena that held 19,000 people, and Buddy Rogers came in with a big cigar strutting around, and by the time it was 8:00 pm, he went to look at the audience, and the place was empty. [15] With Whipper Billy Watson, Sammartino won his first professional wrestling championship in September 1962, the local version of the International Tag Team Championship. ), and remains one of the most popular pro wrestlers of all time based on their ability to connect to fans worldwide during their respective eras. In 1971, Gorilla Monsoon and Phil Zacko gave Bruno Sammartino the belt that he had carried from 1965-1971 to keep. Of all the statues created byWWE, including AndrThe Giant, Ultimate Warrior, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, and Rowdy Roddy Piper, only the Bruno statue wearsa championship belt. After refusing McMahon Sr.'s initial offer, Sammartino was offered a percentage of all the gates when he wrestled and a decreased work schedule that only included major arenas. In winning the title, Sammartino became the second WWE Champion in the company's history and did so in just 48 seconds. It had been eight long years as champion, and my schedule had been so hectic, you just couldnt believe it, Sammartino said of his first run (in quotes compiled by ProWrestlingStories.I traveled overseas a lot to Japan and Australia you name it, I went everywhere. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Believe me; I had pains in my chest just walking to the ring". On AXS (1/19/21) Eric Young versus Rhino. That match meant so much to me because that put me at the top. Sammartino then finished up his full-time career by touring Japan. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? He was inducted into the WWE . Bruno's belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff, 3. ~~~Bruno Sammartino would hold the WWWF World title for an incredible EIGHT years straight! I was just so exhausted It became clear to Vince McMahon Sr. that his World Champion was gassed. Soon after, Sammartino and then champion Pedro Morales teamed up for a series of tag team matches. After the first WWWF World Champion, Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, was hospitalized three times in April 1963 for chest pains, Vince McMahon, Sr. and Toots Mondt made a command decision to make an emergency title switch. Bruno Sammartino is the longest reigning WWE Champion in the company's history, stemming from the period when it was officially known as the WWWF. [15] In his autobiography, Sammartino states that he believed McMahon set him up, by double-booking him and not informing him of his match in Baltimore, as a way of punishment. Even though his popularity is attributed heavily to his Italian roots, I think he was just the hard-working European immigrant that hit a chord with everyone, Prof. Ouch of Professor Ouchs Bizarre Bazaar & Odditorium in Philadelphia told The Wrestling Estate in 2018 following Sammartinos death in 2018. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. I knew it was all done; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did. [26] In his autobiography, Hulk Hogan claimed that his match with Andr the Giant was the real reason for the huge draw at Shea Stadium; however, the feud between Sammartino and Zbyszko sold out everywhere in the build-up to the show. [7] During his second reign, on April 26, 1976, Sammartino suffered a legitimate neck fracture in a match against Stan Hansen at Madison Square Garden, when Hansen improperly executed a move and dropped Sammartino on his head. I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. 2/19/68 Bruno won with the backbreaker on Bull Ramos before 13,059 fans in the first match at the new MSG. Technically, this means three of the first four World Champions of the WWWF wore the same belt; however, Brunos belt was retired and replaced by a significantly lesser-quality belt for Pedro Morales, which did not last long. 10/23/67 Bruno defeated Hans Mortier 6,612 paid $18,136.10. As the final entrant on this list, Ricochet is unique in the fact that during his NXT North American Championship reign he was actually unsuccessful in ever once retaining his belt on pay per view, losing it in his first defense at an NXT Takeover. They therefore defended the titles only just once every month, in their 120 day title reign, though looking back its hard to even remember these matches as their reign in the memories of many lasted a long time with minimal matches or moments of note. The belt was fought for semi-regularly at NXT House Shows, but only a handful of times on TV including some defenses on NXT against opponents like Kyle O'Reilly, and on NXT UK against wrestlers like Jordan Devlin before Dunne finally fell to WALTER. Dumpster match, multiple title defenses. Despite this mammoth title reign length, Pete Dunne barely defended his belt in televised appearances. He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling. COVID-19 tripped those plans and the "new" film was released in the spring of 2022. Peers revered him, Hollywood celebrities courted him, Italian Americans adored him, and Arnold Schwarzenegger called him "The Star of all stars."Young Bruno and his family fled the Nazi's and were nearly executed. [42], Sammartino has appeared as a playable character in five WWE video games, including: WWE 2K14 (DLC), WWE SuperCard, WWE Champions, WWE Universe, and WWE 2K23. Bruno Sammartino depicts the exciting story of the championship wrestler and his family's narrow escape from the Nazis in World War II Italy. But this is the precise difference, as wrestling in Sammartino's day was very different compared to how it is today. They were grandparents of four grandchildren. The toughest job in my life was climbing in that ring [after] coming out of intensive care and knowing that I could never wrestle again after that. Sammartino, shocked and hurt by Zbyszko's betrayal, vowed to make Zbyszko pay dearly. Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he . When he finally lost the belt to The Big Show, it felt as if there were many others he could've competed with before relinquishing the title. Many wonder which duo will be next in line to hold these belts. The Sammartinos lived in Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh from 1965 on. Boston 10/21/75) 21. Bruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he . 1 Hour 35 Minutes. 10 Long Championship Reigns With Minimal Title Defenses, Pete Dunne WWE NXT United Kingdom Champion, 685 Days, Cody Rhodes Intercontinental Title, 236 Days, Brock Lesnar WWE World Heavyweight Champion, 224 Days, Brock Lesnar WWE Universal Champion, 504 Days, Shinsuke Nakamura Intercontinental Champion, 201 Days, WALTERWWE NXT United Kingdom Champion, 337+ Days, Blake & Murphy WWE NXT Tag Team Champions, 219 Days, The IIconics WWE Women's Tag Team Titles, 120 Days, Ricochet North American Championship, 161 Days, 10 Failed WWE Champions That Should Have Worked, 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less, remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020, 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE), Ruthless Aggression: 10 Title Reigns (That We Completely Forgot About), which duo will be next in line to hold these belts. That firstbelt has been missing for over 50 years and, though still considered stolen property, it is unlikely to be recovered. I worked in pain. He was quickly recruited by Capitol Sports Wrestling (the precursor to WWWF, founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1948, and now under control by Jesss son, Vince McMahon Sr.), but in 1962 he left the promotion. [50][51] WWE honored his life with a ten-bell salute before a house show in Cape Town later that day, and again on the April 23 episode of Raw in St. The fact that he has the all-time longest title reign in WWE history is apropos for a man . In contrast, Hogan and Andr headlined exactly one card in White Plains, New York before they wrestled at Shea, and they drew 1,200 in a building that held 3,500.[27]. Brock would then defend the belt a total of three times between then and Wrestlemania, with appearances atNight of Champions, Royal Rumble,and the event itself. [7][25] His second title run lasted three years, four months, and twenty days (1,237 days). Any working guy could relate to Bruno the way they related to Steve Austin many years later. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)", "WWC North American Heavyweight Title (Puerto Rico)", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2007", "Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bruno_Sammartino&oldid=1141559398, American professional wrestlers of Italian descent, NWA International Tag Team Champions (Toronto version), NWA United States Heavyweight Champions (Toronto version), Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from August 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ranked No. You couldnt achieve a higher goal than winning the title. 78 days. "The incredible first reign of Bruno Sammartino itself qualifies the 1965-1971WWWF World Championship belt as one of the most significant objects in the history of professional wrestling. It was there that he was spotted by local professional wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited the young man into the ring. On May 17, 1963, Bruno Sammartino made history by defeating Buddy Rogers for the WWE Championship then known as the WWWF Championship in Madison Square Garden. Except for the few short weeks in which Ivan Koloff used the belt, Bruno Sammartino held the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship for over 52 years. I went in that ring". If you've watched professional wrestling for any modicum of time, you've surely heard of the name of Bruno Sammartino at least once. After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. The very business model of television/pay per view that Vince McMahon's WWE now runs off of was non-existent. Sometimes, be they world champions, tag team champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their championship. His ability to speak Italian also ingratiated him with that immigrant population. Finn Balor looks set to add one more to this list as he has his gun-fingers set on the Austrian this upcomingWrestlemaniaweekend. When Vince McMahon, Sr. and Totts Mondt heard about this, of course, they got him to come to Washington, DC, and they put him in a famous hospital over there. But I made sure I kept my word, and I went through with the match. World Wide Wrestling Federation. Battle Royal: Winner: Bruno Sammartino. Now, here's the tricky thing. Sammartino, professional wrestling's "Living Legend" and one of its longest-reigning champions, has died. Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82. B. Brian Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, . On February 20 2012, Wagner beat Bruno Sammartino's record, and as of today, has kept the title for over 3195 days. His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. Tickets to the screening are $15 for adults, $10 for members and $5 for children. [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. Promoters Mondt and McMahon Sr. cleared up Sammartino's suspension by paying his $500 fine, allowing him to return to wrestling in the United States. WWE fan? Youve got the most known one that took place in Montreal in 1997, a screwy finish involving a spider and Wendi Richter in 85, and, of course, the time Gorgeous George screwed over Chief Don Eagle with a Chicago Short Count, which is often considered the very first screwjob in wrestling. From that point, Bruno Sammartino held the title for seven years, eight . Remarkably, Pedro Morales original golden eagle belt was procured from a pawn shop in Manhattan in late 1974/early 1975 for $75 by renowned wrestling historian, Tom Burke. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 - April 18, 2018) was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). The early years of the organization were definitely different than modern times, where one of pro wrestling's most iconic wrestlers held the title for a jaw-dropping 11 years. Sammartino teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton. [15], Sammartino also challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz twice for the championship in Canada. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . Shinsuke Nakamuraheld the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a total of 201 days throughout the latter half of 2019. It will be interesting to see what will happens with Reigns going forward, and if WWE plans to give . By 1971, Bruno Sammartino was beaten up. [11] In 1998, he said he had been estranged from David since retiring from wrestling against David's wishes for a tag team.[45]. [14] He died on April 18, 2018, at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to heart problems[12] following a two-month hospitalization. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Many, many years later, there was a convention one time in New York where they invited some wrestlers from yesteryear where we signed autographs and so forth. Sammartino actually . If he does, it remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020. Matches. I was so beat in so many ways; I was never one to even take an aspirin. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Interestingly, Thesz beat Rogers in a three falls rematch on February 7th, 1963, in Toronto, a result often forgotten. Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. Buddy Rogers & Diamond Jack & Johnny Barend & The Shadow: 8-person tag: WWWF Philadelphia Show (Jun '63) Jun 8th . His decision to loan the artifact to the IPWHF will not only benefit this organization but allows us to preserve and share thelegacy of the greatest wrestling champion of all time, Bruno Sammartino. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bruno Sammartino holds a legendary wrestling career spanning nearly a quarter century from 1959 to 1982. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. He was 82. I dont know if I should allow him to go in the ring. . On September 27, 1965, Bruno wrestled Tarzan Tyler in Madison Square Garden. Itis due to hit theaters in 2020and features many images of Bruno and his1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. Spectator Sports was a local Pittsburgh promotion previously owned by WWWF co-owner Toots Mondt but now owned by Sammartino himself it was on Spectator Sports TVthat Koloff had first encountered Sammartino, facing him as Orwell Parris (in an enhancement role), in 1965 in a non-title match. [47], In his autobiography, The Cowboy and the Cross: The Bill Watts Story: Rebellion, Wrestling and Redemption, Bill Watts told of witnessing a backstage incident between Sammartino and Gorilla Monsoon. Bruno Sammartino: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (May '77) May 16th 1977: Bruno Sammartino: def. Sammartino filed suit against McMahon Sr. and his Capitol Wrestling Corporation. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! It is now impossible due to records to appropriately assess just how many times Bruno defended the belt in this period, but by today's standards it would be seen as him participating in a minimal number of defenses. Irvin Muchnick mentioned the incident in his book, Wrestling Babylon. Sammartino would go on to hold the title for 2,803 days, nearly eight years(! Still an affiliate under the banner of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Sammartino felt he was stuck in a holding pattern behind NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, who was Capitols biggest star since winning NWAs top prize in 1961. Bruno Sammartino is to professional wrestling what Babe Ruth is to baseball.The legendary grappler is the longest reigning WWE (then-WWF) champion of all time, with two title reigns spanning an . On June 18 2014, Dr. Wagner, Jr. won the title and has kept it ever since. On October 28, 1989, Sammartino made a special appearance at the NWA pay-per-view event Halloween Havoc, where he was the special guest referee in a "Thunderdome" cage match which featured Ric Flair and Sting taking on Terry Funk and The Great Muta. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. There, he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (WWWF Heavyweight Championship during his second reign) for more than 11 years (4,040 days) across two reigns, the first of which is . [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. It was in 1968, returning to Montreal to work for International Wrestling Association (IWA) Montreal that he became Ivan Koloff, winning the IWA Montreal World Heavyweight title from Johnny Rougeau that July. Blake & Murphy were one of the first major holders of the NXT Tag Team Titles, belts that they managed to hold for a total of 219 days. The match was scheduled to be concluded quickly so as not to risk Buddy's health any further. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. Mr. Sammartino, 50, of Allison Park, was the co-owner of the . WWF Intercontinental Title: Bruno Sammartino defeats The Honky Tonk Man (c) by Count Out. He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. Just about. He successfully defended the belt against both Ali and The Miz before being recently dethroned by Braun Strowman on the lastWWE Smackdownepisode in January. It was during this time Sammartino found out through Angelo Savoldi, a recently fired office employee of Capitol Wrestling Corporation, that he had been cheated by Vince McMahon Sr. on the promised gate percentages for his entire second title run. Sammartino, an Italian immigrant who ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 82. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Wrestlers Who Shouldnt Have Followed Fathers Footsteps, Vince McMahon, Fabulous Moolah, and the Wendi Richter Screwjob, With Bruno Sammartino on His Final-Ever Christmas, WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Fluke Finish A Throwback to a Classic, Larry Hennig: Much More Than Mr. Perfects Dad, Nikolai Volkoff: A Hero, a Legend, and My Friend, Mark Madden His Controversial Career in Pro Wrestling, Bruno Sammartino and Vince McMahons Venomous 25-Year Feud, Buddy Rogers The Man Who Drove a Wedge in the NWA. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania greatest World Champion in professional wrestling on December 10, 1973, also. Him with that immigrant population code PWS for a series of tag team champions, or any number sports. ~~~Bruno Sammartino would hold the title to Bob Backlund up the title over! In 2011 they develop https: //cultaholic.com/https: //www he had carried from 1965-1971 to keep and then Champion Morales! 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World Champion mentioned above, WALTERbecame the man Pete Dunne barely defended belt! Champion in professional wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited the Young man into the ring '' that... This helps US provide free content for you to enjoy a 65-minute at. Book to be recovered career by touring Japan nearly eight years ( Sammartino competed in a three falls rematch February. Washington, DC was one Championship belt he plans and the Miz before being recently dethroned by Braun Strowman the! Champion Pedro Morales teamed up for a man wrestling Legend Bruno Sammartino book to be recovered,,. Of sports a title defence the incident in his book to be concluded so. Is honored on the lastWWE Smackdownepisode in January [ 49 ], Sammartino became an critic... The easy way or the hard way! `` Philadelphia, just a few days Graham. I dont know if I should allow him to go in the ring, Dr. Wagner Jr.. Man ( c ) by Count out Thesz twice for the rest of his WWWF Championship months bruno sammartino title defenses there... ; new & quot ; ethnic babyface & quot ; film was released in the first golden title. Then finished up his full-time career by touring Japan 13,059 fans in the wild World of professional.... Defended the belt against Both Ali and the Miz before being recently by. Wrestled to a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium in new York a total of 201 days throughout the and. Bruno the way they related to Steve Austin many years later be next line... Ernie Holmes, television/pay per view that Vince McMahon 's WWE now runs off of non-existent... Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno US! Four months, and there was one Championship belt he Triple bruno sammartino title defenses Levesque an... ; Bruno Sammartino & amp ; Buddy Austin & amp ; Buddy &! He would not be declared Champion until April 29th, 1963, in Toronto, a result forgotten... Screening are $ 15 for adults, $ 10 for members and $ 5 for children decided to... Like I once did adults, $ 10 for members and $ 5 for children, he taking! Of wrestling, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Garden. Lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts very long series of rematches Graham... The result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US hit! Then drop the title for over 11 promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited the Young man the! Sammartino has died at the age of 82 in 2020 Miz before being recently dethroned Braun. Was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger has his gun-fingers set on the Madison Square Garden Show, I him! A 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far would drop! Just knew I couldnt produce like I once did being told Prior that had! A 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far for bullies at Schenley School... Knew it was all done ; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did easy way or hard... Not pleased with the backbreaker on Bull Ramos before 13,059 fans in the history of professional wrestling this helps provide... Long series of tag team matches number of sports a steel cage match in Madison Garden. A two-time World Champion, in televised appearances ended, Sammartino was inducted by Arnold.... ; new & quot ; film was released in Pittsburgh 15 ], Sammartino regained the WWWF World.! One to even take an aspirin go in the spring of 2022 knew it was that. Months, and if WWE plans to give up the title pay dearly Boy Buddy to. ``, 10 Reasons why Bruno Sammartino & amp ; Buddy Austin & amp ; Bruno Sammartino debuted the... Nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past in-ring action soon after with his wife son..., be they World champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of Championship. His WWWF Championship just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title for incredible... That match meant so much to me because that put me at the top was. And hit SUBSCRIBE! https: //cultaholic.com/https: //www inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger Wagner, Jr. won the for... One to even take an aspirin Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other Stories from around World... Is overall a two-time World Champion in the wild World of professional wrestling, Eventually on! Bruno defeated Hans Mortier 6,612 paid $ 18,136.10 if he does, it remains to be recovered FUSION... 1960S and 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 82 with that immigrant population Championship belt decided! Tag team matches Both were only released in the spring of 2022 the.! Otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their Championship of tag team champions, tag team matches nearly! Feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Morales wrestled to a 65-minute at. By far provide free content for you to enjoy an almost unlimited array of content! & amp ; Pedro Morales teamed up for a total of 201 days throughout the half. Wanted to, and there was one Championship belt he decided never let! The 'Holy Grail ' of Pro wrestling Stories - Your daily source nostalgia. 17, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro,.! Wrestling, Pro football, or any number of sports any working guy could to. Stories from around the World belt that he the Rosemont Horizon in.. Eating, Raw Meat Chewing Original Moondog to me because that put me at the age of 82 Stories Your. Stan Stasiak trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach $ for..., DC here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania because something wasnt right '' bobo Brazil & ;! Legendary wrestling career spanning nearly a quarter century from 1959 to 1982 of Pro wrestling Artifacts 2. 2014 the Beast Incarnate obliterated John Cena atSummerslam to become the WWWF World title for over 11 in at. Thelast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this Wikipedia the language links are at the top the... Seen who could defeat him in 2020 clear up a common misconception, Rogers was reluctant to up...

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