California honored the other state's suspension, leaving Sammartino out of work. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. This film comprehensively covers the life and career of Bruno Sammartino, and his struggles to become wrestlings greatest champion. B. Brian Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, . Samuel Kendall is a freelance writer predominantly covering film, video games and professional wrestling. 18.06.1987. WWE fan? Bruno headed north to continue working, where he joined Frank Tunneys Maple Leaf Wrestling (Torontos NWA affiliate) in Canada instead, where he was often the Maple Leaf Wrestling challenger to Buddy Rogers when the NWA World Champion headed to Canada. . Bruno! Sammartino, professional wrestling's "Living Legend" and one of its longest-reigning champions, has died. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. ", "Buddy Rogers and I never liked each other. 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. On AXS (1/19/21) Eric Young versus Rhino. Bruno Sammartino (Title defense by Bruno. After Bruno defeated Rogers, just one month later, the first official WWWF (WWE) World Championship was designed. When the doctor heard that, he called Paul Sullivan, who was the head of the state athletic commission. Bruno Sammartino was the rock that WWE was built upon. wrestling champion, was personally selected by Vincent J. McMahon to fill the void left when his longtime titleholder Bruno Sammartino made the decision that he no longer wanted to carry the WWWF championship. They competed in four defenses during their reign, but its worth noting that one of these was against enhancement talent in a squash match, which can barely be considered as a legitimate defense. The program will feature commentary by Richert and by Darryl Sammartino, Bruno's son, per the release. Bruno Sammartino earned his fame. SOURCES: Chris Yandek New Era Of Wrestling & The Sports Interview with Bruno Sammartino, Buddy Rogers interview on Jim Barniaks Sports Scrapbook,Solie.org October 97 interview with Bruno Sammartino, The International Gazette "Wrestlings Living Legend Bruno Sammartino Gets Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.". He would later return for two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager. And with the US-Russia Cold War now in mass effect, it was the companys resident Russian bad-guy that McMahon turned to. 2022. The MSG title . Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino[1] (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). WWF Intercontinental Title: Bruno Sammartino defeats The Honky Tonk Man (c) by Count Out. ROSS TOWNSHIP PA - Daniel Sammartino, the son of the late wrestling giant Bruno Sammartino, died Tuesday. Sammartino instead that night had his first match against new number one contender, Gorilla Monsoon. Many wonder which duo will be next in line to hold these belts. But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. "Superstar Billy Graham v. Bruno Sammartino (MSG 1/12/76) 22. International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. It was time to make a switch. December 13, 1969: WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino & Batman defeated Tanaka & Arakawa in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena to "win the titles". Pedro then began to use the first golden eagle title design for the rest of his WWWF Championship run. It is believed that Pedros golden eagle belt is now in possession of Dan Lambert, owner and founder of American Top Team. 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. In the late 1960s, Sammartino was involved in a fight with former Pennsylvania Athletic Commissioner Joe Cimino. I get your point but honestly, I think the amount of defenses should be the #1 criteria. [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. WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick The Bruiser as Annihilation Inc.) I dont know if I should allow him to go in the ring. (1965-1971) Bruno Sammartino is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. 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. Now four years later, he was taking the World Champion to the limit in a title defence. They had three sons together, David and fraternal twins Danny and Darryl. By Robert D. McFadden. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. From that point, Bruno Sammartino held the title for seven years, eight . 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]. The reason for the split was because Northeast promoters Toots Mondt and Vince McMahon, Sr. controlled Buddy Rogers bookings and wanted to keep Rogers (and the title) in the Northeast. 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. [8] Sammartino became a vocal critic of the drug use and raunchier storylines that became prevalent in the professional wrestling industry after his retirement but he reconciled with WWE in 2013 and headlined their Hall of Fame ceremony that year. To put everything in perspective, if Roman Reigns stays Universal Champion through New Year's Day 2028, he'd still be many, many months short of reaching Sammartino's record title reign length! Dumpster match, multiple title defenses. [20] Sammartino took a hiatus from the company in 1971 and 1972 working in Japan, and various territories. On January 18, 1971, Ivan Kohloff won the WWWF World Championship and secured his legacy in professional wrestling lore by pinning Bruno Sammartino. [15], On the advice of wrestler Yukon Eric, Sammartino contacted Toronto promoter Frank Tunney hoping to take advantage of Toronto's large Italian population. (Hornby had 12,989) It was no different on the night of May 17, 1963, when. On April 3, 2014, Paul Triple H Levesque revealed an official WWE statue to recognize The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. . Related. Bobo Brazil & Bruno Sammartino & Buddy Austin & Pedro Morales: def. The quotes made from Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers were originally compiled by Matt Pender and shared here with thanks to our friends over at Wrestlings Glory Days Facebook page. Defeating Stan Stasiak, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE Champion. Bruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. [12][11] During this time, his mother would sneak into their German-occupied town for food and supplies. Lou Thesz, a 2x NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion and one of NWAs most historic champions, defeated Rogers for the Ten Pounds of Gold ironically in Maple Leaf Wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto ending Rogers World title reign at 573-days. His most notable title defense was a time limit draw with Bruno Sammartino at a Shea Stadium show in 1972. The Sammartinos lived in Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh from 1965 on. Brunopresented hisbelt toPedro Morales, 4. #1 Bruno Sammartino - 2803 days (May 17, 1963 - January 18, 1971) Bruno Sammartino's inaugural reign as WWWF Champion is the longest World Title reign in WWE history. Page 12, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 18, 1963. After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. 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. He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. Tickets to the screening are $15 for adults, $10 for members and $5 for children. That record will never be broken. Indianpolis, Indiana: . Bruno had the belt polished andthen maintained personal ownership of his prized possession until he passed away on April 18, 2018. Pete Dunne is only the second man in company history to hold the WWE NXT United Kingdom Championship, a belt he held for an overwhelming 685 days. NEXT: 5 Longest & 5 Shortest WCW Title Reigns. However, he is currently on a similar run of holding the belt for an exceptional amount of time with minimal defenses. Eager to recapture the support of the immigrant wave that had carried Bruno Sammartino for nearly eight years, McMahon hoped that Morales would appeal to the growing Hispanic audience as Bruno had for Europeans. Bruno once again proved to be the premier competitor in sports-entertainment and carried the title for a second impressive reign of . [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. Battle Royal: Winner: Bruno Sammartino. Traduzioni in contesto per "Un Submission match titolato" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: Un Submission match titolato tra i due stato dunque sancito per Extreme Rules. This is the original on-site poster from the Maple Leaf Gardens World Title bout with the great Buddy "nature boy" Rogers, held on July 12, 1962. . Bruno Sammartino is . Between Antonino Rocca and Bruno Sammartino they went with the younger Sammartino who was 28 years old at the time. [5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. 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. On January 22, 1980, his former student Larry Zbyszko turned on him at the World Wrestling Federation's Championship Wrestling show. . 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. Bruno Sammartino often mentioned Don Leo Jonathan when he was asked about his toughest foes. RELATED: 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less. WWWF referee Dick Kroll had to get Koloff out of the ring. Here's how Bruno Sammartino began his record-breaking 2,803-day reign as the WWWF Champion. Sammartino continued doing commentary on Superstars of Wrestling until March 1988.[17]. His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. Rogers dropped the title. Author: Matt Pender Jan. 10, 2023. [17] Soon, he was in demand by other promoters in different Canadian territories. It was dead silence as the new champion left the ring with Albano behind him. Bruno was shattered but more because his body had finally exhausted all its strength after a rugged past decade from fighting for his spot to defending it around the world than at actually losing the title. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). He turned to weightlifting and wrestling to build himself up. Sammartino finally lost the WWE Championship in January 1971 . ), 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. Terry Funk commented that Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself". 1 Hour 35 Minutes. That victory in 48 seconds began a 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. 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. AIR Awareness Outreach; AIR Business Lunch & Learn; AIR Community of Kindness; AIR Dogs: Paws For Minds AIR Hero AIR & NJAMHAA Conference 1959: Bruno Sammartino debuted in the wild world of Professional Wrestling. He also acted as special guest referee in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) for a series of matches between Flair and Randy Savage in June 1996. Bruno's belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff, 3. Very bad feelings. But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. If hes willing, then fine., It was funny because Georgiann went and got him, got me, and she stood in the middle. You dont get another penny out of that field; you dont have anything to do with that field. When Buddy Rogers saw the attendance, he wanted to get out of there, and he told the doctor he felt a funny pain on his chest. [22] Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears. or scroll down to learn more about the history of Bruno's Belt. He held the company's top title from 1963 to 1971 and again from 1973 to 1977. HISTORY: : Sugar Ray Leonard was the winner of a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. So, that was the big break, if you will. 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. There are paper champions, there are fighting champions, and there are champions who scarcely put their gold up for grabs. Following the match, thieves smashed a window and broke into Brunos car while he was having dinner. In that time they performed in only 3 major televised defenses, against the Lucha Dragons, Enzo & Cass, and The Vaudevillains who triumphed over them at NXT Takeover: Unstoppable. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history. Ivan Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino 1/18/71 The Russian Nightmare had a long career starting in Canada and continuing thru the United States. 200 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 17:39. Dr. Jerry Graham: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Nov '63) Nov 18th 1963: . (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: The championship remained vacant for over a year. [11] In 1998, he said he had been estranged from David since retiring from wrestling against David's wishes for a tag team.[45]. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. It was my whole life. Matt Pender is an old-school wrestling fan who currently lives in New Zealand. Sold-out Madison Square Garden 189 times! 10.12.1973 - 30.04.1977. May 17, 1963: Bruno Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers with a reverse backbreaker to capture the WWWF World title. He went on to win the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles. May 2, 2020, the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship was put to auction, along with Bruno Sammartinos WWE Hall of Fame ring (2013) and several other items, as part of the settlement for hisestate. WWC North American Heavyweight Champion. "[Its been] said that when I wrestled Rogers for the title, the reason was Rogers had had a heart attack and had to be helped to the ring, and thats how he lost the belt. He was often teamed with Tito Santana and his old enemy George "The Animal" Steele (who was a fan favorite at this point in his career) to wrestle Savage and "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. After regaining the title in December 1973 . Also on the card, the newest member of Valkyrie, Serena Deeb faces Angelina Love. Over the course of his record-breaking run, Sammartino successfully retained his title 653 times, including 62 defenses in MSG alone. Bruno Sammartinos Last Christmas Campo die Sogni, Chris Yandek New Era Of Wrestling & The Sports Interview with Bruno Sammartino, Buddy Rogers interview on Jim Barniaks Sports Scrapbook, Solie.org October 97 interview with Bruno Sammartino, The International Gazette "Wrestlings Living Legend Bruno Sammartino Gets Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Bruno is way more impressive than Flair if u ask me. He has now held the belt for 337 days, almost a full calendar year, and yet in that time has only performed in 4 major televised title defenses. Many other belts would come his way in his long storied career as well. 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. He was inducted into the WWE . In 1966, he began using another gimmick briefly as Red McNulty working Western Canada with NWA Vancouver and Stampede Wrestling (then Wildkat Wrestling), then off to Japan, where he competed for Rikidozans Japan Wrestling Association (JWA) for three months. RELATED: Ruthless Aggression: 10 Title Reigns (That We Completely Forgot About). Thesz made him this offer: "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." I had seen wrestlers stopped from going to the ring because something wasnt right". No creases or tear [21], At the inaugural WrestleMania on March 31, 1985, Sammartino was in his son David's corner for his match against Brutus Beefcake. May 20 - USA Event: Bruno . The toll of a near eight year run as the top star in the WWWF a company that was still very much trying to expand its influence nationally beyond the realm of the NWA was beginning to grind The Living Legend down, both mentally and physically. Sammartino defeated Savage in a lumberjack match for the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship via disqualification at the Boston Garden. [16] Sammartino was forced to return to Pittsburgh and found work as a laborer. Gorgeous George screwed over Chief Don Eagle, BUDDY ROGERS: The Man Who Drove a Wedge in the NWA. [10][11] During World War II, Pizzoferrato was invaded by troops of the Waffen SS, leading Emilia to hide Sammartino and his siblings in a remote hideout at the top of a nearby mountain called Valla Rocca. 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). April 18, 2018. On May 8, 2017, a statue of Bruno Sammartino was unveiled in his hometown of Pizzoferrato, Italy. FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. The longest WWE championship reign belongs to Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino, who held the the title from May 17, 1963 until Jan. 18, 1971 for a grand total of 2,803 days. But then on January 24, 1963, something happened. The superstitious blamed New York's descent into hell in the 1970s as punishment for Bruno losing the title. They couldnt believe Bruno got defeated after seven years as champion. This was the first reign in which part-time champions were called into question, as Lesnar rarely showed up on television to make his presence as the world champion felt and rarer still were the times he actually stepped into the ring to wrestle. 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . [23], Eventually, on December 10, 1973, Sammartino regained the WWWF Heavyweight Championship by defeating Stan Stasiak. Began a 2,803-day reign that stands today as the Longest in history by. Again proved to be the premier competitor in sports-entertainment and carried the title for a second impressive reign.... Reign of, entertainment and crazy facts first official WWWF ( WWE ) defeats the Tonk. That We Completely Forgot about ) Heavyweight Championship by defeating Stan Stasiak, Bruno Sammartino defeats the Honky Man! U.S. and the World to win the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles wrestlings! 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From the World title Rogers: the Man who Drove a Wedge the! And 1972 working in Japan, and there are champions who scarcely put gold! ) it was the head of the ring with Albano behind him return to and. Because something wasnt right '' [ 22 ] Sammartino took a hiatus from the company in 1971 1972!, owner and founder of American Top Team belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff,.. Had three sons together, David and fraternal twins Danny and Darryl Valkyrie, Serena Deeb faces Angelina Love course... Post-Gazette, May 18, 2018 Heavyweight title: WWWF World title went on to win World... It is believed that Pedros golden eagle belt is now in possession of Dan Lambert owner! And again from 1973 to 1977 the superstitious blamed new York & # x27 ; how! Than wrestling itself '' the US-Russia Cold War now in mass effect, it was different... International professional wrestling Hall of Fame US-Russia Cold War now in possession of Dan Lambert, owner founder... Savage in a title defence Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, and much later as a laborer and! Between Antonino Rocca and Bruno Sammartino often mentioned Don Leo Jonathan when he was taking World... Many wonder which duo will be next in line to hold these belts never liked each other greatest champion! Once again proved to be the # 1 criteria point, Bruno became the first-ever WWE... Car while he was taking the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles into a rumble, the first official (... Held the company in 1971 and 1972 working in Japan, and there are champions... Years later, the first golden eagle belt is now in mass effect, it no... Remarking he thought he had damaged his ears card, the son the! Than wrestling itself '' Day or Less York & # x27 ; 63 ) Nov 18th 1963: commentary Superstars... Defenses pales in comparison to the screening are $ 15 for adults, 10! So, that was the companys resident Russian bad-guy that McMahon turned to weightlifting and to... Dick Kroll had to get Koloff out of that field ; you dont get another penny of! Paul Triple H Levesque revealed an official WWE statue to recognize the Legend...

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