But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. Answer (1 of 3): George "The Animal" Steele Bruno Sammartino met James Myers in 1967 and immediately saw his potential as a main event performer. Rogers would then drop the title a month later to Bruno Sammartino in less than a minute. And a packed Madison Square Garden, who had become accustomed to wildly cheering Bruno Sammartino after each title defense, was shocked into complete silence. - Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated The Mongols (Geeto and Bepo) for the WWF International Tag Team Titles. 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 is way more impressive than Flair if u ask me. That firstbelt has been missing for over 50 years and, though still considered stolen property, it is unlikely to be recovered. On January 22, 1980, his former student Larry Zbyszko turned on him at the World Wrestling Federation's Championship Wrestling show. "Superstar Billy Graham & Ivan Koloff v. Bruno Sammartino & Gorilla Monsoon (Graham scores ANOTHER pinfall over the WWWF Champ! Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . Man, everything went so quiet, Koloff remembered (again in quotes from Pro Wrestling Stories). Morales would lose his World title to Stan The Man Stasiak in December of 1973, only to lose it nine days later back to Bruno for another lengthy reign (1,237 days, from 1973 through 1977). 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. 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. "Did I really say to him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way? But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: I was in that hospital for up to 5 days before I wrestled. Some of his defenses ended in time limit draws, and some in DQ, but . While Sammartino remained a popular champion in his second run, before losing to Superstar Billy Graham in April of 1977, it failed to capture the magic of the first run. So, as far as I was concerned, Bruno never stood a chance with me. Between Antonino Rocca and Bruno Sammartino they went with the younger Sammartino who was 28 years old at the time. 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. Bruno Sammartino earned his fame. [10] When he was four, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the hardest thing in my life to go out of wrestling. This film comprehensively covers the life and career of Bruno Sammartino, and his struggles to become wrestlings greatest champion. 5 Bruno Sammartino WWE Champion, 2803 Days. [15] With Whipper Billy Watson, Sammartino won his first professional wrestling championship in September 1962, the local version of the International Tag Team Championship. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! I cant explain it". I told him that the only way I would come back is if he put me in the ring with Buddy Rogers for the title. Bruno Sammartino had been wrestling professionally since 1959, and the Italian immigrant who had left to the US with his family from Italy in 1950 after hiding from the Nazis during World War II captivated a rising influx of immigrants into the US during and post-war. International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. [17], In 2006, he signed an independent deal with Jakks Pacific to produce an action figure, which is part of the WWE Classic Superstars line, Series 10. WWWF referee Dick Kroll had to get Koloff out of the ring. Terry Funk commented that Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself". Arguably the greatest wrestling champion of all time. And with the US-Russia Cold War now in mass effect, it was the companys resident Russian bad-guy that McMahon turned to. 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. That said, Sammartino's record is likely safe, as it's difficult to imagine WWE ever putting a title on someone even remotely as long as his top reign. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino died on Wednesday at the age of 82 in Pittsburgh. Never Forget That Donald Trump Once Shaved Vince McMahon's Head and Is a Member of the WWE Hall of Fame [29], Sammartino's final match was at a WWF house show in Baltimore on August 29, 1987, where he teamed up with Hulk Hogan to defeat King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang in the main event. The doctor who was at every show said to Paul Sullivan, I am checking Buddy Rogers blood pressure, and I am listening to his chest, and everything sounds okay, but he claims that he has a pain in his chest. Scroll down to learn more about Bruno's Belt and its journey to the IPWHF. Yet few people know all the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail' of professional wrestling artifacts. An ever-increasing argument in today's wrestling world, in light of a continued use of part-time stars from yesteryear like Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, is how often should we realistically see the world champion defend their belt in televised appearances? 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. That takes your density down to a title defense every 37.9 days. Thesz made him this offer: "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." WWWF World Championship. Ivan Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI) Sadly, Koloff's reign was short-lived. 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. 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. 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.". May 13 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bobo Brazil - Singles match Brazil won by disqualification. In the late 1960s, Sammartino was involved in a fight with former Pennsylvania Athletic Commissioner Joe Cimino. Buddy Rogers was wrestling every day and he was NOT in a hospital. Roman Reigns is the wrestler who has come closest to those legendary Bruno Sammartino reigns from the decade of the 60's in this era of pro-wrestling. WWC North American Heavyweight Champion. I knew it was all done; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did. Battle Royal: Winner: Bruno Sammartino. [46] May 17, 2013 was declared "Bruno Sammartino Day" in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Sammartino's run incredibly stretched from April 1963 to January 1971; an immense seven and a half years on top. Sammartino successfully retained his title 653 times, including 62 defenses in MSG alone, before . On December 8, 1969, he teamed with Tony Marino to win the WWWF International Tag Team Championship by defeating The Rising Suns (Tanaka and Mitsu Arakawa). Can you imagine it? The new film, just called Bruno Sammartino, is simply a revamped and slightly updated version of La Mia Mama, meaning it's long of Sammartino's tough-as-nails mother, but shockingly short on the champion's in-ring exploits. But this is the precise difference, as wrestling in Sammartino's day was very different compared to how it is today. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. Their feud culminated on August 9, 1980, in front of 36,295 fans at Shea Stadium. Three years after his stunning defeat, Bruno won the WWE Title for a second time. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. The very business model of television/pay per view that Vince McMahon's WWE now runs off of was non-existent. In many ways, it was a full circle. Pro wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino dies at 82, "Without Toronto, there would have been no Bruno Sammartino", "10 championships you never knew existed in WWE", "Remembering Bruno Sammartino, the singular face of a bygone pro wrestling era", Bruno Sammartino v. Capitol Wrestling Corporation and Vince McMahon, "Professional wrestling great Bruno Sammartino dies at 82", "Sammartino: McMahon is 'a sick-minded idiot', "Bruno's bad call on WWE Hall of Fame shows Vince is right everyone has a price", "Dapper Dan: Malkin, Sammartino, Penn State volleyball claim awards", "WWE to induct Bruno Sammartino into HOF", "WWE NEWS: Hall of Fame 2013 report - Complete "virtual-time" coverage of ceremony with Sammartino & Co., Stratus announces big news, Trump-McMahon?, more", "CALDWELL'S WWE RAW RESULTS 10/7 (Hour 1): Battleground PPV fall-out, WWE Title match to continue at next PPV, one "firing", Bruno Sammartino, more", "WWE HALL OF FAME REPORT 3/28: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of 2015 Ceremony - Randy Savage inducted, Nash, Zbysko, Schwarzenegger, Flair, Michaels, more", "Bruno Sammartino Behind The Championship Belt", "Madison Square Garden Pays Tribute To Bruno Sammartino", "New WWE 2K14 DLC Introduces More Superstars", "WWE 2K23 Roster Official List | WWE 2K23", "Wrestling with fame: Bruno Sammartino still a hero to fans", "Bruno Sammartino given key to Jersey City before his induction into WWE Hall of Fame", "WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino dies at age 82", "WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino Dies At 82", "Bruno Sammartino, wrestling's original good-guy hero, dies at 82", "WWE Raw live results: Brock Lesnar returns to TV", "2019 TRAGOS/THESZ PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME CLASS ANNOUNCED - PWInsider.com", "Induction Weekend 2022 | Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame", "Keystone Sate Wrestling Alliance - Hall of Fame", "Bruno Sammartino body slams hall of fame", "WWWA honors Bruno Sammartino, and vice versa", "Triple H reveals Bruno Sammartino statue at WrestleMania Axxess", "W.W.A. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Acknowledged as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Sammartino's legacy began in 1959 and lasted until his final match in October of 1981. . Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. Some of the nearly 20,000 Madison Square Garden fans watched as Sammartino defeated his . For half of that time he reigned as World Champion, . 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. Sadly, Koloffs reign was short-lived. On AXS (1/19/21) Eric Young versus Rhino. He was inducted into the WWE . 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. [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. 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. The championship remained vacant for over a year. While Bruno represented the America of working hard, being honest, and overcoming evil, Austin represented the more modern version of giving it to the man, having a beer and saying the heck with it. 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. When he brought the bar down, he did not bounce it off his chest, but set it there for two seconds before attempting the press. I was just so exhausted It became clear to Vince McMahon Sr. that his World Champion was gassed. Irvin Muchnick mentioned the incident in his book, Wrestling Babylon. BILLY GRAHAM IN THE IWE (JAPAN) . Sammartino would eventually get the upper hand in the feud, by defeating Piper in a steel cage match at the Boston Garden. Also on the card, the newest member of Valkyrie, Serena Deeb faces Angelina Love. Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers open up about this critical moment in professional wrestling history that all but marked the end of one legendary career and launched another, and the hatred that forever remained between the two. Finn Balor looks set to add one more to this list as he has his gun-fingers set on the Austrian this upcomingWrestlemaniaweekend. Morales would hold the title for 1,027 days, but it was clear that Pedro was no Bruno. 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. Offer: `` We could do this the easy way or the hard way over 50 years and, still. Bigger than wrestling itself '' Russian bad-guy that McMahon turned to at the age of 82 in.. Life to go out of the ring Team Titles the upper hand in the late 1960s, Sammartino leisurely the! All the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail ' professional... 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