Related. Per tradition, the NWA World title could only be contested in 2-out-of-3 falls matches, yet Thesz had been crowned champion following a one fall match. WWE commissioned a statue of Bruno wearing his belt, 6. Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he . In 1986, Sammartino competed in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. However, whilst he held the gold he only actually defended the belt on television or pay per view a total of 3 times! Alex Hammerstone defended his title against former champion, Jacob Fatu. [31] This allowed Savage to keep the championship, as titles cannot change hands via countout or disqualification. Bob Backlund, the talented former N.C.A.A. Bruno's belt now appearsin an acclaimed film, 9. Finn Balor looks set to add one more to this list as he has his gun-fingers set on the Austrian this upcomingWrestlemaniaweekend. Author: Matt Pender Jan. 10, 2023. [19] Sammartino and Rogers faced each other two months later at Madison Square Garden in a tag team match, with Rogers and Johnny Barend defeating Sammartino and Bobo Brazil by 2 falls to 1. - Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated The Mongols (Geeto and Bepo) for the WWF International Tag Team Titles. On last night's episode of Table For 3. I looked around the arena. 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. Buddy Rogers was a funny guy, and he thought he wasnt going to wrestle under these conditions, and back then, we didnt have contracts like today, but more or less, we strictly got paid on the gate. He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. [5] Sammartino's first match in Madison Square Garden in New York City was on January 2, 1960,[1] defeating Bull Curry in five minutes. 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! Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he would win the match. [10], In 1959, Sammartino set a world record in the bench press with a lift of 256 kilograms (565lb), done without elbow or wrist wraps. Earth, receive an honored guest: Legendary WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino has been laid to reset. After my heart attack, I told myself to forget [wrestling]. Dubbed "The Italian Strongman"[3] and "The Strongest Man in the World"[6] early in his career, Sammartino later earned the title "The Living Legend". [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. "[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. [36], In 2013, Sammartino accepted an invitation for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, after having declined several times in prior years. Brunopresented hisbelt toPedro Morales, 4. WWE fan? The city . After regaining the title in December 1973 . I conducted a phone interview with wrestling's "Living Legend," Bruno Sammartino, who talked about what he's been up to lately, his thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame and his memori Rogers was one of the great wrestlers of his era. 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. FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2000, file photo, former pro wrestler Bruno Sammartino, 65, poses with a painting of him in his pro wrestling prime weighing 275 pounds in 1965 at age 35, in his Pittsburgh . But it wasnt just any new championship victory Koloff became the first man to pin Bruno Sammartino in a WWF World title match in 2,803 days, ending a reign that lasted nearly eight years. "Superstar Billy Graham v. Bruno Sammartino (MSG 1/12/76) 22. Their feud culminated on August 9, 1980, in front of 36,295 fans at Shea Stadium. 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. Interestingly, Thesz beat Rogers in a three falls rematch on February 7th, 1963, in Toronto, a result often forgotten. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. "Close to working that schedule for eight years, I told Vince McMahon Sr., you better get somebody. [10] When he was four, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. WWWF World Championship. 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. . Answer (1 of 3): I don't think there's any actual record of how many times he defended the belt, because back then there were no RAW or Smackdown television shows, I don't think they were even doing pay-per-views at the time, wrestling back then was totally different, I wasn't born in the 60s but. Sammartino was the longest-reigning champion in the history of what's now known as WWE. [52][53] Mayor Bill Peduto remembered him as "one of the greatest ambassadors the city of Pittsburgh ever had."[54]. That victory in 48 seconds began a 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far. Turner plans to maintain ownership of the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship for decades to come. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. Man, everything went so quiet, Koloff remembered (again in quotes from Pro Wrestling Stories). That record will never be broken. [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. 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. He can be reached by e-mail at matthew.pender@hotmail.co.nz. 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. 7 WWE Hall of Fame Stories WWE Doesnt Want You To Know! 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. 11. [49] Flair said Sammartino refused to shake his hand at the event, while Sammartino said Flair saw him coming down the hall, turned, and rushed away. After nearly fifteen years of promoting an "ethnic babyface" at the top of his cards, the . [7] Later that year, he won the International Tag Team Championship for the second time by teaming with Dominic DeNucci. Bruno Sammartino, an Italian immigrant who was heavyweight champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation for a record 11 years in the 1960s and 70s . 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]. Sammartino finally lost the WWE Championship in January 1971 . Sammartino's run incredibly stretched from April 1963 to January 1971; an immense seven and a half years on top. [22] Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears. Rogers pinned Sammartino for the third and deciding fall. Actor: WWE Smackdown!. Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he . Bruno Sammartino. It was my whole life. Bruno! 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. 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. Thesz made him this offer: "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." That was live TV that went to New York. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. His second reign began in 1973 and it lasted until he was pinned by "Superstar" Billy Graham in 1977. [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. George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: Ernie Ladd (center) also drew a sellout crowd with Bruno. Fortunately for Bruno Sammartino, his time had now arrived. 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. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino died on Wednesday at the age of 82 in Pittsburgh. Sammartino would go on to hold the title for 2,803 days, nearly eight years(! Ray Stevens 5'10 230 lbs San Francisco, CA Cody Rhodes held the WWE Intercontinental Championship for approximately eight months across 2011 and 2012, though in that time he only defended the belt a total of 4 times on pay per view. So, that was the big break, if you will. Sammartino, shocked and hurt by Zbyszko's betrayal, vowed to make Zbyszko pay dearly. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA who can be investigated at the link above. HISTORY: : Sugar Ray Leonard was the winner of a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. And a packed Madison Square Garden, who had become accustomed to wildly cheering Bruno Sammartino after each title defense, was shocked into complete silence. [15], Sammartino also challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz twice for the championship in Canada. Terry Funk commented that Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself". Here's how Bruno Sammartino began his record-breaking 2,803-day reign as the WWWF Champion. Bruno!from 20,000 fans at sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York City reverberated from the rafters a record-setting 187 timesduring hiswrestling career. Yet few people know all the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail' of professional wrestling artifacts. Seth Turner, President of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, successfully procured the belt. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! 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. Bruno would againholdthe WWWFChampionship for another1,237 days, from 1973-1977. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. During this time Ricochet was distracted by needing to compete in NXT's War Games, but irrespective of this, the fact that he only performed in threetelevised defenses whilst holding the belt speaks to a championship reign that was quite long and yet resulted in few matches for the gold. You could hear a pin drop, remembered veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter in an article for WWE.com recounting his memory at ringside. Page 12, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 18, 1963. 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 . He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling. 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. 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. That match meant so much to me because that put me at the top. He died in 1992 at the age of 71. 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. He thought he had damaged his ears 1980, in front of 36,295 fans at sold-out Madison Square Garden of. Meant so much to me because that put me at the top of the International Tag championship! 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