He would later return for two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager. Any fifteen-year-old kid coulda beat me that night. Sammartino worked as a commentator for the Universal Wrestling Federation. Soon after, Sammartino and then champion Pedro Morales teamed up for a series of tag team matches. I had seen wrestlers stopped from going to the ring because something wasnt right". During his second reign, Bruno Sammartino held the title for 1237 days. Cimino was new to his post and intervened in a match finish involving Sammartino, who took a shot at Cimino in the ring and the argument continued backstage. Bruno Sammartino: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (May '77) May 16th 1977: Bruno Sammartino: def. Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. (Laughs) Yeah, thats how it happened". FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. Sadly, Koloffs reign was short-lived. 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. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he would win the match. 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. Bruno would againholdthe WWWFChampionship for another1,237 days, from 1973-1977. I was just so exhausted It became clear to Vince McMahon Sr. that his World Champion was gassed. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino revealed why his record-setting WWWF title reign ended. 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Rogers dropped the NWA Title to Thesz (and got back his deposit on the belt), and the Northeast promoters used the one-fall match as the reason for the split from the NWA. In 2019, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legendwas released. One match ended in a draw and the other with Thesz scoring a fluke pin after a collision, despite Sammartino controlling the 20 minute match from the beginning. 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 was a 90-pound weakling in high school. From that point, Bruno Sammartino held the title for seven years, eight . Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. 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. He died in 1992 at the age of 71. 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 . [4], Sammartino made his professional debut in Pittsburgh on December 17, 1959, pinning Dmitri Grabowski in 19 seconds. Lonnie Mayne The Glass Eating, Raw Meat Chewing Original Moondog! [17] Sammartino worked several WCW events in a minor analysis role in the early 1990s, as well as a brief run doing color commentary with Jim Ross on Saturday Night in 1992. 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. [17] Soon, he was in demand by other promoters in different Canadian territories. 1 Hour 35 Minutes. In 1980, he won the tag team titles with Bob Backlund and was the Intercontinental Champion during the early '80s. Defeating Stan Stasiak, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE Champion. 10/23/67 Bruno defeated Hans Mortier 6,612 paid $18,136.10. Buddy Rogers made these claims in a couple of appearances that he made after losing the belt. Between 1963 and 1980, he main evented many times and many of those main events drew a full house. The International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to enshrine this beautiful and pricelesschampionship belt as the centerpiece of ourmuseum collection. [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. [15] With Whipper Billy Watson, Sammartino won his first professional wrestling championship in September 1962, the local version of the International Tag Team Championship. He wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race to a one-hour draw in St. Louis. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. "Superstar Billy Graham & Ivan Koloff v. Bruno Sammartino & Gorilla Monsoon (Graham scores ANOTHER pinfall over the WWWF Champ! His biggest moment was winning the WWWF heavyweight title from the legendary Bruno Sammartino. Bruno Sammartino is . [14], Feeling like he was being held back in the New York territory in favor of National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) star Buddy Rogers, Sammartino gave his notice to Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) owner Vince McMahon Sr. and planned to go to San Francisco to work for Roy Shire. 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 . Sammartino actually . 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. Later in 1972, Sammartino was asked back by McMahon Sr. to regain the title. 2/19/68 Bruno won with the backbreaker on Bull Ramos before 13,059 fans in the first match at the new MSG. I dont know if I should allow him to go in the ring. He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. "Prior to that, over a period of two years, I defeated Sammartino eleven straight times. [10], When the Sammartinos arrived in the U.S., Bruno spoke no English and was sickly from the privations of the war years. Bruno Sammartino depicts the exciting story of the championship wrestler and his family's narrow escape from the Nazis in World War II Italy. 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. In todays story, we hear from both Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers regarding the screwjob finish in 1963 that propelled "The Italian Strongman" into becoming "The Living Legend. [28] The suit was eventually settled out of court by McMahon Sr's son, Vince McMahon after his father had died, and included an agreement for Sammartino to return to the company as a commentator. If hes willing, then fine., It was funny because Georgiann went and got him, got me, and she stood in the middle. Sometimes, be they world champions, tag team champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their championship. WWWF World Championship. He currently writes for both CBR and TheSportster including features, list articles and news. Sammartino instead that night had his first match against new number one contender, Gorilla Monsoon. 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. In many ways, it was a full circle. After Bruno defeated Rogers, just one month later, the first official WWWF (WWE) World Championship was designed. In CM Punk's 434 day reign, he defended the title 141 times, or an average of just over once every three . Brunopresented hisbelt toPedro Morales, 4. "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. An irate Sammartino attacked Savage during a TV interview, after Savage bragged about injuring Ricky Steamboat, by driving the timekeeper's bell into Steamboat's throat during a televised match. It was the hardest thing in my life to go out of wrestling. Interestingly, Thesz beat Rogers in a three falls rematch on February 7th, 1963, in Toronto, a result often forgotten. That record will never be broken. 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. Bruno Sammartino: Directed by Patrea Patrick. Sammartino defeated Savage in a lumberjack match for the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship via disqualification at the Boston Garden. May 18 - USA Event: Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Miguel Torres - Singles match Sammartino won. He successfully defended the belt against both Ali and The Miz before being recently dethroned by Braun Strowman on the lastWWE Smackdownepisode in January. 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 . I cant explain it". The match was scheduled to be concluded quickly so as not to risk Buddy's health any further. 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 . 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 On September 30, 1972, Sammartino and Morales wrestled to a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium in New York. Flair had denigrated Sammartino's wrestling ability in his book To Be the Man. If he does, it remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020. Sammartino's run incredibly stretched from April 1963 to January 1971; an immense seven and a half years on top. His most notable title defense was a time limit draw with Bruno Sammartino at a Shea Stadium show in 1972. 1959: Bruno Sammartino debuted in the wild world of Professional Wrestling. [20] Sammartino held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for seven years, eight months, and one day (2,803 days). [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. I went in that ring". Bruno Sammartino. Bob Backlund, the talented former N.C.A.A. While on his way to California, he missed two bookings in Baltimore and Chicago, and as a result was suspended in those territories. . Shinsuke Nakamuraheld the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a total of 201 days throughout the latter half of 2019. 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. 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. Bruno Sammartino was the first two-time WWE Champion. Rogers would then drop the title a month later to Bruno Sammartino in less than a minute. The championship remained vacant for over a year. That was live TV that went to New York. [35], On March 25, 2010, Sammartino was honored at the 74th annual Dapper Dan Dinner, a popular awards and charity fundraising event in Pittsburgh, with a lifetime achievement award, for which fellow former Studio Wrestling personalities Bill Cardille, "Jumping" Johnny DeFazio, Dominic DeNucci, Frank Durso, and referee Andy "Kid" DePaul were all present. Bruno makes his first defense of the WWWW title since crushing Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds the previous month! Matches. [43][44], Sammartino was married to his wife Carol from 1959 until his death in 2018. But then on January 24, 1963, something happened. Scroll down to learn more about Bruno's Belt and its journey to the IPWHF. World Wide Wrestling Federation. Sammartino would go on to hold the title for 2,803 days, nearly eight years(! 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. Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he decided never to let go. ROSS TOWNSHIP PA - Daniel Sammartino, the son of the late wrestling giant Bruno Sammartino, died Tuesday. 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. His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. 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. 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). [14][21] Despite a very long series of rematches against Graham, Sammartino was unable to regain the title. 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. You spend your whole life in this particular field, then all of a sudden its no more. 78 days. Bruno had the belt polished andthen maintained personal ownership of his prized possession until he passed away on April 18, 2018. often gets attributed to other wrestling stories. In the late 1960s, Sammartino was involved in a fight with former Pennsylvania Athletic Commissioner Joe Cimino. Matches. "Bruno Sammartino proved that hard work can overcome even the most difficult of circumstances. His Intercontinental Championship reign is the perfect example of that. Ivan Koloff (left) and Superstar Billy Graham (right) each drew six sellouts with Bruno and each defeated him for the WWWF Championship. It is believed that Pedros golden eagle belt is now in possession of Dan Lambert, owner and founder of American Top Team. [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. You could hear a pin drop, remembered veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter in an article for WWE.com recounting his memory at ringside. WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick The Bruiser as Annihilation Inc.) 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. In the summer of 1960 James M. I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. As for "Bruno Finally Wins Mat Title," the 260-pound, 27-year-old Pittsburgh matter scored a two-fall win over the long-time champion "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, 42, 235-pounds of Camden, New Jersey. [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. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan in various arenas. 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. After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. On January 18, 1971, Ivan Kohloff won the WWWF World Championship and secured his legacy in professional wrestling lore by pinning Bruno Sammartino. 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. On April 6, 2013, Sammartino received the Key to the City in Jersey City, New Jersey. . He said that the grueling schedule was taking its toll on him and he couldn't keep up the pace of it. May 17 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bruno Sammartino - Singles match Sammartino won by submission at 0:48. Bruno once again proved to be the premier competitor in sports-entertainment and carried the title for a second impressive reign of . But unfortunately for both WWWF and Buddy Rogers, Rogers rising health issues would become an issue sooner than later following a series of heart issues, it was determined that Rogers could no longer be the face of the company. 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. I was in that hospital for up to 5 days before I wrestled. But I made sure I kept my word, and I went through with the match. 1963 - Bulldog Brower and Johnny Valentine defeat Bruno Sammartino and Whipper Billy Watson to win the Toronto NWA International Tag Team Title in Toronto, Ontario. 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. With John Atkins, Angela Capri, Primo Carnera, John Cena. 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. He particularly criticized the use of steroids and "vulgar" storylines. 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. George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: 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. 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 memorialized in the statue wearing his 1965-1971WWWF World Championship. "Afterwards, there were obviously bad feelings. . Bruno Sammartino (Title defense by Bruno. Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history. When their eyes cleared, they kept fighting each other. It wasnt until he got in the ring that Sammartino told him in no uncertain terms that it was HE who was going over that day. [12][11] During this time, his mother would sneak into their German-occupied town for food and supplies. Dr. Jerry Graham: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Nov '63) Nov 18th 1963: . We never spoke again. In 2006, Bruno Sammartino personally commissioned an autobiographical documentary film, 5. Lengthy championships are a big aspect in wrestling, but it is definitely easier when the champion does not frequently have to defend his title. Sammartino also engaged in a feud with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper after Piper insulted his heritage on a segment of Piper's Pit at Madison Square Garden. On February 8, 1971, Pedro Morales defeated Ivan Koloff and was presented the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship belt by Bruno Sammartino. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino, who held the championship belt for nearly eight consecutive years from 1963 to 1971, has died at age 82. . After my heart attack, I told myself to forget [wrestling]. Fifty years ago, on January 18, 1971, Ivan Koloff delivered a Russian Leg Drop to World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden in New York City to get the 1-2-3, becoming only the third man to hold the WWWF World Championship. I looked around the arena. When Pat Sullivan heard that, he immediately stopped Buddy Rogers from going to the ring, but he also informed all the state athletic commissions that he was revoking his license until they found out if, in fact, there was a problem. I was so beat in so many ways; I was never one to even take an aspirin. But I kept my word. [16] Sammartino was forced to return to Pittsburgh and found work as a laborer. They got away withthe 1963-1965 version of the WWWF Championship. Author: Matt Pender Jan. 10, 2023. 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. Buddy ROGERS vs. Bruno SAMMARTINO NWA WORLD TITLE. non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. But it would be Canadian-born Russian wrestler Ivan Koloff who would put an end to Sammartinos historic reign. And with the US-Russia Cold War now in mass effect, it was the companys resident Russian bad-guy that McMahon turned to. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Rogers pinned Sammartino for the third and deciding fall. 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . "Screwjob" is a term that gets thrown around loosely in the wrestling world. He turned to weightlifting and wrestling to build himself up. Following the match, thieves smashed a window and broke into Brunos car while he was having dinner. The climax of their feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Santana in a steel cage match in Madison Square Garden. But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. In winning the title, Sammartino became the second WWE Champion in the company's history and did so in just 48 seconds. Presented here is Sugar Ray Leonard signed photo. Also during this time, Sammartino began serving as color commentator for the WWF's syndicated programs, WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All-Star Wrestling. Morales would hold the title for 1,027 days, but it was clear that Pedro was no Bruno. 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. 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).