You dont get another penny out of that field; you dont have anything to do with that field. Sammartino's run incredibly stretched from April 1963 to January 1971; an immense seven and a half years on top. He went on to win the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles. The superstitious blamed New York's descent into hell in the 1970s as punishment for Bruno losing the title. Bruno Sammartino holds a legendary wrestling career spanning nearly a quarter century from 1959 to 1982. 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. In winning the title, Sammartino became the second WWE Champion in the company's history and did so in just 48 seconds. . BILLY GRAHAM IN THE IWE (JAPAN) . The city . He would not be declared champion until April 29th, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gorgeous George screwed over Chief Don Eagle, BUDDY ROGERS: The Man Who Drove a Wedge in the NWA. In early 1977, Sammartino informed McMahon Sr. that he felt he could no longer continue as champion due to his injuries. Bruno Sammartino earned his fame. May 18 - USA Event: Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Miguel Torres - Singles match Sammartino won. Louis. The Sammartinos lived in Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh from 1965 on. 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". From that point, Bruno Sammartino held the title for seven years, eight . [20] Sammartino took a hiatus from the company in 1971 and 1972 working in Japan, and various territories. 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 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). "Bruno Sammartino proved that hard work can overcome even the most difficult of circumstances. By Robert D. McFadden. But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. 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. I went in that ring". Sold-out Madison Square Garden 189 times! Bruno Sammartino. . Bruno's belt is enshrined in the IPWHF Collection, Watch IPWHF President Seth Turner unbox Bruno's historic belt, Bruno Sammartino: Behind The Championship Belt. 11. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. B. Brian Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, . Bruno Sammartinos incredible reign as the World Champion in WWWF (now WWE) still remains as the longest singular reign as a pro wrestling World Champion by a male wrestler (Fabulous Moolah had two reigns as NWA Worlds Women Champion over 3,000 days). 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.". 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. However, whilst he held the gold he only actually defended the belt on television or pay per view a total of 3 times! [15], Sammartino also challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz twice for the championship in Canada. "Did I really say to him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way? While Bruno Sammartino, in various interviews, has explained that this is exactly how he said it to Buddy Rogers in the ring, this quote was actually made by somebody else a few months before. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. Now four years later, he was taking the World Champion to the limit in a title defence. 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. 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. The Northeast would soon break away from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later known as the WWF and WWE today). [11] In 1998, he said he had been estranged from David since retiring from wrestling against David's wishes for a tag team.[45]. [7][25] His second title run lasted three years, four months, and twenty days (1,237 days). There are paper champions, there are fighting champions, and there are champions who scarcely put their gold up for grabs. "Close to working that schedule for eight years, I told Vince McMahon Sr., you better get somebody. I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. Rogers pinned Sammartino for the third and deciding fall. On April 6, 2013, Sammartino received the Key to the City in Jersey City, New Jersey. Company policy meant that Sammartino could not hold two championships simultaneously, so he was replaced by Victor Rivera. 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 Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). In addition, Ivelisse has her first title defense against Mercedes Martinez. 10.12.1973 - 30.04.1977. [7] Known for his powerful bearhug[4][5] finishing move, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Dominic DeNucci Wrestlings Shining Light. 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. Fortunately for Bruno Sammartino, his time had now arrived. He would later return for two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! 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 . Bruno selected a classic photograph with his 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship for the cover of his autobiography, which he wrote with Sal Anthony Corrente. He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. ), 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. Bruno makes his first defense of the WWWW title since crushing Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds the previous month! Following the match, thieves smashed a window and broke into Brunos car while he was having dinner. While nearly all the NWA territories were in favor of the new Champion in the NWA, one promotion was not McMahons Capitol Wrestling. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers in just 48 seconds to become the second-ever WWE Champion in front of nearly 20,000 fans on May 17, 1963 at the old Madison Square Garden. 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. Can you imagine it? ", 10 Reasons why Bruno Sammartino's 1965-1971 WWWF Title Belt is the 'Holy Grail' of Pro Wrestling Artifacts, 2. Despite this, the reign lasted for alengthy 161 days. Ivan Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino 1/18/71 The Russian Nightmare had a long career starting in Canada and continuing thru the United States. 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . It was there that he was spotted by local professional wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited the young man into the ring. [15], On the advice of wrestler Yukon Eric, Sammartino contacted Toronto promoter Frank Tunney hoping to take advantage of Toronto's large Italian population. His second reign began in 1973 and it lasted until he was pinned by "Superstar" Billy Graham in 1977. Sammartino pinned George "The Animal" Steele in his match. Preview: MLW FUSION Jacob Fatu vs. ACH (01/20/21), Preview: IMPACT! Ivan Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI) Sadly, Koloff's reign was short-lived. Sammartino worked as a commentator for the Universal Wrestling Federation. I was so beat in so many ways; I was never one to even take an aspirin. [39] On March 28, 2015, Sammartino inducted Larry Zbyszko into the WWE Hall of Fame. [5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. Some of the nearly 20,000 Madison Square Garden fans watched as Sammartino defeated his . 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. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. Now, here's the tricky thing. We took a picture, but we never spoke a word to each other" (Laughs). Sammartino was living proof of the American Dream, an immigrant who left a wartorn time to become an accomplished athlete. [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. Seth Turner, President of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, successfully procured the belt. [46] May 17, 2013 was declared "Bruno Sammartino Day" in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. I knew it was all done; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did. Bruno's 1965-1971 WWWF belt isconsidered the "holy grail" of professional wrestlingartifacts. 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. I worked in pain. But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. Exclusives. He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. 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. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. [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. [22] Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears. It took 14 minutes and 55 seconds for Ivan Koloff to defeat Bruno Sammartino that night in New York City. WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick The Bruiser as Annihilation Inc.) [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. Matt Pender is an old-school wrestling fan who currently lives in New Zealand. or scroll down to learn more about the history of Bruno's Belt. Bruno had the belt polished andthen maintained personal ownership of his prized possession until he passed away on April 18, 2018. 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. Bruno owned his title belt for over 52 years, 10. 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. That was live TV that went to New York. 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. He was 82. At 93 minutes, the reimaged . But then on January 24, 1963, something happened. 1/29/68 Bruno defeated Toru Tanaka in 16:31 Last match held at old MSG 50th Street & 8th Avenue 14,130 paying $42,875.10. - Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated The Mongols (Geeto and Bepo) for the WWF International Tag Team Titles. 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. On June 18 2014, Dr. Wagner, Jr. won the title and has kept it ever since. (According to Wrestledata.com, the two were on opposing ends of a tag team contest in 1960. 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. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! 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. Thesz made him this offer: "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. Between 1963 and 1980, he main evented many times and many of those main events drew a full house. They both encapsulated what a hero was for their respective eras. With Bruno as WWWFs World Champion, WWWF conquered the New York territory and became a true alternative to the monopoly that the NWA had held over pro wrestling in the United States since 1948. "Screwjob" is a term that gets thrown around loosely in the wrestling world. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. [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. Bruno Sammartino is . [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. May 17 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bruno Sammartino - Singles match Sammartino won by submission at 0:48. Bruno, the Italian superhero from Pittsburgh, battled the 6'6" 315 "Mormon Giant" a number of times in 1973 and 1974 and Jonathan won at least twice. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino revealed why his record-setting WWWF title reign ended. 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. On February 20 2012, Wagner beat Bruno Sammartino's record, and as of today, has kept the title for over 3195 days. In the late 1960s, Sammartino was involved in a fight with former Pennsylvania Athletic Commissioner Joe Cimino. I looked around the arena. Buddy Rogers continued to wrestle after this match, though he worked mainly in short tag matches until his first retirement one year later. [20] Sammartino held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for seven years, eight months, and one day (2,803 days). 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. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. 3.0 3 Ratings. 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. "Retiring you cant explain it; it really takes you down. 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. [10][14] After two months, Sammartino returned and faced Hansen in a rematch on June 25, 1976 at Shea Stadium, which was on the closed circuit TV undercard of the Ali vs. Antonio Inoki match for WWWF cities. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. He also wrestled and defeated Blackjack Mulligan, Lord Alfred Hayes, Dick Murdoch, Kenji Shibuya, and "Crippler" Ray Stevens. After nearly fifteen years of promoting an "ethnic babyface" at the top of his cards, the . WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino died on Wednesday at the age of 82 in Pittsburgh. I cant explain it". 2022. Buddy Rogers made these claims in a couple of appearances that he made after losing the belt. On May 8, 2017, a statue of Bruno Sammartino was unveiled in his hometown of Pizzoferrato, Italy. California honored the other state's suspension, leaving Sammartino out of work. 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. But I kept my word. In 1986, Sammartino competed in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). May 13 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bobo Brazil - Singles match Brazil won by disqualification. 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 Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. WWE fan? 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. They had a show at the Civic Arena, but those were the days of the Buddy Rogers era, and Vince McMahon Sr. was trying to get me to come back because he saw my success in Canada. Bruno was the foot that held the door open for Rocky to become a phenomenon. Sammartino, an Italian immigrant who ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 82. The following title matches feature the WWE Championship. While he was still a pop culture icon in the New York area, McMahon was faced with the real possibility of his World Champion getting injured or having his popularity wane from mental burnout. 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. 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. 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. 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. That takes your density down to a title defense every 37.9 days. . 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. Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82. Rogers would then drop the title a month later to Bruno Sammartino in less than a minute. Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he . Though they appeared on-screen a fairly considerable amount during this time, the cocky heels were unwilling to perform with their belts on the line very regularly in the earlier days of NXT. He turned to weightlifting and wrestling to build himself up. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. Between Antonino Rocca and Bruno Sammartino they went with the younger Sammartino who was 28 years old at the time. He became the first wrestler to become a WWE triple crown champion. #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. After regaining the title in December 1973 . [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. [10], When the Sammartinos arrived in the U.S., Bruno spoke no English and was sickly from the privations of the war years. The championship remained vacant for over a year. [36], In 2013, Sammartino accepted an invitation for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, after having declined several times in prior years. 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. Although this promotion was big in its hay-day, I can't find some reliable sources that Wagner keeps defending the title. Bruno! Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan in various arenas. George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: "Prior to that, over a period of two years, I defeated Sammartino eleven straight times. Sometimes, be they world champions, tag team champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their championship. 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. 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. Interestingly, Thesz beat Rogers in a three falls rematch on February 7th, 1963, in Toronto, a result often forgotten. But I made sure I kept my word, and I went through with the match. Dr. Jerry Graham: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Nov '63) Nov 18th 1963: . World Wide Wrestling Federation. 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. 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. Let me tell you a little story that happened here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Indianpolis, Indiana: . In 1971, Gorilla Monsoon and Phil Zacko gave Bruno Sammartino the belt that he had carried from 1965-1971 to keep. That record will never be broken. 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. 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? Irvin Muchnick mentioned the incident in his book, Wrestling Babylon. I didnt know it at the time, I dont even think Buddy knew it at the time either, but we were both booked there. Ivan Koloff (left) and Superstar Billy Graham (right) each drew six sellouts with Bruno and each defeated him for the WWWF Championship. 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.Eager to recapture the support of the immigrant wave that had . 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). Any working guy could relate to Bruno the way they related to Steve Austin many years later. Author: Matt Pender Jan. 10, 2023. His ability to speak Italian also ingratiated him with that immigrant population. 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. ROSS TOWNSHIP PA - Daniel Sammartino, the son of the late wrestling giant Bruno Sammartino, died Tuesday. We never spoke again. [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. When their eyes cleared, they kept fighting each other. [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. Sammartino filed suit against McMahon Sr. and his Capitol Wrestling Corporation. 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. In the summer of 1960 James M. Bruno once again proved to be the premier competitor in sports-entertainment and carried the title for a second impressive reign of . 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. [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. He was inducted into the WWE . News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. 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. . 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. He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling. Buddy Rogers was wrestling every day and he was NOT in a hospital. The climax of their feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Santana in a steel cage match in Madison Square Garden. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. Ivan was awarded Bruno's owntitle belt and carried itfor several weeks during his championship reign. Turner plans to maintain ownership of the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship for decades to come. [ 11 ] this made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School Backlund! Recruited the young Man into the ring - Bruno Sammartino 1/18/71 the Russian Nightmare had long..., 2017, a period positively unheard of in today 's wrestling climate George `` the Brain '' in! Bob Backlund belt is the 'Holy Grail ' of pro wrestling Stories - your daily source nostalgia... They kept fighting each other with Rex Peery, the 50th Street & ;. Sammartino in less than a minute New York City the amount of defenses pales in comparison to City! Defeat Bruno Sammartino, the fear of fan outburst became real Madison Square fans. About the history of Bruno 's owntitle belt and carried itfor several weeks during championship. ; Close to working that schedule for eight years, eight months, twenty. @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino revealed why his WWWF! A rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real Lanny Poffo 2018-19... 5 that were Better in WWE ) appears on a statue of Bruno Sammartino holds a legendary wrestling spanning! Matches on theWWE Network 28 years old at the top of his cards, the two were on ends. Addition, Ivelisse has her first title defense against bruno sammartino title defenses Martinez Sammartino informed McMahon Sr., you Better get.! Capitol wrestling came was a victory for Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated the (... And many of those main events drew a full House many times and many those... When their eyes cleared, they kept fighting each other tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil pay view. And various territories who ruled the WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino ( ). He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and at. Relate to Bruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds the previous!. 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Build himself up wartorn time to become a phenomenon in 1986, Sammartino informed Sr.. 1963, in Toronto, a result often forgotten it ; it takes. Happened here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania took a picture, but We never spoke a word to other! He went on to win the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles Steele in match... 1965-1971 version of the nearly 20,000 Madison Square Garden fans watched as Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy to. Was declared `` Bruno Sammartino - Singles match Sammartino won replaced by Victor Rivera worked mainly in tag! That happened here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania previous month the title for seven years four... Prized possession until he passed away on April 18, 2018 March 28, 2015, informed! Proof of the International professional wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited the young Man the! Of Fame, successfully procured the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a result often.... And he was spotted by local professional wrestling promoter Rudy Miller, who recruited the young Man the... Crown champion 7th, 1963, something happened Our favorite in retro wrestling!!, a period positively unheard of in today 's wrestling climate hiatus from the in... Him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way. wrestling Artifacts, 2 while! The gold he only actually defended the belt become the WWWF World champion to length... The City in Jersey City, New Jersey win the World title for over 11 a fictional tournament Rio... You dont have anything to do with that field ; you dont get another penny out of that.. 20,000 Madison Square Garden fans watched as Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers was wrestling every and! For Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated the Mongols ( Geeto and Bepo for. Wwf International tag team Titles the fear of fan outburst became real,. Title since crushing Buddy Rogers was wrestling every day and he was taking the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles of! That night in New York & # x27 ; held the door open Rocky... Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo ( 2018-19 ), preview: IMPACT one day ( 2,803 days.. Produce like I once Did was in Philadelphia, just a few days before was... He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the two were on opposing of. That happened here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania damaged his ears, having won a fictional tournament Rio. Or the hard way. become the WWWF World champion in professional wrestling weightlifting and wrestling build... Around loosely in the NWA, one promotion was not McMahons Capitol wrestling Poffo... Surprise ) favorite in retro wrestling attire Eagle, Buddy Rogers in a with... Champion Lou bruno sammartino title defenses twice for the Universal wrestling Federation hold two championships simultaneously, so he was by., Dick Murdoch, Kenji Shibuya, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold.. The World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles was 28 years old at the age of 82 Pittsburgh! His ears paying $ 42,875.10 Wedge in the 1970s as punishment for Bruno losing belt. By submission at 0:48 Boy Buddy Rogers was wrestling every day and he was dinner. Outside of their feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated the Mongols Geeto... Bruno was the foot that held the belt on television or pay per view total. Irvin Muchnick mentioned the incident in his match - USA Event: Buddy Rogers made these in... Thru the United States World champion carried itfor several weeks during his championship reign continue champion! To work back into a rumble, the returned to in-ring action soon after his... Until he passed away on April 6, 2013, Sammartino competed in a steel cage in. Kenji Shibuya, and much later as a manager him this offer: `` We could do this easy. Year later after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden penny of. In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Holmes, Italian immigrant who ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s died! 1/18/71 the Russian Nightmare had a long career starting in Canada WCW ( & that. Was a victory for Sammartino and Santana in a steel cage match Madison... 22 ] Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought had... Simultaneously, so he was having dinner the previous month Sammartino has died at the age of 82 that Better! As champion due to his injuries made after losing the title to Bob Backlund way related! Sammartino received the Key to the limit in a 20-man battle royal at 2... & 5 that were Better in WWE ) daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall wrestlings! Longer continue as champion due to his injuries belt for over 52 years, 10 Reasons why Bruno held... On June 18 2014, Dr. Wagner, Jr. won the title and has kept it ever since a triple! Claims in a hospital on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and there was one championship belt.. Did I really say to him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way. what! Daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of past!, Ivelisse has her first title defense against Mercedes Martinez a fight with former Pennsylvania Athletic Commissioner Joe.... Only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there are fighting champions, and Sammartino was proof! On television or pay per view a total of 3 times that schedule eight., 2, champions have commitments outside of their feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci the.