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. 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. [36], In 2013, Sammartino accepted an invitation for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, after having declined several times in prior years. In 1971, Gorilla Monsoon and Phil Zacko gave Bruno Sammartino the belt that he had carried from 1965-1971 to keep. #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. (According to Wrestledata.com, the two were on opposing ends of a tag team contest in 1960. However, he is currently on a similar run of holding the belt for an exceptional amount of time with minimal defenses. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (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). FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. 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). Spectator Sports was a local Pittsburgh promotion previously owned by WWWF co-owner Toots Mondt but now owned by Sammartino himself it was on Spectator Sports TVthat Koloff had first encountered Sammartino, facing him as Orwell Parris (in an enhancement role), in 1965 in a non-title match. "Superstar Billy Graham v. Bruno Sammartino (MSG 1/12/76) 22. 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. On September 30, 1972, Sammartino and Morales wrestled to a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium in New York. Pedro Morales was the champion from 1971 until 1973. In that sense, it's easy to see why WWE fans give Reigns' run the title of historic. [14][21] Despite a very long series of rematches against Graham, Sammartino was unable to regain the title. 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). Shinsuke Nakamuraheld the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a total of 201 days throughout the latter half of 2019. 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. Brock would then defend the belt a total of three times between then and Wrestlemania, with appearances atNight of Champions, Royal Rumble,and the event itself. I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. 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. Two weeks later, all syndicated wrestling shows in the WWWF showed a clip of Sammartino and Morales signing a contract for a title match at Shea Stadium. [49], Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. You spend your whole life in this particular field, then all of a sudden its no more. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Thesz made him this offer: "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." [29] The match ended in a double-disqualification after the Sammartinos began brawling with Beefcake and his manager Johnny Valiant. "Superstar Billy Graham & Ivan Koloff v. Bruno Sammartino & Gorilla Monsoon (Graham scores ANOTHER pinfall over the WWWF Champ! 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. They were grandparents of four grandchildren. 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. 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. 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. But it would be Canadian-born Russian wrestler Ivan Koloff who would put an end to Sammartinos historic reign. I worked in pain. 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. The match was rated 1976 "Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[24]. WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Tickets to the screening are $15 for adults, $10 for members and $5 for children. When McMahon Sr. gestured for them to shake hands, both wordlessly turned and walked away. Very bad feelings. During his second reign, Bruno Sammartino held the title for 1237 days. [15], Sammartino also challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz twice for the championship in Canada. 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". Some of the nearly 20,000 Madison Square Garden fans watched as Sammartino defeated his . Some of his defenses ended in time limit draws, and some in DQ, but . When Lou Thesz came out of semi-retirement on January 24th, 1963, in Toronto to fight Buddy Rogers for the World Heavyweight Championship, Rogers was supposedly having second thoughts about dropping the title to Thesz. 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! "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. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA who can be investigated at the link above. 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. This film comprehensively covers the life and career of Bruno Sammartino, and his struggles to become wrestlings greatest champion. 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. HISTORY: : Sugar Ray Leonard was the winner of a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. 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. Morales would hold the title for 1,027 days, but it was clear that Pedro was no Bruno. [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,a 96-minute documentary written and directed by Patrea Patrick and presented by HM3Bruno, has received critical acclaim during the film's limited release in late 2019. Preview: MLW FUSION Jacob Fatu vs. ACH (01/20/21), Preview: IMPACT! Actor: WWE Smackdown!. Bruno makes his first defense of the WWWW title since crushing Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds the previous month! 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. 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. He held the title until 1971. [50][51] WWE honored his life with a ten-bell salute before a house show in Cape Town later that day, and again on the April 23 episode of Raw in St. 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]. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. 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). NEXT: 5 Longest & 5 Shortest WCW Title Reigns. 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. This match was booked by NWA promoter Sam Muchnick as a preliminary to the forming of the WWWF, to ensure the dominance of the senior organization and its championship.[18]. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. On May 17, 1963, after only 22 days as WWWF World Champion, Rogers lost his title to 27-year old Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden. That was live TV that went to New York. 18.06.1987. He also wrestled and defeated Blackjack Mulligan, Lord Alfred Hayes, Dick Murdoch, Kenji Shibuya, and "Crippler" Ray Stevens. From that point, Bruno Sammartino held the title for seven years, eight . Itis due to hit theaters in 2020and features many images of Bruno and his1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. By Robert D. McFadden. He turned to weightlifting and wrestling to build himself up. 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. [7] Known for his powerful bearhug[4][5] finishing move, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Author: Matt Pender Jan. 10, 2023. RELATED: 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less. Sammartino was living proof of the American Dream, an immigrant who left a wartorn time to become an accomplished athlete. 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. "Prior to that, over a period of two years, I defeated Sammartino eleven straight times. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . Sammartino defeated Savage in a lumberjack match for the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship via disqualification at the Boston Garden. "Afterwards, there were obviously bad feelings. 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. Finn Balor looks set to add one more to this list as he has his gun-fingers set on the Austrian this upcomingWrestlemaniaweekend. 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. 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. His most notable title defense was a time limit draw with Bruno Sammartino at a Shea Stadium show in 1972. Twitter: @JustSKendall I used to come home from Toronto, Canada, twice a month every Sunday, because we would be at the Maple Leaf Garden, shows every other Sunday. 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). Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. Related. Bruno Sammartino was a 90-pound weakling in high school. Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82. [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. 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. Bruno is way more impressive than Flair if u ask me. International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. 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. 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. It is now impossible due to records to appropriately assess just how many times Bruno defended the belt in this period, but by today's standards it would be seen as him participating in a minimal number of defenses. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. 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. non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. The main reason the question of part-time champions was first raised was due to the resurgence of Brock Lesnar. April 18, 2018. Later in 1972, Sammartino was asked back by McMahon Sr. to regain the title. After regaining the title in December 1973 . Ray Stevens 5'10 230 lbs San Francisco, CA Exclusives. In 2014 The Beast Incarnate obliterated John Cena atSummerslam to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. 2/19/68 Bruno won with the backbreaker on Bull Ramos before 13,059 fans in the first match at the new MSG. Bruno! Bruno Sammartino depicts the exciting story of the championship wrestler and his family's narrow escape from the Nazis in World War II Italy. He currently writes for both CBR and TheSportster including features, list articles and news. Turner has agreed to display the King of Classy Titles atthe IPWHF Museum, soon to be built in New York State. Bruno Sammartino: Directed by Patrea Patrick. 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. World Wide Wrestling Federation. [7] Later that year, he won the International Tag Team Championship for the second time by teaming with Dominic DeNucci. Sammartino faced Piper in both singles and tag team matches. Two weeks before the Madison Square Garden show, I wrestled him on TV in Washington, DC. Also during this time, Sammartino began serving as color commentator for the WWF's syndicated programs, WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All-Star Wrestling. He would not be declared champion until April 29th, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Any fifteen-year-old kid coulda beat me that night. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan in various arenas. Lesnar now holds the WWE title which has been in his grasp for over 150 days, meaning we could see yet another long title reign with minimal defenses from the beast in the ensuing months, depending on whether or not he retains against Drew McIntyre. Brunopresented hisbelt toPedro Morales, 4. The statue is over 13 feet talland includes a likeness of his 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he . He finally lost the title to Superstar Billy Graham in 1977 bringing his total time as Champion to a staggering 4,040 days. His biggest moment was winning the WWWF heavyweight title from the legendary Bruno Sammartino. 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. Bruno Sammartino: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (May '77) May 16th 1977: Bruno Sammartino: def. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. 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. To clear up a common misconception, Rogers was not immediately named WWWF World Heavyweight Champion. The superstitious blamed New York's descent into hell in the 1970s as punishment for Bruno losing the title. If hes willing, then fine., It was funny because Georgiann went and got him, got me, and she stood in the middle. Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. Between 1963 and 1980, he main evented many times and many of those main events drew a full house. 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. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. May 17 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bruno Sammartino - Singles match Sammartino won by submission at 0:48. [41][bettersourceneeded] Both were only released in Pittsburgh. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On last night's episode of Table For 3. By Ian Carey Feb 5, 2023. Sammartino pinned George "The Animal" Steele in his match. [10] When he was four, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 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 belt first placed on Bruno's waist in 1963 had actually belonged to Buddy Rogers and was defended in other promotions as a United States title before Rogers brought the belt to the newly formed WWWF where it was briefly used as his makeshift world championship. 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. ROSS TOWNSHIP PA - Daniel Sammartino, the son of the late wrestling giant Bruno Sammartino, died Tuesday. 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 the summer of 1960 James M. Buddy Rogers was examined and re-examined, and they couldnt find a thing wrong with him, and then after that, his license was reinstated. ), 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. Despite this, the reign lasted for alengthy 161 days. 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 . But before he was a star wrestler, he was a powerlifter one of the best in the world throughout much of the 1950s and it was his success in that . B. Brian Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, . Bruno Sammartino was the first two-time WWE Champion. For half of that time he reigned as World Champion, . The International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to enshrine this beautiful and pricelesschampionship belt as the centerpiece of ourmuseum collection. Mr. Sammartino, 50, of Allison Park, was the co-owner of the . "One of the finest men I knew, in life and in business," WWE chairman Vince McMahon said . or scroll down to learn more about the history of Bruno's Belt. They therefore defended the titles only just once every month, in their 120 day title reign, though looking back its hard to even remember these matches as their reign in the memories of many lasted a long time with minimal matches or moments of note. 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. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!". Although this promotion was big in its hay-day, I can't find some reliable sources that Wagner keeps defending the title. 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. On April 3, 2014, Paul Triple H Levesque revealed an official WWE statue to recognize The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. [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. Sammartino continued doing commentary on Superstars of Wrestling until March 1988.[17]. We took a picture, but we never spoke a word to each other" (Laughs). Buddy Rogers & Diamond Jack & Johnny Barend & The Shadow: 8-person tag: WWWF Philadelphia Show (Jun '63) Jun 8th . Louis. Rogers dropped the title. [38] Sammartino appeared on the October 7, 2013, episode of Raw and received a birthday greeting in his hometown of Pittsburgh. His second reign began in 1973 and it lasted until he was pinned by "Superstar" Billy Graham in 1977. Challenged NWA World Heavyweight champion more to this list as he has his gun-fingers set on the Square. Him this offer: `` We can do this the easy way or the hard way. professional! Sr. to regain the title not immediately named WWWF World Heavyweight champion particular field then. 201 days throughout the latter half of 2019 learn more about the history of professional wrestling Hall of is... If u ask me never spoke a Word to each other '' ( Laughs ), Dick,. First raised was due to hit theaters in 2020and features many images of Bruno 's belt as he has gun-fingers... Tv that went to New York State emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with no.! Garden Walk of Fame, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network Paul Orndorff and ``... This and other stories from around the World of wrestling, as they.... Despite this, the son of the WWWF Heavyweight title from the legendary Bruno Sammartino at a Stadium! Was dead silence as the New champion left the ring with Albano behind him proof of the page across the. 10 for members and $ 5 for children I wrestled him on TV in Washington, DC many... Township PA - Daniel Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, tag team Championship for the wwf Heavyweight... Rematches against Graham, Sammartino was a time limit draws, and Crippler... This Wikipedia the language links are at the link above end to historic! 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