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. Bruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. 5 Bruno Sammartino WWE Champion, 2803 Days. FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. May 20 - USA Event: Bruno . Ivan Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI) Sadly, Koloff's reign was short-lived. There are paper champions, there are fighting champions, and there are champions who scarcely put their gold up for grabs. Actor: WWE Smackdown!. 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. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. 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. 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). The statue is over 13 feet talland includes a likeness of his 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. He held the World Wide Wrestling Federation titlefor more than 11 years, from1963to1971, and again from 1973 to1977. 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. I went in that ring". May 18 - USA Event: Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Miguel Torres - Singles match Sammartino won. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. But this is the precise difference, as wrestling in Sammartino's day was very different compared to how it is today. The other NWA members were not pleased with the situation, and this led to the split. In early 1977, Sammartino informed McMahon Sr. that he felt he could no longer continue as champion due to his injuries. 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 home. Ivan Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino 1/18/71 The Russian Nightmare had a long career starting in Canada and continuing thru the United States. As mentioned above, WALTERbecame the man to recently dethrone Pete Dunne's colossal NXT UK title reign. Buddy Rogers made these claims in a couple of appearances that he made after losing the belt. 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. Bruno's belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff, 3. In 2013, Sammartino appeared as one of the Board of Governors in the nationally televised 69th Annual Columbus Day Parade. Sammartino teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton. Fortunately for Bruno Sammartino, his time had now arrived. Scroll down to learn more about Bruno's Belt and its journey to the IPWHF. COVID-19 tripped those plans and the "new" film was released in the spring of 2022. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. [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. Lonnie Mayne The Glass Eating, Raw Meat Chewing Original Moondog! 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]. non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. 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 . ROSS TOWNSHIP PA - Daniel Sammartino, the son of the late wrestling giant Bruno Sammartino, died Tuesday. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? 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. Over the course of his record-breaking run, Sammartino successfully retained his title 653 times, including 62 defenses in MSG alone. 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. 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. This film comprehensively covers the life and career of Bruno Sammartino, and his struggles to become wrestlings greatest champion. Bruno's belt now appearsin an acclaimed film, 9. It is believed that Pedros golden eagle belt is now in possession of Dan Lambert, owner and founder of American Top Team. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. Despite this, the reign lasted for alengthy 161 days. HISTORY: : Sugar Ray Leonard was the winner of a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. 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. 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. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! [12][11] During this time, his mother would sneak into their German-occupied town for food and supplies. They couldnt believe Bruno got defeated after seven years as champion. 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. [10] When he was four, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bruno is way more impressive than Flair if u ask me. 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. In that sense, it's easy to see why WWE fans give Reigns' run the title of historic. Bruno Sammartino was a 90-pound weakling in high school. 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. You dont get another penny out of that field; you dont have anything to do with that field. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. During his second reign, Bruno Sammartino held the title for 1237 days. He turned to weightlifting and wrestling to build himself up. [5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. 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. 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. He will be remembered as one of the greatest champions in wrestling history, with a combined title reign of over 11 years and more than . I was just so exhausted It became clear to Vince McMahon Sr. that his World Champion was gassed. 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. 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. 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. 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. [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. He said that the grueling schedule was taking its toll on him and he couldn't keep up the pace of it. So, as far as I was concerned, Bruno never stood a chance with me. He has now held the belt for 337 days, almost a full calendar year, and yet in that time has only performed in 4 major televised title defenses. [15] In his autobiography, Sammartino states that he believed McMahon set him up, by double-booking him and not informing him of his match in Baltimore, as a way of punishment. But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. 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? 10/23/67 Bruno defeated Hans Mortier 6,612 paid $18,136.10. [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. 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 George "The Animal" Steele would wrestle Sammartino for the WWWF title every summer in arenas throughout the northeast. Many other belts would come his way in his long storied career as well. 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. Defeating Stan Stasiak, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE Champion. [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. He successfully defended the belt against both Ali and The Miz before being recently dethroned by Braun Strowman on the lastWWE Smackdownepisode in January. It took 14 minutes and 55 seconds for Ivan Koloff to defeat Bruno Sammartino that night in New York City. WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. 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. And it was 50-years ago this week that that legendary run came to a shocking end in Madison Square Garden. 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. Yet few people know all the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail' of professional wrestling artifacts. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. 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. In the summer of 1960 James M. [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. George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: [4][10] He was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early childhood. Just 48 seconds later, Bruno Sammartino was the new champ, and a hero was born. Arguably the greatest wrestling champion of all time. In 1971, Gorilla Monsoon and Phil Zacko gave Bruno Sammartino the belt that he had carried from 1965-1971 to keep. Can you imagine it? "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!". 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. That victory in 48 seconds began a 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far. After my heart attack, I told myself to forget [wrestling]. ~~~Bruno Sammartino would hold the WWWF World title for an incredible EIGHT years straight! [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. #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. 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 . While nearly all the NWA territories were in favor of the new Champion in the NWA, one promotion was not McMahons Capitol Wrestling. 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. 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. On AXS (1/19/21) Eric Young versus Rhino. [7] During his second reign, on April 26, 1976, Sammartino suffered a legitimate neck fracture in a match against Stan Hansen at Madison Square Garden, when Hansen improperly executed a move and dropped Sammartino on his head. [49], Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. Sammartino filed suit against McMahon Sr. and his Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Pedro Morales was the champion from 1971 until 1973. 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. Seth Turner, President of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, successfully procured the belt. Following the match, thieves smashed a window and broke into Brunos car while he was having dinner. (1965-1971) Bruno Sammartino is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. The fact that he has the all-time longest title reign in WWE history is apropos for a man . You couldnt achieve a higher goal than winning the title. [38] Sammartino appeared on the October 7, 2013, episode of Raw and received a birthday greeting in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Pro wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino dies at 82, "Without Toronto, there would have been no Bruno Sammartino", "10 championships you never knew existed in WWE", "Remembering Bruno Sammartino, the singular face of a bygone pro wrestling era", Bruno Sammartino v. 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