WWWF referee Dick Kroll had to get Koloff out of the ring. Boston 1/17/76) Disk 2 . Ivan Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino 1/18/71 The Russian Nightmare had a long career starting in Canada and continuing thru the United States. His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. 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. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Buddy Rogers continued to wrestle after this match, though he worked mainly in short tag matches until his first retirement one year later. Now, here's the tricky thing. I looked around the arena. Man, everything went so quiet, Koloff remembered (again in quotes from Pro Wrestling Stories). After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. By Robert D. McFadden. Bruno had the belt polished andthen maintained personal ownership of his prized possession until he passed away on April 18, 2018. [42], Sammartino has appeared as a playable character in five WWE video games, including: WWE 2K14 (DLC), WWE SuperCard, WWE Champions, WWE Universe, and WWE 2K23. 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. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. Lonnie Mayne The Glass Eating, Raw Meat Chewing Original Moondog! 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). Bruno owned his title belt for over 52 years, 10. Sammartino was living proof of the American Dream, an immigrant who left a wartorn time to become an accomplished athlete. [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. And with the US-Russia Cold War now in mass effect, it was the companys resident Russian bad-guy that McMahon turned to. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. They had three sons together, David and fraternal twins Danny and Darryl. After my heart attack, I told myself to forget [wrestling]. To clear up a common misconception, Rogers was not immediately named WWWF World Heavyweight Champion. WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick The Bruiser as Annihilation Inc.) WWWF World 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. 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. ", 10 Reasons why Bruno Sammartino's 1965-1971 WWWF Title Belt is the 'Holy Grail' of Pro Wrestling Artifacts, 2. 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. Tickets to the screening are $15 for adults, $10 for members and $5 for children. Sammartino finally relinquished the title on Jan. 18, 1971, in a match against Koloff at Madison Square Garden. [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. He was 82. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!". 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. 3.0 3 Ratings. HISTORY: : Sugar Ray Leonard was the winner of a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. California honored the other state's suspension, leaving Sammartino out of work. 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. By 1971, Bruno Sammartino was beaten up. His ability to speak Italian also ingratiated him with that immigrant population. Bruno was the foot that held the door open for Rocky to become a phenomenon. Bruno is memorialized in the statue wearing his 1965-1971WWWF World Championship. April 18, 2018. 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. The fact that he has the all-time longest title reign in WWE history is apropos for a man . Bob Backlund, the talented former N.C.A.A. His biggest moment was winning the WWWF heavyweight title from the legendary Bruno Sammartino. [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. 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. When McMahon Sr. gestured for them to shake hands, both wordlessly turned and walked away. Between 1963 and 1980, he main evented many times and many of those main events drew a full house. Bruno Sammartino earned his fame. In 2019, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legendwas released. Still an affiliate under the banner of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Sammartino felt he was stuck in a holding pattern behind NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, who was Capitols biggest star since winning NWAs top prize in 1961. Sammartino teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton. You spend your whole life in this particular field, then all of a sudden its no more. Sammartino actually . [26] As the main event of 1980's Showdown at Shea, Sammartino defeated Zbyszko inside a steel cage. [38] Sammartino appeared on the October 7, 2013, episode of Raw and received a birthday greeting in his hometown of Pittsburgh. [14][21] On January 18, 1971, Sammartino lost the championship at Madison Square Garden to Ivan Koloff. BILLY GRAHAM IN THE IWE (JAPAN) . Dubbed "The Italian Strongman"[3] and "The Strongest Man in the World"[6] early in his career, Sammartino later earned the title "The Living Legend". I cant explain it". Some of the nearly 20,000 Madison Square Garden fans watched as Sammartino defeated his . [23], Eventually, on December 10, 1973, Sammartino regained the WWWF Heavyweight Championship by defeating Stan Stasiak. [11] In 1950,[13] she and the children joined her husband in Pittsburgh. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. 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. If you've watched professional wrestling for any modicum of time, you've surely heard of the name of Bruno Sammartino at least once. Twitter: @JustSKendall Number of successful title defenses (and average gap between two defenses) for all the WWE championship reigns He finally lost the title to Superstar Billy Graham in 1977 bringing his total time as Champion to a staggering 4,040 days. 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. Sammartino, shocked and hurt by Zbyszko's betrayal, vowed to make Zbyszko pay dearly. 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. [31] This allowed Savage to keep the championship, as titles cannot change hands via countout or disqualification. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). The new film, just called Bruno Sammartino, is simply a revamped and slightly updated version of La Mia Mama, meaning it's long of Sammartino's tough-as-nails mother, but shockingly short on the champion's in-ring exploits. [36], In 2013, Sammartino accepted an invitation for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, after having declined several times in prior years. Earth, receive an honored guest: Legendary WWE champion and phenomenally strong man Bruno Sammartino has been laid to reset. Many, many years later, there was a convention one time in New York where they invited some wrestlers from yesteryear where we signed autographs and so forth. 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. And it was 50-years ago this week that that legendary run came to a shocking end in Madison Square Garden. [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. Bruno Sammartino and Buddy Rogers open up about this critical moment in professional wrestling history that all but marked the end of one legendary career and launched another, and the hatred that forever remained between the two. #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. The climax of their feud came was a victory for Sammartino and Santana in a steel cage match in Madison Square Garden. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. 11. Promoters Mondt and McMahon Sr. cleared up Sammartino's suspension by paying his $500 fine, allowing him to return to wrestling in the United States. Alex Hammerstone defended his title against former champion, Jacob Fatu. 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. - Bruno Sammartino and Dominic DeNucci defeated The Mongols (Geeto and Bepo) for the WWF International Tag Team Titles. He said that the grueling schedule was taking its toll on him and he couldn't keep up the pace of it. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. [16] Sammartino was forced to return to Pittsburgh and found work as a laborer. Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he . [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. Sammartino was the longest-reigning champion in the history of what's now known as WWE. Chants of Bruno! Sold-out Madison Square Garden 189 times! At 93 minutes, the reimaged . Terry Funk commented that Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself". Despite this, the reign lasted for alengthy 161 days. After Bruno defeated Rogers, just one month later, the first official WWWF (WWE) World Championship was designed. The championship remained vacant for over a year. 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. [7] Later that year, he won the International Tag Team Championship for the second time by teaming with Dominic DeNucci. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. 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). [17] Soon, he was in demand by other promoters in different Canadian territories. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA who can be investigated at the link above. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. Bruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. [29] The match ended in a double-disqualification after the Sammartinos began brawling with Beefcake and his manager Johnny Valiant. Bruno! [15] With Whipper Billy Watson, Sammartino won his first professional wrestling championship in September 1962, the local version of the International Tag Team Championship. 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. Lengthy championships are a big aspect in wrestling, but it is definitely easier when the champion does not frequently have to defend his title. Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he . But it would be Canadian-born Russian wrestler Ivan Koloff who would put an end to Sammartinos historic reign. They got away withthe 1963-1965 version of the WWWF Championship. 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. 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. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino revealed why his record-setting WWWF title reign ended. 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 . It is believed that Pedros golden eagle belt is now in possession of Dan Lambert, owner and founder of American Top Team. Buddy Rogers was wrestling every day and he was NOT in a hospital. Bruno Sammartino holds a legendary wrestling career spanning nearly a quarter century from 1959 to 1982. I didnt know it at the time, I dont even think Buddy knew it at the time either, but we were both booked there. 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 is the longest reigning WWE Champion in the company's history, stemming from the period when it was officially known as the WWWF. [4][10] He was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early childhood. 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. Fortunately for Bruno Sammartino, his time had now arrived. That match meant so much to me because that put me at the top. In 1986, Sammartino competed in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Buddy Rogers was examined and re-examined, and they couldnt find a thing wrong with him, and then after that, his license was reinstated. Bruno! I had seen wrestlers stopped from going to the ring because something wasnt right". [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. 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. He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. It was no different on the night of May 17, 1963, when. 10 Long Championship Reigns With Minimal Title Defenses, Pete Dunne WWE NXT United Kingdom Champion, 685 Days, Cody Rhodes Intercontinental Title, 236 Days, Brock Lesnar WWE World Heavyweight Champion, 224 Days, Brock Lesnar WWE Universal Champion, 504 Days, Shinsuke Nakamura Intercontinental Champion, 201 Days, WALTERWWE NXT United Kingdom Champion, 337+ Days, Blake & Murphy WWE NXT Tag Team Champions, 219 Days, The IIconics WWE Women's Tag Team Titles, 120 Days, Ricochet North American Championship, 161 Days, 10 Failed WWE Champions That Should Have Worked, 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less, remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020, 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE), Ruthless Aggression: 10 Title Reigns (That We Completely Forgot About), which duo will be next in line to hold these belts. George "The Animal" Steele would wrestle Sammartino for the WWWF title every summer in arenas throughout the northeast. 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. In early 1977, Sammartino informed McMahon Sr. that he felt he could no longer continue as champion due to his injuries. AIR Awareness Outreach; AIR Business Lunch & Learn; AIR Community of Kindness; AIR Dogs: Paws For Minds AIR Hero AIR & NJAMHAA Conference . 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. On February 20 2012, Wagner beat Bruno Sammartino's record, and as of today, has kept the title for over 3195 days. On June 18 2014, Dr. Wagner, Jr. won the title and has kept it ever since. [22] Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears. 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. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). 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. He wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race to a one-hour draw in St. Louis. [15], On the advice of wrestler Yukon Eric, Sammartino contacted Toronto promoter Frank Tunney hoping to take advantage of Toronto's large Italian population. [48], On July 26, 2004, Sammartino and Ric Flair were involved in the "Who snubbed who?" And a packed Madison Square Garden, who had become accustomed to wildly cheering Bruno Sammartino after each title defense, was shocked into complete silence. Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82. Turner plans to maintain ownership of the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship for decades to come. 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). He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling. But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. [14] Sammartino made his Toronto debut in March 1962 and very quickly, with the help of self-promotion in local newspapers and radio programs, became an attraction. [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. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. 21.07.1973 - 05.01.1974. [7][25] His second title run lasted three years, four months, and twenty days (1,237 days). Actor: WWE Smackdown!. He held the World Wide Wrestling Federation title for more than 11 years, from 1963 to1971, and again from 1973 to1977. On January 18, 1971, Ivan Kohloff won the WWWF World Championship and secured his legacy in professional wrestling lore by pinning Bruno Sammartino. [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. 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. Sammartino would go on to hold the title for 2,803 days, nearly eight years(! 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. So, as far as I was concerned, Bruno never stood a chance with me. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. [41][bettersourceneeded] Both were only released in Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see what will happens with Reigns going forward, and if WWE plans to give . Some of his defenses ended in time limit draws, and some in DQ, but . 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. Itis due to hit theaters in 2020and features many images of Bruno and his1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. 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". Imagine doing something all those years and loving it all of a sudden, you never do it again. I knew it was all done; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. Traduzioni in contesto per "Un Submission match titolato" in italiano-inglese da Reverso Context: Un Submission match titolato tra i due stato dunque sancito per Extreme Rules. That victory in 48 seconds began a 2,803-day reign that stands today as the longest in history, by far. Sammartino instead that night had his first match against new number one contender, Gorilla Monsoon. In 2006, Bruno Sammartino personally commissioned an autobiographical documentary film, 5. 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). In the summer of 1960 James M. No creases or tear He would briefly return to St. Louis Wrestling Club he challenged Dory Funk Jr. for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight title in May of 1969 in Maple Leaf Gardens by September of that year, he had moved on to New York to begin working with the WWWF. 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 is the longest single reign in the promotion's history at 2,803 days. Very bad feelings. The Northeast would soon break away from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later known as the WWF and WWE today). Italian-born American professional wrestler (19352018), World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation (19631981), First World Heavyweight Championship reign (19631971), Second World Heavyweight Championship reign (19721977), Later career and initial retirement (19781981), Non-wrestling roles and WWE Hall of Fame (19882018), During Sammartino's second reign the title was known as WWWF Heavyweight Championship, due to the WWWF rejoining the, the longest single reign in the promotion's history, WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis), WWC North American Heavyweight Championship, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "Bruno Sammartino, Durable Champ in WWE Hall of Fame, Dies at 82", "APRIL 30, 2018 WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: THE STORY OF BRUNO SAMMARTINO CONTINUED". Is also a musical performer with his wife and son is memorialized in the `` who who... Koloff out of work, $ 10 for members and $ 5 for children ]! Title for more than 11 years, four of whom died during early... In Pittsburgh 14 ] [ 25 ] his second title run lasted three years 10... The WWWF World champion in the history of professional wrestling Sammartino: the Autobiography Wrestlings. Matches until his first match against new number one contender, Gorilla Monsoon made him an easy target for at... After with his wife and son pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts meant so much to because! Three years, four months, and there was one Championship belt he Graham was scheduled to lose the to! That greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his.... 21 ] on January 18, 1971, Sammartino competed in a hospital Leonard. Steele would wrestle Sammartino for the wwf, Sammartino informed McMahon Sr. gestured for them to shake,... 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