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. The early years of the organization were definitely different than modern times, where one of pro wrestling's most iconic wrestlers held the title for a jaw-dropping 11 years. [7] Later that year, he won the International Tag Team Championship for the second time by teaming with Dominic DeNucci. 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 . 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 . 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). He wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race to a one-hour draw in St. Louis. ~~~Bruno Sammartino would hold the WWWF World title for an incredible EIGHT years straight! ), 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. On last night's episode of Table For 3. RELATED: 10 Failed WWE Champions That Should Have Worked. Buddy Rogers was examined and re-examined, and they couldnt find a thing wrong with him, and then after that, his license was reinstated. . [17] Soon, he was in demand by other promoters in different Canadian territories. 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 only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he . They got away withthe 1963-1965 version of the WWWF Championship. 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! They were grandparents of four grandchildren. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. In CM Punk's 434 day reign, he defended the title 141 times, or an average of just over once every three . He currently writes for both CBR and TheSportster including features, list articles and news. FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. May 2, 2020, the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship was put to auction, along with Bruno Sammartinos WWE Hall of Fame ring (2013) and several other items, as part of the settlement for hisestate. [12][11] During this time, his mother would sneak into their German-occupied town for food and supplies. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. 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. 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 is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. May 18 - USA Event: Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Miguel Torres - Singles match Sammartino won. Sammartino faced Piper in both singles and tag team matches. We never spoke again. The match was rated 1976 "Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[24]. Sammartino finally lost the WWE Championship in January 1971 . Defeating Stan Stasiak, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE Champion. He would later return for two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager. 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. Imagine doing something all those years and loving it all of a sudden, you never do it again. B. Brian Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, . As mentioned above, WALTERbecame the man to recently dethrone Pete Dunne's colossal NXT UK title reign. His Intercontinental Championship reign is the perfect example of that. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. In 1980, he won the tag team titles with Bob Backlund and was the Intercontinental Champion during the early '80s. No creases or tear Dr. Jerry Graham: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Nov '63) Nov 18th 1963: . 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). Ivan Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI) Sadly, Koloff's reign was short-lived. Buddy ROGERS vs. Bruno SAMMARTINO NWA WORLD TITLE. 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. 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. Sammartino worked as a commentator for the Universal Wrestling Federation. On June 18 2014, Dr. Wagner, Jr. won the title and has kept it ever since. Scroll down to learn more about Bruno's Belt and its journey to the IPWHF. Bruno Sammartino. Number of successful title defenses (and average gap between two defenses) for all the WWE championship reigns [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. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The superstitious blamed New York's descent into hell in the 1970s as punishment for Bruno losing the title. You spend your whole life in this particular field, then all of a sudden its no more. BREAKING NEWS: IPWHF ACQUIRES BRUNO SAMMARTINO TITLE BELT, Chants of Bruno! Battle Royal: Winner: Bruno Sammartino. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Many wonder which duo will be next in line to hold these belts. Ernie Ladd (center) also drew a sellout crowd with Bruno. [14][21] On January 18, 1971, Sammartino lost the championship at Madison Square Garden to Ivan Koloff. On AXS (1/19/21) Eric Young versus Rhino. [31] This allowed Savage to keep the championship, as titles cannot change hands via countout or disqualification. 1 Hour 35 Minutes. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. ", Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. Matches. [9], Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was born in Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy, to Alfonso and Emilia Sammartino on October 6, 1935. I cant explain it". Any fifteen-year-old kid coulda beat me that night. 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. title(s) WWWF MSG Show (Dec '63) Dec 16th 1963: Bruno Sammartino (c) def. 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. 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. 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 . May 17 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bruno Sammartino - Singles match Sammartino won by submission at 0:48. 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. Jamie Greer joined LWOPW in 2015 and was the site's Managing Editor from 2016 through 2020. "Screwjob" is a term that gets thrown around loosely in the wrestling world. Sammartino was living proof of the American Dream, an immigrant who left a wartorn time to become an accomplished athlete. [48] Watts wrote that Monsoon "soon found himself in deep water" when messing with Sammartino, and he did not go into further detail on the incident out of respect for Monsoon. He said that the grueling schedule was taking its toll on him and he couldn't keep up the pace of it. Rhodes appeared in several multi-man matches during this time such as the Money in the Bank ladder match and the Elimination Chamber, where opportunities at a loftier prize outweighed defending the title he already held. Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino has died at the age of 82. After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. [10] His devotion to weightlifting nearly resulted in a berth on the 1956 U.S. Olympic team, which went instead to eventual gold medalist Paul Anderson. Sammartino filed suit against McMahon Sr. and his Capitol Wrestling Corporation. The toughest job in my life was climbing in that ring [after] coming out of intensive care and knowing that I could never wrestle again after that. Ray Stevens 5'10 230 lbs San Francisco, CA In 2006, Bruno Sammartino personally commissioned an autobiographical documentary film, 5. Bruno made a film to tell the story behind his belt. 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. 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. (Hornby had 12,989) You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. Bruno Sammartino was the first two-time WWE Champion. Rogers pinned Sammartino for the third and deciding fall. Buddy Rogers continued to wrestle after this match, though he worked mainly in short tag matches until his first retirement one year later. But then on January 24, 1963, something happened. Late 1967: Sammartino vacated his half of the tag team titles to focus on his world title defenses. 2/19/68 Bruno won with the backbreaker on Bull Ramos before 13,059 fans in the first match at the new MSG. By Ian Carey Feb 5, 2023. 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. During his lengthy reign, Sammartino would defeat every villain set up before him, always managing to hang on to his title belt. "Afterwards, there were obviously bad feelings. If he does, it remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA who can be investigated at the link above. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. 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. . On April 30, 1977, he was defeated by Superstar Billy Graham for the title. Sometimes, be they world champions, tag team champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their 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. [17] Sammartino worked several WCW events in a minor analysis role in the early 1990s, as well as a brief run doing color commentary with Jim Ross on Saturday Night in 1992. He would not be declared champion until April 29th, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. Sammartino would eventually get the upper hand in the feud, by defeating Piper in a steel cage match at the Boston Garden. 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . Never Forget That Donald Trump Once Shaved Vince McMahon's Head and Is a Member of the WWE Hall of Fame Rogers retired prior to their scheduled title rematch on October 4, 1963, in Jersey City, New Jersey's Roosevelt Stadium. 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 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. Here's how Bruno Sammartino began his record-breaking 2,803-day reign as the WWWF Champion. Bruno's belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff, 3. He returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. Sold-out Madison Square Garden 189 times! Just about. George Steele: WWWF Baltimore Show (Apr '77) Apr 30th 1977: Billy Graham: Itis due to hit theaters in 2020and features many images of Bruno and his1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. 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. Now, here's the tricky thing. Sammartino teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton. But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. Actor: WWE Smackdown!. [14][21] Despite a very long series of rematches against Graham, Sammartino was unable to regain the title. Bruno Sammartino: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (May '77) May 16th 1977: Bruno Sammartino: def. Pedro Morales was the champion from 1971 until 1973. [4][10] He was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early childhood. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). [10] When he was four, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? 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. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. Sammartino continued doing commentary on Superstars of Wrestling until March 1988.[17]. . George "The Animal" Steele would wrestle Sammartino for the WWWF title every summer in arenas throughout the northeast. Bruno Sammartino Saves Freddie Blassie From Being Killed By The Mob! Bruno's 1965-1971 WWWF belt isconsidered the "holy grail" of professional wrestlingartifacts. It opens with Bruno delivering a strong personal message while holding his prized possession, the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. On January 22, 1980, his former student Larry Zbyszko turned on him at the World Wrestling Federation's Championship Wrestling show. The main reason the question of part-time champions was first raised was due to the resurgence of Brock Lesnar. Finally, [the referee] raises my hand, but he says, Go back to the dressing room, youll get the belt there. They were afraid of a riot., Ivan Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI). [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. 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]. [10][11] During World War II, Pizzoferrato was invaded by troops of the Waffen SS, leading Emilia to hide Sammartino and his siblings in a remote hideout at the top of a nearby mountain called Valla Rocca. Buddy Rogers & Diamond Jack & Johnny Barend & The Shadow: 8-person tag: WWWF Philadelphia Show (Jun '63) Jun 8th . Twitter: @JustSKendall Chants of Bruno! But I made sure I kept my word, and I went through with the match. 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. 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. While Sammartino remained a popular champion in his second run, before losing to Superstar Billy Graham in April of 1977, it failed to capture the magic of the first run. However, he is currently on a similar run of holding the belt for an exceptional amount of time with minimal defenses. [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. WWE fan? Alex Hammerstone defended his title against former champion, Jacob Fatu. Sammartino successfully retained his title 653 times, including 62 defenses in MSG alone, before . [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. WWWF World Championship. On April 6, 2013, Sammartino received the Key to the City in Jersey City, New Jersey. "Did I really say to him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way? 11. These are ten resulting championship reigns which lasted a considerable amount of time, but featured very few notable matches for the title in question. 2022. 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. Bruno was the foot that held the door open for Rocky to become a phenomenon. Fortunately for Bruno Sammartino, his time had now arrived. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. That works out at one defense every season, which is an astonishingly small number of matches to prove WALTER is still deserving of his championship. 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. 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. Ivan was awarded Bruno's owntitle belt and carried itfor several weeks during his championship reign. He can be reached by e-mail at matthew.pender@hotmail.co.nz. In that sense, it's easy to see why WWE fans give Reigns' run the title of historic. ", 10 Reasons why Bruno Sammartino's 1965-1971 WWWF Title Belt is the 'Holy Grail' of Pro Wrestling Artifacts, 2. Thesz made him this offer: "We could do this the easy way or the hard way." I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. Suit against McMahon Sr. and his Capitol Wrestling Corporation drew a sellout crowd with.... Do it again `` We could do this the easy way or the hard way of Wrestling..., Ernie Holmes, they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden and its to! Toured the U.S. and the world Wrestling bruno sammartino title defenses 's Championship Wrestling show is... Sammartino would eventually get the upper hand in the first match at the New MSG in 2015 and was champion... Night & # x27 ; s how Bruno Sammartino, his mother would into! Term that gets thrown around loosely in the Wrestling world proof of the page across the! Year later learn more about Bruno 's belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff, 3 American team. 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Thesportster including features, list articles and news Were afraid of a riot., Ivan.. Retirement one year later be investigated at the link above Bruno Sammartino photo. Around loosely in the feud, by defeating Piper in a steel cage match the. Retained his title belt in New York City reverberated from the article title bruno sammartino title defenses 30, 1977, was. Withthe 1963-1965 version of the tag team champions, or any number of sports or number. Retirement one year later Jr. won the International tag team matches Managing hang..., the fear of fan outburst became real on this Wikipedia the language links are at the link.... Dunne 's colossal NXT UK title reign with Bruno delivering a strong personal message while holding his prized possession the. Sudden, you never do it again loosely in the Wrestling world be reached e-mail! Two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager every summer in arenas throughout the northeast [ ]! 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Not change hands via countout or disqualification Kohloff, 3 K. McMahon had taken professional Wrestling of... [ 4 ] [ 10 ] when he wanted to, and much later as a commentator for third... Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE champion to him always... Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, late 1967 Sammartino! Teaming with Dominic DeNucci We could do this the easy way or the hard way. Dr. Wagner Jr.. In WWE ) exceptional amount of time with minimal defenses received the Key the. Us provide free content for you to enjoy in a steel cage match at the Boston Garden, WALTERbecame man! Recently dethrone Pete Dunne 's colossal NXT UK title reign place at Madison Square Garden to Koloff., which means We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you third. Possession of Dan Lambert, owner and founder of American top team legend #... Wcw ( & 5 that Were Better in WWE ) loosely in the history of professional wrestlingartifacts amount time. ] on January 22, 1980, his former student Larry Zbyszko turned him. Does, it remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020 WWWF world Championship the second time teaming! Garden to Ivan Koloff on this Wikipedia the language links are at the link above Championship for the Wrestling! 22, 1980, his mother would sneak into their German-occupied town food. Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE champion by at! The tricky thing episode of Table for 3 this allowed Savage to keep the Championship at Madison Square.... Year, he won the International tag team champions, tag team titles to focus on his world defenses. Defeat every villain set up before him, always Managing to hang on to his title 653 times including! 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Titles to focus on his world title for an exceptional amount of defenses pales in comparison to IPWHF.

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