21.07.1973 - 05.01.1974. or scroll down to learn more about the history of Bruno's Belt. Page 12, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 18, 1963. In the many years that have since passed, the phrase, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!" His Intercontinental Championship reign is the perfect example of that. [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. 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. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Very bad feelings. Bruno Sammartino: Directed by Patrea Patrick. 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. 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. RELATED: 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less. #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. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! California honored the other state's suspension, leaving Sammartino out of work. Buddy Rogers continued to wrestle after this match, though he worked mainly in short tag matches until his first retirement one year later. . Finn Balor looks set to add one more to this list as he has his gun-fingers set on the Austrian this upcomingWrestlemaniaweekend. 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. The fact that he has the all-time longest title reign in WWE history is apropos for a man . WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. 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. often gets attributed to other wrestling stories. Sammartino pinned George "The Animal" Steele in his match. COVID-19 tripped those plans and the "new" film was released in the spring of 2022. 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]. On February 20 2012, Wagner beat Bruno Sammartino's record, and as of today, has kept the title for over 3195 days. 3.0 3 Ratings. That record will never be broken. The following title matches feature the WWE Championship. May 13 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bobo Brazil - Singles match Brazil won by disqualification. On May 17, 1963, Bruno Sammartino made history by defeating Buddy Rogers for the WWE Championship then known as the WWWF Championship in Madison Square Garden. Bruno makes his first defense of the WWWW title since crushing Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds the previous month! On April 6, 2013, Sammartino received the Key to the City in Jersey City, New Jersey. 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. Presented here is Sugar Ray Leonard signed photo. 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. In 2019, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legendwas released. 1963 - Bulldog Brower and Johnny Valentine defeat Bruno Sammartino and Whipper Billy Watson to win the Toronto NWA International Tag Team Title in Toronto, Ontario. 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). Louis. [4][10] He was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early childhood. 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. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). I knew it was all done; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did. Over the course of his record-breaking run, Sammartino successfully retained his title 653 times, including 62 defenses in MSG alone. Bruno chose a photo with his 1965 belt for the cover of his autobiography, Bruno Sammartino:The Autobiography of Wrestlings Living Legend, 8. On April 3, 2014, Paul Triple H Levesque revealed an official WWE statue to recognize The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. 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. 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. 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. But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. I was so beat in so many ways; I was never one to even take an aspirin. Indianpolis, Indiana: . ~~~Bruno Sammartino would hold the WWWF World title for an incredible EIGHT years straight! He went on to win the World Welterweight and Middleweight Titles. [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. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. Imagine doing something all those years and loving it all of a sudden, you never do it again. 11. Soon after, Sammartino and then champion Pedro Morales teamed up for a series of tag team matches. Any fifteen-year-old kid coulda beat me that night. 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. May 18 - USA Event: Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Miguel Torres - Singles match Sammartino won. [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. Now, here's the tricky thing. On September 27, 1965, Bruno wrestled Tarzan Tyler in Madison Square Garden. Bruno Sammartino: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (May '77) May 16th 1977: Bruno Sammartino: def. In 2014 The Beast Incarnate obliterated John Cena atSummerslam to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Can you imagine it? [20] Sammartino held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for seven years, eight months, and one day (2,803 days). Dr. Jerry Graham: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Nov '63) Nov 18th 1963: . Ivan Koloff was actually a pro wrestler from Montreal, Quebec in Canada, and after starting out in the Canadian indies in 1961, soon adopted a Russian gimmick, under the name Ivan Zukoff. 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. The Northeast would soon break away from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later known as the WWF and WWE today). He held the World Wide Wrestling Federation title for more than 11 years, from 1963 to1971, and again from 1973 to1977. 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. Bobo Brazil & Bruno Sammartino & Buddy Austin & Pedro Morales: def. He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. Yet few people know all the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail' of professional wrestling artifacts. . It was my whole life. In that sense, it's easy to see why WWE fans give Reigns' run the title of historic. Itis due to hit theaters in 2020and features many images of Bruno and his1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. . Bruno Sammartino, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is known as professional wrestling's Living Legend. After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. 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. [31] This allowed Savage to keep the championship, as titles cannot change hands via countout or disqualification. Irvin Muchnick mentioned the incident in his book, Wrestling Babylon. [49], Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. Also during this time, Sammartino began serving as color commentator for the WWF's syndicated programs, WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All-Star Wrestling. Matches. B. Brian Blair, Big John Studd, Bill Fralic, Bret Hart, Bruno Sammartino, Danny Spivey, Ernie Holmes, . 7 WWE Hall of Fame Stories WWE Doesnt Want You To Know! His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. Any working guy could relate to Bruno the way they related to Steve Austin many years later. Sammartino retired from North American wrestling full-time in 1981,[10] in a match that opened the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he . These are ten resulting championship reigns which lasted a considerable amount of time, but featured very few notable matches for the title in question. Interestingly, Thesz beat Rogers in a three falls rematch on February 7th, 1963, in Toronto, a result often forgotten. Sammartino was the longest-reigning champion in the history of what's now known as WWE. 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. 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. Rogers would then drop the title a month later to Bruno Sammartino in less than a minute. 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". [14][21] On January 18, 1971, Sammartino lost the championship at Madison Square Garden to Ivan Koloff. It was no different on the night of May 17, 1963, whenBruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. He wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race to a one-hour draw in St. Louis. 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. [41][bettersourceneeded] Both were only released in Pittsburgh. I worked in pain. In winning the title, Sammartino became the second WWE Champion in the company's history and did so in just 48 seconds. 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. [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. Dumpster match, multiple title defenses. Sammartino would go on to hold the title for 2,803 days, nearly eight years(! "Did I really say to him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way? In 2013, Sammartino appeared as one of the Board of Governors in the nationally televised 69th Annual Columbus Day Parade. [17] Soon, he was in demand by other promoters in different Canadian territories. Buddy Rogers was examined and re-examined, and they couldnt find a thing wrong with him, and then after that, his license was reinstated. Pete Dunne is only the second man in company history to hold the WWE NXT United Kingdom Championship, a belt he held for an overwhelming 685 days. Buddy Rogers was wrestling every day and he was NOT in a hospital. In CM Punk's 434 day reign, he defended the title 141 times, or an average of just over once every three . And it was 50-years ago this week that that legendary run came to a shocking end in Madison Square Garden. [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. Late 1967: Sammartino vacated his half of the tag team titles to focus on his world title defenses. 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 . Sammartino teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton. 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. While on his way to California, he missed two bookings in Baltimore and Chicago, and as a result was suspended in those territories. Can we bury the hatchet more or less, and well take a picture, and Ill stand between the two of you, So, I told her, Well, I dont want to keep holding grudges. The reason for the split was because Northeast promoters Toots Mondt and Vince McMahon, Sr. controlled Buddy Rogers bookings and wanted to keep Rogers (and the title) in the Northeast. [7] Later that year, he won the International Tag Team Championship for the second time by teaming with Dominic DeNucci. He would later return for two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager. As mentioned above, WALTERbecame the man to recently dethrone Pete Dunne's colossal NXT UK title reign. Their feud culminated on August 9, 1980, in front of 36,295 fans at Shea Stadium. WWWF Heavyweight Champion (2x) 1237 days. But it wasnt just any new championship victory Koloff became the first man to pin Bruno Sammartino in a WWF World title match in 2,803 days, ending a reign that lasted nearly eight years. title(s) WWWF MSG Show (Dec '63) Dec 16th 1963: Bruno Sammartino (c) def. He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. 10. They couldnt believe Bruno got defeated after seven years as champion. Pedro Morales was the champion from 1971 until 1973. 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. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. The program will feature commentary by Richert and by Darryl Sammartino, Bruno's son, per the release. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. [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. Though they appeared on-screen a fairly considerable amount during this time, the cocky heels were unwilling to perform with their belts on the line very regularly in the earlier days of NXT. [29] The match ended in a double-disqualification after the Sammartinos began brawling with Beefcake and his manager Johnny Valiant. On May 8, 2017, a statue of Bruno Sammartino was unveiled in his hometown of Pizzoferrato, Italy. I had seen wrestlers stopped from going to the ring because something wasnt right". 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. 2/19/68 Bruno won with the backbreaker on Bull Ramos before 13,059 fans in the first match at the new MSG. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA who can be investigated at the link above. 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. 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 . 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). 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. [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 had the belt polished andthen maintained personal ownership of his prized possession until he passed away on April 18, 2018. I was in that hospital for up to 5 days before I wrestled. 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. 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. [4], He also became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show. 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. Bruno Sammartino is . 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. 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! That firstbelt has been missing for over 50 years and, though still considered stolen property, it is unlikely to be recovered. 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. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . 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