Dr. Jerry Graham: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Nov '63) Nov 18th 1963: . [10], When the Sammartinos arrived in the U.S., Bruno spoke no English and was sickly from the privations of the war years. 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 . [5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. WWF House Show - House Show @ Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. 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 Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI) Sadly, Koloff's reign was short-lived. 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. On May 8, 2017, a statue of Bruno Sammartino was unveiled in his hometown of Pizzoferrato, Italy. It was my whole life. or scroll down to learn more about the history of Bruno's Belt. They had a show at the Civic Arena, but those were the days of the Buddy Rogers era, and Vince McMahon Sr. was trying to get me to come back because he saw my success in Canada. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . Buddy Rogers was examined and re-examined, and they couldnt find a thing wrong with him, and then after that, his license was reinstated. "Close to working that schedule for eight years, I told Vince McMahon Sr., you better get somebody. Turner plans to maintain ownership of the 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship for decades to come. Terry Funk commented that Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself". He lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and son. Any working guy could relate to Bruno the way they related to Steve Austin many years later. He would not be declared champion until April 29th, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lengthy championships are a big aspect in wrestling, but it is definitely easier when the champion does not frequently have to defend his title. Sadly, Koloffs reign was short-lived. 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . In addition, Ivelisse has her first title defense against Mercedes Martinez. non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Bruno Sammartino Saves Freddie Blassie From Being Killed By The Mob! In CM Punk's 434 day reign, he defended the title 141 times, or an average of just over once every three . Battle Royal: Winner: Bruno Sammartino. [11] This made him an easy target for bullies at Schenley High School. Morales would hold the title for 1,027 days, but it was clear that Pedro was no Bruno. In the many years that have since passed, the phrase, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!" You couldnt achieve a higher goal than winning the title. . Bruno, the Italian superhero from Pittsburgh, battled the 6'6" 315 "Mormon Giant" a number of times in 1973 and 1974 and Jonathan won at least twice. 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 . 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. 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. So, that was the big break, if you will. 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. [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. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. Rogers dropped the NWA Title to Thesz (and got back his deposit on the belt), and the Northeast promoters used the one-fall match as the reason for the split from the NWA. 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. On April 30, 1977, he was defeated by Superstar Billy Graham for the title. May 20 - USA Event: Bruno . But it would be Canadian-born Russian wrestler Ivan Koloff who would put an end to Sammartinos historic reign. 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. 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. Sometimes, be they world champions, tag team champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their championship. Sammartino, an Italian immigrant who ruled the WWE throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Wednesday at the age of 82. His ability to speak Italian also ingratiated him with that immigrant population. 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]. 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. Flair had denigrated Sammartino's wrestling ability in his book To Be the Man. No creases or tear Sold-out Madison Square Garden 189 times! Matches. [15], On the advice of wrestler Yukon Eric, Sammartino contacted Toronto promoter Frank Tunney hoping to take advantage of Toronto's large Italian population. 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. After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. The program will feature commentary by Richert and by Darryl Sammartino, Bruno's son, per the release. 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. 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. 1 Hour 35 Minutes. 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. I dont know if I should allow him to go in the ring. Which brings us to 2017, when Brock Lesnar held the WWE Universal Championship for a phenomenal 504 days after defeating fellow part-timer Bill Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33. He wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race to a one-hour draw in St. Louis. Yet few people know all the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail' of professional wrestling artifacts. RELATED: Ruthless Aggression: 10 Title Reigns (That We Completely Forgot About). Number of successful title defenses (and average gap between two defenses) for all the WWE championship reigns The statue is over 13 feet talland includes a likeness of his 1965-1971 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. In a televised match, Professor Toru Tanaka blinded both men with salt and they were maneuvered into fighting each other. 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. He is the living legend, Bruno Sammartino.JOIN US and hit SUBSCRIBE!https://cultaholic.com/https://www.. He was 82. He would later return for two brief comebacks, and much later as a manager. Following the match, thieves smashed a window and broke into Brunos car while he was having dinner. That said, Sammartino's record is likely safe, as it's difficult to imagine WWE ever putting a title on someone even remotely as long as his top reign. 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). After handing over ME duties to Alex Richards, he remains a frequent contributor to the site. Buddy Rogers & Diamond Jack & Johnny Barend & The Shadow: 8-person tag: WWWF Philadelphia Show (Jun '63) Jun 8th . "Did I really say to him, We can do this the easy way or the hard way? [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. 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 teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton. 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. 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. 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. WWWF World Championship. Buddy ROGERS vs. Bruno SAMMARTINO NWA WORLD TITLE. Bruno Sammartino, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is known as professional wrestling's Living Legend. [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. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history. In 2014 The Beast Incarnate obliterated John Cena atSummerslam to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That firstbelt has been missing for over 50 years and, though still considered stolen property, it is unlikely to be recovered. He died in 1992 at the age of 71. They got away withthe 1963-1965 version of the WWWF Championship. 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. 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. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! But then on January 24, 1963, something happened. The championship remained vacant for over a year. During one title reign he held the belt for an astonishing 2,803 days, a period positively unheard of in today's wrestling climate. 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. Sammartino faced Piper in both singles and tag team matches. [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. By Ian Carey Feb 5, 2023. [15] With Whipper Billy Watson, Sammartino won his first professional wrestling championship in September 1962, the local version of the International Tag Team Championship. Later in 1972, Sammartino was asked back by McMahon Sr. to regain the title. Wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion that Pedro was no Bruno they champions... 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