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. [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. Exclusives. After the first WWWF World Champion, Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, was hospitalized three times in April 1963 for chest pains, Vince McMahon, Sr. and Toots Mondt made a command decision to make an emergency title switch. He held the World Wide Wrestling Federation title for more than 11 years, from 1963 to1971, and again from 1973 to1977. Shinsuke Nakamuraheld the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a total of 201 days throughout the latter half of 2019. Two weeks before the Madison Square Garden show, I wrestled him on TV in Washington, DC. 10/23/67 Bruno defeated Hans Mortier 6,612 paid $18,136.10. [20] Sammartino held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for seven years, eight months, and one day (2,803 days). Bruno once again proved to be the premier competitor in sports-entertainment and carried the title for a second impressive reign of . But as the quiet began to work back into a rumble, the fear of fan outburst became real. Battle Royal: Winner: Bruno Sammartino. Bruno's belt now appearsin an acclaimed film, 9. It was dead silence as the new champion left the ring with Albano behind him. Bruno was shattered but more because his body had finally exhausted all its strength after a rugged past decade from fighting for his spot to defending it around the world than at actually losing the title. In 1980, he won the tag team titles with Bob Backlund and was the Intercontinental Champion during the early '80s. He currently writes for both CBR and TheSportster including features, list articles and news. [49], Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. By 1971, Bruno Sammartino was beaten up. ", Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. You couldnt achieve a higher goal than winning the title. 7 WWE Hall of Fame Stories WWE Doesnt Want You To Know! 'The Living Legend' held the world title for over 11 . Bruno would againholdthe WWWFChampionship for another1,237 days, from 1973-1977. [31] This allowed Savage to keep the championship, as titles cannot change hands via countout or disqualification. Bruno Sammartino, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is known as professional wrestling's Living Legend. I get your point but honestly, I think the amount of defenses should be the #1 criteria. 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. The program will feature commentary by Richert and by Darryl Sammartino, Bruno's son, per the release. 1959: Bruno Sammartino debuted in the wild world of Professional Wrestling. 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. Twitter: @JustSKendall
Some of his defenses ended in time limit draws, and some in DQ, but . "Afterwards, there were obviously bad feelings. The International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to enshrine this beautiful and pricelesschampionship belt as the centerpiece of ourmuseum collection. Head on over to theLWOS Boardsto engage in conversation with fellow fans! 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). Answer (1 of 3): George "The Animal" Steele Bruno Sammartino met James Myers in 1967 and immediately saw his potential as a main event performer. [4][10] He was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early childhood. In 1986, Sammartino competed in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. 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. Bruno Sammartino (Title defense by Bruno. ~~~Bruno Sammartino would hold the WWWF World title for an incredible EIGHT years straight! title(s) WWWF MSG Show (Dec '63) Dec 16th 1963: Bruno Sammartino (c) def. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. 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. Sometimes, be they world champions, tag team champions, or otherwise, champions have commitments outside of their championship. Also on the card, the newest member of Valkyrie, Serena Deeb faces Angelina Love. [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. In the summer of 1960 James M. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . Despite this, the reign lasted for alengthy 161 days. But I kept my word. 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. He held the World Wide Wrestling Federation titlefor more than 11 years, from1963to1971, and again from 1973 to1977. Sammartino was living proof of the American Dream, an immigrant who left a wartorn time to become an accomplished athlete. [10] When he was four, his father emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Just 48 seconds later, Bruno Sammartino was the new champ, and a hero was born. [43][44], Sammartino was married to his wife Carol from 1959 until his death in 2018. Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE Champion in history. [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. But unfortunately for both WWWF and Buddy Rogers, Rogers rising health issues would become an issue sooner than later following a series of heart issues, it was determined that Rogers could no longer be the face of the company. In 2013, Sammartino appeared as one of the Board of Governors in the nationally televised 69th Annual Columbus Day Parade. [5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. Bruno! 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). Cody Rhodes held the WWE Intercontinental Championship for approximately eight months across 2011 and 2012, though in that time he only defended the belt a total of 4 times on pay per view. The Sammartinos lived in Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh from 1965 on. And it was 50-years ago this week that that legendary run came to a shocking end in Madison Square Garden. Can you imagine it? 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. [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. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? After nearly fifteen years of promoting an "ethnic babyface" at the top of his cards, the . Sadly, Koloffs reign was short-lived. Others say Rogers was reluctant to give up the title after being told prior that he . RELATED: Ruthless Aggression: 10 Title Reigns (That We Completely Forgot About). News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. In that time they performed in only 3 major televised defenses, against the Lucha Dragons, Enzo & Cass, and The Vaudevillains who triumphed over them at NXT Takeover: Unstoppable. [12][11] During this time, his mother would sneak into their German-occupied town for food and supplies. Ivan Koloff backstage with manager Captain Lou Albano after defeating Bruno Sammartino (Photo: PWI) Sadly, Koloff's reign was short-lived. Bruno is way more impressive than Flair if u ask me. The following title matches feature the WWE Championship. Bruno was the foot that held the door open for Rocky to become a phenomenon. With John Atkins, Angela Capri, Primo Carnera, John Cena. And a packed Madison Square Garden, who had become accustomed to wildly cheering Bruno Sammartino after each title defense, was shocked into complete silence. A sold-out Garden. His biggest moment was winning the WWWF heavyweight title from the legendary Bruno Sammartino. 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. I had seen wrestlers stopped from going to the ring because something wasnt right". 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. Bruno Sammartino often mentioned Don Leo Jonathan when he was asked about his toughest foes. Turner has agreed to display the King of Classy Titles atthe IPWHF Museum, soon to be built in New York State. On April 6, 2013, Sammartino received the Key to the City in Jersey City, New Jersey. 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. 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. 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. ROSS TOWNSHIP PA - Daniel Sammartino, the son of the late wrestling giant Bruno Sammartino, died Tuesday. Buddy Rogers was examined and re-examined, and they couldnt find a thing wrong with him, and then after that, his license was reinstated. The statue is over 13 feet talland includes a likeness of his 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. 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. On January 22, 1980, his former student Larry Zbyszko turned on him at the World Wrestling Federation's Championship Wrestling show. 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 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. Of all the statues created byWWE, including AndrThe Giant, Ultimate Warrior, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, and Rowdy Roddy Piper, only the Bruno statue wearsa championship belt. He also wrestled and defeated Blackjack Mulligan, Lord Alfred Hayes, Dick Murdoch, Kenji Shibuya, and "Crippler" Ray Stevens. He would not be declared champion until April 29th, 1963, having won a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bruno's belt appears on a statue in his hometown, 7. He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling. Bruno Sammartino earned his fame. He was 82. 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. 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. While nearly all the NWA territories were in favor of the new Champion in the NWA, one promotion was not McMahons Capitol Wrestling. While Bruno represented the America of working hard, being honest, and overcoming evil, Austin represented the more modern version of giving it to the man, having a beer and saying the heck with it. It had been eight long years as champion, and my schedule had been so hectic, you just couldnt believe it, Sammartino said of his first run (in quotes compiled by ProWrestlingStories.I traveled overseas a lot to Japan and Australia you name it, I went everywhere. Defeating Stan Stasiak, Bruno became the first-ever two-time WWE Champion. 27.06.1987. 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 . Chants of Bruno! . 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. 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. Seth Turner, President of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, successfully procured the belt. 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. Technically, this means three of the first four World Champions of the WWWF wore the same belt; however, Brunos belt was retired and replaced by a significantly lesser-quality belt for Pedro Morales, which did not last long. At 93 minutes, the reimaged . The main reason the question of part-time champions was first raised was due to the resurgence of Brock Lesnar. 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. [20] Sammartino took a hiatus from the company in 1971 and 1972 working in Japan, and various territories. He particularly criticized the use of steroids and "vulgar" storylines. Bruno Sammartino holds a legendary wrestling career spanning nearly a quarter century from 1959 to 1982. Yet few people know all the history behind Brunos belt and why some have called it the 'holy grail' of professional wrestling artifacts. This is the original on-site poster from the Maple Leaf Gardens World Title bout with the great Buddy "nature boy" Rogers, held on July 12, 1962. . . Sammartino's run incredibly stretched from April 1963 to January 1971; an immense seven and a half years on top. . 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". Imagine doing something all those years and loving it all of a sudden, you never do it again. 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. Many wonder which duo will be next in line to hold these belts. Ernie Ladd (center) also drew a sellout crowd with Bruno. 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. 1 Hour 35 Minutes. I was just so exhausted It became clear to Vince McMahon Sr. that his World Champion was gassed. The longest WWE championship reign belongs to Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino, who held the the title from May 17, 1963 until Jan. 18, 1971 for a grand total of 2,803 days. 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. HISTORY: : Sugar Ray Leonard was the winner of a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. The championship remained vacant for over a year. [32][33][34] He appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo and CNN. 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. 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. From that point, Bruno Sammartino held the title for seven years, eight . Bruno Sammartino was the rock that WWE was built upon. Lonnie Mayne The Glass Eating, Raw Meat Chewing Original Moondog! Related. 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 Bobo Brazil & Bruno Sammartino & Buddy Austin & Pedro Morales: def. Sammartino finally lost the WWE Championship in January 1971 . For half of that time he reigned as World Champion, . 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. 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". It was the hardest thing in my life to go out of wrestling. [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. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. It was no different on the night of May 17, 1963, whenBruno Sammartino defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to become the WWWF World Champion. [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. Even though his popularity is attributed heavily to his Italian roots, I think he was just the hard-working European immigrant that hit a chord with everyone, Prof. Ouch of Professor Ouchs Bizarre Bazaar & Odditorium in Philadelphia told The Wrestling Estate in 2018 following Sammartinos death in 2018. [37] The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6, 2013, and Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. On April 30, 1977, he was defeated by Superstar Billy Graham for the title. 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 then finished up his full-time career by touring Japan. On September 30, 1972, Sammartino and Morales wrestled to a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium in New York. Sammartino would eventually get the upper hand in the feud, by defeating Piper in a steel cage match at the Boston Garden. Rogers pinned Sammartino for the third and deciding fall. He successfully defended the belt against both Ali and The Miz before being recently dethroned by Braun Strowman on the lastWWE Smackdownepisode in January. This film comprehensively covers the life and career of Bruno Sammartino, and his struggles to become wrestlings greatest champion. No creases or tear [11] In 1950,[13] she and the children joined her husband in Pittsburgh. We never spoke again. 5 Bruno Sammartino WWE Champion, 2803 Days. 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. On September 27, 1965, Bruno wrestled Tarzan Tyler in Madison Square Garden. RELATED: 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less. We took a picture, but we never spoke a word to each other" (Laughs). If he does, it remains to be seen who could defeat him in 2020. 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. [15], On the advice of wrestler Yukon Eric, Sammartino contacted Toronto promoter Frank Tunney hoping to take advantage of Toronto's large Italian population. It was my whole life. These are ten resulting championship reigns which lasted a considerable amount of time, but featured very few notable matches for the title in question. He's also written for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, WrestleZone, The Windsor Star, and other publications. Ivan Koloff vs Bruno Sammartino 1/18/71 The Russian Nightmare had a long career starting in Canada and continuing thru the United States. [48], On July 26, 2004, Sammartino and Ric Flair were involved in the "Who snubbed who?" On April 3, 2014, Paul Triple H Levesque revealed an official WWE statue to recognize The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino. 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. After leaving the WWF, Sammartino became an outspoken critic of the path on which Vincent K. McMahon had taken professional wrestling. RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). 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. 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. Sammartino would go on to hold the title for 2,803 days, nearly eight years(! I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. [4], Sammartino made his professional debut in Pittsburgh on December 17, 1959, pinning Dmitri Grabowski in 19 seconds. I knew it was all done; I just knew I couldnt produce like I once did. Sammartino, shocked and hurt by Zbyszko's betrayal, vowed to make Zbyszko pay dearly. Despite this mammoth title reign length, Pete Dunne barely defended his belt in televised appearances. Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. He held the title until 1971. Bruno Sammartino was a 90-pound weakling in high school. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 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. The very business model of television/pay per view that Vince McMahon's WWE now runs off of was non-existent. April 18, 2018. He died in 1992 at the age of 71. Sammartino worked as a commentator for the Universal Wrestling Federation. World Wide Wrestling Federation. Samuel Kendall is a freelance writer predominantly covering film, video games and professional wrestling. Dumpster match, multiple title defenses. It was no different on the night of May 17, 1963, when. "Retiring you cant explain it; it really takes you down. When he brought the bar down, he did not bounce it off his chest, but set it there for two seconds before attempting the press. He finally lost the title to Superstar Billy Graham in 1977 bringing his total time as Champion to a staggering 4,040 days. Sammartino finally relinquished the title on Jan. 18, 1971, in a match against Koloff at Madison Square Garden. 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. 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. Any fifteen-year-old kid coulda beat me that night. 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. "Prior to that, over a period of two years, I defeated Sammartino eleven straight times. Sammartino pinned George "The Animal" Steele in his match. [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. NEXT: 5 Longest & 5 Shortest WCW Title Reigns. 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. Author: Matt Pender Jan. 10, 2023. In 2006, Bruno Sammartino personally commissioned an autobiographical documentary film, 5. "Superstar Billy Graham v. Bruno Sammartino (MSG 1/12/76) 22. non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts. His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. Acknowledged as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Sammartino's legacy began in 1959 and lasted until his final match in October of 1981. . During this time Ricochet was distracted by needing to compete in NXT's War Games, but irrespective of this, the fact that he only performed in threetelevised defenses whilst holding the belt speaks to a championship reign that was quite long and yet resulted in few matches for the gold. Doesnt Want you to Know then finished up his full-time career by touring Japan feet talland includes a of! 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