He became the first wrestler to become a WWE triple crown champion. That firstbelt has been missing for over 50 years and, though still considered stolen property, it is unlikely to be recovered. Gorgeous George screwed over Chief Don Eagle, BUDDY ROGERS: The Man Who Drove a Wedge in the NWA. 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. WWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dick The Bruiser as Annihilation Inc.) Bruno only gave up his championship when he wanted to, and there was one championship belt he . [5] He trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach. Ernie Ladd (center) also drew a sellout crowd with Bruno. 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. 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. Despite this, the reign lasted for alengthy 161 days. 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 . 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. 11. If hes willing, then fine., It was funny because Georgiann went and got him, got me, and she stood in the middle. With John Atkins, Angela Capri, Primo Carnera, John Cena. When Buddy Rogers saw the attendance, he wanted to get out of there, and he told the doctor he felt a funny pain on his chest. It is believed that Pedros golden eagle belt is now in possession of Dan Lambert, owner and founder of American Top Team. 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. Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? In winning the title, Sammartino became the second WWE Champion in the company's history and did so in just 48 seconds. The statue is over 13 feet talland includes a likeness of his 1965-1971 version of the WWWF World Championship. The superstitious blamed New York's descent into hell in the 1970s as punishment for Bruno losing the title. His ability to speak Italian also ingratiated him with that immigrant population. Bruno's belt was briefly worn by Ivan Kohloff, 3. Scroll down to learn more about Bruno's Belt and its journey to the IPWHF. Believe me; I had pains in my chest just walking to the ring". 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. I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in that territory, and Vince McMahon, Sr. was near bankruptcy because that was how poorly this place was doing. On April 30, 1977, he was defeated by Superstar Billy Graham for the title. He was inducted into the WWE . [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. In that sense, it's easy to see why WWE fans give Reigns' run the title of historic. After his second reign ended, Sammartino leisurely toured the U.S. and the world. Fifty years ago, on January 18, 1971, Ivan Koloff delivered a Russian Leg Drop to World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden in New York City to get the 1-2-3, becoming only the third man to hold the WWWF World Championship. Turner has agreed to display the King of Classy Titles atthe IPWHF Museum, soon to be built in New York State. Now, here's the tricky thing. Cimino was new to his post and intervened in a match finish involving Sammartino, who took a shot at Cimino in the ring and the argument continued backstage. [40], Sammartino is included in two DVDs summarizing his career and life: Bruno Returns to Italy With Bruno Sammartino (2006) and Bruno Sammartino: Behind the Championship Belt (2006). He was 82. Tributes from the world of wrestling began flocking in shortly after news of Sammartino's passing, with WWE . [14][21] Despite a very long series of rematches against Graham, Sammartino was unable to regain the title. Sadly, Koloffs reign was short-lived. His decision to loan the artifact to the IPWHF will not only benefit this organization but allows us to preserve and share thelegacy of the greatest wrestling champion of all time, Bruno Sammartino. His final attempt was in Philadelphia, just a few days before Graham was scheduled to lose the title to Bob Backlund. RELATED: 10 Superstars Who Were WWE ChampionFor One Day Or Less. Despite this mammoth title reign length, Pete Dunne barely defended his belt in televised appearances. You couldnt achieve a higher goal than winning the title. Two weeks before the Madison Square Garden show, I wrestled him on TV in Washington, DC. The following title matches feature the WWE Championship. Bruno owned his title belt for over 52 years, 10. FULL DESCRIPTION: This photo measures 8 inches by 10 inches.The photo is clean with no staining. Bruno Sammartino holds a legendary wrestling career spanning nearly a quarter century from 1959 to 1982. On January 18, 1971, Ivan Kohloff won the WWWF World Championship and secured his legacy in professional wrestling lore by pinning Bruno Sammartino. 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. Shinsuke Nakamuraheld the WWE Intercontinental Championship for a total of 201 days throughout the latter half of 2019. "One of the finest men I knew, in life and in business," WWE chairman Vince McMahon said . 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. 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 . That match meant so much to me because that put me at the top. May 17 - USA Event: Buddy Rogers (c) vs. Bruno Sammartino - Singles match Sammartino won by submission at 0:48. . Bruno makes his first defense of the WWWW title since crushing Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds the previous month! 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. 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 . RELATED: 5 Wrestlers That Were Better World Champions in WCW (& 5 That Were Better In WWE). By Ian Carey Feb 5, 2023. [7] Known for his powerful bearhug[4][5] finishing move, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. The Sammartinos lived in Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh from 1965 on. 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! You spend your whole life in this particular field, then all of a sudden its no more. That takes your density down to a title defense every 37.9 days. Matches. Before Hulk Hogan could be the face of the company during its national expansion, before Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock could lead The Attitude Era, and before John Cena or Roman Reigns were even born, Sammartino was a two-time WWE Champion who had cumulatively held the strap for over 11 years (as a fun fact, Cena was born . 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. 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. However, he is currently on a similar run of holding the belt for an exceptional amount of time with minimal defenses. May 20 - USA Event: Bruno . If you've watched professional wrestling for any modicum of time, you've surely heard of the name of Bruno Sammartino at least once. Bruno is way more impressive than Flair if u ask me. Bruno Sammartino depicts the exciting story of the championship wrestler and his family's narrow escape from the Nazis in World War II Italy. 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 . Bruno Sammartino is the greatest world champion in the history of professional wrestling. "Superstar Billy Graham v. Bruno Sammartino (MSG 1/12/76) 22. [15] With Whipper Billy Watson, Sammartino won his first professional wrestling championship in September 1962, the local version of the International Tag Team Championship. . Any fifteen-year-old kid coulda beat me that night. While on his way to California, he missed two bookings in Baltimore and Chicago, and as a result was suspended in those territories. Bruno Sammartino, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is known as professional wrestling's Living Legend. . Ivan was awarded Bruno's owntitle belt and carried itfor several weeks during his championship reign. [26] As the main event of 1980's Showdown at Shea, Sammartino defeated Zbyszko inside a steel cage. 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. He began working in the NWA territories, such as Georgia Championship Wrestling, St. Louis Wrestling Club, NWA Mid America, and others. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content, including these Sasha Banks matches on theWWE Network. [17] Soon, he was in demand by other promoters in different Canadian territories. He held the title until 1971. He died in 1992 at the age of 71. Matches. International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. 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. And it was 50-years ago this week that that legendary run came to a shocking end in Madison Square Garden. Morales would hold the title for 1,027 days, but it was clear that Pedro was no Bruno. Stay tuned to theLast Word on Pro Wrestlingfor more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. Remarkably, Pedro Morales original golden eagle belt was procured from a pawn shop in Manhattan in late 1974/early 1975 for $75 by renowned wrestling historian, Tom Burke. 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. [52][53] Mayor Bill Peduto remembered him as "one of the greatest ambassadors the city of Pittsburgh ever had."[54]. But the amount of defenses pales in comparison to the length of time Dunne held the gold. Sammartino, shocked and hurt by Zbyszko's betrayal, vowed to make Zbyszko pay dearly. [10], When the Sammartinos arrived in the U.S., Bruno spoke no English and was sickly from the privations of the war years. 18.06.1987. Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. On September 30, 1972, Sammartino and Morales wrestled to a 65-minute draw at Shea Stadium in New York. Later in 1972, Sammartino was asked back by McMahon Sr. to regain the title. ", Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. [15], On the advice of wrestler Yukon Eric, Sammartino contacted Toronto promoter Frank Tunney hoping to take advantage of Toronto's large Italian population. The championship remained vacant for over a year. He held the company's top title from 1963 to 1971 and again from 1973 to 1977. SOURCES: Chris Yandek New Era Of Wrestling & The Sports Interview with Bruno Sammartino, Buddy Rogers interview on Jim Barniaks Sports Scrapbook,Solie.org October 97 interview with Bruno Sammartino, The International Gazette "Wrestlings Living Legend Bruno Sammartino Gets Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.". NEXT: 5 Longest & 5 Shortest WCW Title Reigns. WWWF World Championship. The Northeast would soon break away from the NWA to form the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later known as the WWF and WWE today). 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. 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. Sammartino won the title on May 17, 1963, defeating Rogers in 48 seconds. . He held the World Wide Wrestling Federation title for more than 11 years, from 1963 to1971, and again from 1973 to1977. 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. He can be reached by e-mail at matthew.pender@hotmail.co.nz. Their feud culminated on August 9, 1980, in front of 36,295 fans at Shea Stadium. Rogers pinned Sammartino for the third and deciding fall. 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. [4], Sammartino made his professional debut in Pittsburgh on December 17, 1959, pinning Dmitri Grabowski in 19 seconds. On June 18 2014, Dr. Wagner, Jr. won the title and has kept it ever since. 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. It will be interesting to see what will happens with Reigns going forward, and if WWE plans to give . Likeness of his 1965-1971 version of the WWWF world Championship defense of the WWWF world Championship was... 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