When talking about great champions in wrestling history, many cite Hogan or Flair or Thesz as the greatest champion of all time. However, the list is not complete without the inclusion of Bruno Sammartino, the longest reigning World Champion in the history of American Professional Wrestling.
Sammartino is well known for winning over the love of New York wrestling fans in Vincent J. McMahons WWWF by representing the hard working immigrant that many of the patrons could relate to, but Sammartino didnt just play the part in the ring, but in real life as well. Sammartino came over to the United States in 1950 after living the first 15 years of his life in Italy, where he spent time hiding from Germans during World War II. Things didnt get much easier for Sammartino in America, where he was frequently sick and was bullied for his small frame and inability to speak English.
However, this origin story fit for a superhero took a very predictable turn when Sammartino used his childhood troubles as motivation to become a strongman. Sammartinos hard work paid off when he earned a spot on the 1956 US Olympic Weightlifting team, and later set a world record by bench pressing 565 pounds.
Bruno certainly had the strength to wrestle professionally, but he still needed to acquire the wrestling skills. He trained at the University of Pittsburgh under coach Rex Peary, and was soon noticed by a local promoter, and his professional wrestling career began from there.
It didnt take long for Sammartino to make it big. After wrestling for a few smaller promotions in the Pittsburgh area, Sammartino got his first match at Madison Square Garden, wrestling against Bull Curry. Within a year he was main eventing Madison Square Garden, achieving popularity by teaming up with high-flying Antonino Rocca and being the first man to bodyslam Haystacks Calhoun.
The cut-throat business of professional wrestling did not agree with the well-natured Sammartino, and he soon grew tired of wrestling for Vincent J. McMahon. He tried wrestling in a few other promotions before finding out that he had been suspended by athletic commissions across the country after being double booked by McMahon Sr.
After working as a laborer back in Pittsburgh for a few years, Sammartino went to the closest place that would allow him to wrestler: Toronto, Canada. Sammartino quickly won over the fans love in the Great White North, and was soon in high demand all over Canada. While in Canada he wrestled with some of the biggest names in wrestling history, including Buddy Rogers, Billy Watson, and Lou Thesz.
As Sammartino was becoming a smashing success in Canada, Vincent J. McMahon was struggling in New York, as his new champion Buddy Rogers for his new promotion the WWWF was not drawing like he expected it to. In order to win the support (and dollars) of the local wrestling fans, McMahon knew that he needed a man of Sammartinos talents, and eventually negotiated for Sammartino to come back by paying off his fine and promising him a title run. As a thank you to the Canadian promoters, Sammartino would wrestle big shows in Canada every other Sunday.
Sammartino did not have to wait long for the championship reign he had been promised. Early in his WWWF career, he beat Nature Boy Buddy Rogers in a 48 second match, a match that Buddy Rogers did not want to happen, forcing Sammartino to take him out the hard way. The two were supposed to have a rematch for the title later that year, but Rogers had retired and was replaced by Gorilla Monsoon, a man that Sammartino put on a wildly successful feud with as fans loved seeing Bruno Sammartino find ways to beat the massive Gorilla Monsoon.
During his first title run Sammartino feuded with some of the biggest names in professional wrestling history, including Gorilla Monsoon, George Steele, The Sheik, Killer Kowalski, Giant Baba, and Freddie Blassie. His first WWWF title reign lasted seven years and eight months before dropping the title to another wrestling great, Ivan Koloff. After his loss, the arena (Madison Square Garden) went deathly quiet as fans sat in disbelief of Sammartino losing the belt.
Sammartino didnt have to wait long for a second title reign. After taking some time to wrestle in Los Angeles, McMahon Sr. asked Sammartino to return to New York and convinced him by offering him a decreased schedule and more money. Two years after dropping the title, Sammartino regained it by beating Stan Stasik. Sammartinos second title reign was not quite as impressive as his first, but was still quite legendary. It lasted over three years and saw feuds with names like Bruiser Brody, Ken Patera, Ernie Ladd, and Billy Graham, whom hed eventually drop the title to.
After losing the WWWF title, Sammartino would continue the pattern of wrestling legends. He wrestled Harley Race to a one-hour draw, and scored wins over greats like Blackjack Mulligan and Dick Murdoch, and Lord Alfred Hayes. He would spend doing much of the same, wrestling legends, and he eventually retired in 1987 when he teamed with Hulk Hogan against King Kong Bundy and One Man Gang.
Sammartinos success came from his incredible strength and his natural charisma. His fame carried him across the world, winning over huge audiences in the US, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and Spain.
While not quite the pure wrestler that Thesz was, Sammartino was incredibly powerful and was able to defeat opponents the hard way should it come to it. He put on dozens of great feuds, and will always be remembered as one of the greatest champions in wrestling history. As such, it is our pleasure to induct Sammartino into the WrestleZone Hall of Fame.
Did you know?
We associate power like Sammartinos with giants like Big Show or heavily muscled athletes like John Cena. However, Sammartino stood at a mere 510 and weighed 285 pounds.
How many wrestlers get to say they met with the Pope? Sammartino can. The Italian native met with the Pope in the Vatican during his first WWWF Title reign.
Bruno Sammartino was the winner of PWIs first ever Match of the Year: A 22-man Battle Royal.
Sammartino has won the PWI Match of the Year award 5 times: The 22-man Battle Royal, and singles matches against Spiros Arion, Stan Hansen, Billy Graham, and Larry Zbyszko.
