Indeed, Sammartino seven-and-a-half-year reign cemented him as the first true face of WWE. The World Wrestling Federation was sold out at the Baltimore Arena in #Baltimore, MD Saturday, August 29th, 1987 with WWF World Champion #HulkHogan & #BrunoS. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino Dies at 82 as Hulk Hogan and Other Stars Pay Tribute The world is wrestling is saying goodbye to one of their biggest stars, WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino He and I were doing the color commentating. The storyline for the main event is my all-time favorite and perhaps one of the best in modern wrestling history. 718-lb. It lead to a Lumberjack match at the Boston Garden for Savages Intercontinental championship, which Bruno won via count out. When asked if he could ever see himself burying the hatchet with Hogan, Ventura told Graham Bensinger, "Never. Shocking Photos of Long-Haired Wrestlers with Short Hair! Same goes for Hogan and Bret Hart and the Ultimate Warrior during . Click to enlarge. Other matches included Jos Gonzlez and Kevin Sullivan wrestling to a draw and Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf defeating The Executioners in a two-out-of-three falls match, although the WWWF Tag Team Championship did not change hands due to the villains being disqualified in the deciding fall. First, I will include a brief summary of the results and then expound upon a couple of the contests: Most of these matches were inconsequential and did little to advance existing storylines. Vince asked me to put on the tights because the house was down. He was the world champion, Hogan, and Boston was way down. However, The Undertaker finally opened up to Peter Rosenberg regarding his issues with Hogan. Free shipping for many products! "It got uncomfortable and Scott didn't want to be uncomfortable," Jarrett said. I feel a good 5 year run with him at the top for most likely 3. While Buddy Rogers was the original WWE Champion, he only held the title for about a month before Sammartino took it from him. 2: 28.08.1987: Bruno Sammartino defeats Hercules by Count Out (6:47) WWF Paul Boesch Retirement Show - TV-Show @ Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas, USA. 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 . He would do a good house the first time, but if he came back the second, or dare the third time, he couldn't draw. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! After being verbally eviscerated, humbled, and guilted, a rational person would have seen the error of their ways and thought of something else. This Week in Wrestling 2016 week 34 | Ring the Damn Bell, Black Drop: A History of Black Trailblazers in Pro Wrestling, Downed On The Farm: Top WWE Developmental Prospects That Never Made ItPart 100, Beginner's guide to New Japan Pro Wrestling, History of the WWE Intercontinental Title, Styles Clash: Clash of The Champions Revisited, The Many Failures That 14 Year Old Me Would Never See Coming. SD Jones defeated Barry Horowitz ", There might not be a man alive more anti-Hulk Hogan than Jesse "The Body" Ventura. However, Shane McMahon informed The Undertaker shortly after the match that Hogan's head had not hit the mat after all. In WWE history, two of the biggest names are Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino. His style also . You can read all previous Remembering When pieces here. "[The selling] was something I did just for my own enjoyment," Michaels told the live crowd. Sammartino was eliminated from the match by Killer Kowalski's protg, Big John Studd. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for WWF BRUNO SAMMARTINO vs RODDY PIPER wrestling ticket stub wwe Jan 1986 at the best online prices at eBay! He's a phony inside and out." Indeed, instances like Triple Hs Reign of Terror or Roman Reigns current run are exceptions, not the rule in WWE lore for this babyface-driven company. In his last outing, he wrestled as a tag partner with Hulk Hogan. Sammartino admitted that he was never impressed with Hogan's in-ring work. The WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship, defended by Fujinami, was virtually unknown to the average New York wrestling fan and was, for the most part, contested in Japan. Theres an article up at Sports Illustrateds blog where WWE Superstars and Legends talk about WrestleMania and their career. A SubReddit to discuss WWE, NXT, ECW, and WCW. Related: 9 Things Fans Didn't Know About Gorilla MonsoonNames like Killer Kowalski, Boris Malenko, Freddie Blassie, Gene Kiniski, George The Anmal Steele, and The Sheik are also on the list of challengers Sammartino overcame in that first title reign. Many Superstars have carried the torch for WWE since then, but it was Bruno Sammartino who lit the fire and became WWE's first genuine superhero. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino (October 6, 1935 - April 18, 2018), was an Italian professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), holding the WWWF Championship across two reigns for over 12 years in total. In fact, throughout the 80s his son, Vince jr., would try to take advantage of the drawing power of Bruno, particularly in attempts to get David Sammartino over. He became bigger than wrestling itself, his legend growing with each passing day into his retirement and beyond. when Billy Graham defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWE Championship. Ive always been fortunate to have a seat at the table, but theres a great deal of pride in being a provider. Below are all the WWE 2K23 roster ratings and overalls confirmed so far from highest to lowest: Roman Reigns - 99. He's the author of the wrestling book, The Long Way Home. World Bodybuilding Federation Fiasco Where Did It Go Wrong? WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Bruno Sammartino VS Hulk Hogan. Hart lost to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX, only for Hogan to walk down the aisle and pick up the scraps, winning the belt in an impromptu 22-second match. Sammartinos time on top paved the way for Pedro Morales, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, and John Cena, among others, to have their legacies defined by being the top babyface who fended off heels for long stretches to send crowds home happy. "Prior to Hulk coming in, I got along great with Jesse," Bischoff said. By this point, it was Hogan that was at the top of the mountain while Sammartino was largely occupying a fill-in position on shows and attempting to help his son, David, become a WWE superstar. To quote the immortal Eddie Cochems, There you have it sports fans. Epic events at a not-so-epic venue. . Your email address will not be published. Welcome to r/WWE Check out this clip of now WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg capturing the You can watch the complete episode of WCW Pro from January 20, 1996 below: Copyright 2022. Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and John Cena are immortals among men in the WWE Universe. Ive never asked to be handed anything., My whole life Ive been fed by the WWE. Join. I was never a fan of Hogan because I was never impressed with his quality of performance in the ring. Nonetheless, Sammartinos time as WWE Champion is a crucial piece of pro wrestling history. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino Dies at 82 as Hulk Hogan and Other Stars Pay Tribute. While Hulk Hogan never wrestled against Bruno Sammartino, the two men did share the same ring together once. His record is unmatched and almost guaranteed to be unbroken, unless something major shifts in professional wrestling and the length of title reigns rises dramatically. Although Zbyszko fared quite well in the bout, he was outmaneuvered by Bruno on several occasions, producing a clearly evident and growing frustration. Vs. Bruno Sammartino Before Cena there was Hogan, and before Hogan there was Bruno Sammartino. "Hogan was a horrible worker so that's what made that.". "Linda, his wife, she's a good person," the Iron Sheik said. From his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bruno speaks passionately about the great skill and dedication . Hulk Hogan Ok, before you start yelling. During an appearance on "Inside the Ropes Radio"(h/t Wrestleview)back in 2012, Borne had plenty to say on the subject of Hogan. In 1985, Hogan had been champion for a year and a half. Other matches included Jack Brisco defeating Mr. Fuji, Gorilla Monsoon defeating Ernie Ladd via referees decision,Chief Jay Strongbow and Sonny King defeating Lou Albano and The Spoiler, and The Fabulous Moolah defeating Debbie Johnson for the Womens Championship. In this postwe remember when Bruno Sammartino wrestled his final WWE match as he teamed up with Hulk Hogan for the one and only time. The traditional NWA Championship booking had a heel world champion in place most of the timemen like Harley Race and Ric Flair traveling to eke out narrow victories or work time-limit draws against the top babyfaces from around the country. WWF Womens Champion Sensational Sherri defeated the Fabulous Moolah Perhaps Backlund and Morales should have retained the great Vincent LaGuardia Gambini to plead their case? Like Backlund, Hart's grievances with the Hulkster were born out of professional conflict. These days, wrestling fans are generally mixed on the Hulkster. Tbh just give him the Styles run and I think he'll have the perfect career. The Awesome History of Showdown at Shea. Speaking candidly, he revealed his true feelings toward Hogan. He replaced Bruno as the top man in the company, which could explain the curt comments from the Italian superstar. Sammartino held the WWE Championship (aka the WWWF Championship) for a combined . As the most decorated man in the history of professional wrestling, Sammartino will always be remembered as one of the sturdiest pillars the sport will ever know. The sole photo of the two teaming together comes from a newspaper article, which you can see below. The result? The Sheik also told Howard Stern that Hogan wouldn't return his calls in the years following their Madison Square Garden match, claiming the Hulkster lied to him. When in the McMahon's good graces, the list of best wrestlers ever begins with Shawn Michaels and ends with The Undertaker (depending on what Hulk Hogan's been doing on Twitter). News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. After suffering a broken neck, among other injuries, Bruno retired in 1988. In what was billed as the main event, Antonio Inoki, arguably the greatest wrestler in Japanese history, fought to a draw with World Boxing Association Champion Muhammad Ali, in what was, to put it mildly, a stinkfest. Regularly updated WWE news articles, match promos & other spoilers keep you energised and updated throughout the day. Champion Background. Sika defeated Jerry Allen Obviously you dont like hogan so why keep making posts about him? Stan Hansen: steel cage: WWWF World Heavyweight Title: WWWF MSG Show (Sep '76) Sep 4th 1976: Andre the Giant & Billy White Wolf & Chief Jay Strongbow: def. And to many, he will always be that legend and icon of pro wrestling fame. By 1987, Bruno had been relegated to largely working as a sort of standby fill-in on shows. In the days before WrestleMania, they were the first super cards put out by WWE. Sammartino ended up staying with the company for several matches. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The storyline behind this bout is legendary in the annals of wrestling. The Wrestler 1990 magazine HULK HOGAN Rick & Scott Steiner RIC Flair LEX Luger. "I still think he is. Rest In Peace! Ted Arcidi is the best bench presser in pro wrestling of all time. For as much as '80s cultural icon Hulk Hogan liked to tell people to say their prayers and take their vitamins, he has rapidly become one of wrestling's most reviled figures in recent years. So anyway, we went to Boston, me and Randy Savage, and my luck, I was hoping a window could've sold out.