1. Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-American professional wrestler.
57 Facts About Bruno Sammartino
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Bruno Sammartino is best known for his time with the World Wide Wrestling Federation.
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Already recognized as a future star, Bruno Sammartino won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1963 after beating the inaugural champion, Buddy Rogers, in 48 seconds.
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Terry Funk commented that Bruno Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself".
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Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was born in Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy, to Alfonso and Emilia Sammartino on October 6,1935.
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Bruno Sammartino was the youngest of seven children, four of whom died during his early childhood.
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Bruno Sammartino turned to weightlifting and wrestling to build himself up.
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In 1959, Bruno Sammartino set a world record in the bench press with a lift of 256 kilograms, done without elbow or wrist wraps.
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Bruno Sammartino trained in wrestling with Rex Peery, the University of Pittsburgh team coach.
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Bruno Sammartino became known for performing strongman stunts in the Pittsburgh area, and sportscaster Bob Prince put him on his television show.
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Bruno Sammartino made his professional debut in Pittsburgh on December 17,1959, pinning Dmitri Grabowski in 19 seconds.
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Bruno Sammartino was forced to return to Pittsburgh and found work as a laborer.
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Bruno Sammartino made his Toronto debut in March 1962 and very quickly, with the help of self-promotion in local newspapers and radio programs, became an attraction.
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Bruno Sammartino challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz twice for the championship in Canada.
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One match ended in a draw and the other with Thesz scoring a fluke pin after a collision, despite Bruno Sammartino controlling the 20 minute match from the beginning.
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Between Antonino Rocca and Bruno Sammartino they went with the younger Sammartino who was 27 years old at the time.
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Bruno Sammartino won the title on May 17,1963, defeating Rogers in 48 seconds.
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Bruno Sammartino held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for seven years, eight months, and one day.
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On January 18,1971, Bruno Sammartino lost the championship at Madison Square Garden to Ivan Koloff.
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Bruno Sammartino recalled the shocked silence that greeted the result, remarking he thought he had damaged his ears.
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Bruno Sammartino took a hiatus from the company in 1971 and 1972 working in Japan, and various territories.
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Later in 1972, Bruno Sammartino was asked back by McMahon Sr.
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Bruno Sammartino wrestled then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race to a one-hour draw in St Louis.
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Also during this time, Bruno Sammartino began serving as color commentator for the WWF's syndicated programs, WWF Championship Wrestling and WWF All-Star Wrestling.
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Bruno Sammartino, shocked and hurt by Zbyszko's betrayal, vowed to make Zbyszko pay dearly.
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Bruno Sammartino retired from North American wrestling full-time in 1981, in a match that opened the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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Bruno Sammartino then finished up his full-time career by touring Japan.
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At the inaugural WrestleMania on March 31,1985, Bruno Sammartino was in his son David's corner for his match against Brutus Beefcake.
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Bruno Sammartino returned to in-ring action soon after with his son, as they wrestled against Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden.
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An irate Bruno 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.
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Bruno Sammartino defeated Savage in a lumberjack match for the WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship via disqualification at the Boston Garden.
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Bruno Sammartino was often teamed with Tito Santana and his old enemy George "the Animal" Steele to wrestle Savage and "Adorable" Adrian Adonis.
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Bruno Sammartino engaged in a feud with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper after Piper insulted his heritage on a segment of Piper's Pit at Madison Square Garden.
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Bruno Sammartino faced Piper in both singles and tag team matches.
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Bruno Sammartino teamed with Paul Orndorff in his matches against Piper, while Piper would tag with his "bodyguard", Ace "Cowboy" Bob Orton.
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In 1986, Bruno Sammartino competed in a 20-man battle royal at WrestleMania 2 at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago.
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Bruno Sammartino continued doing commentary on Superstars of Wrestling until March 1988.
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Bruno Sammartino particularly criticized the use of steroids and "vulgar" storylines.
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Bruno Sammartino appeared in the media in opposition to the WWE on such shows as The Phil Donahue Show, Geraldo, and CNN.
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Bruno Sammartino worked as a commentator for the Universal Wrestling Federation.
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On October 28,1989, Bruno 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.
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Bruno 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.
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Bruno Sammartino acted as special guest referee in World Championship Wrestling for a series of matches between Flair and Randy Savage in June 1996.
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On March 25,2010, Bruno Sammartino was honoured at the 74th annual Dapper Dan Dinner, a popular awards and charity fundraising event in Pittsburgh, with a lifetime achievement award, for which fellow former Studio Wrestling personalities Bill Cardille, "Jumping" Johnny DeFazio, Dominic DeNucci, Frank Durso, and referee Andy "Kid" DePaul were all present.
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In 2013, Bruno Sammartino accepted an invitation for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, after having declined several times in prior years.
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Bruno Sammartino finally accepted the offer to join because he was satisfied with the way the company had addressed his concerns about rampant drug use as well as vulgarity.
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The ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden on April 6,2013, and Bruno Sammartino was inducted by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Bruno Sammartino appeared on October 7,2013, episode of Raw and received a birthday greeting in his hometown of Pittsburgh.
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On March 28,2015, Bruno Sammartino inducted Larry Zbyszko into the WWE Hall of Fame.
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Bruno Sammartino is honored on the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame.
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Bruno Sammartino was married to his wife Carol from 1959 until his death in 2018.
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In 2013, Bruno Sammartino appeared as one of the Board of Governors in the nationally televised 69th Annual Columbus Day Parade.
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Cimino was new to his post and intervened in a match finish involving Bruno Sammartino, who took a shot at Cimino in the ring and the argument continued backstage.
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Bruno Sammartino ended up in a screaming match with Cimino on Pittsburgh's local Studio Wrestling program, and Cimino suspended him for a month.
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Flair had denigrated Bruno Sammartino's wrestling ability in his book To Be the Man.
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Flair said Bruno Sammartino refused to shake his hand at the event, while Bruno Sammartino said Flair saw him coming down the hall, turned, and rushed away.
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Bruno Sammartino died on April 18,2018, at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to heart problems following a two-month hospitalization.