Bruno Sammartino

Bio
Sammartino began exercising at the local Young Men’s Hebrew Association and grew to become one of the strongest men on the planet. After setting a world record in 1959 by bench-pressing 565 pounds, Sammartino caught the eye of Mr. McMahon’s father, Vincent J. McMahon, and went pro almost instantly. Bruno became an overnight sensation, connecting with not only fellow Italians, but also Latinos, Greeks and Jews, successfully bridging the gap in America’s melting pot of wrestling fans. His legend continued to grow on May 17, 1963, when Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers in just 48 seconds to become the second-ever WWE Champion in front of nearly 20,000 fans at the old Madison Square Garden.

Bruno held the WWE Championship for nearly eight years, by far the longest reign of all time, and a record for all professional wrestling champions, no matter the organization. A household name all over the country, the beloved hero defended his title in legendary rivalries against WWE Hall of Famers Killer Kowalski, Gorilla Monsoon and George “The Animal” Steele. In his final match, Bruno teamed with the man many say he passed the torch to, Hulk Hogan. 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.