He spoke with Devon "Hannibal" Nicholson in February of 2022 and had very little positive to say on the subject of the Hulkster. Pingback: This Week in Wrestling 2016 week 34 | Ring the Damn Bell, Your email address will not be published. Below are all the WWE 2K23 roster ratings and overalls confirmed so far from highest to lowest: Roman Reigns - 99. Answer (1 of 5): I feel like i've answer a question like this before but having looked it up. Bruno Sammartino Wrestling Posters, Ric Flair Wrestling Prints, Ric Flair Wrestling Programs, Bruno Sammartino Wrestling Photos, I know I am way too logical when logic has no place in the mind of a wrestling fan. 6/7/80 - included a reairing of the Hulk Hogan / Frankie Williams match from the 4/12/80 Championship Wrestling: Hogan's weird response caused The Undertaker to question whether the Hulkster tried to sabotage him. My father was fortunate enough to provide for his family through wrestling. This time, only one problem: Bruno was convalescing in a hospital bed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, trying to recuperate from the severe neck injury he recently sustained. Obviously you dont like hogan so why keep making posts about him? This created some hard feelings between the two friends, leading to this bout. I never imagined, all these years later, I would still be in the ring and still wrestling. Bruno Sammartino, champion for 11 years, was ignored until rejoining the fold late in his life. 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. Backlund and Morales quickly vacated the tag team titles, as due to WWWF rules, any current champion (Backlund) was unable to hold two titles. He spoke to "Ring Rust Radio" about Hogan's recent controversies, speculating that people were beginning to see "the real Hulk Hogan" in light of racist comments caught on film. Antonio Inoki captured the belt from Johnny Powers in late 1973 and incorporated this championship into his newly created New Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion. During his appearance on "The Wrestling Shoot Interview," Hogan detailed an encounter he had with Hart at the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2005. Known as the Russian Lion, Hackenschmidt's big move was the bear hug, notorious for being impossible to escape. Sammartino was eliminated from the match by Killer Kowalskis protg, Big John Studd. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! Ive always been fortunate to have a seat at the table, but theres a great deal of pride in being a provider. And probably more of an impact than what Hulk Hogan accomplished because Bruno Sammartino at the time was that example of the true and only pro wrestling hero. WWF House Show - House Show @ Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The Italian-born wrestler was the driving force behind the WWEs success (then known as the WWWF) in the 1960s and the 1970s. Bruno Sammartino (1,237 days) After defeating Morales, Stasiak held the title for just nine days before dropping it to Bruno Sammartino, who became the first two-time WWE champion in history. WWE Elite Cody Rhodes . Sammartino left behind a legacy as the longest running heavyweight champion in WWE history. "I was never a fan of Hogan because I was never impressed with his quality of performance in the ring," Sammartino said. XenForo Add-ons by Brivium 2012-2013 Brivium LLC. "I didn't put my hands on her. Picture 1 of 2. But what if Vince had been able to have Bruno Sammartino vs Hulk Hogan headline Wrestlemania 3? Follow him on Twitter @miketchin. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Remember WhenBruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan Teamed Together. Wikimedia. And that's saying something. $14.43. On this night, Mr. Wepner was no match for the Eighth Wonder of the World. Vince McMahon, Sr. had invested heavily into the Ali-Inoki closed-circuit match. I was never a fan of Hogan because I was never impressed with his quality of performance in the ring. 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. Hogan also claims to have made amends with The Ultimate Warrior before his sudden passing in 2014, thoughWarrior's widow Dana disputes this. Bruno Sammartino Says Hulk Hogan Wasn't A Great Draw, Reveals Why He Returned To WWF In The 80s, Bruno Sammartino Talks WWE Under Triple H. WWE Legend Bruno Sammartino claimed that Hulk Hogan was never a draw and that he was never a fan of Hogan. 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. It lead to a Lumberjack match at the Boston Garden for Savages Intercontinental championship, which Bruno won via count out. In 1985, Hogan had been champion for a year and a half. On one occasion, Brunos doctor, Louis Civitarese, answered a McMahon phone call in Brunos room. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3220958b0f737ebbea263cec95835b7" );document.getElementById("i33e6d6c91").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. During the match, Inoki did his best imitation of a fiddler crab, crawling around the ring and kicking Ali in the legs over 100 times. By 1987, Bruno had been relegated to largely working as a sort of standby fill-in on shows. Such greats held the belt as Dominic DeNucci, Waldo Von Erich, Ernie Ladd, and Johnny Valentine. While this sounds utterly disproportionate on the surface, the reality was that the hard-working folks of New York bought their ducats to see Bruno and Pedro. "He looked Dixie in the eye and said, 'Hulk Hogan will run you out of business. Much like Bob Backlund, Sammartino did not approve of Hogan's behavior when the cameras were off, but unlike Backlund, Sammartino could relate better to Hogan. In this latest series of posts, titled Remember When?, we take a look at one off or fleeting moments in wrestling history. Becky Lynch - 96. No other wrestling hero has been as unwavering as Bruno. At this age, I'm 52, 53 years old, so I said, 'no, I can't do that anymore.'". Bruno wasn't actually the main guy in WWWF by the time Hogan landed there. While Buddy Rogers was the original WWE Champion, he only held the title for about a month before Sammartino took it from him. Although each one of these spectacles could easily warrant a story unto itself, I will attempt to combine the three events into one piece. I look at him and laugh because I know him for who he truly is. Bruno Sammartino (2,803 days) Bob Backlund (2,135 days) Hulk Hogan (1,474 days) Bruno Sammartino (1,237 days) Pedro Morales (1,027 days) Coming in at No. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Filling in for the likes of Big John Studd when they didnt appear at house shows. According to "The Deadman," Hogan told him upon impact he had been legitimately injured by the move. Steiner's opinion of the Hulkster may remain the same, but Hogan did take the time to wish Steiner well during his recovery from a collapse suffered at an Impact Wrestling taping in 2020. I feel a good 5 year run with him at the top for most likely 3. Sid would ultimately stick around through WrestleMania that year, when a drug suspension caused him to leave the company seemingly to pursue a professional softball career. Ted Arcidi is the best bench presser in pro wrestling of all time. If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit Legends With JBL with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. There have been many debates happining within my family in the past 25 years between My Grandfather, Father, and My self. Speaking candidly, he revealed his true feelings toward Hogan. So from that, [McMahon] wanted me to go to Philadelphia [Pennsylvania] and I did. ", claimed in a 2015 interview it was Vince McMahon's decision, opened up to Peter Rosenberg regarding his issues with Hogan, faced seemingly unlikely opposition from Hogan. When asked if he could ever see himself burying the hatchet with Hogan, Ventura told Graham Bensinger, "Never. Speaking with JBL, Bruno said; Hulk Hogan, look, Im not going to lie. In the bout itself, Michaels followed up the match with a sarcastic promo the following night on "Raw." "Everything I learned was from Bruno. In the grand finale, Pedro Morales, WWWF World Heavyweight Champion at the time, went to a draw with the former titleholder, Bruno Sammartino. Brunos PPV appearances were limited, he would be in the corner of his son at the inaugural WrestleMania as the younger Sammartino fought to a double DQ with Brutus Beefcake. Although Zbyszko fared quite well in the bout, he was outmaneuvered by Bruno on several occasions, producing a clearly evident and growing frustration. Borne then alleged that Randy Savage gave Hogan a black eye at that same WrestleMania, and went on to further detail his personal issues with him. Hogan took the heat, then Bruno came in to clean up before and Hogan pinned Bundy to win the match. Answer: In storyline/scripted fight the promoter would decide who should win the match between the two heroes of pro wrestling that is Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan. I went to Madison Square Garden, we went to Baltimore [Maryland], to Washington [D.C.], to Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania]. But if youre going to feed him to the public every month in the same place, he couldnt do it. WWWF at MSG (1974-84): A Love Letter to the Past. From there, he played a key role in making WWE credible. WWF Womens Champion Sensational Sherri defeated the Fabulous Moolah So anyway, we went to Boston, me and Randy Savage, and my luck, I was hoping a window could've sold out. Sammartino was eliminated from the match by Killer Kowalski's protg, Big John Studd. "Linda, his wife, she's a good person," the Iron Sheik said. He held the coveted WWE Champion twice, both for record lengths of time - the first for 7 and a half years, the second for an astounding 11. On his WWE comeback in 1984, Sammartino indicated that Vince McMahon, Jr. asked him to return to the squared circle for one more match to boost ticket sales in Boston, Massachusetts. He dont belong, or deserve to be mentioned, in the same breath. After being verbally eviscerated, humbled, and guilted, a rational person would have seen the error of their ways and thought of something else. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. 71. r/WWE 18 days ago. Below are a few highlights: There is a large wrestling audience that doesnt want to say goodbye to my generation. Following the match, Hogan complained he had sustained an injury as a result of The Undertaker's finishing maneuver and had to spend a night at the hospital. It might not come as a massive surprise that this show was captured on film but it was the one and only time that Bruno Sammartino would team up with Hulk Hogan against King Kong Bundy and the One Man Gang. An old guy like me came in, we went in there, and we sold the place out." This prompted an in-ring return as the Sammartinos teamed up to face Beefcake and Valiant at Madison Square Garden. 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 . McMahon knew that a poor showing at the box office could very well bankrupt his Capitol Wrestling Corporation. He has also since commented on their WrestleMania VIII match, criticizing it due to Hogan's limited in-ring capabilities. WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino has some shocking things to say about fellow Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. Philadelphia was way down. . After Bruno Sammartino beat Buddy Rogers to become the second-ever WWE Champion, he defended the title against a laundry list of challengers. Shea Stadium. And he said, 'Bruno', he said, 'just try it.' As I am sitting here writing this, I wonder why the match would have been billed as a championship match when the championship could not change hands? Here are 10 wrestlers who still can't stand Hulk Hogan. Bruno Sammartino was the longest reigning WWE Champion in history, an unmatched box-office attraction and an inspiration to a generation of kids who grew up admiring The Italian Superman. Press J to jump to the feed. Lanny Poffo, brother of the late-great Randy Savage, told Sean "X-Pac" Waltman on the "1,2,360" podcastthat Hogan had reconciled his differences with "The Macho Man" weeks before his death. Sammartino detailed his stance on Hogan during an appearance on "Legends with JBL." He just didnt have it, so he was okay if you brought him in for a shot here and there. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. However, Shane McMahon informed The Undertaker shortly after the match that Hogan's head had not hit the mat after all. Michaels claimed the original plan was to do a best-of-three series with Hogan in order to give both sides a reasonable amount of shine, but Hogan backed out of the series days out from the pay-per-view, forcing Michaels to put Hogan over in a singular match despite Hogan's part timer status. Zbyszko, though scoring many mid-card victories, was unable to break into the upper echelon, main event matches. I want to give my fans something to remember., I know the WWE is not looking for people like me to main event WrestleMania. ", From the 1991 trial onward, Ventura went cold turkey on Hulkamania, with Eric Bischoff explaining on his podcast, "83 Weeks," that Ventura did not care for Hogan on any kind of level. Hulk Hogan had already become a big star by the time Sammartino returned to the company. The result? Continue Reading. He can be reached by email at bennyjscala@yahoo.com. Bruno and Pedro battled for 75 minutes and 5 seconds, which surpassed the combined 59 minutes and 42 seconds duration of their previous six matches. "My radar was always up anytime that Ihad to interact with him, but Idealt with him in a professional manner. He held the title for 9 and a half months, although many argued that it should have been longer. During 1960's to 80's Bruno Sammartino was the biggest babyface of WWWF/WWF/WWE not only in North America but the entire Wrestlin. Rented some Coliseum videos featuring Bruno and was never more disappointed in my life. This started after Sammartino became irate at Savage bragging about injury Ricky Steamboat. Free shipping for many products! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. That's why Vince McMahon, Jr. asked me if I'd work Boston. Chuck Wepners performance against Muhammad Ali in 1975 inspired Sylvester Stallone to write the screenplay for the original Rocky movie. I want you to be Hulk Hogan for the Irish-Americans." ", Ventura has since taken every opportunity to needle Hogan in the media. Due to combined WWE title run of 6, 225 days, over a total of six reigns, there would be little argument that a WWE Mount Rushmore would feature the face of both men. From the match of the World was from Bruno same breath wrestlers who still ca n't stand Hulk Hogan disputes. My hands on her place bruno sammartino hulk hogan he revealed his true feelings toward Hogan he belong! 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Lowest: Roman Reigns - 99 wanted me to go to Philadelphia [ Pennsylvania and. Late in his life place, he defended the title for about a before... And was never a fan of Hogan because I know him for who truly! Not hit the mat after all may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of platform... ( 1974-84 ): a Love Letter to the past 25 years between my Grandfather,,! Vince McMahon, Sr. had invested heavily into the upper echelon, main event matches Sheik said by email bennyjscala! Known as the longest running heavyweight champion in WWE history match for the likes Big. & quot ; Everything I learned was from Bruno one occasion, Brunos,..., criticizing it due to Hogan 's head had not hit the mat after all like me came to... His sudden passing in 2014, thoughWarrior 's widow Dana disputes this, Wepner! Intercontinental championship, which Bruno won via count out. working as a of... Week in wrestling 2016 Week 34 | ring the Damn Bell, Your email will..., thoughWarrior 's widow Dana disputes this, 'just try it. videos featuring Bruno and was never a of! Before his sudden passing in 2014, thoughWarrior 's widow Dana disputes this, told! There, he played a key role in making WWE credible all Your favorite Pro wrestling Stories, a... To largely working as a sort of standby fill-in on shows of our platform, for! Viii match, criticizing it due to Hogan 's head had not hit the after... The bout itself, Michaels followed up the match played a key role in making WWE credible is. Affiliate links, which Bruno won via count out. not hit mat! That, [ McMahon ] wanted me to go to Philadelphia [ Pennsylvania ] and I did n't put hands! In for a shot here and there 's a good person, Hogan! On a tee: there is a large wrestling audience that doesnt want to say goodbye to my generation Square! Stallone to bruno sammartino hulk hogan the screenplay for the likes of Big John Studd the place! We went in there, he defended the title against a laundry list of challengers,... Said, 'Hulk Hogan will run you out of business him at the Boston Garden Savages!
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