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| Yes | 49% | 26 votes | Total: 53 votes | |
| No | 51% | 27 votes |
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Add to FavoritesBruno Sammartino's loyalty to the Worldwide and World Wrestling Federations spanned 30 years (1959-1988). His extended reigns as champion alone (1963-1971, then 1973-1977) should eventually cement his place in Hall of Fame history. His 11 year reign is the single longest World Title reign of any professional wrestler in history. Even if pro wrestling is fixed, that Bruno's promoter saw it fit to keep the belt on him that long is a testament to his main event drawing power in his day.
Some can argue that Sammartino's wrestling style wasn't unique enough, or that he wasn't the character of, say, Superstar Billy Graham. However, back in his era, fans were bigger marks for the business and bought into wrestlers for their competitive spirit and ability rather than their acting. And fans definitely bought into Sammartino, headlining 130 cards at the venerable Madison Square Garden while selling out 45 of them. Sammartino had the charisma to get a crowd on his side, or against him. Combined with his power move set and willingness to brawl, Sammartino's total package proved a tremendous draw for World(wide) Wrestling Federation promoters Vince McMahon Senior, and Junior. It's amazing that someone who drew that much money as a main event for so long, let alone for the owners of the WWE Hall of Fame, isn't in the Hall of Fame already.
Bruno's loyalty to the McMahons is also a huge plus on his side, compared to some of the outsiders WWE has inducted into the Hall of Fame. Dusty Rhodes got inducted in 2007 despite spending most of his career in the rival NWA and WCW. Ditto in the case of Big Cat Ernie Ladd (1996), Bobo Brazil (1994), announcer Gordon Solie (2008), and especially Nature Boy Ric Flair (2008). AWA figurehead Verne Gagne (2006) was inducted even though he exclusively ran a rival company. Even disgraced baseball legend Pete Rose (2004) is in the Hall of Fame based solely on two celebrity Wrestlemania appearances. If the WWE Hall of Fame can act as a de facto pro wrestling hall of fame and reward outsiders, they can certainly reward one of their most loyal, durable draws.
At the point, the only thing keeping Bruno out of the Hall of Fame is his strained relationship with WWE, stemming from multiple differences he has had with the company over the last 20-30 years. But the facts prove it folly to even debate Sammartino's worthiness for the WWE Hall of Fame. He has the credentials. WWE has patched up seemingly un-patchable differences with many disgruntled former wrestlers, such as Bret Hart. There's reason to believe Bruno, despite his issues with the current product and the company, will eventually agree to induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. And even if he does not in his lifetime, Bruno will likely be inducted posthumously as several late workers have before.
Learn more about this author, Steven Gomez.
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No
No mistaking it, Sammartino is a wrestling legend that wrestled back in the 60s all the way until the early 80s on a full-time basis. He had been out of the WWE, then WWF, since 1987 and hasn't exactly said the nicest things in the world about the company. To really understand how he is a legend, it's time to take a trip deep into the past.
Fans of today may or may not have a clue who he is unless either they have parents or grandparents that watched and could tell stories about how he was in the ring and how he was as a performer. Go back to 20 years in the 80s, my generation, he was seen in his final days in the ring and during that time was a commentator for some shows on WWF-syndicated shows. Even further back, he was the big star back in the 60s and 70s.
Bruno wrestled for Vince McMahon Sr., father of current WWE Owner Vince McMahon, when it was known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation. By that time, the company was not a member of the NWA and created its own championship belt, the WWWF Title, and Bruno was the 2nd ever champion to hold it with the 1st being Buddy Rogers. To this date, his run as champion from 1963 to 1971 is the longest to hold the WWWF Title. Back during his run, there were no PPVs and it wasn't on a National much-less Global scale like it is today so to compare his run to someone like for example John Cena's current run, it would be like comparing an apple to an orange. He lost the championship to Ivan Koloff and didn't hold the title until 1973. Prior to that, he had a match with Pedro Morales, whom was the one that dethroned Koloff and was a face at the time, in at the time a rare face vs. face match. In 1973 all the way up until 1977, he was WWWF Champion for the 2nd time and was the 1st wrestler to hold that title and by that time returned as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance.
The man Bruno lost the belt to was WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham. By that time I believe he was starting to slow down a little bit. One of his major feuds was with Larry Zbyszko, whom was a student to Sammartino kayfabe wise. He had left the scene in 1981 and then returned briefly a few years later serving at 1st as a commentator and a manager for his son David Sammartino. He did have some matches with some wrestlers like Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and future Hall of Famer "Macho Man" Randy Savage. He even teamed up with Hulk Hogan in a match, whom was the big star during the time.
What really caused the strain to say the least had to do with many factors. For starters, the drug scene was probably a lot worse than it is now based upon stories and the steroids trial that later came to be. As far as today's wrestling, he is not a fan of the current WWE product though he has been invited to go to the Hall of Fame and participate in some WWE items. He has never been a fan of in his words "over-the-top storylines and theatrics" but really in my opinion isn't the reason. More so, it has to do with a difference of opinion on wrestling should be and that probably is it.
Right now, do not expect him to be inducted at this time due to him not wanting to be involved. He feels and still does to this day that if he did accept it, he would be looked at as a hypocrite after everything he has said about the company. He is a member of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame though, which is a different entity all together from what the WWE has. What about after he has passed away, would he be inducted then? I don't know exactly but if he were to be inducted, it would need to be for the right reasons and not for the wrong.
Learn more about this author, Bruce Bostwick.
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