Bruno Sammartino

[9.0] "One of the most important and influential wrestlers in professional wrestling history. Bruno Sammartino was an incredible draw who carried the WWWF for years and helped establish the foundation for what would eventually become WWE. His strength, believable offense, larger-than-life presence, and connection with the audience made him a legitimate superstar. His matches weren't always the most technically impressive or fast-paced, and his style could be repetitive, especially by modern standards. However, his ability to tell a story, generate emotion, and make fans genuinely believe in him was exceptional. His historic championship reigns and drawing power speak for themselves. Not necessarily the greatest in-ring performer of all time, but unquestionably one of wrestling's greatest attractions and most significant figures."

[10.0] "Perhaps the biggest megastar in wrestling of the 1960's, Bruno Sammartino was basically the Hulk Hogan of his time. He was basically the top draw of Vince McMahon Sr's. WWWF at the time."

[2.0] "Probably the most overrated wrestler of all time everyone always tells the Bruno Sammartino Ghost Stories about how great he was and how much star power he had but I'll be honest every match I have seen of him he sucks in the ring and I don't know why they kept the World Title on him as much as they did. They must've not had too many good wrestlers back then if this was the cream of the crop"

[4.0] "His highest ranked match is 7.88 but he has a ranking of 9.28. His top two matches are tag matches that weren't even in his championship reign. He was a propped up champion that in retrospect, did nothing of value in the ring."

[10.0] "In terms of legacy, he was the first megastar in wrestling. The first face of WWE before Hulk Hogan and everyone who came after him, followed the formula in terms of matches and character. Babyface, one hundred percent, and the underdog style a bit. If Bruno doesn't exist, Hulk Hogan doesn't exist, and if Hulk doesn't exist, well you get the idea."

[6.0] "Bruno was a good babyface and managed to connect with the New York area crowds. He was however nothing special in the ring, even for his time he was far from being the best. His ability to draw is undeniable and we don't have huge amount of footage from his career."

"Reminds me of Hulk Hogan a lot, great look, very limited moveset, superb ring psychology, good at selling, consistent. Over with the crowd at MSG. Except a mildly better worker, much worse talker. His early matches seem to not have been recorded anywhere and the later ones honestly aren't recorded well until the mid 70's which is near the end of his career (though he comes back a few times in the early-mid 80s), so I'm not going to give him a rating. My father watched Bruno growing up (he wanted to name me Bruno but my mother wouldn't let him) and legitimately believed this guy was the greatest thing ever. I don't get it, but maybe his 60s stuff was better or maybe he was just a product of his time. Or maybe it doesn't carry over from MSG to watching it on TV. IDK. My uncles thought pretty much the same thing as my father. In the 60s the only guy more over with Italian-Americans was the Pope. I've never seen a match of his I thought was great, but none of them were bad either. For a 50-something year old guy even his match with the Honky Tonk man was fun and the first time I remember seeing him. I'm probably missing context on a lot of the feuds."

"His work is a byproduct of the era he wrestled in. Many modern fans won't understand it and dismiss him. Bruno however, is one of the biggest attractions ever in wrestling. He carried the WWWF in the stages when they needed someone like him most. WWE has tried many times to have someone carry the title like him but it's simply impossible to have someone in the modern era be on top for that long and keep the level of popularity he did. Truly one of the greats There will never be another Bruno Sammartino."

[7.0] "Bruno is respected by the wrestlers & fans so that counts for something I guess. his work with WWF but boy he was terrible. He didn't have one match that I can recommend to anyone because he's unwatchable in the ring. However his work beforehand was solid."

[6.0] "Just based on historical importance, Bruno should be in the top 10 wrestlers of all time. He is from the era just before mine so I was never high on the 60's-70's style."

[10.0] "Usually I tend not to rate wrestlers based on how popular they were, but with Bruno you kind of have to? The man was champion for 7 years and drew HUGE in the New York territory. I've watched his matches before and I thought they were fun considering the era. Yeah there's a lot of punching in his matches, but that's never really bothered me, like don't get me wrong, I'm all for flippy fast paced moves, but Bruno's was able to do so much with a limited moveset, and more isn't always better. But yeah a lot of his rating is going to be based on his huge drawing ability and mammoth sized title reins. 10/10"

[10.0] "Legend in the ring. His in-ring work was really good for the time with insane strength, and he connected perfectly with his audience. He carried the early WWWF as their champion for an insane length of time."

[5.0] "Let's be very clear. Bruno was really popular. He was not great in the ring. The WWE machine continues to control the narrative. There are dozens of better wrestlers who don't have the advantage of being as protected, popular as Bruno. Any one who gives Bruno a ten is not objective at all."

[5.0] "Dude is BORING. I was never, will never be a fan of "The New York style" but Bruno was definitely less awful than most in that territory. His commentary was sometimes ok enough but he often seemed LOST. Overrated overhyped but not total crap; again BORING. there is worse, but: "BORING" is the most apt description. 4.5 rounded up. (and YES I watch things for "how they were", I'm straight up saying it: New York/WWWF/McMahonland's in ring pace was B! O! R! I! N! G! and Bruno is just another example of that.)"

[9.0] "One of the most revolutionary wrestlers ever, he was a valuable gem to the old days of pro wrestling. Incredible wrestler and incredible guy."

[10.0] "I say it all the time, he was the perfect storm for his time. If you were to have all of the stars align at once to make the perfect performer for an era it would be bruno in his. The WWWF, ran by Vince McMahon Sr at the time, had a large Italian American demographic coming to the shows, and being the smart man that he was Sr. capitalized on that by not just bringing Bruno who was a larger than life, hard working, blue collar, Italian American superman more the less in both look and what he was capable of doing in to the territory, but relying on him for so many years to be his world champion. And man did it ever work. 4, 000 something days as the world heavyweight champion, set the record for number of times selling out madison square garden, a real life hero to many people at the time, etc. Now obviously, a lot of what he did as far as promos, in ring work, etc, wouldn't translate to today at all. However, for his time, it was exactly what was needed for that territory, and the demographic that they were looking to draw at the time. I am glad he made peace with WWF/E before he died and got celebrated like he should be in his final years. Nothing but love and respect for the living legend."

[10.0] "The longest reigning WWE Champion of all time, and a record that will simply never be topped, Bruno Sammartino was a hero for Italian-Americans, but his popularity went beyond this community. The Italian Superman was a draw everywhere, but especially MSG, where people kept filling up the garden to witness the prowess of this powerhouse. A bonafide legend."

"He was, quite simply, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, and there was a reason he was called ? The Living Legend.? Bruno Sammartino was always open to talk, and some of our favorite al-time stories are archived below. Bruno? s eldest son, David, didn? t have the career his father did, but has his own unique take on the business too"

[9.0] "Though Bruno wasnt exactly charasmatic or elegant in his in ring ability, he was one of the most important wrestlers in WWE or rather WWWF history. Everyone knows of his 2803 day reign as historic and record holding, and his combined WWWF world title reign of 4040 days, tis a staple of what made WWE what it is today, he was the John Cena or Hulk Hogan of his day, going through everyone in his path from legends such as Gorilla Monsoon, Ken Patera, and Baron Mikel Scicluna to his ex tag partner turned rival in Spiros Arion and possibly greatest rival in Larry Zbyszko. Bruno paved the way for what wrestling is today by bringing the forefront of popularity to the most successful promotion to date"

[6.0] "Bruno Sammartino was even slower than Hulk Hogan and his acting was very straightforward. He was used as a superhero to please the kids of his time, but I don't think you can make him into a wrestling giant like Lou Thesz, Rikidozan, Buddy Rogers, etc."

[9.0] "Bruno Sammartino lives and breathes wrestling. This man sold out Madison Square Garden more times than I could count and was a massive international draw at one point in the pinnacle of his career. There's a reason the whole MSG venue went complete and utter silence when he lost the WWWF Title for the first time. Yes, that's how much the fans loved him. Yes, that's how big of a deal he truly is. His late 80s 'special attraction' run doesn't hold a candle to his heyday, but even then so, I still think he's fun to watch nevertheless. I will knock him a bit on his in-ring work, which was a little too kicky-punchy, more of the same stuff for me. But the fact that he did so little and gathered ten times the amount of reaction of guys today speaks volumes for itself. Couldn't be a more fitting term for him than "The Living Legend.""

[10.0] "The legend of all legends in WWE history. He had the look, the gravitas, and the near-unanimous support from the fans in New York, and he may very well be the greatest champion WWE has ever had."

[10.0] "Legend of the legends, immortal. He raise the standard for the major drawer of the history, his model of success will make famous the likes of Hulk Hogan and John Cena as well. An icon. Forza Italia!"

[10.0] "You want to talk about a wrestling god, here you go. A pioneer and someone who prided himself in taking the business seriously. Helped get wrestling into the mainstream."

[10.0] "The greatest star in the old WWWF. Bruno was the Hogan of his time, everywhere he went, he drew. Bruno basically owned MSG for the majority of the prime of his career. A true legend in the business."

[7.0] "The crowd love him and he always put on a show. Definitely didnt have a massive move set but that didnt matter when your selling out crowds and the crowd is always going nuts for you."

[10.0] "By his own admission, Bruno wasn't the worker that some his contemporaries were. But he didn't need to be, because his strength was in connecting with the fans in way that those same contemporaries were unable to do. And Bruno was good enough at what he could do in the ring that the fans were with him every step of the way."

[10.0] "The virile Everyman. Strong, potent and sporting a bold 70s haircut. As a child I viewed Bruno as a hairy, slightly paunchy man in a baggy speedo. He didn? t look like he could hold a candle to chiseled body builder types that populated the 1980s wrestling landscape. It was much later that I learned he was stronger, braver and far more potent than anyone who ever laced up a pair of boots. It was at that point I noticed his bulk and girth. This was a big, brutal, durable man with staying power. To the unpracticed eye his matches may seem lethargic and lacking the technical virtuosity that we see today. But what his matches possessed was a level of ? realism? that resonated with the audience. Surely, no one would except Larry Holmes would attempt to take out a foe in a real fight with a drop kick. But stomping and punching, wrenching knees and imposing your superior will power with tests of strength. This is a logical approach to professional wrestling. His matches are less cookie cutter than many of the greats- despite the limited move set and his excessive length. The lack of high spots actually adds to the realism. His charisma is off the charts. The modern product would benefit from the sort of visceral, brawling style that he used. Is Bruno the greatest wrestler ever? He has to be in the conversation and a strong case can be made."

[10.0] "Maybe not the best worker at the time and he wasn? t the flashiest, but Bruno Sammartino will probably be the WWE? s biggest draw for its history. Bruno sold out Madison Square Garden so many times, I? ve lost count. His matches with guys like Larry Zybsko and Gorilla Monsoon are legendary. Bruno Sammartini was a wrestler who was larger than life, a character who connected with millions and he was a childhood hero for many. Without him, there is no Hulk Hogan, without him there is no John Cena. Without him, WWE may have never been the phenomenon it is today. Thank you Bruno for your contributions to the business and RIP."

[10.0] "Bruno transcends any rating, in my opinion... he was larger than life, a Superman, a hero and a role model... he was a champion inside and outside the ring... he was my hero when I was 12, and almost 50 years later, he still is... I can barely watch the current product, but I am always up for watching Bruno take on Toru Tanaka, Gorilla Monsoon, or Waldo Von Erich :)"

[10.0] "A multi time Madison Square Garden sell out, Bruno was the reason WWF had the opportunity to overthrow the territory system. He also wrestled quite well and is a neat throwback to watch nowadays."

[10.0] "Belongs with Hogan, Flair and Andre on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling. His first championship run was insane. Then after the Pedro Morales interlude, he was right back at it. Sold out Shea Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden and Japan. He even crossed over for some good work with another legend Harley Race. The guy had main event written all over him. Even when he was retired, he'd get back in the ring and sell the place out. Simply fantastic."

[9.0] "One of the most legendary wrestlers in history, his ability to sell out Madison Square Garden almost every month for over a decade is a remarkable achievement. He was the first true WWWF Champion and made New York the successful territory that would go on to become the WWE."

"10 The Greatest Champion of All-Time. As big a gentleman as he was a champion. Bruno was a great "scientific"wrestler but could also brawl with the best of them"

[10.0] "Il leggendario Bruno Sammartino is one of the most famous, most important and well-respected wrestlers in the world, and rightfully so. Although he is not known for being the best talker in the industry, as some feuds of his show he wasn't bad at all on the mic. Combine that with a great presence, a great in-ring ability, and there's Bruno Sammartino for you. No wonder this guy was a huge draw in the Northeast."

[8.0] "Overrated by people that think, that the wwf or wwwf was the biggest company in the world before 1984. He was a great draw, but only for a local territory - the champions of the AWA and the NWA were much bigger names in the wrestling world than Sammartino. I'm also not the biggest fan of his in-ring work. Nonetheless, you have to judge him highly because of his drawing ability in New York and his great presence."

[10.0] "One of the founding fathers of pro wrestling as we know it."

[10.0] "It's incredibly, on how this wrestler is very good, I like Bruno Sammartino."