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Bruno Sammartinowas Hulk Hogan before Hulk Hogan. The Strongest Man in the World was the face of WWWF (now WWE) and he was heavily pushed as the top star by Vince McMahon's father, Vince McMahon Sr., winning the world title at just 28 years of age and in only 48 seconds, defeating the popular Buddy Rogers. He held onto that tile for over 7 years, a record that still stands to this day and will likely never be broken.
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By the 1980s, Sammartino was still a recognized name in the pro wrestling industry. He was far surpassed by of Hulk Hogan in terms of popularity, but old school fans still knew of him and respected what he did before wrestling was cool.
Bruno Sammartino Wasn't A Fan Of How Wrestling Had Changed
For a period of time, he served as a commentator, alongside Vince McMahon himself. He later got back into the ring as well, working short feuds against the likes of Roddy Piper and Randy Savage, but as he witnessed the state of wrestling post the 1980s popularity boom, Sammartino was not happy with how wrestling had, in his opinion, devolved from the time when he was the champion.
The Living Legend was released from his WWE contract in 1988, and he became a vocal critic of McMahon and WWE in general. Sammartino disliked the new approach in wrestling, favoring spectacle over athleticism. He also raised his voice about the usage of steroids and drugs within the industry.
Bruno Sammartino Stood Up To Vince McMahon Over Steroid Use
In 1991, during an interview with Lee Benaka, Sammartino said that the business was infested with rampant steroid use and the testing that McMahon claimed the athletes went through was nothing but a sham. The next year, McMahon was a guest on the Larry King show and Sammartino was brought in as well. This led to a video-to-video confrontation between Sammartino and McMahon. The former champion went right after his boss, accusing him of not protecting his wrestlers and his lackadaisical approach toward steroid use.
When Sammartino was brought on the Phil Donahue show, he referred to the wrestlers in WWE as “druggies” and the bridges were burnt. Aside from his issues with steroid use, Sammartino also disliked how complicated everything got within the business. Back in his time, storylines were simple, weapons were not used, blood was taboo, and edge was non-existent. But as WWE and wrestling continue to evolve, we saw all of that and much more. Bruno saw it too and he was disgusted.
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At the peak of the Attitude Era, Sammartino was asked what he thought of the product and the current wrestlers. At that time, Steve Austin was the top guy and Sammartino said that he never watched Austin and never cared for him because of his mouth. He cursed a lot and flipped people off, so Bruno wasn’t a fan of his.
Sammartino wasn’t happy with the edge in the New Generation era and during the Attitude era he pretty much stopped watching wrestling. He still took part in interviews and okayed a few documentaries on his life and career, but as far as WWE was concerned, Bruno wanted no part of it.
Vince McMahon and Bruno Sammartino Buried The Hatchet Years Later
For 25 years, Sammartino kept himself away from WWE and Vince McMahon. The boss had no desire to see him back in the company, not after the two had gone head-to-head on live TV, but eventually, McMahon decided to bury the hatchet and invited Sammartino over so he could be inducted to the Hall of Fame. The Living Legend said no, time and time again, but in 2013, thanks to Triple H, Sammartino finally decided to meet with Vince McMahon.
Triple H told the former champion about how the company had shifted to a more family-friendly product and explained the WWE wellness policy. Bruno had not watched WWE for the past several years, but as he began to get back into the program, he liked what he saw. The storylines were simple, blood was banned, and edgy storylines were few and far in between.
McMahon and Sammartino met in the former’s office. The two shook hands and the hatchet was buried, on camera, as this meeting was recorded and later uploaded on the official YouTube channel. When Sammartino passed away in 2018, McMahon set out a tweet, hailing him for what he was; a legend.
