RIP Bruno Sammartino

[quote="bobo" post=281800]Bruno passed away yesterday at the age of 82. I feel he was a piece of my childhood. RIP big fella.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino

https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/the-feud-that-kept-bruno-sammartino-away-from-wwe-for-25-years/[/quote]

Feel the same way. I have had discussions with friends about who was the more significant part of wrestling history, Bruno or Rick Flair. I say Bruno, friends say Flair. Any guy that can headline and sell out MSG for 11 years in a row is pretty special, and that's what Bruno did.
 
Bruno was my favorite. Imo, the greatest wrestler of all time. He and Jimmy Superfly Snuka were probably 1and 2 for me.
 
Speaking of Pro Wrestling ..... I went to high school in Glens Falls with “Hacksaw Jim Dugan”.

Hacksaw (nicknamed “Moose” Dugan in high school ) was a top high school recruit in both football and wrestling. Hacksaw won the NYS heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year. His father was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls.

For football he received scholarship offers from most power schools including Penn State. To everyone’s surprise Hacksaw chose to play football at SMU. Hacksaw played Offensive Tackle at SMU starting his sophmore through senior years but sustained a knee injury during his senior season.

Hacksaw played on the great SMU teams before SMU received the “death penalty”. He made first team Alll Southwest Conference when that conference was considered among the best college football conferences. The NCAA findings regarding SMU paying players provided some insight as to why Hacksaw chose to attend far away SMU. A knee injury prevented Hacksaw from playing in the NFL. Hacksaw attempted unsuccessfully to play ifotball in Canada. When he was cut in Canada Hacksaw headed to “wrestling school” and enjoyed a long profitable career iin “professional wrestling”.

Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.
 
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[quote="otis" post=281865]
Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote]

They were also getting high together, which was even harder to explain.
 
[quote="otis" post=281865]Speaking of Pro Wrestling ..... I went to high school in Glens Falls with “Hacksaw Jim Dugan”.

Hacksaw (nicknamed “Moose” Dugan in high school ) was a top high school recruit in both football and wrestling. Hacksaw won the NYS heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year. His father was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls.

For football he received scholarship offers from most power schools including Penn State. To everyone’s surprise Hacksaw chose to play football at SMU. Hacksaw played Offensive Tackle at SMU starting his sophmore through senior years but sustained a knee injury during his senior season.

Hacksaw played on the great SMU teams before SMU received the “death penalty”. He made first team Alll Southwest Conference when that conference was considered among the best college football conferences. The NCAA findings regarding SMU paying players provided some insight as to why Hacksaw chose to attend far away SMU. A knee injury prevented Hacksaw from playing in the NFL. Hacksaw attempted unsuccessfully to play ifotball in Canada. When he was cut in Canada Hacksaw headed to “wrestling school” and enjoyed a long profitable career iin “professional wrestling”.

Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote]

Hey Otis, did you know anyone in the Suprenant family? off topic, but they were from Glens Falls and had a ton of kids
 
[quote="L J S A" post=281872][quote="otis" post=281865]
Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote]

They were also getting high together, which was even harder to explain.[/quote]

I think you have to be high not to know wrestling is fake.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=281804][quote="bobo" post=281800]Bruno passed away yesterday at the age of 82. I feel he was a piece of my childhood. RIP big fella.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino

https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/the-feud-that-kept-bruno-sammartino-away-from-wwe-for-25-years/[/quote]

Of course. Bobo Brazil[/quote]

Used to fall asleep at night, as a Brooklyn boy, watching either hockey, roller derby or wrestling - Happy Humphrey, Haystacks Calhoun, Johnny Valentine, Scufling Hillbillies, tag teams...Bobo and Bruno. Memories. Peace to you Bruno and yours.
 
[quote="kranmars" post=281954][quote="L J S A" post=281872][quote="otis" post=281865]
Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote]

They were also getting high together, which was even harder to explain.[/quote]

I think you have to be high not to know wrestling is fake.[/quote]

When Ric Flair was in his plane crash, on the same airplane was Tim Woods, a.k.a Mr. Wrestling, tag team partner of Mr. Wrestling 2. He gave his real name to authorities -- George something -- to preserve the illusion that wrestling was real and good guys didn't travel with bad guys.

Once rumors circulated that Woods was on plane, he came out of hospital with a broken back to wrestle a match and prove he was not on plane. So apparently there were lots of high people in the mid-'70s who would have been shocked to discover it was fake.

He also once got part of his finger bitten off in a match, so needless to say, the dude was pretty tough regardless of scripting. Probably would have gotten his ass kicked outside a ring by Bruno, though, which shows just how tough Bruno was.
 
[quote="Sherman, Sheridan & Grant" post=281960][quote="Beast of the East" post=281804][quote="bobo" post=281800]Bruno passed away yesterday at the age of 82. I feel he was a piece of my childhood. RIP big fella.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino

https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/the-feud-that-kept-bruno-sammartino-away-from-wwe-for-25-years/[/quote]

Of course. Bobo Brazil[/quote]

Used to fall asleep at night, as a Brooklyn boy, watching either hockey, roller derby or wrestling - Happy Humphrey, Haystacks Calhoun, Johnny Valentine, Scufling Hillbillies, tag teams...Bobo and Bruno. Memories. Peace to you Bruno and yours.[/quote]

OK, your memories made think of some of the other wrestling stars, in the period that preceded the WWF era. Classic bad guys like Graham Brothers, Skull Murphy, Brute Bernard, Killer Kowalski, Karl Von Hess, Mr. Moto, and the inimitable Captain Lou Albano.
Good guys Mark Lewin, Dan Curtis, The Fabulous Kangaroos, Antonino Rocca and Cowboy Ellis.
Venues other than MSG included Sunnyside Garden and Island Garden. A golden era for sports.
 
[quote="otis" post=281865]Speaking of Pro Wrestling ..... I went to high school in Glens Falls with “Hacksaw Jim Dugan”.

Hacksaw (nicknamed “Moose” Dugan in high school ) was a top high school recruit in both football and wrestling. Hacksaw won the NYS heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year. His father was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls.

For football he received scholarship offers from most power schools including Penn State. To everyone’s surprise Hacksaw chose to play football at SMU. Hacksaw played Offensive Tackle at SMU starting his sophmore through senior years but sustained a knee injury during his senior season.

Hacksaw played on the great SMU teams before SMU received the “death penalty”. He made first team Alll Southwest Conference when that conference was considered among the best college football conferences. The NCAA findings regarding SMU paying players provided some insight as to why Hacksaw chose to attend far away SMU. A knee injury prevented Hacksaw from playing in the NFL. Hacksaw attempted unsuccessfully to play ifotball in Canada. When he was cut in Canada Hacksaw headed to “wrestling school” and enjoyed a long profitable career iin “professional wrestling”.

Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote]
You mean...the feud was fake? :S
 
[quote="otis" post=281865]Speaking of Pro Wrestling ..... I went to high school in Glens Falls with “Hacksaw Jim Dugan”.

Hacksaw (nicknamed “Moose” Dugan in high school ) was a top high school recruit in both football and wrestling. Hacksaw won the NYS heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year. His father was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls.

For football he received scholarship offers from most power schools including Penn State. To everyone’s surprise Hacksaw chose to play football at SMU. Hacksaw played Offensive Tackle at SMU starting his sophmore through senior years but sustained a knee injury during his senior season.

Hacksaw played on the great SMU teams before SMU received the “death penalty”. He made first team Alll Southwest Conference when that conference was considered among the best college football conferences. The NCAA findings regarding SMU paying players provided some insight as to why Hacksaw chose to attend far away SMU. A knee injury prevented Hacksaw from playing in the NFL. Hacksaw attempted unsuccessfully to play ifotball in Canada. When he was cut in Canada Hacksaw headed to “wrestling school” and enjoyed a long profitable career iin “professional wrestling”.

Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote] I'm still traumatized from being at MSG when the Iron Sheik beat my favorite wrestler at the time Bob Backlund
 
[quote="Las Vegan" post=282011][quote="Sherman, Sheridan & Grant" post=281960][quote="Beast of the East" post=281804][quote="bobo" post=281800]Bruno passed away yesterday at the age of 82. I feel he was a piece of my childhood. RIP big fella.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino

https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/the-feud-that-kept-bruno-sammartino-away-from-wwe-for-25-years/[/quote]

Of course. Bobo Brazil[/quote]

Used to fall asleep at night, as a Brooklyn boy, watching either hockey, roller derby or wrestling - Happy Humphrey, Haystacks Calhoun, Johnny Valentine, Scufling Hillbillies, tag teams...Bobo and Bruno. Memories. Peace to you Bruno and yours.[/quote]

OK, your memories made think of some of the other wrestling stars, in the period that preceded the WWF era. Classic bad guys like Graham Brothers, Skull Murphy, Brute Bernard, Killer Kowalski, Karl Von Hess, Mr. Moto, and the inimitable Captain Lou Albano.
Good guys Mark Lewin, Dan Curtis, The Fabulous Kangaroos, Antonino Rocca and Cowboy Ellis.
Venues other than MSG included Sunnyside Garden and Island Garden. A golden era for sports.[/quote]

Gene Stanley, Lord Carlton, Lou Thesz. My friends son (now a successful attorney) wrestled for WWF for a few years in the era when Sargent Slaughter was actually injuring some people. My friend and his son were both high end power lifters. At the beginning of the match my friend's son explained to Sargent Slaughter that he understood that his winning was a "long shot", but that if Slaughter did anything to try to injure him, he would pull Slaughter's corpse on top of him for its final victory.
 
[quote="fuchsia" post=282041][quote="Las Vegan" post=282011][quote="Sherman, Sheridan & Grant" post=281960][quote="Beast of the East" post=281804][quote="bobo" post=281800]Bruno passed away yesterday at the age of 82. I feel he was a piece of my childhood. RIP big fella.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino

https://nypost.com/2018/04/19/the-feud-that-kept-bruno-sammartino-away-from-wwe-for-25-years/[/quote]

Of course. Bobo Brazil[/quote]

Used to fall asleep at night, as a Brooklyn boy, watching either hockey, roller derby or wrestling - Happy Humphrey, Haystacks Calhoun, Johnny Valentine, Scufling Hillbillies, tag teams...Bobo and Bruno. Memories. Peace to you Bruno and yours.[/quote]

OK, your memories made think of some of the other wrestling stars, in the period that preceded the WWF era. Classic bad guys like Graham Brothers, Skull Murphy, Brute Bernard, Killer Kowalski, Karl Von Hess, Mr. Moto, and the inimitable Captain Lou Albano.
Good guys Mark Lewin, Dan Curtis, The Fabulous Kangaroos, Antonino Rocca and Cowboy Ellis.
Venues other than MSG included Sunnyside Garden and Island Garden. A golden era for sports.[/quote]

Gene Stanley, Lord Carlton, Lou Thesz. My friends son (now a successful attorney) wrestled for WWF for a few years in the era when Sargent Slaughter was actually injuring some people. My friend and his son were both high end power lifters. At the beginning of the match my friend's son explained to Sargent Slaughter that he understood that his winning was a "long shot", but that if Slaughter did anything to try to injure him, he would pull Slaughter's corpse on top of him for its final victory.[/quote] what was his wrestling name ?
 
[quote="mjmaherjr" post=282028][quote="otis" post=281865]Speaking of Pro Wrestling ..... I went to high school in Glens Falls with “Hacksaw Jim Dugan”.

Hacksaw (nicknamed “Moose” Dugan in high school ) was a top high school recruit in both football and wrestling. Hacksaw won the NYS heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year. His father was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls.

For football he received scholarship offers from most power schools including Penn State. To everyone’s surprise Hacksaw chose to play football at SMU. Hacksaw played Offensive Tackle at SMU starting his sophmore through senior years but sustained a knee injury during his senior season.

Hacksaw played on the great SMU teams before SMU received the “death penalty”. He made first team Alll Southwest Conference when that conference was considered among the best college football conferences. The NCAA findings regarding SMU paying players provided some insight as to why Hacksaw chose to attend far away SMU. A knee injury prevented Hacksaw from playing in the NFL. Hacksaw attempted unsuccessfully to play ifotball in Canada. When he was cut in Canada Hacksaw headed to “wrestling school” and enjoyed a long profitable career iin “professional wrestling”.

Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote] I'm still traumatized from being at MSG when the Iron Sheik beat my favorite wrestler at the time Bob Backlund[/quote]

I remember as a kid the Spiros Arion turn on Chief Jay Strongbow in a tag match against the Valiants being a similarly traumatic experience.
 
[quote="austour" post=282232][quote="mjmaherjr" post=282028][quote="otis" post=281865]Speaking of Pro Wrestling ..... I went to high school in Glens Falls with “Hacksaw Jim Dugan”.

Hacksaw (nicknamed “Moose” Dugan in high school ) was a top high school recruit in both football and wrestling. Hacksaw won the NYS heavyweight wrestling championship his senior year. His father was the Chief of Police in Glens Falls.

For football he received scholarship offers from most power schools including Penn State. To everyone’s surprise Hacksaw chose to play football at SMU. Hacksaw played Offensive Tackle at SMU starting his sophmore through senior years but sustained a knee injury during his senior season.

Hacksaw played on the great SMU teams before SMU received the “death penalty”. He made first team Alll Southwest Conference when that conference was considered among the best college football conferences. The NCAA findings regarding SMU paying players provided some insight as to why Hacksaw chose to attend far away SMU. A knee injury prevented Hacksaw from playing in the NFL. Hacksaw attempted unsuccessfully to play ifotball in Canada. When he was cut in Canada Hacksaw headed to “wrestling school” and enjoyed a long profitable career iin “professional wrestling”.

Hacksaw made national news when a car he was riding in was stopped by police and the officer arrested the driver who was Hacksaw’s big time rival the “Iron Shiek” who was suppose to be his hated nemesis Kinda hard for the WWF to explain how supposed hated rivals were riding together in the same car.[/quote] I'm still traumatized from being at MSG when the Iron Sheik beat my favorite wrestler at the time Bob Backlund[/quote]

I remember as a kid the Spiros Arion turn on Chief Jay Strongbow in a tag match against the Valiants being a similarly traumatic experience.[/quote]

Heel turns were always great. Larry Zybszko turning on his mentor Bruno was one of those great moments. Someone else turned on Bruno, but can't remember who. Same with Samoan Chief Peter Maivia.
 
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