Sammartino’s WWE Hall of Fame Honor Follows Pittsburgh, Amsterdam NY Nods

By Thomas Leturgey

Fans who think that Bruno Sammartino should have been inducted into this weekend’s World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame years ago may be unfamiliar with an honor the longtime champion didn’t pick up for nearly a decade. And they might not realize that he was also recognized recently by Pittsburgh’s professional wrestling organization for his impactful career and numerous contributions.

On May 19, 2012 Sammartino stood at a podium in Amsterdam, New York and was given a Hall of Fame ring for the “true” Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. He made the trip to induct his longtime friend, countryman and wrestling colleague Domenic DeNucci. In some ways—most importantly with ticket sales and legitimizing the Amsterdam tourist attraction to traditional fans—“The Living Legend” stole the show. Sammartino was announced as an inductee into the Hall of Fame’s initial class of 2002; however, he wasn’t making many long-distance trips. The announcement of DeNucci into the PWHF was enough to encourage Sammartino to make this eight-hour drive, and to receive his own accessory.

At the awards banquet in upstate New York, Sammartino announced to the packed house that he was “retiring” from trips outside of his home in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. A series of subsequent telephone calls from Paul Levesque—aka WWE wrestler Triple H—helped facilitate the idea of another trip to New York and Madison Square Garden for the WWE’s largely ceremonial Hall of Fame (WWE does not have a physical attraction like the one in Amsterdam). Sammartino’s acceptance of the induction was a surprise (others say shocking) to some wrestling fans. For years Sammartino had ignored the current WWE and refused repeated Hall of Fame offers over a reportedly acrimonious relationship with its owner, Vincent K. McMahon. The two will purportedly meet in an attempt to heal old wounds upon Sammartino’s arrival in Manhattan.

Saturday night, once again before a sell-out MSG crowd, Sammartino will take a bow and thrill a Northeast contingency that revels in his heroic athletic accomplishments to this day.

It will be Sammartino’s third wrestling-related Hall of Fame ceremony in less than a year.

This past December 8, Sammartino headlined another sold-out venue when he appeared at the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) FanFest/Toy Drive in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Along with DeNucci, Sammartino signed autographs, took pictures with fans, and helped raise hundreds of toys for needy children throughout Allegheny County. At intermission, KSWA Owner Bobby O presented Sammartino with induction into the Pittsburgh organization’s Hall of Fame (like the WWE’s, it’s a ceremonial nod for offerings to the sport). Bobby O later said it was a coup to induct the Pizzoferrato, Abruzzo, Italy native-turned Pittsburgh institution into the 13 year-old organization’s Hall of Fame.

“Bruno has done so much for professional wrestling and for Pittsburgh,” said Bobby O of the athlete who still holds the longest reign in WWWF (now WWE) history. “He is a class act and a gentleman.”