Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino, an Italian-born American professional wrestler, made a significant impact on the World Wide Wrestling Federation, now known as WWE. His remarkable career was marked by two reigns as the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion, holding the title for an astonishing 11 years and 4,040 days. The first of these reigns, which lasted 2,803 days, remains the longest single reign in the promotion's history.
Throughout his career, Sammartino was known by various nicknames, including "The Italian Strongman" and "The Strongest Man in the World", before eventually earning the esteemed title "The Living Legend". He was famous for his powerful bear-hug finishing move, which solidified his reputation as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
After retiring, Sammartino became a vocal critic of the increasing prevalence of drug use and raunchier storylines in the professional wrestling industry. However, he eventually reconciled with WWE in 2013 and headlined their Hall of Fame ceremony that year. His legacy was further cemented by Terry Funk, who proclaimed that Sammartino was "bigger than wrestling itself".
