Hulk Hogan may still hold the title of the most popular pro wrestler today, especially considering the fan base seems to get younger and younger, but Bruno Sammartino was the original. You may hear it said that Hogan is responsible for multiple boom periods in the industry and while that may be so, it was Bruno who laid the groundwork for it all.
This man held the WWE championship for 11 years in total. The most amazing part? That was with just two reigns.
And you thought CM Punk's 400+ days was impressive.
Inducting Sammartino goes a long way in legitimizing the actual Hall of Fame. Triple H, the man responsible for making this happen, had this to say:
"I love the history of this business. Without the history, there is no tomorrow. To look back on the history of WWE, one of the most important figures in the long story of where this all came from wasn't recognized. And that was Bruno."
Well said.