As the man who inducted Bruno Sammartino into WWE’s Hall of Fame in 2013, Arnold Schwarzenegger clearly had a close relationship with the Italian Superman. And after the news of the 82-year old’s death became public, Schwarzenegger was quick to make a thoughtful post in the memory of his friend.
The Hollywood icon and WWE Hall of Famer himself posted the following to Twitter on Tuesday:
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“Bruno Sammartino was a legend. He was the American Dream personified. From his childhood in Italy hiding from Nazis to selling out Madison Square Garden 188 times as the biggest star of professional wrestling, he was a hero in every stage of his life.”
Bruno Sammartino was a legend. He was the American Dream personified. From his childhood in Italy hiding from Nazis to selling out Madison Square Garden 188 times as the biggest star of professional wrestling, he was a hero in every stage of his life. pic.twitter.com/29KDwT3gcA
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) April 18, 2018
“And away from the spotlights and attention, he had the biggest heart you can imagine. I’ll miss you, Bruno.”
And away from the spotlights and attention, he had the biggest heart you can imagine. I’ll miss you, Bruno.
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) April 18, 2018
Before there was Roman Reigns, John Cena, The Rock, Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, there was Bruno Sammartino. As the most decorated man in the history of professional wrestling, Sammartino will always be remembered as one of the sturdiest pillars the sport will ever know.
WWE.com wrote the following:
Bruno became an overnight sensation, connecting with not only fellow Italians, but also the Latino, Greek and Jewish communities, successfully bridging the gap in America’s melting pot of wrestling fans. His legend continued to grow on May 17, 1963, when Sammartino defeated Buddy Rogers in just 48 seconds to become the second-ever WWE Champion in front of nearly 20,000 fans at the old Madison Square Garden.
Bruno held the WWE Championship for nearly eight years — by far the longest reign of all time, and a record for all professional wrestling champions, no matter the organization. A household name all over the country, the beloved hero defended his title in legendary rivalries against WWE Hall of Famers Killer Kowalski, Gorilla Monsoon and George “The Animal” Steele.
CBS Pittsburgh says that Sammartino passed away peacefully with his wife and two sons by his side. Sammartino had been battling health issues for two months.
