Bruno Sammartino is the longest-reigning World Champion in the history of WWE. Sammartino is considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. The legendary Italian sold out the Madison Square Garden a record 188 times. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

Wrestling journalist Bill Apter spoke about the time when Sammartino lost the Championship to The Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff. Koloff shocked the world when he dethroned Sammartino at Madison Square Garden on January 18, 1971.