ROUND ONE: Bret "Hitman" Hart (2) vs. Bruno Sammartino (7)

[Everlong]

The Ultimate Wrestler Tournament
ROUND ONE: Bret Hart (2) vs. Bruno Sammartino (7)

Two icons of the industry from two different eras. Both are just as influential on an international level as they were in the WWE. But which one will move forward as they attempt to claim the biggest prize of their careers, the PUBTALKFORUM ULTIMATE WRESTLER? Let's find out!



"The Best There Is, The Best There Was and the Best There Ever Will Be" is an icon of the sport and of his country. One of the finest technical wrestlers to ever grace the company, Bret was also an underrated mic worker, particularly during his days as a heel. He had the ability to put on classics with just about anyone you'd throw against him. Bret suffered through the "Montreal Screwjob" and the death of his brother, yet still gave everything he had to the business even when it cost him his own health.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

*WWF Championship (x5)
*WCW World Heavyweight Championship (x2)
*WWF United States Championship (x1)
*WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (x1)
*WWF Intercontinental Championship (x1)
*WWF Tag Team Championship (x2)
*WCW World Tag Team Championship (x1)
*WCW Triple Crown Champion
*WWF Triple Crown Champion
*King of the Ring (1991, 1993)
*Royal Rumble winner (1994)
*WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
*5 Star Match (1994 vs. Owen Hart) by Wrestling Observer
*5 Star Match (1997 vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin) by Wrestling Observer

NOTABLE MATCH



NOTABLE SEGMENT





The biggest draw of the WWWF, Bruno Sammartino sold out arenas all over the country and the world, specifically (as he enjoys pointing out) a large number of sellouts at the prestigious Madison Square Garden. His rivalries with Billy Graham and Larry Zbyszko are the stuff of legend, and even all of these years later Sammartino is known as one of the greatest to ever set foot in the ring.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

*WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (x2)
*WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (x1)
*WWWF International Tag Team Championship (x2)
*WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)
*Longest WWE Title Reign
*Most Days as WWE Champion (4040 days: more than 11 years)

NOTABLE MATCH



NOTABLE SEGMENT

*NOTE: It's really tough to find videos of promos by Bruno from his heyday. There are some from the 80s, not many from the 70s. So I've included this HOF promo on him to give you an idea of his accomplishments.



VOTE NOW!

[The Legend]

Bret Hart has the advantage of wrestling in an era where wrestling was more polished and more of a created entertainment spectacle. I'm not sure what Sammartino could have accomplished if he wrestled in that era, probably a whole lot, but for me in my simple opinion Bret Hart is one of the five greatest wrestlers of all time and that really is all there is to it. I'd stack up his rivalries with Owen or HBK against anything Sammartino did. That's why Bret takes this one for me.

[SortaCreative]

Sammartino is no doubt a legend in the ring. One of the first top draws and a guy able to sell out arenas.

But Hitman is the Hitman and with him he brings the legacy of the Hart family. There's no denying that Bret "The Hitman" Hart was one of the, if not the, greats of the business. I think a lot of us will, quite obviously, be more aware of Hitmans work than Bruno's which is understandable given how long ago Bruno was actually in competition.

[ShaneOfan]

Bruno is a legend in the business, Hart stands out a lot more. He was big in the era of flash and flair. Sammartino was a solid wrestler and damn good at it. Plus he looked like a fighter, he was a big ugly bastard and looked like he could fight a bear. The thing that Bruno has the advantage at is he was able to draw a crowd with out the glitz and glam.

[Ace]

Bruno Sammartino is a pioneer of the draw that professional wrestling had across the country. He wrestled in an era where pro wrestling started to become a huge spectacle. He held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for 7 whole years. However one could argue that this was true only because he wrestled once every month in MSG. That being said, Bruno Sammartino paved the way for older superstars & now younger superstars.

Brat Hart is in my top list of technical wrestlers. Hart was less about showmanship in a time where showmanship was a huge decorated part of professional wrestling. He didn't have catchphrases, he didn't have an elaborate entrance. He got out there & put on a show of athleticism. What he did have in his arsenal was the suplexes, piledrivers & an awesome Sharpshooter which he perfected. He had awesome rivalries with the likes of Austin, Michaels & even his own brother Owen Hart.

My vote goes to Bret Hart.

[The Legend]

^^^ For the record, Bret Hart had what remains to this day my favorite catchphrase of all time.

[Ace]

^^^ For the record, Bret Hart had what remains to this day my favorite catchphrase of all time.

which is??

[prophet]

I don't want to appear ignorant to Sammartino's amazing legacy but he was before my time and being world champion for more than 11 years is something that will truly never be matched but as a fan I'm not too familiar with his work and so it'd be wrong for me to even consider voting for him.

Bret Hart on the other hand is one of my favourite wrestlers of all time, participated in a great deal of my favourite matches ever and is the clear winner here in my eyes.

[KaiserGlider]

Just out of curiosity, is there anyone here that watched wrestling during Bruno's time?

[Messiah]

^^^ For the record, Bret Hart had what remains to this day my favorite catchphrase of all time.

which is??

[ShaneOfan]

Just out of curiosity, is there anyone here that watched wrestling during Bruno's time?

Most of us probably were not alive during his time. But I have seen enough videos to know they guy was great.

[The Legend]

^^^ For the record, Bret Hart had what remains to this day my favorite catchphrase of all time.

which is??

The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be.

[SortaCreative]

^^^ For the record, Bret Hart had what remains to this day my favorite catchphrase of all time.

which is??

The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be.

How did you not know that Ace?

[AkydefGoldberg]

Bret Hart.

Bruno was a legend of his time but in a battle between them, Bret's accomplishments and matches just rank more than Sammartino's for me. And he added a dash of pink to his ring-gear and made it look good!

[Ace]

^^^ For the record, Bret Hart had what remains to this day my favorite catchphrase of all time.

which is??

The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be.

How did you not know that Ace?

OHH yeah sure. Who doesn't know that. I just never really looked at that as a catchphrase more of an honest statement of how good he was

[Str8Shooter]

Truthfully, this one probably would be a lot closer if there were more people who were able to see Bruno at his peak where he was the biggest thing in wrestling, during a time where it was a much different business and he really had to carry the company. When Bruno was on top, he was the champion and the champion HAD to draw. Which he did, I think he sold out MSG more than anyone in history as champion. He also had a 75 minute draw outside in the rain at Shea Stadium in New York. Not exactly something you'd see now days.

Bret wins it for me because the guy pretty much was my childhood as a wrestling fan. Whether it's because he was a fellow Canadian made him more relateable, or just because he was the quintessential good guy when I was young and cheering my heart out for the babyfaces. He was always believable in the ring and seemed like an ordinary guy who just happened to be really good at wrestling. In this way he was unlike the previous sets of champions and main eventers like Hogan and Warrior, who were big, larger than life characters.

Bret helped pave the way for guys today like a Daniel Bryan who weren't the best on the mic, but were believable and could get the crowd behind them based on their in ring skills and not their giant muscles.

[VaderBomb]

Bruno may have been more celebrated, but he's no Hitman.

[Daz]

It's very difficult to truly judge the two on an even keel as they participated in two very different era's of professional wrestling. It terms of cultural significance and importance to the company, Bruno Sammartino would win this by an absolute landslide. He sold out the Garden more than anyone else in history, he appealed to a larger and broader type of fan, specifically Italians in New York, bringing more eyes to the product than may have been there otherwise. Without Sammartino, there very well may be no WWE today. In that respect, it's hard to go against him and his accomplishments.

Bret Hart on the other hand, is one of the most technically proficient wrestlers to ever step inside ring. It takes a lot to call yourself the Best There Is, The Best There Was and the Best That There Ever Will be, without somebody questioning in. Not many question it when Bret Hart claims it. As our own Brett points out, Hart's contribution to wrestling on a larger platform, is helping pave a way for wrestlers on the smaller side becoming more prominent figures in the top half of the card. Without Hart, WWE may never have taken a chance on HBK a few years later and what a shame that would have been. That's not to say though, that HBK couldn't have broken through in his own right or that the likes of Guerrero, Mysterio, Punk or Bryan wouldn't have been given a shot nowadays, as I believe wrestlers and athletes in general have gotten leaner and more mobile as the years have progressed.

I think I'm going to go against the curve and vote for Sammartino. He carried the business in the North East on his back for over 4,000 combined days. That's incredible. Without his drawing power, the biggest wrestling brand the world has ever known may never have seen the light of day. Bret Hart, whilst an excellent in ring performer, can't quite claim that. In fact, his peak as a top guy was arguably WWE's lowest point business wise.