10 Longest title reigns in wrestling history

Bob Backlund with the WWF World heavyweight championship.
Bob Backlund with the WWF World heavyweight championship.

#2 Bruno Sammartino: Champion for 2,800 days

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One of the longest title reigns of all time at nearly seven years, Bruno Sammartino's time as champion almost didn't happen.

The WWWF split from the NWA and wanted to have their own prestigious world title in 1963. Their pick was Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, who was probably the biggest star of his era. Unfortunately, Rogers had medical issues including heart disease and could no longer perform. He dropped the title to a young lion named Bruno Sammartino, and the rest is history.

Bruno would go on to defend the Championship for nearly seven years against some of the toughest wrestlers in the world. Brock Lesnar hasn't even scratched the surface of what Bruno accomplished at a much earlier stage of his career.