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#1 WWE legends Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan
Prior to the Attitude Era, Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan were undoubtedly the top two Superstars in WWE history. Sammartino held the WWE Championship (aka the WWWF Championship) for a combined 4,040 days, while Hogan’s reigns spanned 2,185 days.
Sammartino and Hogan dominated different WWE eras, meaning their paths never crossed in a one-on-one match. However, that might not have been the case if WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had his way.
According to Sammartino, he was due to face Hogan twice at WWE live events in the 1980s. The Italian-American explained in an RF Video shoot in 2007 that The Hulkster no-showed the matches and Sgt. Slaughter replaced him.
“Yeah, I think twice. Once I remember for sure… the Civic Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. He didn’t show up. No reason why. He just didn’t show up and Sgt. Slaughter took his place.”
Sammartino did not know the exact reason why Hogan failed to turn up, but he speculated that his planned opponent was afraid to face him.
“He knew what kind of shape I was in, even at that age. Anybody that knew me always knew what kind of shape I was in. I really believe, to his day, that he knew I would blow him up in about 10 minutes and he wouldn’t be able to catch his breath. He didn’t want no part of it.”
In the end, a WWE singles match between the two men never took place. Sammartino did, however, team with Hogan in the final match of his career. The legendary Superstars joined forces to defeat King Kong Bundy and The One Man Gang at a WWE live event in 1987.
