Bruno Sammartino Issues Statement on 2013 WWE HOF Rumor

[Heisenberg]

As we previously reported, WWE has reached out to Bruno Sammartino regarding a possible induction into the Hall of Fame in 2013. Sammartino has had a controversial past with WWE and Vince McMahon Jr. He's spoken out for years against where the industry has gone and what McMahon has allegedly endorsed. Sammartino has turned down offers to work on several projects with WWE. Wrestling convention promoter Sal Corrente has issued the following statement to PWInsider.com on behalf of Sammartino:

We understand that word has broken on the Internet regarding "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino being inducted in to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. Since word has broken publicly, I can confirm that we have been contacted. I have been asked by Bruno Sammartino to announce that he will NOT be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

He's beginning to look petty. Just do it for the fans. This guy needs to get over whatever small things he believes Vince has done to the wrestling biz as Vince has done more better than worse and he's done more than anyone else in the wrestling business and put it on a global scale. And he needs to work out his differences with Vince. Take a look at Bret, and that was a more personal situation and not only did they put him in the Hall but he made two DVD's with the WWE, which, were good sellers.

Yeah alright then, it's understandable but c'mon..

 

[Kiffy Lube]

If Sammartino wants to live in the days when wrestling was taken seriously then I have no problem with it. I wouldn't insult Ole Anderson either for not accepting the Horsemen invite this year either(or whatever reason he wasn't added with the rest). Wrestling has changed into something those two clearly wouldn't want to be apart of in today's world.

The HOF is a joke anyways and when Sammartino was apart of the WWE it wasn't considered a joke overall like it is now.

 

[Cwalker]

I understand that Bruno has his opinions and values, so I'm not going to knock him for it. He doesn't approve of the industry so he most likely wants to seperate himself from it. That's respectable.

Good for him. If you don't approve of something, why be a part of it.

 

[We Are Legion]

WWE really just needs to leave him alone about it. Bruno has made it clear numerous times that he has absolutely no intention of being a part of the WWE HOF. The "honor" means nothing anyways and Bruno is at least intelligent enough to see that. Besides, with the way wrestling is today and how drastically it has changed since his era, it's unlikely many of today's fans would appreciate him or even know who he is without WWE hyping the induction relentlessly through archived video footage for several weeks leading into Wrestlemania. Bruno probably doesn't want these fans to mistake him for being something he wasn't, which is the cartoonish character most of today's wrestlers are as well as the wrestlers in the 80's WWE or the crash-tv style the Attitude era was. And I personally concur that most fans today, even among the IWC, are not even intelligent enough to see that difference either.

 

[Heisenberg]

In an update, the Observer reports that Triple H actually called Bruno and tried to sell him on the induction and the fact that he would get one more huge pop. Triple H tried to tell Bruno not to worry about Vince McMahon but Bruno wasn’t having it.

HHH taking over the duties. isgod:

 

[We Are Legion]

Kinda hard to sell Bruno on "Don't worry about Vince" considering the WWE HOF is just something inside Vince's own imagination... as Vince himself so bluntly put it.

 

[Keith]

Yeah he is right to stick to his guns.

 

[Chris]

Always respected Bruno for being so strong in his beliefs, good to see to him not giving in, though I would still love to see him inducted, I know it won't happen.

Always find it so funny how guys tend to blame WWE for Bruno not being in. It's not like WWE never reaches out to him, he just always say no.

 

[Deezy]

Bruno not accepting the induction is all on him, won't be anyones fault but his when he is forgotten.

Thats his decision so be it.

 

[The Cork]

Nobody cares about this guy, induct Warrior instead.

 

[Slim]

Induct Warrior just for the crazy speech that he'll give afterwards. Hmmm who to induct warrior...

 

[Keith]

^ And he wouldn't give a shit. He will still get reconition from the people who matter to him.

 

[Big Red Jericho Punk]

Triple H can induct Warrior, its only fitting since they had that five star match when Triple H had his first major match.

 

[Heisenberg]

Bruno not accepting the induction is all on him, won't be anyones fault but his when he is forgotten.

Thats his decision so be it.

He should be lucky there's a website called wikipedia. :Kane:

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Although I'd love to see him get inducted, I've got a lot of respect for him and the beliefs he is holding. If he doesn't want to join, quit harassing the dude!