Mafia Mayhem: Bruno Sammartino & Freddie Blassie's Dark Night!

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Bruno Sammartino was known for taking the wrestling business incredibly seriously. In fact, he maintained his commitment to kayfabe, the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true," longer than almost anyone else from his era. Learn more

It was Sammartino’s commitment to kayfabe that put Freddie Blassie in severe real-life danger.

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Bruno Sammartino's straightforward, no-nonsense attitude endeared him to generations of fans in the northeast United States. His commitment to maintaining the illusion of wrestling allowed fans to believe in him, and he was determined not to let those fans down.

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Freddie Blassie had just finished up as WWA "world" champion in Los Angeles. Bruno Sammartino was in the middle of an epic 7.5-year run as the WWWF champion.

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The historic encounter between Bruno Sammartino and Freddie Blassie took place at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey, on June 26, 1964. Sammartino, being of Italian descent, enjoyed immense popularity with the pro-Italian crowd in attendance.

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"Bruno and I had a real brawl. I grabbed his cauliflower ears and twisted them, then paused and looked at the crowd to piss them off," Blassie wrote.

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After the matches, things got serious backstage when members of the Italian mob took the action in the ring too seriously.

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Sammartino's quick thinking averted the potential danger that could have ended Blassie's life in that moment.

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