#1.) Ivan Koloff–Bruno Sammartino – January 1971
Imagine this. Bruno Sammartino was the man who sold out Madison Square Garden close to 200 times. He was a legend of not just the arena, but of the people and the New York area. He was the WWWF Champion for 2803 days, which was a few months shy of eight years. In the eyes of the fans, he was a larger-than-life figure, a man that overcame his obstacles no matter how big they were.
The sheer thought of him losing the championship seemed impossible, but when it happened, fans had no idea how to react. Ivan Koloff dethroned Sammartino in what may be the biggest shock in wrestling history. Fans went into absolute silence, and as Sammartino walked to the back, fans had begun to cry.
It was a reaction like none other, and just goes to show how revered he really was in the area. There was truly no one like him and there won’t be any time in the future.
