The WWE Hall of Fame has been around for awhile now and has seen many legendary names inducted into it. Many fans are wondering if one name above all others will ever receive the honour. The individual in question is Bruno Sammartino, who is quite possibly the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Ric Flair may have held various championships more times, but Sammartino holds the record for longest combined time as heavyweight champion, with a total of 11 years. His first championship run was as the WWWF champion. from 1963 to 1971, which he won by defeating Buddy Rogers. The second run came when he defeated Stan Stasiak, and it lasted from 1973 to 1977.

Sammartino's position as the top dog in the wrestling business came to an end then, courtesy of the flashy, charismatic wrestler famously known as "Superstar" Billy Graham. The win came with a high degree of controversy, as Graham had his feet on the ropes for leverage when he pinned Sammartino. After this, Sammartino stepped away from wrestling for awhile before making some brief returns. He would have to share the spotlight, though, and engaged in some feuds with such notable superstars as Macho Man Randy Savage and Roddy Piper, as well as teaming up with Hulk Hogan.

His role as an active competitor drew to a close, and he began to participate in the business as a commentator and special referee. In the last 10 years, though, he has become very critical of the direction that Vince McMahon has taken the WWE, claiming that it has destroyed what Vince Sr. created. He is not a fan of the edgy storylines and mature content that the Attitude Era in particular featured. Sammartino is also extremely against the practice that some wrestlers allegedly had of using illegal supplements such as steroids, and for this reason he would often refuse to travel with younger athletes for fear of being pulled over in a roadside drug bust. Sammartino has had several opportunities to be a part of WWE projects such as DVD releases, but he always declines so as to not appear to be endorsing Vince Jr.'s product. Needless to say, this has created a bit of a beef between the two men, perhaps more so on Sammartino's side. He does, however, have high praise for Kurt Angle, saying that he rarely watches wrestling anymore unless it is one of Angle's matches. This should come as no surprise, as Angle is widely considered to be the greatest professional wrestler alive today, regardless of what CM Punk and Chris Jericho say.

Sammartino has been approached in the past concerning a spot in the Hall of Fame, but he flat-out refused. Perhaps if Triple H ends up running the WWE in real life and Vince is out of the picture, the healing will begin. It would be an absolute crime if the hard feelings between these two men permanently stood in the way of Sammartino earning his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame as the greatest champion ever to set foot in the ring.