15 Years Later…Bruno & The Wrestling Legends Cards Are Still Uno

It’s an odd feeling to be doing a follow-up to an entry published nearly fifteen years to the day earlier. Even odder is that I had to research when the original was done and it just so happened to be way back on July 20^th 2010. A completely different world is so many ways, yet, here we are without any huge visual changes like in the span of, say, 1965-1980 or 1980-1995. I almost feel like visuals have stopped changing somehow but that’s not the topic at hand.

Back in 2010 I either tracked down or was pointed in the direction of a man named Tim Ferrante who, back in the ‘90s, was vice president of a company called Imagine Inc. While many know the company for publishing trading cards and other items in the vintage horror/sci-fi genre, wrestling fans are aware of the name for being behind Bruno Sammartino’s autobiography and the 1991 Wrestling Legends trading card set. It was the latter which Mr. Ferrante was kind enough to speak about. He even provided rare trade show photos highlighting the association with “The Living Legend.” It became one of the highest-read entries in the history of this blog.

Fast forward to March 15^th 2025 and I finally find myself speaking to the other side of the creative force behind these early ‘90s Bruno relics – a man by the name of Bob Michelucci. From being one of the zombies in the original “Dawn of the Dead” film (made in a huge location of my childhood – Monroeville Mall) to being involved in endless other projects in design and marketing around the Pittsburgh area and beyond, Michelucci is an unsung hero to so many of us. Speaking with him you not only walk away with more behind-the-scenes info than you ever thought you’d know but you also get the feeling that Mr. Michelucci is unaware of how much joy he’s brought to so many, whether it be in the spotlight or behind the scenes. It’s just his life’s work.

It was the “Bruno Forever” event, covered in an earlier entry, where I finally met Mr. Michelucci. A few months later he hosted a weekend long event, at the aforementioned Monroeville Mall, called a “living estate sale.” Even with being involved with and/or behind so many projects over the years, Michelucci is a collector himself. Like with all of us collectors eventually comes the time to downsize. A small portion of the large sale included items from Michelucci’s days working with “The Living Legend.”

I was able to add a few things to my own vast Bruno collection including the trade show photos that you see here which also feature Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille (Pittsburgh broadcasting legend and host of of Pittsburgh’s Studio Wrestling), Johnny Valiant and photographer George Napolitano. They’re a fascinating glimpse back to when you actually had to bring a camera to such an event. No whipping out your phone here. The photos range from the Vegas trade show which was also shown thanks to Mr. Ferrante back in 2010 to local signings here in Pittsburgh.

I also finally picked up a signed Bruno LJN Wrestling Superstars poster. I never did start getting the LJN posters signed, instead concentrating on having the carded figures themselves signed, but what a way to start. Normally I’m not interested if something is signed to someone who isn’t me, but occasionally an exception is made. When it’s signed to the co-author of the autobiography of the signer it’s definitely one of the latter times.

Rounding out the Bruno haul was an original flyer advertising the book’s availability and the last piece to the Wrestling Legends trading card set. There was an initial base set which my father bought for me way back when the cards were new. There was also a set featuring a special eight card gold bordered autographed subset. This version, which was very affordable even back when I did the initial blog entry, has soared in the recent years as it features the only officially signed cards of Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz. What I still needed was an unsigned set of those eight special cards which was also released. My set is finally complete.

Best of all were all the stories Bob has about those Imagine Inc. and Bruno days. He mentioned that, even then, some guys just weren’t able to be part of it. This was long before the days of “Legends Contracts” but you can imagine that names like Gorilla Monsoon, George Steele, Jay Strongbow and Pat Patterson probably would’ve been included but were still very much employed by the WWF at the time. Bob also never let it goes unmentioned as to what a great guy Bruno was. He is so very much right.

Stay tuned to our Facebook blog page for info on future “Living Estate Sales” that Mr. Michelucci will hold as I will be passing the info along there. Also, I still stand by my claim from the original entry in 2010: the 1991 Wrestling Legends trading cards are STILL the most underrated wrestling cards of all-time.

“I wasn’t a victim of an action but rather of the response.” — Me

This one isn’t about memorabilia. It has a wrestling connection but I wouldn’t call it a wrestling post. It’s something a bit different and, probably, a tad controversial. I don’t do “trigger warnings” but if a little truth about an issue that’s gotten some traction on the net in the past week or so isn’t your thing, you may want to skip this one. I believe it’s a worthwhile read considering many of you collectors who would be reading this are into conventions and meet and greets.

This tale involves a Pittsburgh area convention known as Steel City Con. The show itself is not in the city of Pittsburgh but the nearby suburb of Monroeville. The show began in the late ‘80s as “The Pittsburgh Toy Show” so it’s always associated itself with the city even though it’s never technically been held there. To be fair, many residents of the surrounding suburbs will respond “Pittsburgh” when asked from where they come from, myself included. The town where I spent the majority of my childhood was even a tad further away from the city yet our mailing address was Pittsburgh. It’s one of those things that some find strange and others realize is no big deal.

I started attending the show, as the toy show, about twenty years ago. In fact up until about five or so years ago I referred to it strictly as “toy show” and everyone knew what I was talking about. The “Steel City Con” name came about around 15 years ago or so. I really don’t recall the exact time for the name change. As I just said it took me years and years before I ever personally called it that. For a few shows those in charge tried to float it as “Steel City Comic Con.” This created confusion as there weren’t too many tables with comics, but many of us realized what they were attempting to do. They were trying to become a Pittsburgh version of the famous San Diego Comic Con. Around that time is when the tone of the show really began to change.

When it was Pittsburgh Toy Show that’s exactly what it was: a very large toy show. Deals were insane if you went at the right times. For those of you who want a little wrestling memorabilia thrown in I’ll give you the best deal I ever found (and they were endless): an LJN Warlord figure for 75 cents. Of course there were the dealers who knew what their stuff was worth or wanted more than any educated consumer would pay for their wares, but just as I do at shows today I ignored those tables. Always go for the box UNDER the table. In fact, very, very few of the dealers at this particular show had a clue about wrestling items. While they had their vintage Star Wars and GI Joe items at full price, they’d often bring wrestling stuff along just to get rid of. It was a paradise.

At least as far back as I’d been going there were a few celebrity guest appearances added. I’m not sure exactly when it started but when I first attended we were still in the days of a $20 “combo.” Heck, Bruno Sammartino was standing there telling folks not to pay and that he’d sign for free outside. That’s our Bruno. But you also had names such as Dirk Benedict, Verne Troyer, Tiffany and Kenny “R2-D2” Baker. It was before meeting celebrities became the overpriced mess that it is now. As the show switched buildings and names, more celebrities began to be added. This is also when cosplay came into the picture.

The cosplayers, though I have nothing personally against the concept, were a major part of my personal detachment from the show. They weren’t supporting the toy vendors. Overpriced root beer and homemade soap? Sure. But cosplayers and myself had very different wants and interests. Because the show wanted to be San Diego Comic Con it was the cosplayers who were catered to. Every show I heard more and more displeasure from the toy vendors and then, suddenly, loads of them began disappearing. Suddenly I also no longer felt compelled to attend every show despite living nearby. Unless a certain celebrity that I really wanted to meet was attending I didn’t really feel the need to go. That was exacerbated with the outrageous costs being asked for autographs and photos. Even if there was a celebrity that I enjoyed it truly had to be an event for me or else I had little interest in spending the time and money.

Here’s where we do a bit of a time jump. We’ll get back to my own experiences after addressing the current state of the show and the controversy that spurned these remembrances to begin with. Around ten years ago (again, the time frame could be off a few years) the ownership of the show changed. The original founder, who always had a reputation of being difficult, sold to new owners who obviously had a huge vision. The guests became even bigger in name, cosplay became a featured event complete with contests and the toy finds became even fewer and far between. Suddenly “VIP Passes” were purchasable so that fans could “skip the lines” for certain guests. In short, the show became more of a cash grab than ever before. To the owners credit, I’m sure that more cash than ever was going into their pockets and that’s their one and only goal.

This past weekend was the latest edition of the show which has always been held three times a year. As with all shows run by any promoter you’re going to announce your appearing names well in advance. Even if they end up cancelling, which many do for various reasons, you’re going to promote the Hell out of them every chance that you get. Again, it’s called promotion. Some of the Con’s most ardent supporters decided “never again” when, hours before the show, Steel City Con announced that actor Kevin Spacey would be attending on Sunday. If you don’t know why this is controversial I don’t need to repeat it here. A quick Google will do you. This made some convention goers feel “unsafe” and, traditionally, the show does not offer refunds at all. It was either attend or lose all of your money.

Personally I would not have cared either way as far as the appearance itself was concerned. Looking at the list of attending celebrities I’m going to single out Henry Winkler and Jimmy Hart. Why those two? Of the dozens who appeared those are just about the only two who I think may not have a single odious skeleton in their closet that would make someone not want to meet them. This is Hollywood. These are stars. I’ve said it so many times over the years. While I’m just as guilty as the next guy for wanting to meet many whose work I’ve admired, things go on among the famous that we simply need to put out of our heads in order to enjoy their work. It’s just how it is. It’s why I have a problem with certain wrestlers being singled out for things while others are ignored. It’s a popularity contest. Would anyone have scoffed at Kirk Douglas making a convention appearance? Of course not. If you’re asking what this means, maybe it’s better that you don’t know. If you do want to know, Google a certain child star who was married to Robert Wagner. Wagner who, for the record, did in fact appear at Steel City Con several years ago.

By all accounts the Spacey appearance went smoothly but controversy still reigned. The Con courageously disabled comments on social media, taking the blame as they always do. That’s sarcasm, of course. They’re masters of victim blaming. That leads us to what you’ve all been waiting for, my own story. I’m hardly calling myself a victim of an action but rather of the response.

I did not attend this latest show. It’s been a year since I’ve spent my time and money there. The last time was in order to meet a lifelong crush who passed just a few months later, Shannen Doherty. That meeting was great though I could tell that the show itself was descending more and more into what drove me away to begin with. But what truly soured me on the show happened several years earlier at one of the first ones held after the COVID virus. That’s a key factor here. I can’t remember who all I was attending for, but this story involves meeting John Bradshaw Layfield. Though he’d appeared at several events I’d attended over the years I had never taken the opportunity to meet him. This time I decided to do it and let me say in advance that my interaction with him was perfectly fine.

The line was a couple of people at best. I was with friends who I frequently attend shows with and as far as meeting people we have it down to a science. We should after decades of this stuff. If one is around they’ll snap your picture if you’re getting one. If two or more in the group are getting pictures we’ll often advise the attendee. That way we can rotate phones/cameras and the celebrity can stay standing and/or in “picture mode” and doesn’t have to switch between posing and signing. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the amount of celebrities and attendees who’ve appreciated this over the years. We don’t waste their time or energy. We make it easy. Honestly, we give them the time back to work with the overexcited fans who need to tell their life story. It happens and there is nothing wrong with it.

As I paid my fee and had in hand what I was getting signed, I handed my phone to a friend who was behind me. The attendee began to randomly look upset and I didn’t even have a chance to explain the system that I just outlined in the paragraph above. Why didn’t I have the chance? She grabbed my arm, dug into it, and forcefully pushed me to the side. Physical touch right as the show is coming back from a pandemic.Was I hurt? Not at all. I’m roughly six foot. The reason that she could move me is that I’m not going to fight an older woman much smaller than me. Putting her hands on me? That’s a bit of a different story but she did it so fast that I had zero time to react. She blindsided me for no particular reason. I met with JBL, got my stuff done and left the area. 

Remember that it wasn’t the action. I’m not pretending to be the victim of some massive physical assault. It was the fact that it was inappropriate, uncalled for, unprovoked and humiliating. Not to mention that it was unbelievably ill timed for anyone to be touching anyone else without permission considering the world climate at the time. But it gets worse.

My cohorts, all witnesses as shocked as I was, advised me to talk to someone in charge about it. Who was around to hear me out? No one. More volunteers. Unpaid folks just as this woman was. This woman has a reputation of being a celebrity obsessed hanger-on who only volunteers to be “close” to the stars. Others are there because they enjoy helping keep order. This woman had zero skills for that, as was obvious. In a twist of irony I’ll give you one guess as to who appeared in photos as the attendee with Kevin Spacey. Food for thought? This woman, likely with zero life outside of this, felt the opportunity for a power trip.

I eventually took to their social media. We know that in this day and age most companies cringe at any sort of bad review on most social media platforms. To their credit someone involved with Steel City Con responded…and promptly blamed me. They said that they asked the volunteer and had other witnesses who backed her up. I was apparently causing an issue. She’s going to risk losing her time with the stars and admit that she was wrong? The witnesses with me didn’t count? I didn’t want money, I wanted an apology. I did get lots of sympathy from others who had, and I quote, been “gaslighted” by the Con in similar situations. I still have those messages in case they’re ever needed.

That was that. Again, just I’ve said twice, the action wasn’t the true crime, it was the response. Am I the fool for even going back a few times after that? Maybe. But that’s why that, even though I have no opinion either way about Kevin Spacey being a guest at the show, I’m enjoying every last bit of bad publicity that the show will get from it. Will it ultimately hurt them? No. The public is fickle. A large amount of loyal, cult-like followers regularly attack anyone who has anything but absolute praise for the show and its organizers. As I’ve shown here they’ve gotten away with similar injustices in the past and won’t ever give it up. Too much money to be made. It’s rich on all levels that they advertise respect and safety and tolerance and all of those lies, but would you expect any less? At least now there’s a public record of just one of the horrible ways that they’ve treated a paying customer over the years.

And one that they can’t shove under the rug nor erase.

Bruno Forever

It’s difficult to find an event these days that has what we used to refer to as “a true sense of community.” People are different now across the board. Because of the rotten side of social media folks are more likely to be trying to “get themselves over” as if they’re the main character of life rather than group together for a common cause. Like any region Greater Pittsburgh has its faults, but one of the areas in which it still excels is maintaining that true sense of community. I don’t think I’ve felt it as great in years as I did this past Saturday at “Bruno Forever.” In talking with other attendees and/or reading their post-event feelings, I wasn’t alone.

The event, under the Pros of Wrestling banner, was designed by promoter Dan Polinsky to celebrate the memory of “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino, recall the rich legacy of professional wrestling in Pittsburgh and to put on a great show for a worthy cause. The combination immediately drew eyes and interest. For one thing, wrestling events done in the name of a deceased legend, sadly, usually have zero true connection to the star. This one did. Sammartino’s son, Darryl, not only endorsed it but attended and took part in a question and answer session hosted by the legendary Bill Apter. The event was also a fundraiser for one of Sammartino’s favorite causes, The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

A highlight for many was a relatively rare appearance by all-time great and Bruno opponent Stan “The Lariat” Hansen. While I’ve come across him several times in my own travels, I could not think of a single time where Pittsburgh area fans would have had a chance to meet “The Lariat.” It was an amazing opportunity for the local wrestling fandom and, as always, Hansen did not disappoint. His legendary status as arguably the most successful American wrestling star in Japan and one of the roughest and toughest to ever lace up the boots hasn’t taken the humanity out of the man. He’s truly a joy to visit with.

I also have to mention the vendors at the show as I was honored to be one of them. I don’t bring “the table” out too often, but when I do I always have a good time. Other vendors included wrestling journalist and author Greg Oliver and Bob Michelucci. If you’re a true long time reader of this blog the latter name may ring a bell. Michelucci was the co-author of Bruno’s original autobiography and was the force behind the now coveted Wrestling Legends trading card set released in 1991 which contains autograph cards of greats such as Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz. In the early days of the blog I was honored to work with Michelucci’s partner in those ventures, Tim Ferrante, to bring a behind the scenes look at the creations of both the cards and the book. It was great being vendor neighbors with both Mr. Michelucci and Mr. Oliver.

A full night of wrestling followed all of these other festivities complete with the crowning of the first ever Bruno Sammartino Heritage Champion. It was a night with something for everyone and, maybe most importantly, for all ages. When you put out a product that is not only suitable for everyone but can also capture the attention of anyone who’s watching it, you definitely have a recipe for success. The immense crowd at the show seemed to agree. I don’t think I saw a single person leave before the last bell.

I’m not sure how many in attendance realized, but the event was held just minutes from Bruno’s long time residence. You could feel his aura. I often say that he was the only true role model ever in the professional wrestling business. While there have been other real life good guys, Bruno was just different. He was a good person who found success in a business that, more often than it should, harbors some less-than-good people. He provided for his family, made a steady home and, while having faults like all the rest of us, WAS indeed someone that kids could look up to. Many of the children in the crowd at the show were probably learning of him for the first time. For if any of his values were in some way passed along to them, well, I can’t think of any better tribute.

Everything seems to indicate that “Bruno Forever” may be just the start of something wonderful as opposed to a once-in-a-lifetime deal. There’s already talk of another, possibly at this time next year. I, for one, would be thrilled to be a small part of it yet again. It was a great cause. It was professional wrestling. It was, indeed, community. I saw all three combine to form one thing. I take that back. I saw all three combine to several hundred things.

Nonstop smiles.

The Underrated Living Legend

Not that long ago I made what some would consider to be a controversial statement to my friend. No, I didn’t endorse a political candidate (they’re all awful!). I didn’t denounce Taylor Swift (although I don’t quite get it). I didn’t even say that classic wrestling is better than modern wrestling (though if you think otherwise I doubt you’d have been reading this particular blog for fifteen years). The declaration that I made was that, in the realm of two wrestlers who were very similar in a lot of ways and were also contemporaries, I prefer Larry Zbyszko to Tully Blanchard.

I don’t dislike Tully. Don’t take it that way at all. I’m a big fan! He should’ve had a longer run in his prime, but sadly his salad days and prime earning years collided. Still, even though they had little if any interaction despite being contemporaries, I think that Blanchard and Zbyszko are very similar in a lot of ways. Both had great careers but each left you wanting a bit more. Both had great singles runs but could tear it up in tag teams as well. Both were excellent tag team partners for “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson, each with their own comparative style, in teams that could’ve gone on longer! Tully was a founding member of The Four Horseman. Larry was a pillar of The Dangerous Alliance. They do size up quite nicely.

I will say that, in my opinion, Zbyszko is a tad underrated compared to Blanchard, especially when he had a comparatively longer career. “The Living Legend” celebrated his 72^nd birthday earlier this week and was still making the occasionally in-ring appearance less than a decade ago. I’m sure that many, like myself, would’ve enjoyed a WWF run during the national expansion. In my opinion he would’ve fit right in and probably been upper-mid-card as far as roster status, but it wasn’t meant to be. It could be a lack of a run there, something that Tully did have, albeit briefly, that gives him less of an edge in comparing the two. Another advantage of Tully’s, being part of the aforementioned best-remembered supergroup or faction, is something that I would’ve enjoyed seeing Zbyszko part of as well. 

That being said, Larry Z made his own impact. He was definitely of the more recognizable faces in the dying days of the AWA. He had video tapes, action figures and plenty of magazine covers. He was a frequent coverboy for the WWWF programs of the ‘70s and later into the very early ‘80s once his famous feud with mentor Bruno Sammartino shocked wrestling fans in the northeast. His too-brief run with Jim Crockett Promotions in the late ‘80s, between stints with the AWA, landed him several trading cards in the famous Wonderama set, including with The Western States Heritage Championship belt. He once told me that he had been signed by Jakks to be part of the Legends of the Ring figure series (part of their TNA line) and that the figure would include that particular belt. It didn’t end up happening, but Larry did finally get his due with a modern figure in the Mattel line around the time that he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Let’s not forget his several year stint as a WCW announcer, though he never seemed to have the top color commentator spot that he really deserved. With zero disrespect to Bobby Heenan, “The Brain” just wasn’t anything close to what he was in the WWF after he went to WCW. Zbyszko should’ve had the prime spot but, again, it just was not meant to be. The announcer position did lead to a few returns to the ring, but the thought of Larry being part of that great 1993 active WCW roster really brings some regret that it didn’t happen. Didn’t like the Paul Roma version of the Horsemen? Why not try Larry in there? Ultimately we did get that great feud with Lord Steven Regal, but I always felt underwhelmed when Larry feuded with “the new World odor.” Perhaps if Dusty had stepped into the ring during his brief nWo run we could’ve had an intriguing legends feud.

I enjoy seeing Larry at shows and conventions. He seems to be one who got out of the business with happiness and contentment. If he didn’t, he’s putting on an awfully good show. He doesn’t take it too seriously and is always up to talk to fans and reminisce about all of those GLORIOUS years. He truly is a star, that while underrated, made his mark in all of the biggest promotions of the day. He’s certainly memorable, still discussed to this day and best of all he lived to talk about and enjoy it. I don’t think that it gets more successful than that. Oh yeah, and like me, he’s a Pittsburgher! It doesn’t get much better than THAT, either!

SummerSlam Stories

The Biggest Party of the Summer! Well, it was. In fact, before the Royal Rumble really took off, I’d say that SummerSlam was the second biggest WWF event of the year behind WrestleMania. I’ve never been a fan of summer nor the weather that comes with it, but it was the one time of the year that I was happy to “Feel The Heat,” and I know that I’m not alone. Even now it seems that the company still views it as a big show, complete with fan events that resemble those during WrestleMania weekend. Whether or not it appears a huge deal to fans is a different story altogether.

I do believe that the inaugural SummerSlam, held in 1988, was the first one that I ended up seeing, though not right away. Just like the first WrestleMania it was held in Madison Square Garden and was headlined by a tag team spectacle. The lineup is interesting and, at times, feels like it’s trying to showcase many stars who didn’t get much of a spotlight months earlier at WrestleMania IV. It’s also interesting that several names on the show including Junkyard Dog, Ken Patera, The British Bulldogs, Don Muraco and even commentator Superstar Billy Graham would be gone from the company in just a matter of months. The opening montage featuring “The Mega Powers versus The Mega Bucks” has always been a favorite of mine. Bobby Heenan is shown laughing at one point which, for whatever reason, amused me to no end. Some kids would say “Bloody Mary” three times into the bathroom mirror. I would emulate “The Brain” laughing. I don’t know what that says about me.

“The Slam” has always had a lot of hype. My hometown (a town that’s made some large and tragic headlines in the past few weeks) cable company was, fortunately, the recipient of a lot of the goodies that came with that. They would hold little “Enter your name and win!” contests to give away the goods. I’m guessing that not many people entered, as it seemed as if I always won when I’d enter. I’d assume that cow tipping took precedence over writing your name down for free WWF merch. One of those contests was to promote SummerSlam 1993. I won the program as well as the famous SummerSlam shades! Apparently these sunglasses existed for a few years as Jimmy Hart can be seen sporting them back in 1990.

What I wasn’t privy to, despite being a hardcore WWF devotee from the greater Pittsburgh area, was the pre-sale for the SummerSlam 1995 tickets. In fact, I only learned about the pre-sale while waiting in line for tickets on July 8^th 1995 – the REGULAR on-sale date! What matters now, nearly thirty years later, is that I do have the pre-sale letter explaining how these fans were specifically chosen by Jack Tunney to receive this info. Gee, thanks a LOT, Jack! Best president since Noriega! Jack “On The Take” Tunney! Boy, I’m feeling a lot of Heenan in this entry, aren’t you? Anyway, I do know that this particular flyer came inside of materials sent to a holder of the WWF MasterCard. That…I did not have. Perhaps that’s why I was shunned.

Of course we all know that I ended up at SummerSlam that year. It was the first WWF pay-per-view ever to be held in Pittsburgh and really the first large-scale televised wrestling to be done in “the Burgh” since Pittsburgh’s “Studio Wrestling.” You could argue that point since a bit of the 1987 Bunkhouse Stampede finals, which were also held at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, did air on TV but just as an opening to regular Jim Crockett Promotions programming. I’ve told many stories centering around that show over the years, but one thus far left untold actually happened years later. As I was collecting autographs on the program cover, I failed to tell a certain wrestler (who’s gone through many names, possibly Syxx different ones?) which name to sign. This was ultimately a mistake of mine as most collectors have countless stories of wrestlers accidentally signing the wrong gimmick name. Well, needless to say, the wrong name was signed. I was stunned but politely asked for the name that I wanted to be signed, as well. That wrestler has always been as nice as can be, so it wasn’t an issue, but it did make me not want to look at the program for quite awhile. I stuffed it away somewhere and forgot about it. A few years later I read that, on certain materials/textures, an autograph could be removed with acetone. I obtained some and, voila, the program is fixed and you’d never know the difference.

Yes, I even go modern, and somehow I ended up with a SummerSlam 2009 chair. Ok, so 2009 isn’t quite modern anymore (scary, huh?), but it was when I picked up the thing. I don’t remember how much it cost, but it couldn’t have been very expensive or I wouldn’t have it. It will probably make some folks cringe to hear this, so skip to the next paragraph if you don’t like things being utilized practically, but I have, at times, used this like any other folding chair. Obviously I’m not painting the room with it or taking it outdoors, but it’s definitely had a butt or two in it for Thanksgiving. I’ve cleaned my dog while sitting in it. It’s held packages by the door. Hey, what good is something if you can’t get the maximum use from it?

Between this entry and previous ones I think that I’m tapped as far as SummerSlam 1995 stories. That being said, God willing, we’ll all be back here in two years to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the show. Like it or not it’s a true reflection of The New WWF Generation and, as I’ve said in the past, it was just a really FUN time to be a wrestling fan living in Pittsburgh. Interest in pro wrestling may have been pretty low nationally but they certainly knew how to drum up the buzz around here. Love Diesel, King Mabel, ladders and demented dentists? Come on back in two years!

Signature Moves: Bruno Sammartino

It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up on five years since we lost “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino. I still remember where I was when I heard the news. Training at my place of work for a position that I’m largely still in today, albeit much more seasoned. I was shocked and I wasn’t alone. Despite being 82, Bruno’s death shook Pittsburgh and all of the wrestling world. He was more than just a wrestler. He was an icon to a generation of wrestling fans, a good man and the rare type of individual who could be looked upon as a role model.

I’ve discussed Bruno’s level of fame and legend here in my hometown of The Steel City many times. He is synonymous with the other sports legends here in the Greater Pittsburgh area. If you didn’t grow up watching him you still have memories of your elders conveying their own stories. Even individuals who wouldn’t identify themselves as wrestling fans probably at least have fleeting memories of watching “Studio Wrestling” with a parent or grandparent. It was a Pittsburgh cultural institution. It didn’t hurt that the big man himself, “The Italian Superman,” lived right here in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

Being the eternal “good guy” and hero to legions of fans across ethnicities, Bruno believed in living up to that image. I had the privilege of meeting The Living Legend many times. He was extremely accessible and didn’t like to disappoint anyone. Though I entered the scene long after his retirement, every indication is that nothing changed from his active days in the ring. From first hand accounts to candid photos throughout the years, he never seemed to refuse an autograph request. I think that there may be more photographs of Bruno Sammartino signing autographs than any other wrestler. Again, he wanted to live up to his image and he did not want to disappoint. He knew that he would not have his success, fame and fortune without the fans. He experienced disappointment when other celebrities would act, in his words, “like a big shot.” One blue eyed-singer infamously got under Bruno’s skin this way. He didn’t want his fans to feel the same.

Since Bruno did sign so many autographs over the years, there are examples throughout his career. Being a big Bruno collector and having the fortune of living where he made one of his biggest impacts, I am lucky enough to own Bruno Sammartino autographs spanning the decades. Unlike some stars who change their signature over the years or even depending on what they’re signing, Bruno was constant. It rarely if ever changed. It’s clear and full, something that many of today’s wrestling names could learn from. Initials weren’t even thought of. Bruno gave you his full name each and every time.

I will say that there are some size and direction “variations” of which to note. Like most signers, occasionally a trading card or other smaller item will yield a smaller signature. There’s no way around it. Bruno’s biggest signing quirk, however, is that he sometimes signed sideways or even almost upside down. I used to observe him signing and it really boiled down to him trying to get his signature on the item in the best way possible. Again, always thinking of the fans. If you’re looking to add a Bruno signature to your collection don’t be off-put if it’s sideways. In fact, I’d look upon that as a good thing.

And we all know that Bruno had a ton of things to sign. He rarely noted much about any particular item as things like that seemed to humble him, but he did note one thing to me. In 2007 he told me that the photo featured with this paragraph, a classic black and white shot, was his all-time favorite. There are countless other photos, magazines, figures, programs and trading cards out there, too. A quick search shows that you can still obtain an authentic (match it any of the autographs shown here) photo signed by The Champ for roughly $25.00. A bargain that won’t last forever.

Bruno hit all the major marks for fans and collectors alike. A good guy who liked to take care of fans and who had plenty of merchandise to celebrate his long, successful career. He had a pretty unique signature, to boot. He may be physically gone, but talk to any Pittsburgher and you’ll know that he’s still “The Living Legend” all these years later.

The Territory Photo Albums--Pittsburgh 1969

Since its inception this blog has always had something of a Pittsburgh flavor. After all, I've made my home in Pittsburgh for my entire life. But "The Burgh" is somewhat underappreciated for its rich wrestling history. Of course we claim Bruno Sammartino as our own, but it's sometimes forgotten on a larger scale just how many big names of wrestling's past spent their time here. Bruno needed challengers, allies and plenty of other talent to fill out cards at the Civic Arena and on the immensely popular "Studio Wrestling" program.

The Pittsburgh wrestling office, like many territories, periodically released photo album publications to remind you of the great wrestling roster in your area. There were five total, all released under the banner of "Tri-State Wrestling." I've featured them on this blog before, with the 1967 edition being a previous entry in the "Territory Photo Albums" series, but today we're looking at the final one that was produced in 1969. 

While the first editon, published in 1963, has Buddy Rogers featured most prominently, Bruno has clearly become the star in his six years as champion. In fact this edition features more Bruno than anyone else. There's no doubt about it, though, he was the man. While most associate New York as his top town, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who grew up in Pittsburgh in the '60s who didn't know The Living Legend. The Italian Superman. The Champ. He was, and still is, a Pittsburgh sports icon revered alongside the likes of Roberto Clemente. 

Our cover features Bruno sharing the spotlight with Tony "Battman" Marino who we just recently lost. Marino is showing off his famous physique without the costume of The Caped Crusader covering it up. With the Batman television series being off of the air for over a year at this point, the gimmick was about to come to an end as well. Mr. Marino was a class act and is much missed. When I had this particular album signed, he even brought the original "Battman" cowl. Did I mention that the gentleman, well into his '80s at that point, had a patch of hair, on his otherwise bald head, shaved into the Batman logo? 

Inside we get Bruno right off the bat! It's actually the entire Sammartino clan. Carol, David and the twins. Despite what we know about Bruno and David's relationship later on, it's nice to see some family time shown here. This album also includes several pages dedicated to "The Bruno Sammartino Course Of Body Building." This was actually also released as its own publication around the same time as well and I would imagine that it set many a Pittsburgh youth off on the right foot as far as training is concerned. I won't go on a tangent, but there aren't any true role models left in sports today. Bruno was the role model in every sense of the term.

As mentioned above we get great glimpses of so many legends who either starred in the Pittsburgh area or at least passed through. Domenic DeNucci, Ivan Koloff, Lou Albano and Tony Altomare, Waldo Von Erich, Gorilla Monsoon and George "The Animal" Steele. We also have the Pittsburgh mainstays like Bobby "Hurricane" Hunt, Jumpin' Johnny DeFazio and Frank Holtz. The latter may actually be the final living Pittsburgh wrestling star of this era following the recent deaths of DeFazio, Marino and DeNucci.

The Tri-State albums always featured bits on non-wrestlers, too, such as Pittsburgh broadcasting legend Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille who was our voice of wrestling, promoters (including Vincent J. McMahon in one of the early books) and the man credited with discovering Bruno, Rudy Miller. This last installment also features a full page photo featuring three young women labeled "Judo Girls." Darlene Kalb, Donna Waxter and Jordie Ludwig were local judo champions who performed exhibitions during cards at the Civic Arena. I have no idea if the three are still with us, but adding their autographs to the book would certainly be fun as would hearing their stories from the era. 

While we always hear about WWF Magazine, pay-per-view event programs and other similar publications, very little is ever written about these great photo albums. I'm both thrilled and honored to document them for posterity. For more photos of this edition, including more of the autographs that I've filled this one with, follow us on Instagram @jws_wrestling_memorabilia. 

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--WWF SummerSlam 1995 Program

The day and hour of the publication of this blog entry marks exactly twenty-five years to the minute that SummerSlam 1995 began. It's a show that fans have been divided on since it happened. It's really an event that you either love or hate without much middle ground. I've documented my love for it previously, including on the twentieth anniversary of the event. While it's generally a bit out of my favored era of wrestling, other factors will keep it in a warm place in my heart forever.

Pittsburgh had long deserved a major wrestling event. There had been no major wrestling broadcasts to speak of from The Burgh since our Studio Wrestling show ceased taping in the early 1970's. There was even a short period in the late '80s when the WWF stopped coming here altogether. For the rich history and fan support that remained in the city, we easily deserved an early pay-per-view event in the Hogan era, but it did not happen. When word got around that we were finally getting a major event of our own, fans were more than ready.

While the Internet was in its infancy for most fans, I was already part of a small group on a local BBS (Bulletin Board System) and can still remember the bunch of us fervently looking forward to the big event. The on-sale date passed and I even attended an autograph signing with Diesel and Alundra Blayze the night before the event. Though wrestling was not at the height of its popularity by any stretch of the imagination, the city seemed to truly appreciate that SummerSlam was happening here. Taking nothing away from traditional wrestling hot beds like New York or Chicago, I think our fans truly appreciated it more after being starved for such an event for so long.

As the company did with several pay-per-view events that year, a special program was produced and sold only at the event. It's larger than an average WWF publication and has thicker, glossy pages. The company was still using the original SummerSlam logo that debuted in 1988 and its placement in front of their top guy, Kevin "Diesel" Nash, made for a compelling cover. I've since loaded mine up with autographs from talent who worked on the show, but I did indeed purchase it there. Each match on the card is given a brief write-up and accompanying photos.

The main event is a big part of the controversy around the show, with some feeling that it wasn't up to par with past events. It was a classic World Wrestling Federation affair: larger-than-life hero versus monster villain. "The irresistible force meeting the immovable object," as then-WWF President Gorilla Monsoon would have said. Perhaps the formula would have worked better a decade earlier, but the company was sticking to what it knew and I totally bought into it. I always enjoyed the work of Nelson Frazier no matter which gimmick he was portraying and he was sadly taken from us far too soon.

Some fans see the true main event of the show as being what was actually the penultimate match in the lineup. In a rematch from 1994's WrestleMania X, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon once again battled for the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match. My dad forever after dubbed this one the "Ladders Match," as a second ladder ended up being brought in during the bout. It was an exciting match and Razor's popularity here really makes the viewer lament that we were never treated to a WWF Championship run for "The Bad Guy." 

Fans from outside of Pittsburgh are still surprised when I inform them that Bertha Faye's defeat of Alundra Blayze for the WWF Women's Championship was the first title change in our city, but it was. The former Madusa has always been underrated in my view and I won't even get started on my appreciation for Rhonda Singh. For Christmas 1995 I wanted nothing more than for figures of these two to suddenly be made. It only took us over two decades to finally get that Blayze figure. I'm not holding my breath for one of the late Miss Singh in any form, but it sure would be welcomed by more fans than just this one.

Pittsburgh was also treated to a casket match pitting The Undertaker in his signature encounter against Kama, The Supreme Fighting Machine. The feud would've been more interesting had Charles Wright's previous character of Papa Shango been resurrected, but at least we were treated to the beloved "Million Dollar Man" theme music seeing as Kama was a member of the Million Dollar Corporation.

While some fans were probably looking for a textbook Bret Hart classic, instead we saw an equally iconic match from the era where "The Hitman" was battling crazy baddie after crazy baddie. This is the event that saw the debut of Jerry "The King" Lawler's demented dentist, Isaac Yankem DDS. Of course the man behind the character would have a much bigger moment in The Burgh on pay-per-view just a few year later while capturing his first WWF Championship, but that's another story for another program review. Here we had a continuation of the long battle between "The Hitman" and "The King," this time without any unwashed feet.

The show was rounded out with matches between Hunter Hearst-Helmsley and Bob "Spark Plugg" Holly, a tag match featuring The Smoking Gunns and Jacob & Eli Blu, a hot opener with The 1-2-3 Kid and Hakushi, and Bodydonna Skip (Chris Candido) saw action against rival Barry Horowitz. Horowitz was a great talent who deserved to finally have a moment in the spotlight, and some theme music, no matter how brief it may have been. 

Perhaps my only lament is that then-WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna were not on the card. That fact robbed me of ever getting to see the mighty Yoko live and in-person. It should also be noted that, for reasons of which I've never seen explained, The Fabulous Moolah was present at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, at least earlier in the day. The legendary women's champion made a splashy exit out of the building through the thousands of fans waiting to get in. I've always wondered if she was originally scheduled to play some role in the women's title match or if perhaps she was attempting to do so. This would be a great question for Bruce Prichard. Hey hey!

Even if you don't own one, you've now had a "virtual" look through the 1995 SummerSlam program. For the reasons above, it will always remain a special show to me, as well as the fact that my father's birthday was August 31. Because of that, I'd always joked that I would take him to SummerSlam. My parents ended up taking me, and I still remember my dad returning from a bathroom break with the laminated event poster that was being sold at the merchandise stands that night. My dad would turn 75 this coming Monday. This entry is dedicated to him, the great man that he was, and, keeping in the spirit of the topic, his constant support of my fandom of the business that I loved so much.