10 wrestlers who passed away in 2018

#1 Bruno Sammartino

Bruno Sammartino was the first face of the WWE. An Italian immigrant, he was the living embodiment of the American dream. He scratched and clawed and found himself becoming the top star of the WWWF under Vince McMahon Sr.

Under his leadership, Sammartino sold out Madison Square Garden a whopping 188 times. Of course, he belonged to a very different era, but even then, his record WWE Championship reign lasted 2803 days, which is just shy of 8 straight years. He would later hold the title for over 3 years, making his combined reign 4040 days, which is over 11 years!

Sammartino was a hero inside the ring and outside of it. When Ivan Koloff pinned him for the title and beat him after 8 years, the entire MSG was stunned into silence. It was meant to be a transitional reign, as Pedro Morales was groomed as the next top star of the company.

He had suffered multiple organ failure issues due to prior heart problems. He was hospitalized for 2 months before passing away. He was rightfully inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2013 inside Madison Square Garden.