6 WWE Superstars who survived a terrible past

#1. Bruno Sammartino escaped

A true icon, Sammartino is the longest reigning WWE Champion.

Bruno Sammartino is a man with no comparison. The longest reigning WWF Champion ever, Sammartino’s Italian heritage made him the true underdog story, coming to America with nothing, and becoming wrestling’s biggest star.

And whilst everyone on this list have faced adversity, none of them grew up running away from Nazis, except the Italian Stallion.

Born in Italy just five years before the country joined Germany in World War 2, the family hid in the mountains, as Bruno’s mother, the family’s sole provider, often found herself stealing food from the German-occupied town, despite the obvious risk of getting caught.

These small portions and scraps led to the young Bruno ending up in a terrible condition physically, a far contrast from the mountain of a man he would become. To quote the man himself:

“I was a 90-pound weakling, but not because I was anemic. It was because of the war. We hid from the Nazis in the mountains. Sometimes there was nothing to eat but snow. Whole families wiped out. We were among the lucky ones.”

A true warrior in every way, Bruno was able to come to America, become WWF Champion, and an inspiration to all.

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