8 things you did not know about Bruno Sammartino

#3 We almost got Muhammad Ali vs Bruno Sammartino

Sammartino was almost picked for the first boxer vs wrestler fight before Inoki

In his prime, Bruno Sammartino was an absolute superstar. He was one of the richest sportsmen in America tied with Mickey Mantle at one point in time. So, the idea of the first ever boxing vs wrestling match was pitched with him wrestling against the boxer Muhammad Ali.

The idea never materialized, and Japan capitalized on the same. Antonio Inoki fought Ali in a bout that did really poor numbers. Maybe Sammartino would have fared better.