EARLY YEARS 1963 - 1980s Before Hulkamania and even predating the birth of the most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment, WWE was selling out arenas and creating World Champions. The WWE Championship was born when Vincent J. McMahon and Joseph "Toots" Mondt split from the National Wrestling Alliance and formed their own promotion. As the face of their brand, McMahon and Mondt chose "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, whose controversial loss of the NWA Title to Lou Thesz initiated the break. Rogers was installed as the champion of the new promotion, having won the title in a tournament in Rio De Janeiro by defeating Antonino Rocca in the finals. Rogers was a popular Superstar, and expectations for his run as the first ever WWE Champion were high. However, not long after winning the title, Rogers was stopped short by a sudden heart attack. Rogers's medical condition all but ensured that his days with the title were numbered. And, indeed, on May 17, 1963, after a reign of less than one month, Rogers lost the Championship in 48 seconds to an up-and-coming Superstar named Bruno Sammartino. FIRST TITLE RUN An Italian immigrant known for his physical strength and in-ring prowess, Sammartino was a huge draw in New York, where the Italian community embraced him as their own personal hero. Bruno's popularity, combined with unparalleled talent, led him to an astounding eight-year run as WWE Champion. He was finally unseated on January 18, 1971, by the 'Russian' Superstar Ivan Koloff. The Russian Bear held the title for just three weeks before surrendering it to Pedro Morales in a match at Madison Square Garden. Emotions were so high over Morales's defeat of Koloff that Sammartino rushed from the locker room to congratulate the new champion. Morales quickly became a beloved champion, particularly with Puerto Rican fans in New York, who were inspired by his success. His run with the title stretched into 1973 before he lost the championship to Stan Stasiak in a shocking upset. Stasiak would not have long to celebrate, however, as it would only be nine days before the title went back to Sammartino. The Italian Superstar would embark on a lengthy title run, holding the gold for more than three years. CREATING SUPERSTARS By 1977, attitudes and competitors alike were beginning to change. The days of the old-school grapplers were giving way to more flamboyant Superstars whose personas spoke almost as loudly as their in-ring abilities. Leading the charge of this new wave of talent was a bleached- blond firebrand in tie-dyed ring gear who called himself "Superstar" Billy Graham. When Graham defeated Sammartino on April 30, 1977, the WWE Universe was apoplectic with rage, pelting the ring with garbage and berating Graham as he left the arena. Graham held the title for nearly a year, winning over fans and setting attendance records with his over-the-top interviews and outrageous ring attire. The self-described "man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour!" would eventually lose the title to Bob Backlund. Having now embraced this new type of champion, the WWE Universe was not thrilled at this turn of events, as Backlund wasn't anything like the outrageous persona of Billy Graham. Nevertheless, the All-American Superstar was the rightful champion, and it didn't take too long for the WWE Universe to recognize his in-ring skills. Backlund found fans across the globe and managed to hold on to the gold for over four years, the longest run since Sammartino. But times were changing again as the '80s dawned, and a new era of Superstars were waiting in the wings for their shot at WWE gold. Excerpted from WWE Championship: The Greatest Prize in Sports Entertainment by Jeremy Brown All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
