2012 Leaf Originals
WWE loses one of its biggest legends Bruno Sammartino
Long before the days of Hulk Hogan took professional wrestling to cable TV and beyond, it was one man who owned New York City and held Vince J. McMahon's company in his hands for years.
He was Bruno Sammartino -- an Italian immigrant who won the World Wide Wrestling Federation championship for nearly eight years and then held it for three more when he got a second run. He was a strongman known worldwide and dubbed "The Living Legend." He died on Wednesday at age 82.
"Devastated to hear the passing of a true icon, legend, great, honest and wonderful man," wrote WWE Executive VP of Talent Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, on Twitter. "A true friend and one of the toughest people I've ever met. My thoughts are with his entire family."
George 'The Animal' Steele dies at 79 after colorful life & career
The green-tongued turnbuckle eater is gone.
George "The Animal" Steele, a veteran professional wrestler whose career ended during the 1980s peak of the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) and was known for his appetite for mayhem has died. He was 79.
Born Jim Myers, he was a multi-sport star in high school and a football player for (and graduate of) Michigan State. He also earned a master's degree before he turned to professional wrestling in the 1960s -- all this while also working as a high school teacher and coach the entire time. (He's also a member of the state's football coaches hall of Fame.)
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