10 Hall Of Famers Who Fell Out With The WWE

3. Bruno Sammartino

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Bruno Sammartino is one of the greatest names in wrestling history, placed on a truly elite level with few others.  Considering that Sammartino retired in 1981, it was an absolute travesty that it took until 2013 for the Italian Superman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It goes without saying that Bruno and the WWE weren't on the best of terms for the decades before his induction, but it has to be said that Vince McMahon's organisation extended a HOF offer to Sammartino at several points. 

The problem was that Bruno wasn't keen on any association with the WWE.

This initial beef began in the mid-'80s when Sammartino found out he'd been screwed out of money by Vince McMahon Snr., then came Bruno's disapproval at the WWF's steroid-driven and drug-fuelled years that followed. The excess and vulgarity of the Attitude Era only further turned Bruno off the wrestling product.

With the PG Era firmly established, and thanks to a lot of work from Triple H, Sammartino finally accepted his place in the Hall of Fame in 2013.