When Vince McMahon purchased the WWF in 1982, the longest reigning champion in history, Bruno Sammartino, was still utilized by the company in various on-screen roles. Soon after his purchase though, Vince directed the company towards the entertainment path and away from the sports foundation that Bruno had come to love. Bruno would leave the company he once represented so proudly and became very vocal and very open in his criticism of the new World Wrestling Federation and Vince McMahon, specifically. Not a fan of the show-business aspect of the product and outspoken regarding the perceived steroid and drug usage by the talents, Bruno did not come to any sort of compromise or reconciliation with Vince or WWE until a mediator stepped in almost 30 years later. It took nearly three decades and a rumored hefty sum of money, but Bruno Sammartino returned to WWE as a Hall Of Fame inductee the weekend of WrestleMania 29. Triple H was the man who helped mend the fences and while it's unclear exactly how much, if any, of the damage was patched up between Vince and Bruno, it was enough for both proud men to put aside their differences, do business together, and for Bruno to take his rightful place in the Hall Of Fame.