One of the oldest WWE title matches in history may also be one of the most controversial. In 1963, Bruno Sammartino began his seven year title-reign by beating Buddy Rogersthe original Nature Boyin just 48 seconds. But the real drama lies in the issues surrounding the match, rather than the brevity of the affair itself. Rumour has it that Buddy Rogers had suffered a heart attack in the weeks leading up to the match, and thus was in no condition to compete. Some stories even claimed that he was dragged out of his hospital bed to fulfil his date with Sammartino, though Sammartino himself is said to have denied these allegations. Other sources claim that Rogers was essentially duped into the match, having expected to win via disqualification, and that he wasnt made aware of the finish until his opponent broke the news to him. With so many stories flying around about an incident that happened over half a century ago, its difficult to split the facts from the fiction. But if anything, such uncertainty only adds to the notoriety of this one.
