10 Stretches Of Punishments WWE Stars Had To Endure To Be Forgiven
7. Bruno Sammartino
Crime: Criticising Vince McMahon and WWE.
Time Served: 25 years.
The man who helped build the platform for WWE's eventual global success (and the company's longest-reigning World Champion) fell afoul of the promotion after leaving for good in 1988, having worked his last match seven months prior.
Sammartino became one of WWE's biggest critics. Disappointed with the path McMahon had taken his company down, he regularly ripped into what he perceived to be vulgar storylines, as well as the roster's alleged steroid use. Shows like Geraldo and The Phil Donahue Show all gave him a platform, and this continued for years, placing the company's greatest legend firmly on their sh*tlist.
Bruno's motivations may have stemmed from an early '80s lawsuit in which he sued Vince Sr. for earnings owed, but this was eventually settled out of court, and Vince Jr. would later bring Sammartino back into the company. Still, the rift stayed open for decades. Bruno declined several olive branches in the form of Hall of Fame inductions, but finally agreed to come in from the cold in 2013, claiming the promotion had now resolved his longstanding complaints.