10 WWE Title Changes That Shocked The World

3. Ivan Koloff (18/1/1971)

Ivan Koloff Bruno Sammartino
WWE.com

There will never be a title reign like Bruno Sammartino's first in pro wrestling ever again, because the mere thought of anyone holding championship gold for 2,803 days is preposterous at best and laughable at worst. That's just not the way things work in the modern era.

Sammartino was a revelation as champ between 17 May 1963 and 18 January 1971, and the prevailing feeling from researching his time in the title hot seat seems to be one of consistent box office through fan happiness; wrestling enthusiasts loved seeing Bruno beat heels like Killer Kowalski and Buddy Rogers, and they were happy to continue paying for the privilege.

Imagine the shock then when his near eight-year reign was ended by the vile Ivan Koloff in Madison Square Garden.

The sense that Sammartino was unbeatable was washed away in an instant, and although he'd hold the title for a second time (again for an extended period of 1,237 days), his eventual defeat at the hands of 'Superstar' Billy Graham in April 1977 couldn't top the Koloff moment of years before.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.