Shocking Conclusion to Bruno Sammartino-Cowboy Bill Watts Match

Feb. 22, 1965 - Bruno Sammartino, the wrestling champion who yearns to get away from responsibilities (ambition: disc jockey), took his 5-11, 262-pound frame, which has supposedly sustained 10 broken noses, 70 head stitches, and numerous shattered ribs, into the Madison Square Garden ring tonight.

And a strange thing happened. The Hero was disqualified for kicking his arch-rival, the 6-4, 297-pound stranger from the plains of Oklahoma, Cowboy Bill Watts, a bit too vigorously.

Watts (ambition: Wall Street financier) had entered the ring with a record of a broken left forefinger, a brain concussion, and 12 stitches.

Before the match, the Cowboy had commented: “This is my big chance. When I beat him, it’s going to cost the promoters a lot of bread.”

How much is a lot of bread?“A hundred thousand dollars,” said Watts confidently.

The Cowboy gained the unpopular decision before a capacity crowd of 19,101, but it was Sammartino who was standing at the finish.

For 15 minutes, Watts had repeatedly kicked Sammartino until the local hero seemed discouraged. The crowd became hushed. Could Sammartino really lose?

Miraculously, Sammartino recovered. It must have been a miracle because he says he suffers from malnutrition.

He stalked Watts. The Cowboy, frantic, tried to climb out of the ring. But he was caught and kicked in retaliation. 

The referee, Dick Kroll, ordered Sammartino to cease and desist. He refused. So, he was disqualified as the crowd hooted.

According to the latest word, the ownership of the “diamond-studded” championship belt seemed to be in doubt. Sammartino has it, and Watts claims it.

Referring to Watts’ technique, Sammartino remarked angrily:“If that’s what they teach you at the University of Oklahoma, you can have it. I don’t need a rematch. I’ll fight him without a ref. Then we’ll see who does the kicking and gets away with it.”

According to Sammartino, Watts is probably “the most hated bad guy in the ring today. He’s lost the respect of all the people.”

But the Cowboy took a realistic attitude. He said:

“They can boo all they want. I’ll walk all the way to the bank. I think I’ll get a Cadillac. No, maybe a Chrysler Imperial.”

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