At WrestleMania Axxess on Thursday night, Triple H unveiled a life-size statue of the incomparable Bruno Sammartino in front of hundreds of WWE fans and the WWE Hall of Famer himself. The presentation marked the second time WWE has commissioned a sculpture for an iconic Superstar following 2013’s creation of a bronzed Andre the Giant. It wasn’t long after that reveal that the WWE COO began planning his next piece of modern art.
Watch the unveiling at Axxess | Check out exclusive photos from the making of the Bruno statue
“A year ago when [Bruno] was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I started on a project to have him immortalized,” Triple H revealed. “And that’s what we’re doing here tonight.”
Set beneath a black cloth for much of the evening, the statue finally saw the bright lights of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center when The Game and The Living Legend stood in the ring together. Bruno — who had yet to see the finished project — nearly fell through the ropes in astonishment when he saw his sculpted self.
“Here I am looking back at myself,” Sammartino said.
View photos of Triple H revealing the statue | Learn more about Bruno Sammartino
Crafted by New York City’s ATTA, INC. — the same company that constructed the Andre statue as well as the trophy for the WrestleMania 30 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal — the bronze sculpture captures Bruno on the night of May 17, 1963, when he defeated Buddy Rogers in Madison Square Garden to begin what would become the most epic WWE Title reign in history. Although the sculpt depicts Bruno as he appeared five decades prior, the WWE Hall of Famer played an integral role in its making, from approving poses to, as Triple H joked, having his cauliflower ears molded.
See exclusive photos of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy
“Believe it or not, that’s what I looked like 51 years ago,” The Living Legend said.
Everything from Sammartino’s barrel chest to his tree trunk legs were meticulously recreated by ATTA, INC., but this isn’t some museum exhibit that will stay behind glass. The statue was sculpted with Bruno’s hand eternally raised in victory — a perfect position for a man who held the WWE Championship for more than 11 years — making it interactive as fans can play the role of referee and hold the wrist of the iconic Superstar for a photo opportunity. Even Triple H himself couldn’t resist the urge to get a shot with the sculpture.
“A seflie’s a good idea,” he said before reaching out his arm to snap a pic.
You, too, can snap a selfie with the Bruno statue, which is now on display at WrestleMania Axxess.
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