Bruno Sammartino Defeats Buddy Rogers in Toronto

Bruno Sammartino defeated NWA World Heavyweight champion Buddy Rogers via countout  at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sammartino was awarded the title, but refused it because Rogers had been injured during the match. During a leapfrog maneuver, Rogers suffered an injury to his groin and was unable to continue wrestling. The referee counted to ten and the crowd went wild as Bruno was declared the winner. Bruno however grabbed the house microphone and explained to the crowd in Italian that he did not want to win the belt in that manner. “I know I can beat Rogers,” he said. “I’ll do it the right way or not at all.”