The Manatee Performing Arts Center has announced that the documentary on wrestling legend and late WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino will be screening on Thursday, February 9th at the venue in Bradenton, Florida.
You can check out the official press release below:
“Bruno Sammartino documentary coming to Manatee Performing Arts Center
Wrestling legend is featured in a documentary showing at MPAC on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.
BRADENTON, FLA. – The Manatee Performing Arts Center (MPAC) will host a very special matinee showing of a rags-to-riches story featuring a young man, whose family fled the Nazi invasion of their home in Italy, and who would one day become the most famous professional wrestler in the world. Bruno Sammartino makes its Florida debut at MPAC on Thursday, February, 9 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $8 and can be purchased on the MPAC’s ticketing center online.
Sammartino, who passed away in 2018, was the son of Italian immigrant parents. During World War II his family fled the Nazi invasion of their home in Italy after fearing for their lives at the hands of Adolf Hitler’s SS troops. At the age of 13, the malnourished Italian boy reached the U.S., unable to speak English and became an easy target of schoolyard bullies. Sammartino battled adversity to eventually become one of the greatest legends in wrestling history. During the peak of his fame he headlined 188 sold out shows at Madison Square Garden.
The documentary is an in-depth story of “the man behind the belt” with a unique look at a legendary athlete’s worldwide fame told through the lens of everyday life. In addition to family interviews, the documentary includes testimonies from celebrities who looked up to Sammartino including Tampa Bay resident John Cena and Arnold Schwarzenegger who called him, “the star of all stars.”
View the film’s trailer here.
“It allows others intimately involved with his life to share their experiences about the man behind the titles,” says film producer Larry Richert. “It’s the story behind the heart of a champion and a true wrestling legend and the love of a mother and son tested to the limits of human capacity. It’s the story of how Bruno got to America. It’s as riveting as any tale ever told, and you’ll root for him all over again.”
Richert is a Pittsburgh radio celebrity who hosts the Radio Morning Show on 100.1 F.M. and A.M. 1020 KDKA. He is the ambassador of the Bradenton Area in the Pittsburgh Market. Richert will attend the special film screening along with Sammartino’s son Darryl Sammartino. The two will participate in a Q&A with the audience following the show.
Bruno Sammartino was produced by HM3 Bruno LLC, Pat Hampson, Michael Young, Craig Koryak, Chris Martin, Chris Cafardi and Larry Richert. For more information on the film or about Bruno Sammartino, visit https://www.brunosammartino.org/“
WOW – Women of Wrestling has released a synopsis and preview clip to hype its upcoming episode 21 this weekend. You can check out the lineup, synopsis, and preview video below:
* WOW Tag Team Championships: Miami Sweet Heat (c) vs. Holly Swag and Big Rig Betty
* Malia Hosaka vs. Tiki Chamorro
* GiGi Gianni and her new tag team partner set for action
EPISODE 21: “Curveball Contenders” – The mother-daughter duo of Holly Swag and Big Rig Betty has everybody talking! Tonight they get a surprising shot at the WOW Tag Team Championships in the main event against Tag Team Champions Miami’s Sweet Heat, Lindsey and Laurie Carlson. Will these newcomers pull an upset? Or are Miami’s Sweet Heat going to prove too much for Holly Swag and Big Rig Betty? The leader of Team Exile, the Alpha Malia Hosaka takes on the vibrant Island girl Tiki Chamorro in singles competition! We’ll also see GiGi Gianni and her shocking new tag team partner in action.
And finally, a new biography for late WWE Superstar and Tag Team Champion Adrian Adonis is officially in development. Adonis passed away in a car accident in Canada in 1988. The new biography, Flowers for Adrian, is penned by John Ellul and will release on March 23rd on the Kindle EBook platform.
You can read the official description below:
“Flowers for Adrian is a detailed and engaging look at the life, death and legacy of professional wrestler Keith Franke, who competed as “Gorgeous” Keith Franks and “Adorable” Adrian Adonis during the 1970s and 1980s before his untimely death in 1988.
This biography, the first of its kind, takes the reader through Franke’s start in life as an orphan, through to achieving his childhood dream of becoming a pro wrestler. The tale plays out across the colourful background of wrestling’s territories era, where Franke learned his trade the ‘old-fashioned’ way in Vancouver, the Carolinas, California, and Florida.
As his talent developed, so did his persona, and ‘Adrian Adonis’ was born. Through Amarillo, to Portland, and to the AWA, to team with future Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura. Finally, Adonis arrived in the WWF. On wrestling’s premier circuit, Adonis headlined Madison Square Garden and was part of the company’s international expansion. What could go wrong?
With contributions from Franke’s friends, families, and former colleagues such as “Magnificent” Don Muraco, Tully Blanchard, Gerry Brisco, and more, Flowers for Adrian is the definitive story of the man behind the make-up.”
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