Dominic DeNucci, a professional wrestling star who teamed with Bruno Sammartino, lived in Western Pennsylvania for 50 years and trained several top pros at his Freedom wrestling school, died Thursday. He was 89.
Born in Italy in 1932, DeNucci began his wrestling career in 1958 in Quebec. He appeared on Channel 11’s Studio Wrestling and settled in the Pittsburgh area in the early 1970s.
DeNucci had a long and successful career, including a run as a main event performer in Australia in the 1960s, but he is probably best known to American fans for his time in the World Wide Wrestling Federation, now WWE, throughout the ‘70s and into the ‘80s.
He was a three-time tag team champion in the WWWF, most notably teaming with Sammartino to defeat the Mongols for the belts in 1971. A master of the airplane spin, he also partnered to win championships with Victor Rivera in 1975 and Dino Bravo in 1978.
He left the WWF in 1982, just before the company’s national expansion. He continued to make occasional independent wrestling appearances all the way up until his final match in 2012 at age 80.
DeNucci was a successful trainer whose students included Mick Foley, Shane Douglas and Brian Hildebrand.
DeNucci was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.
WWE is saddened to learn that Dominic DeNucci passed away at the age of 89.
WWE extends its condolences to DeNucci’s family, friends and fans.https://t.co/78PPoL9poc
— WWE (@WWE) August 13, 2021
