The original WWE Championship: photos | WWE

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Bruno Sammartino beat Buddy Rogers for this WWE Title on May 17, 1963, in Madison Square Garden.

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When an authentic WWE Championship was created, this title was returned to Rogers.

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It was lost to time before the widow of former wrestler Johnny Barend found it in her attic in August 2012.

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WWE acquired the title in 2013 and presented it to Bruno Sammartino before his WWE Hall of Fame induction.

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