that Monsoon "soon found himself in deep water" when messing with Sammartino, and he did not go into further detail on the incident out of respect for Monsoon. On July 26, 2004, Sammartino and Ric Flair were involved in the "Who snubbed who?" non-confrontation at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Flair had denigrated Sammartino's wrestling ability in his book To Be the Man. Flair said Sammartino refused to shake his hand at the event, while Sammartino said Flair saw him coming down the hall, turned, and rushed away. Death Sammartino underwent heart surgery in 2011. He died on April 18, 2018, at the age of 82 from multiple organ failure due to heart problems following a two-month hospitalization. WWE honored his life with a ten-bell salute before a house show in Cape Town later that day, and again on the April 23 episode of Raw in St. Louis. Mayor Bill Peduto remembered him as "one of the greatest ambassadors the city of Pittsburgh ever had." Championships and accomplishments George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2019 International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Keystone State Wrestling Alliance KSWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2012) Maple Leaf Wrestling NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (1 time) NWA International Tag Team Championship (Toronto version) (1 time) – with Whipper Billy Watson NWA Hollywood Los Angeles Battle Royal (1972) Pro Wrestling Illustrated Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1976) Match of the Year (1972) Match of the Year (1975) Match of the Year (1976) Match of the Year (1977) Match of the Year (1980) Stanley Weston Award (1981) Wrestler of the Year (1974) Ranked No. 200 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Class of 2002 World Wide Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame (Class of 2008) World Wide Wrestling Federation/WWE WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Spiros Arion WWWF International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Dominic DeNucci (1) and Tony Marino (1) WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2013) WWE Bronze Statue (2014) World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis) WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dick the Bruiser World Wrestling Council WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Wrestling Observer Newsletter''' Feud of the Year (1980) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class