The WWWF may have been autonomous, but it wasn't on fucking television in 200 countries or whatever WWF was in Hogan's day. What made Hogan a star was Hogan. You can't pin it on marketing because otherwise NWA would have made their own stars, but they didn't. Sammartino was a top regional talent who I have no doubt wrestled in lots of places but he did not make wrestling as an entire entity more popular. Without Hogan, wrestling would have struggled to survive into the 90s, as evidenced by the fact that literally every single promotion that isn't the one Hogan took to the big leagues has either folded or utterly insignificant. I'm glad Bruno has had more recognition, but it is absolutely laughable to suggest he is in anyway a bigger deal than Hogan.