---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wasn't a 97-pound weakling. I was an…"
description: "\"I wasn't a 97-pound weakling. I was an 80-pound weakling.\" — Bruno Sammartino"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/bruno-sammartino-6340_quote_i-wasn-t-a-97-pound-weakling-i-was-an-80_1269527.jpg"
---

#  I wasn't a 97-pound weakling. I was an 80-pound weakling.

![“I wasn't a 97-pound weakling. I was an 80-pound weakling.” quote by Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/bruno-sammartino-6340_quote_i-wasn-t-a-97-pound-weakling-i-was-an-80_1269527.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/bruno-sammartino-6340_quote_i-wasn-t-a-97-pound-weakling-i-was-an-80_1269527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/bruno-sammartino-6340_quote_i-wasn-t-a-97-pound-weakling-i-was-an-80_1269527.jpg)

> “I wasn't a 97-pound weakling. I was an 80-pound weakling.”

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He humorously compares his weight to a lighter one, highlighting self‑deprecating humor.

**In simple terms:** He jokes about being lighter than he thought.

Key Takeaway

Use humor to reframe personal shortcomings.

Themes

humor self‑image confidence

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

entertaining self‑aware

When to use this quote

- personal storytelling
- motivational talks
- social media posts

Key Concepts

self‑deprecation body image resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- How does self‑deprecation affect self‑esteem?
- When is humor constructive?

A Different Perspective

Humor can mask deeper insecurities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[80 Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/80-pound-4063252/) [97 Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/97-pound-4063253/) [Pound Weakling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pound-weakling-2497257/) [Weakling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakling/) [Weakling 80](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakling-80-4063251/)

## Related quotes

> [Once I was a forty pound weakling. Now I am two separate gorillas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-stanshall/once-i-was-a-forty-pound-weakling-now-i-am-two-separate-gorillas/)

[Vivian Stanshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-stanshall/)

> [Money and muscle, that's what I want; to be able to do any damned thing I want and get away with it. Money won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/money-and-muscle-that-s-what-i-want-to-be-able-to-do-any-damned-thing/)

[Robert E. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/)

> [The average person is either a weakling, or just a happy person who wants to get along, or thinks being tough is having big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-jones/the-average-person-is-either-a-weakling-or-just-a-happy-person-who/)

[Alex Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-jones/)

> [“that is what we say when we do not wish to play the weakling, we say Fine, even though we may be dying, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/that-is-what-we-say-when-we-do-not-wish-to-play-the-weakling-we-say/)

[José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/)

> [“A weakling is incapable of sincerity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-weakling-is-incapable-of-sincerity/)

[François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [Bad luck, bad luck, whos bringing that bad luck? It you, the weakling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tokyo-ghoul/bad-luck-bad-luck-whos-bringing-that-bad-luck-it-you-the-weakling/)

[Tokyo Ghoul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tokyo-ghoul/)

> [“Pause for a moment, you wretched weakling, and take stock of yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/pause-for-a-moment-you-wretched-weakling-and-take-stock-of-yourself/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [I really am not a weakling. We like to do a lot of takes, so it ends up being pretty physically grueling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-zea/i-really-am-not-a-weakling-we-like-to-do-a-lot-of-takes-so-it-ends-up/)

[Natalie Zea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-zea/)

> [“Those who suicided were not weak, neither were they stupid. They were solely driven by pain. They were tough people who could not bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/those-who-suicided-were-not-weak-neither-were-they-stupid-they-were/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [“YOU HAVE TO BE BOSS, AND NEVER LOSE YOUR STRENGTH TO A WEAKLING!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/you-have-to-be-boss-and-never-lose-your-strength-to-a-weakling/)

[David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/)

> [Even if your competitor is still small in size or weak, you should take him seriously and treat him as a giant. Likewise, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/even-if-your-competitor-is-still-small-in-size-or-weak-you-should/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [You see, in a family everyone is not alike, someone may be a weakling. Now, as head of the family, it is natural for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayawati/you-see-in-a-family-everyone-is-not-alike-someone-may-be-a-weakling/)

[Mayawati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayawati/)

> [No, they dont, you jealous weakling. Passing Man: God damn, thats a big fat ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cartman/no-they-dont-you-jealous-weakling-passing-man-god-damn-thats-a-big/)

[Eric Cartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cartman/)

> [He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farquhar-mcgillivray-knowles/he-who-breaks-a-resolution-is-a-weakling-he-who-makes-one-is-a-fool/)

[Farquhar McGillivray Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farquhar-mcgillivray-knowles/)

> [I hate being skinny and being a little weakling thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-hate-being-skinny-and-being-a-little-weakling-thing/)

[Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/)

## More by Bruno Sammartino

> [I'm not bragging, but my reputation among my peers was Bruno was a horse I never got tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/i-m-not-bragging-but-my-reputation-among-my-peers-was-bruno-was-a/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [I didn't care if I was aching or hurting. I wanted to give the fans their money's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/i-didn-t-care-if-i-was-aching-or-hurting-i-wanted-to-give-the-fans/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [After I retired, I spent a quarter of a century in the business, and when I retired and a new regime took over, Vince…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/after-i-retired-i-spent-a-quarter-of-a-century-in-the-business-and/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [Inoki is nothing but a third rater in my estimation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/inoki-is-nothing-but-a-third-rater-in-my-estimation/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [In Argentina, in Brazil, I remember going to Australia, all the trips I did in Japan, you know how they'd advertise me? 'From Madison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/in-argentina-in-brazil-i-remember-going-to-australia-all-the-trips-i/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [Wrestling is how I made my living and supported my family, but it's over. I don't want anything to do with it anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/wrestling-is-how-i-made-my-living-and-supported-my-family-but-it-s/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [If anybody can really beat me, fine. But that's the only way I'll go down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/if-anybody-can-really-beat-me-fine-but-that-s-the-only-way-i-ll-go/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [Professional wrestlers are human beings like anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/professional-wrestlers-are-human-beings-like-anybody-else/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [Anytime that people feel that you accomplished enough to enter into a Hall of Fame, of course this is a tremendous, tremendous thrill for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/anytime-that-people-feel-that-you-accomplished-enough-to-enter-into-a/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [I think guys like Cena work very hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/i-think-guys-like-cena-work-very-hard/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [If I were to tell you that my day was all pure wrestling, I wouldn't be honest with you. Because there were crooked promoters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/if-i-were-to-tell-you-that-my-day-was-all-pure-wrestling-i-wouldn-t/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [I lost a brother and a sister, and I came down with rheumatic fever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/i-lost-a-brother-and-a-sister-and-i-came-down-with-rheumatic-fever/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [There's nothing like wrestling in front of people you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/there-s-nothing-like-wrestling-in-front-of-people-you-know/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [I very seldom look at wrestling magazines. Whenever I do, I get angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/i-very-seldom-look-at-wrestling-magazines-whenever-i-do-i-get-angry/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

> [She was absolutely my hero. She would do without if she could help somebody else. My mom showed the courage of the lion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/she-was-absolutely-my-hero-she-would-do-without-if-she-could-help/)

[Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

[Explore all 99 Bruno Sammartino quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/)

## More Weakling quotes

> [I hate being skinny and being a little weakling thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-hate-being-skinny-and-being-a-little-weakling-thing/)

[Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/)

> [He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farquhar-mcgillivray-knowles/he-who-breaks-a-resolution-is-a-weakling-he-who-makes-one-is-a-fool/)

[Farquhar McGillivray Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farquhar-mcgillivray-knowles/)

> [No, they dont, you jealous weakling. Passing Man: God damn, thats a big fat ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cartman/no-they-dont-you-jealous-weakling-passing-man-god-damn-thats-a-big/)

[Eric Cartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cartman/)

> [You see, in a family everyone is not alike, someone may be a weakling. Now, as head of the family, it is natural for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayawati/you-see-in-a-family-everyone-is-not-alike-someone-may-be-a-weakling/)

[Mayawati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayawati/)

> [Even if your competitor is still small in size or weak, you should take him seriously and treat him as a giant. Likewise, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/even-if-your-competitor-is-still-small-in-size-or-weak-you-should/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [“YOU HAVE TO BE BOSS, AND NEVER LOSE YOUR STRENGTH TO A WEAKLING!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/you-have-to-be-boss-and-never-lose-your-strength-to-a-weakling/)

[David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/)

> [“Those who suicided were not weak, neither were they stupid. They were solely driven by pain. They were tough people who could not bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/those-who-suicided-were-not-weak-neither-were-they-stupid-they-were/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [I really am not a weakling. We like to do a lot of takes, so it ends up being pretty physically grueling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-zea/i-really-am-not-a-weakling-we-like-to-do-a-lot-of-takes-so-it-ends-up/)

[Natalie Zea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-zea/)

> [“Pause for a moment, you wretched weakling, and take stock of yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/pause-for-a-moment-you-wretched-weakling-and-take-stock-of-yourself/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [Bad luck, bad luck, whos bringing that bad luck? It you, the weakling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tokyo-ghoul/bad-luck-bad-luck-whos-bringing-that-bad-luck-it-you-the-weakling/)

[Tokyo Ghoul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tokyo-ghoul/)

> [“A weakling is incapable of sincerity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-weakling-is-incapable-of-sincerity/)

[François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [“that is what we say when we do not wish to play the weakling, we say Fine, even though we may be dying, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/that-is-what-we-say-when-we-do-not-wish-to-play-the-weakling-we-say/)

[José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/)

> [The average person is either a weakling, or just a happy person who wants to get along, or thinks being tough is having big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-jones/the-average-person-is-either-a-weakling-or-just-a-happy-person-who/)

[Alex Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-jones/)

> [Money and muscle, that's what I want; to be able to do any damned thing I want and get away with it. Money won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/money-and-muscle-that-s-what-i-want-to-be-able-to-do-any-damned-thing/)

[Robert E. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/)

> [“that is what we say when we do not wish to play the weakling, we say Fine, even though we may be dying, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/that-is-what-we-say-when-we-do-not-wish-to-play-the-weakling-we-say-2/)

[José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/)

[Browse all 24 Weakling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakling/)

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