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Ok my first “Remember when” is when Bob Backlund ruled the WWWF. Yes everyone that’s when it was the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Bob Backlund was my first wrestling hero. When I first started watching pro wrestling Bob Backlund had just beat “Superstar” Billy Graham on February 20, 1978 to capture the WWWF title. He held that title and defended it for almost six years without a defeat. In today’s wrestling his small size and more pure wrestling style would not fit into Vinnie Mac’s vision of “Sports Entertainment.” But this was when Vince Sr. ran the company and everyone had their territories that they stayed in.
Bob Backlund started wrestling in high school and then wrestled for Dakota State University. In 1971 he won the National Division II 190 pound amateur championship. He knew then that wrestling was in his blood. Bob started wrestling in the independent circuit in Missouri and Georgia. He even captured tag gold with another legend Jerry Brisco during these days. But fate would have it that in 1978 Vince McMahon Sr. called Backlund to come to the WWWF. The fans soon grew to love the “Good Guy” image that Bob presented which resulted in the defeat of Billy Graham for the title.
Bob had many great feuds while holding the title. One of the ones that most fans don’t know about was that he lost his belt in Japan to Antonio Inoki nut the WWWF refused to acknowledge the title change. During his rein he had some hot feuds with stars like Don Muraco, Stan Hansen, Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka, and the Iron Sheik. Some of us “older” fans will never forget Backlund versus Snuka in the steel cage. I can remember watching Snuka climb to the top of the cage and missing with the splash. That was back when a cage match happened about once a year if you were lucky.
Unfortunately as the early 1980’s came along things started to change the fans started to grow tired of the “boy next door” image. Also Vince Sr. sold his company to his son who had a different agenda for the now WWF. Vince asked Backlund to dye his red hair black and turn heel, which he refused. At this point in time Vinnie Mac saw a young wrestler in a Rocky movie and brought Hulk Hogan into the company to be the next champ. What happened next has been disputed on if it was Vince’s first screw job or not. But in October of 1983 a storyline of Backlund and the Iron Sheik was going on with a main event at MSG for the title. Backlund had “hurt” himself while trying to swing the clubs that the Sheik use to do. Anyhow at the end of the match the Iron Sheik put Backlund in the “Camel Clutch” which was a submission hold that he used. Backlund never gave up but his manager Arnold Skaalund threw in the towel which gave the Sheik the belt. There have been stories that since Backlund would not turn bad that Vince had Skaaland thrown in the towel to screw Backlund out of the title. There is a rumor that after Brett Hart was screwed in Montréal that Backlund called hart and said “I told you so.” Anyhow Bob wrestled for awhile and then he just disappeared off the wrestling map.
In a surprise to most WWF fans Backlund made a return to the WWF in 1994 to win the title from Brett Hart only to lose it three days later in under a minute to “Diesel” Kevin Nash. Bob Backlund will always go down in WWF history as one of the greatest champions of all time. If you want more info on what he is doing now which involves politics you can go to his website at www.bobbacklund.com If you have any comments or questions about this column you may contacy me a gchamplin@excite.com.
