gravedigger3
Main Eventer
Empire Wrestling Federation
Joined on: Apr 7, 2006 21:17:04 GMT -5
Posts: 3,434
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Post by gravedigger3 on Feb 15, 2014 0:13:07 GMT -5
So I'm watching the 50 years of wwe and it refreshed on me a topic I've been wanting to discuss for a while. What was the deal with Bob backlund? Was he really popular during the 80s? Out of every world champion he's the only one that seems "out of place" to me. I've seen some of his matches and in my opinion they weren't all great which would lead me to think he might have been a great promo man (like Ted debiasie) but from what I see he was really monotoned.
Not trying to hate on him just trying to understand his appeal, because his reign was quite lengthy but never really gets mentioned.keep in mind I was born in 1992
Second question: why did he get a second reign in the 90s? It seems like the WWE had better stars to make their champions.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Feb 15, 2014 0:54:24 GMT -5
From the footage I have seen of him in the 80s, the guy was legit over. I don't think he was as ever over as Bruno was in his hey-day, but Backlund was over nonetheless. Enough to at least get a six year reign as champion.
I think he got it in 1994, because the WWE was doing that "New Generation" thing, and Backlund was seen as from the past in the golden era of WWE wrestling. But I don't know the purpose in putting the belt on him, because it's not like they ran an angle with him, they just had him drop the belt to Diesel 2 days later.
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Post by drifter on Feb 15, 2014 1:22:36 GMT -5
From the footage I have seen of him in the 80s, the guy was legit over. I don't think he was as ever over as Bruno was in his hey-day, but Backlund was over nonetheless. Enough to at least get a six year reign as champion. I think he got it in 1994, because the WWE was doing that "New Generation" thing, and Backlund was seen as from the past in the golden era of WWE wrestling. But I don't know the purpose in putting the belt on him, because it's not like they ran an angle with him, they just had him drop the belt to Diesel 2 days later. Really they just used him as a transitional champion to get the belt from Bret to Diesel. They probably figured it would have been a shock to have Backlund win the title, at the PPV, and then an even bigger shock to have Diesel win it at the house show. And they used the match where Backlund won, as a way to further the feud between Bret and Owen. It could have also been a bit of appreciation from McMahon to Backlund for the years he gave to the company in the 80s. And just a random piece of info on Backund's original run, one of the reasons Vince Sr. went with him, was he wanted the company to have their own version of Jack Brisco, and he saw Backlund as fitting the mold. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 6:15:08 GMT -5
I wish Diesel had beaten Bob on Raw.
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Post by mikey1974 on Feb 15, 2014 7:16:28 GMT -5
- yeah,he was over. gotta remember,this was before the era of Hulkamania in the WWF,and even though Flair was "Stylin' and Profilin'" down with the Crockett's, the WWF was more about actual wrestling still at that point than outrageous characters and sports-entertainment. so Bob fit the clean-cut, All-American Champion that Vince Sr. wanted at the time,and I read somewhere he liked having the Belt on Backlund because " No one could f#$k him out of the Title. " ... meaning he could handle himself in the ring and they didn't have to worry about any other promoters swerving him. gotta remember,this was also the ear of Unification Matches where both guys got counted out or a time limit draw. NWA Champion's Race and Flair both put up their Championshipvs Baclund's WWWF Championship:     as well as AWA Champion Bockwinkel:   ...so Vince Sr. wanted a Champion that wouldn't fall prey to unscrupulous tactics. ironic,considering what his son would do later!!! - Bret said in his book Backlund was actually over with the crazy man gimmick he did in 1994,and lobbied for Bob to have an actual Title reign rather than a quick turnover to Diesel. so he got it,basically,because he was a hot heel at the time. |
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Post by ricflair4ever on Feb 15, 2014 11:02:08 GMT -5
Yes Backlund was legit over for both his title reigns. Vince Sr also knew that Backlund was a legitimate shooter, and if he had to "handle himself" in the ring, he could. I remember that's part of the reason he beat Graham in the first place. There was some concern Superstar wasn't going to drop the belt when Sr asked. So he went with Backlund because he could, legit, beat Graham and insure the title would be taken off him. The other line of thinking from Vince Sr, as has been mentioned in a previous post, was that Backlunds legitimate wrestling background made him very own Jack Briscoe. They were right. Backlund was very over back then, and pulled the shocking ability to be super over as crazy heel Backlund in 94. No one saw that coming and it ended up being gold. This guy needs a mattel figure every bit as much as Flair,Hogan,Bruno, etc. He really was one of the greats. |
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Post by speaktomeworriers on Feb 15, 2014 11:20:01 GMT -5
I thought i heard somewhere that the reason Backlund got his second title reign was because Vince Promised him another title reign if he lost to sheik, so he came back to collect
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 11:46:16 GMT -5
1. He was really over and a good legit athlete.
2. Sh*tty booking.
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gravedigger3
Main Eventer
Empire Wrestling Federation
Joined on: Apr 7, 2006 21:17:04 GMT -5
Posts: 3,434
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Post by gravedigger3 on Feb 15, 2014 17:08:33 GMT -5
Always thought Backunds first reign came after the "Hogan era" guess it makes a lot more sense now!
Thanks for the info guys!
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Post by drifter on Feb 15, 2014 21:10:31 GMT -5
I still loved how they turned Backlund heel for his return, after first having him as just regular old Bob Backlund. Those first few times, when he snapped and then looked at his hands like he couldn't believe what he did, was just great.
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Quazimoto
Superstar
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Post by Quazimoto on Feb 16, 2014 3:21:08 GMT -5
I still loved how they turned Backlund heel for his return, after first having him as just regular old Bob Backlund. Those first few times, when he snapped and then looked at his hands like he couldn't believe what he did, was just great. I totally agree. The entire Backlund going crazy storyline is one of my personal favorites from the New Generation era. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 8:31:01 GMT -5
From the footage I have seen of him in the 80s, the guy was legit over. I don't think he was as ever over as Bruno was in his hey-day, but Backlund was over nonetheless. Enough to at least get a six year reign as champion. I think he got it in 1994, because the WWE was doing that "New Generation" thing, and Backlund was seen as from the past in the golden era of WWE wrestling. But I don't know the purpose in putting the belt on him, because it's not like they ran an angle with him, they just had him drop the belt to Diesel 2 days later. I remember hearing that putting the belt on Backlund in 1994 was a sort of apology for the way he treated his fathers last champ, Backlund getting tossed aside for Hogan. |
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