Athletes - Bob Backlund

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	Athletes - Bob Backlund

Bob Backlund (born August 14, 1950) is a former American professional wrestler and minor politician.

Career

1970s and 1980s

Backlund was an amateur wrestler at North Dakota State University, winning the Division II NCAA Championship at 190 pounds in 1971. Backlund joined the WWWF and became the World Champion on February 20, 1978 defeating "Superstar" Billy Graham in New York City's Madison Square Garden. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor Dave Meltzer, Backlund was picked to be champion by Vincent J. McMahon, who was looking for a younger version of Jack Brisco. Backlund was recommended to McMahon by Eddie Graham and Sam Muchnick. Over a near six-year period, Backlund held the title on three occasions, and defeated some of the most notorious heels in the sport, ranging from Pat Patterson to Don Muraco to Greg Valentine. On November 30, 1979, Backlund was defeated for the championship by Antonio Inoki in Tokushima, Japan. The loss to Inoki has never been acknowledged by the WWF. Backlund's steel cage match against Jimmy Snuka on June 28, 1982 in Madison Square Garden is considered a classic to this day. Also of note were his title vs. title bouts against AWA World Champion Nick Bockwinkel and NWA World Champions Harley Race and Ric Flair. Backlund's no-nonsense attitude and superb scientific skill made him a durable champion and a favorite of many fans around the world.

However, by the final months of his title reign, many fans had grown weary of "Howdy Doody", as The Grand Wizard had dubbed Backlund, due to his red hair and boyish features. Additionally, Vincent K. McMahon, who had taken over his father's wrestling promotion, wanted to put the title on the more charismatic and muscular Californian Hulk Hogan. Backlund lost the title on December 26, 1983 to the Iron Sheik, when his manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel while Backlund was locked in the Camel Clutch. It's worth noting that Backlund was not defeated via a pinfall or submission. McMahon asked Backlund to become a "punk rock" heel, with dyed hair and face paint, a gimmick similar to that of "Exotic" Adrian Street. Backlund refused, and left the WWF. After a run in the short-lived Pro Wrestling USA, a joint promotion between the NWA and the AWA in which he notably challenged AWA Champion Rick Martel, Backlund soon dropped off the pro wrestling scene. He later resurfaced in Herb Abrams' short lived UWF in June 1991 for Beach Brawl, a pay-per-view event in which he defeated Ivan Koloff.

1992 comeback

In late 1992, Backlund returned to a WWF very different from the one he had left nearly a decade earlier. In his absence, the company had enjoyed a great deal of national success, with many new fans being drawn to the colorful wrestlers of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection" era. Backlund, whose persona remained the same as it was in his heyday, may have been too bland to get over with the fans of the early 1990s. Many of these fans did not even remember him, as he had left just prior to Vince McMahon's national expansion.

While this period of his career was largely uneventful, it was highlighted by his performance at the 1993 Royal Rumble, in which he lasted 61 minutes and 10 seconds, a record that would not be broken until 2004 (by Chris Benoit). Backlund's first appearance at a WrestleMania event, at WrestleMania IX, consisted of a quick match, which he lost to Razor Ramon.

Shortly after Backlunds loss at WrestleMania IX, he shocked the wrestling world by telling the writers of PWI that he was gay. Soon after he vowed that he would be the first openly gay man to win a world championship. When he returned in 1994 however, his homosexuality was never acknowledged by the WWF.

Mr. Bob Backlund

In the summer of 1994, Backlund took part in what was billed as an "old generation vs. new generation" match with Bret Hart. Over a number of weeks, viewers of WWF Superstars were treated to vignettes of Backlund working out and training for his match with Hart. Hart won the match, but afterwards Backlund "snapped," slapping Hart in the face and placing him in the cross face chicken wing submission hold, laughing hysterically. When he finally released the hold, Backlund stared at his hands in shock.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Bob Backlund ]

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Athletes - Bob Backlund

Career

1970s and 1980s

1992 comeback

Mr. Bob Backlund

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