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BOB BACKLUND PICTURES |
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Bob Backlund
It was always easy to cheer for Bob Backlund
during the late 1970s and early 1980s. His boy-next-door looks made him impossible to dislike while his superior athleticism
solified his lofty in-ring status. Backlund's second stint with the WWE, however, was a completely different story. With age,
he became more maniacal. By the mid-1980s, he was borderline insane, which makes the Bob Backlund story even more fascinating.
Backlund first made a name for himself within wrestling circles while competing at North Dakota State University, where he
captured the NCAA Division II heavyweight wrestling championship. Shortly after college, the successful amateur wrestler took
his game to the pro ranks, debuting for his home state's American Wrestling Association (AWA) in 1974. For the next several
years, Backlund bounced between various wrestling regions.
| MANTAUR FEATURES |
The WWE Comes Calling
In the spring of 1977, Backlund received the opportunity of a lifetime when Vincent J. McMahon called to offer him a shot
with WWE. He quickly accepted the opportunity, packed his bags and left his small-town life in Minnesota for the bright
lights of New York City and WWE. With Arnold Skaaland as his manager, Backlund became an instant hit with WWE fans. His
All-American persona gave audiences somebody they could look up to, and within months of his arrival, he was catapulted to
the top of the card.
After several unsuccessful attempts to capture the WWE Championship, Backlund finally dethroned "Superstar" Billy Graham
in February 1978 despite the champion's leg being on the ropes during the count. His reign will forever go down in history as
one of the greatest of all-time, lasting nearly six years (second only to Bruno Sammartino's nearly eight-year reign).
In search of more gold, Backlund teamed with Pedro Morales to defeat the Wild Samoans for the World Tag Team Championship
at Shea Stadium in August 1980. Unfortunately for Backlund, he was forced to vacate the title due to a WWE rule at the time
that prohibited a Superstar from holding more than one championship at any given time.
Backlund's epic WWE Championship reign came to a controversial end in December 1983. While defending against The Iron Sheik,
Backlund found himself locked in the challenger's dreadful Camel Clutch. Refusing to submit, he suffered in the submission
move for an extended period of time. Finally, in an attempt to prevent permanent damage, manager Arnold Skaaland threw in
the towel for Backlund. The popular former champion later suggested that his reign should have never been ceased, due to the
fact that he didn't give up. The protest proved ineffective and Backlund quickly left WWE soon after.
A New Era, and a New Attitude
Nearly one decade after vanishing from the professional wrestling world, Bob Backlund made a shocking return to WWE in 1992.
In his early 40s at the time, WWE fans didn't expect much success from the aging Superstar. They were wrong.
The 1990s version of Bob Backlund proved to be much different from the boy-next-door champion everybody loved in the 1970s
and 1980s. This Bob Backlund was a rage-filled, middle-aged maniac who quickly drew the ire of fans with his endless rants
and overly verbose vocabulary. Inside the ring, however, he was just as dangerous as ever.
In November 1994, the aging Backlund defied the odds when he defeated Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series.
Ironically, his second reign began the same his first one ended when Hart's mother threw in the towel, signifying the end
of her son's reign.
Backlund's second run as WWE Champion failed to mirror the success of his first. A mere three days after capturing the
title, he was defeated by Diesel in a match that lasted only eight seconds.
The WWE record books will forever recognize Backlund's second reign as one of the shortest of all-time. Despite the loss
to Diesel, however, he brief time atop WWE capped off one of the most successful returns in professional wrestling history. It
also put a fitting exclamation point on a career that will be remembered as one of the greatest of all-time.
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