What Was So Bad About Bob Backlund's Title Reign?

[chunkylover53]

His first WWF title reign that is. At 2083 days, Backlund was the second longest reigning WWF champion after Bruno Sammartino. He had a miriad of feuds with legends including, but not limited to Pat Patterson, Ray Stevens, Greg Valentine, Don Muraco, Superstar Billy Graham, Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Adrian Adonis, Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, The Iron Shiek, Nikolai Volkoff, Victor Rivera, Spiros Arion, Larry Zbyszko, Jimmy Snuka, Mr. Fuji, Mr. Saito, Professor Toru Tanaka, The Masked Superstar, Swede Hanson, Ivan Koloff, Stan Stasiak, Ken Patera, Antonio Inoki, Bobby Duncam, John Studd, Johnny Rodz, Blackjack Mulligan, Charlie Fulton, Iron Mike Sharpe, Killer Khan, Afa, Sika, Johnny Valiant, Jimmy Valiant, Jerry Valiant, The Moondogs, Ric Flair, Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, Stan Hansen, Rick Martel, Rene Goulet, Crusher Blackwell, Gorilla Monsoon, Lou Albano, Lord Alfred Hayes, Bob Orton Jr., "Playboy" Buddy Rose, Baron Mikel Scicluna, Baron Von Raschke, Jimmy Garvin, Ron Bass, Tony Atlas, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, Peter Maivia, Ernie Ladd, Bulldog Bob Brower, Raymond Rougeau, King Curtis, Killer Kowalski, George Steele, The Original Shiek, and many more until Sheiky Baby dethroned him after Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel. An incident that haunted him for years.

I read that the wrestling observers during his reign weren't too kind of him giving him awards such as "Most Overrated" and him as being WWF champion was "The Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic". In the final months of his reign, fans were getting sick and tired of the "Howdy Doody of Pro Wrestling" and even booed him. This was during the super kayfabe days where booing a face was almost unheard of.

My question is, what made his reign as champion so bad? Sure, he wasn't as colorful as future WWF champions Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin, but back in those days, being a straight up wrestler was all it took to be accepted by fans, or at least I would think so. Was it overexposure? His reign being too long? Not enough personality?

Also, I think I read somewhere that before Hogan came onto the scene, the WWF was nearly going out of business, was that true?

Thanks.

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

I've heard a lot of people say that some of the upset at that title reign is that it was felt that he "cut Superstar Graham's reign short", because, as successful as Graham was, Backlund was clearly the next "company carrier" in Vince Sr's eyes, so he was gonna get the belt, no matter what. Personally, though, I've never had a problem with Backlund, but I'm not of that time, so I could be talking out of my ass.

[King Boo]

I know my mom hated it from the start because she found Superstar Billy Graham entertaining and Backlund boring as all get out. She'll still comment on it if she sees one them on screen today.

[invaderdave]

Sure, he wasn't as colorful as future WWF champions Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin, but back in those days, being a straight up wrestler was all it took to be accepted by fans, or at least I would think so.

That's basically the problem. If you look at everyone before Bob Backlund holding the title, you'll notice that none of them are really just straight up wrestlers. Bruno Sammartino at least had this whole "man of the people" going for him, and had tremendous charisma. Backlund didn't.

If I had to measure as guess as to what Backlund's problem was, it really was the fact that there wasn't a whole lot to him. He was a nice guy who wrestles, and he was good at it, and that's fine, but he shouldn't be the flag bearer, even back in those days.

I also understand that he was forced down the fans' gullets as a big deal, and they weren't having it, not with a guy like Billy Graham as the last champion.

[Mac]

He was a terrific athlete and had some terrific matches but was way too much of a dork to think of as a bad ass. Suprisingly though he did have some great brawls.

[Citizen Zero]

From what I understand people just got sick of him and his whiter-than-whitebread babyface character.

Basically he was the original John Cena.

[chunkylover53]

Jun 6, 2011 19:19:52 GMT -5 Citizen Zero said:

From what I understand people just got sick of him and his whiter-than-whitebread babyface character.

Basically he was the original John Cena.

I don't know if Cena's the "do-gooding" babyface we all like to make him out to be. I mean, he blackmailed Vickie Guerrero to give him a title shot, he hit JBL with an exhaust pipe AFTER he said "I quit", and he buried Wade Barrett with chair shots. John Cena has way more personality and charisma than Backlund ever did which disqualifes him from the "bland" babyface character that many classify him as.

Backlund maybe the original Cena in the sense that he was pushed down the fans throats as the number one babyface and they wouldn't act according and I can accept that analogy.

I think what might've contributed to Backlund's failure as champion might've been he held it too long to where the audience lost interest in him. If we go by late 70s/early 80s criteria, he could've held the belt for no more than 2 years and pass it to somebody who can draw or get heat. I'm not too familar with the roster of back then(I cutted and pasted the list of names from his wikipedia page), but it should've been a main heel at the time, or it could've been The Iron Sheik himself winning it from him earlier and then could've past it to Hogan just like before. Ah what could've been.

[lildude8218]

Jun 6, 2011 18:19:22 GMT -5 King Boo said:

I know my mom hated it from the start because she found Superstar Billy Graham entertaining and Backlund boring as all get out. She'll still comment on it if she sees one them on screen today.

well if she still has her old tv set it's possible that their image has been permanently burned into the screen

[Chuckie Finster]

Jun 6, 2011 18:09:36 GMT -5 Spankymac is sick of the swiss said:

I've heard a lot of people say that some of the upset at that title reign is that it was felt that he "cut Superstar Graham's reign short", because, as successful as Graham was, Backlund was clearly the next "company carrier" in Vince Sr's eyes, so he was gonna get the belt, no matter what. Personally, though, I've never had a problem with Backlund, but I'm not of that time, so I could be talking out of my ass.

Funny thing about Graham's reign is that he was always the transitional champion. Bruno didn't want to drop the belt to Backlund (he didn't want to lose to another babyface and "pass the torch" so to speak) so Graham got a nine-month reign to transition from Bruno to Backlund.

[squaredcircle]

there was nothing inherently 'wrong' with Backlund's title run.

it just became BORING. and he made it even moreso by introducing an incredibly boring finishing hold - the crossface or whatever the hell it was.

i was a close observer of most of Backlund's run. a bunch of us were regulars at the old Boston Garden for the WWWF's monthly house shows. (for you young 'uns, this was how wrestling made money in the days before PPV ) i remember seeing Morales as champ, and we saw a lot of Backlund, on into Hulkamania.

Backlund wasn't bad as a champ, and he could do a good match. he'd wrestle and he'd brawl. he'd bleed. he'd get the crap beaten out of him and overcome adversity.

but i think he started to get dull around the time of his feud with Sgt Slaughter and especially Superfly Snuka. the contrast between white-bread and high heat was too much to ignore.

And then the Grand Wizard nick-naming him Howdy-Doody...

[turkeysandwich]

From what I've seen of his interviews from back then, he seemed so boring on the mic, which is amazing how different he was as a crazy heel in the mid 90's. It was a different time, though and you didn't have to be great on the mic, but it helped. I have seen quite a few matches of Backlund as champion, and he seemed very over, I remember seeing a match (against Don Muraco?) where they pop huge for an atomic drop.

[Schemer]

He was Howdy-Doody. It's funny though cause from the stories I hear, Backlund could legit just destroy everybody he wanted to. His character was just boring...

[Jiren]

It did lead to Crazy Bob Backlund

I'll give it props for that

[Crappler El 0 M]

He also didn't seem to compare favorably to other world champions of the time, namely AWA's Nick Bockwinkel or NWA's Harley Race and Ric Flair in terms of overall character and appeal.

[NOwave]

He also didn't seem to compare favorably to other world champions of the time, namely AWA's Nick Bockwinkel or NWA's Harley Race and Ric Flair in terms of overall character and appeal.

This may be the most important single factor. Yeah, Bob was bland, but he was REALLY bland when compared to the NWA and even AWA champs of the era. (Terry Funk, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Nick Bockwinkle)

As a result, the WWWF appeared to be less important than those other promotions. It was clearly viewed as a "regional" Northeastern promotion at the time in the south.(I was in Memphis at the time)

Ironically, Bob was a great legit athlete-something that was emphasized in the NWA at the time, in contrast to the WWWF, which (even then) seemed more cartoonish or over the top than the NWA.

[MolotovMocktail]

As a worker, he was highly respected-some people said he was the Bret Hart of his generation. However, he had no charisma. Try to find the Graham/Backlund interviews on Youtube right before Backlund won the title. Graham gives a promo that was as good as anything the Rock has ever done, then Backlund steps up and practically whispers into the microphone the whole time.

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Jun 7, 2011 17:53:08 GMT -5 NOwave said:

He also didn't seem to compare favorably to other world champions of the time, namely AWA's Nick Bockwinkel or NWA's Harley Race and Ric Flair in terms of overall character and appeal.

This may be the most important single factor. Yeah, Bob was bland, but he was REALLY bland when compared to the NWA and even AWA champs of the era. (Terry Funk, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Nick Bockwinkle)

As a result, the WWWF appeared to be less important than those other promotions. It was clearly viewed as a "regional" Northeastern promotion at the time in the south.(I was in Memphis at the time)

Ironically, Bob was a great legit athlete-something that was emphasized in the NWA at the time, in contrast to the WWWF, which (even then) seemed more cartoonish or over the top than the NWA.

I imagine that it's right there. Even for the time, when faces usually weren't too over the top, or flashy, he seems just freakin' boring.

Amazing athlete, with a personality that makes Opie Taylor seem like a badass

[Schemer]

Y'know, I hadn't thought of that angle, but it makes sense. The NWA and AWA had some primo performers who would've better fit the WWF model (Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, Nick Bockwinkel... Flair could've worked anywhere) Backlund should've been in the NWA.

[Citizen Zero]

And yet under all that whitebread boringness lurked the awesomeness that was Mister Backlund. Who'd have thought?

[madness50]

Bob "Opie" Backlund was boring and dull in my opinion, however Mr. Bob Backlund was great lol.