Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2012 18:16:48 GMT -5
This is the first I heard of Backlund being told to do a punk rock gimmick. They wanted him to dye his hair black and turn heel, yes. He declined the idea of being "a bad guy." He wanted to remain babyface. What's the source of it being a punk rock gimmick that he turned down?
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NOwave
Don Corleone
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Post by NOwave on Jun 29, 2012 19:16:48 GMT -5
This is correct. Wrestling 101 in that day and time said that a face beats a heel for a title change and vice-versa. Most of the regional territories did it that way. Vince was just following standard practice.
As far as Backlund's legacy goes, it's a hard call. He had one of the longest tenures of a WWF champ in history, and yet most fans today have no idea who he is. But that's really the way it was then also. Backlund had a much lower profile as WWF champ than did Superstar Billy Graham, much less Bruno Sammartino. In general, the rule in the WWF at the time was that the champ HAD to be a face, except for transitional heels. Billy Graham was the exception that proved the rule, because he SO hot. Graham was more over(and made more money) than even Sammartino in his later years.
And yet, for reasons unknown, Vince Sr, was committed to Backlund as a face champ, and was determined to get him over. Bob was a great athlete but just didn't have the look or the charisma to carry the promotion on a national level. We'll never know why Vince Sr stuck with him for so long.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2012 10:25:29 GMT -5
It took Bob 10 years of being in relative obscurity to realize maybe turning heel wasn't a bad idea, although I'm sure he wanted to do it under his terms. He had an image to uphold; an image that was fading the longer he remained out of the public eye. (Although in the mid-to-late '80s, he was supposedly an amateur wrestling coach as some middle school. How weird would that have been to be a heel wrestler at that time and still coaching kids on the benefits of "real" wrestling?)
I read somewhere in one of the nationally sold magazines about the "dye his hair and become a punk rocker" idea. He wasn't sold on it; he didn't want to become "a character". He beat it into us that he wrestled and that's what he does. If you can find them, Bob Backlund's interviews were pretty much the closest thing they came to breaking kayfabe at the time.
Bob was never the smoothest interview. He was straight-laced, he was serious. The best thing I can remember was around the time Billy Graham came back and stole his title belt; "If I can't have it, NOBODY can HAVE IT!" He then hit Backlund with it and tore it up. Bob screaming "WHYYYYYYYY?" and "NOOOOOO!"
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Post by bitteroldman on Jun 30, 2012 18:29:52 GMT -5
Never heard any of the stories on the first post (Title from Backlund to Hogan, Backlund: punk rocker). Not saying they're not legit but...source? Daniel Pena
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Post by "Playboy" Don Douglas on Jul 1, 2012 11:38:14 GMT -5
Bob Backlund may or may not have been asked to do a punk rock gimmick
- source: rajah.com
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hassanchop
Grimlock
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Post by hassanchop on Jul 1, 2012 11:50:40 GMT -5
I thought the reason was that he didn't want his family to see him involved in the cartoonish side of wrestling. I always thought that punk rock gimmick was for Flair in the Jim Herd era of WCW. Did I get them wrong?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2012 11:53:38 GMT -5
Who is Daniel Pena?
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Post by "Playboy" Don Douglas on Jul 1, 2012 11:54:09 GMT -5
I thought the reason was that he didn't want his family to see him involved in the cartoonish side of wrestling. I always thought that punk rock gimmick was for Flair in the Jim Herd era of WCW. Did I get them wrong? Herd wanted Flair to cut his hair (which he did), wear a diamond earring, and call himself "Spartacus."
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MolotovMocktail
Grimlock
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Jul 1, 2012 19:28:20 GMT -5
One story goes that Backlund refused to drop the title to anyone who didn't have an amateur wrestling background, and that's why he refused to put over Hogan or Eadie, and they went with Sheik instead.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2012 19:56:00 GMT -5
So Shieky made HEEM HUM BELL.
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Mac
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by Mac on Jul 1, 2012 20:42:22 GMT -5
Backlund jobbing to Hogan doesn't make any sense. Especially way back then. Also, if Backlund turned heel back then it would have meant something as heel turns werent a weekly event and a guy who spent most of the last 4 years as a squeaky clean champion being a punk rock heel would have been the biggest thing in wrestling. However it doesnt make sense why they'd think an uber-babyface would be able to fall into the roll of a punk rock heel
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Post by Fuj the Stooge on Jul 1, 2012 23:17:55 GMT -5
There is a news item about wrestling from 85 on youtube, and on it, Backlund talks about the state of wrestling and why he isn't champ anymore in the "rock and wrestling" era. he says "I didn't want to play the bad guy. i didn't want to spit at people or have green hair and be a degenerate". Sorry I dont have the link handy as i'm going from memory, but thats probably the smoking gun in the Backlund punk/heel run mystery.
If he went punk in 85, assuming it wasn't awful, he still could have came back in 95 to be a heel. He could still decry the world of today the youth etc. just from a different perspective. And there is a certain soda-punk in wwe right now who could have inducted him into the hall of fame....but I'm glad things went as they did--I liked the Mr. Backlund we really got just fine. aw heck (vince), they should STILL use Punk to induct Backlund because he was so clean cut and he was addicted to competition, said so himself.
He didn't tarnish himself, But he did LIMIT what we saw of him by dropping off the map for a decade to AVOID that tarnish.
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Post by Drillbit Taylor on Jul 1, 2012 23:52:39 GMT -5
Backlund jobbing to Hogan doesn't make any sense. Especially way back then. Also, if Backlund turned heel back then it would have meant something as heel turns werent a weekly event and a guy who spent most of the last 4 years as a squeaky clean champion being a punk rock heel would have been the biggest thing in wrestling. However it doesnt make sense why they'd think an uber-babyface would be able to fall into the roll of a punk rock heel Have him slowly start teaming with Jessie or Adrian Adonnis. Like Fued with them but slowly start seeing eye to eye with them. Eventually they turn him heel like them.
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Post by Fuj the Stooge on Jul 2, 2012 0:17:18 GMT -5
Adrian Adonis would have been a great partner for him! EWR players take note!
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