Transition from Backlund to Hogan

[willywonka666]

I've been watching an excellent comp on the transition of the title from Backlund to the Iron Sheik to Hogan, and it's kinda sad.

I got into wrestling after Hogan won the title and this is my first time seeing much of Backlund

He was the top dog, and apparently they wanted him to go heel and he wouldn't, so in steps the Iron Sheik.

Bob actually cries after losing the title because he feels he let down the fans.

He's promised a rematch and is taken out and the rest is history.

Was it obvious to fans at the time what was happening? Was Backlund sure that the end was near and put on a brave face as he was forced to pass the torch?

Thoughts?

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Vince Jr hated Backlund as champion and called him the worst promo ever, and I think the crowd was sick of him too, that’s why they forgot he existed once Hogan came in.

[Deleted]

Looking at his 1984 run (which ended in July when he left the company) - www.thehistoryofwwe.com/84.htm - it looks like he was still featured in a lot of house show main event matches, so he must've had enough appeal out there to get booked last that often.

He worked alongside Hogan a bit (basically passing the torch in early January) but not very much.

And by the end, he was on mid-show working a lot with B. Brian Blair and other midcarders. His last match (the first on the card that night) was against Sal Bellomo.

[Toilet Paper Roll]

Backlund was such a freak athlete but watching him back in the day he looks out of place among the guys who looked like they lived off of steroids, vodka and pastrami. He had this weird bend in his back and a protruding butt that just looked strange. Especially on a guy who looks like Cliff from Accounting.

[4real]

Apr 30, 2019 7:02:49 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Vince Jr hated Backlund as champion and called him the worst promo ever, and I think the crowd was sick of him too, that’s why they forgot he existed once Hogan came in.

I mean he must have had some sort of appeal to hold the WWF Title for 6 years or whatever it was.

[Tiger Millionaire]

So unlike a McMahon to have a blind spot to a performer that the crowd really doesn't buy as a top star.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

May 2, 2019 16:33:14 GMT -5 4real said:

Apr 30, 2019 7:02:49 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Vince Jr hated Backlund as champion and called him the worst promo ever, and I think the crowd was sick of him too, that’s why they forgot he existed once Hogan came in.

I mean he must have had some sort of appeal to hold the WWF Title for 6 years or whatever it was.

You’re right but Vince Jr despised him, it’s no coincidence Backlund bounced for so long after losing the belt.

[Non Banjoble Tokens]

This is so weird, I had no idea they were the same person.

[Deleted]

Backlund was amazing in 94. One of my favourite heels ever

[Prince Petty]

Backlund is a guy who would be a great manager for someone in the company today. Can you imagine him, extolling the athletic abilities and clean living of someone like Apollo Crews? Or, to push it into pure comedy territory, Heavy Machinery?

I can see why Vince would have hated Backlund, given Vince's muscle fetish and obsession with looks. Backlund was an odd-looking duck, to put it kindly.

[Tiger Millionaire]

May 3, 2019 9:15:46 GMT -5 Prince Petty said:

Backlund is a guy who would be a great manager for someone in the company today. Can you imagine him, extolling the athletic abilities and clean living of someone like Apollo Crews? Or, to push it into pure comedy territory, Heavy Machinery?

I can see why Vince would have hated Backlund, given Vince's muscle fetish and obsession with looks. Backlund was an odd-looking duck, to put it kindly.

Worked for Darren Young.

[celtics543]

It's funny that Backlund wouldn't be a heel and that Vince didn't like him for his mic work because when he came back in 1994, turned heel, and gave some pretty great promos, Vince pushed him right back to the title. He basically played the Iron Sheik role in 1994 to get the title from Bret to Diesel. Full circle really.

[jason1980s]

It amazes me to think that Bob Backlund and Hulk Hogan are only 2 or 3 years apart in age. There seemed to be a 10 year age difference in 1984. In 1984 Bob was the old guard from the Vince Sr. era and Hogan was the leader of the new generation at the time.
I'm glad Bob was able to find a gimmick that really worked for him. If he had stayed face I think he would have faded into obscurity and been largely, maybe purposely, forgotten by WWF like Pedro Morales or some of the older WWWF title holders not Bruno.

[greyfmdan]

Looking back, 94 Backlund was great. But they did a terrible job at the time introducing him to the new viewers who didn’t know anything about pre-Hogan WWF. As a kid I was like, “How do they expect us to think this old guy is a threat against Bret?” And I suspect the result at least played a part in killing kayfabe for some young viewers.

If they’d have played up his history more, it would have at least seemed a bit more believable, IMO.

[Mozenrath]

May 2, 2019 15:56:08 GMT -5 Toilet Paper Roll said:

Backlund was such a freak athlete but watching him back in the day he looks out of place among the guys who looked like they lived off of steroids, vodka and pastrami. He had this weird bend in his back and a protruding butt that just looked strange. Especially on a guy who looks like Cliff from Accounting.

OSW has ensured I can't see his matches anymore without thinking " 'Ol Duckarse".

[fw91]

imagine Mr.Backlund in the 80's feuding with Hogan.

[repomark]

I wonder how differently Wrestlemania 1 might have looked had Backlund gone along with the heel turn idea. Maybe it’s Backlund with Piper instead of Ornforff, or maybe if they saved the turn until a bit later in 84 it is just Hogan v Backlund.

I guess we will never know, but I do think Backlund made a big mistake not doing the turn at the time as there would have been big money to be made for him. Guess he couldn’t have forseen how big Hogan was going to be; but it seems like it was such an open goal for him.

Similar to Billy Graham not hanging around for the series of rematches with Backlund when he lost the belt; and instead coming back years later as the much less impressive karate version of Graham - it was a wasted opportunity.

[sungod2020]

I read somewhere that they wanted to turn Backlund into a punk rock/Adrian Street-like character after he lost the WWF championship. Did anyone else hear about it?

[slaughterama]

May 23, 2019 22:32:54 GMT -5 sungod2020 said:

I read somewhere that they wanted to turn Backlund into a punk rock/Adrian Street-like character after he lost the WWF championship. Did anyone else hear about it?

My uncle used to promote shows in NJ in the early 80's and had Backlund quite a bit. He was told right before he lost to Sheik that WWF planned to phase him out as a top card draw, and he was eventually going to be gone from the company. Vince Jr. hated him as a babyface, especially at that point since he dropped quite a bit of weight and was a terrible promo. He asked him to turn and play an anti-Hulkamania/Rock & Wrestling heel before losing to Sheik, and instead lose to Hogan, but Backlund refused. Never heard the punk idea, but if true, I can't see Backlund ever pulling that off.

[slaughterama]

May 2, 2019 16:33:14 GMT -5 4real said:

Apr 30, 2019 7:02:49 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Vince Jr hated Backlund as champion and called him the worst promo ever, and I think the crowd was sick of him too, that’s why they forgot he existed once Hogan came in.

I mean he must have had some sort of appeal to hold the WWF Title for 6 years or whatever it was.

He was over huge in the NorthEast, which is all that really mattered. He just connected. Much the way guys like Pedro Morales did, and to a lesser extent SD Jones and Dominic DeNucci. You look at them today and think, "how in the world were these guys so over?" but it's just what worked for the NE crowd at the time.