Bob Backlund
Robert ( Bob) Louis Backlund ( born August 14, 1950 in Princeton, Minnesota ) is a former American professional wrestler. Backlund was in the late 1970s as a (W) WWF Champion, the flagship of the former Worldwide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) and later the WWF. His first title reign from 1978 to 1983 is officially considered the second longest in the history of this title.
Career
AWA, NWA and WWWF
Bob Backlund was wrestler at North Dakota State University and won the 1971 NCAA Division II Championship to 80 Kg After Training by Eddie Sharkey, he joined the professional wrestling Backlund began his career in 1973 in the organization Verne Gagne, the AWA. A year later he moved to the NWA, where he was to be in March 1974 by defeating Terry Funk Western States Heavyweight Champion. After he had come in the following years in Georgia, Missouri and Florida titles, with Vincent J. McMahon hired him in 1977 ( WWWF known today as World Wrestling Entertainment) for the emerging World Wide Wrestling Federation. Here he was allowed to receive the WWF Championship in February 1978 by defeating " Superstar" Billy Graham at Madison Square Garden.
On a tour of Japan in 1979, he lost the title briefly to Antonio Inoki, but what announced in the U.S. either, was still recognized in the title histories. After he had successfully defended the title until 1983, inter alia, against Pat Patterson, Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Harley Race and Ric Flair, his ring character should be converted into a villain and Backlund give the title to Hulk Hogan. Backlund refused, and so he lost the title on December 26, 1983, very controversial way to the Iron Sheik, as his manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel. Backlund was injured shortly thereafter declared to explain the missing rematch, and Hogan got those title fight.
UWA and WWF
In the following years he largely disappeared from the scene and went off and on in smaller leagues such as the UWF.
In 1992 he returned to the WWF. As his designated as Mat wrestling style in the new generation of wrestling fans no longer arrived, he went on for some time to Japan, where he won with Scott Putski and the Warlord the WAR Wold -6 -Men Tag Team Title was allowed, and then returned as insane villain. He claimed, according to script, still to be champion because he never would have regularly lost the title, and challenged the Champion Bret Hart.
On November 23, 1994, he was awarded the title against Bret Hart. Here the motive of his own irregular title loss was revived and Backlund won because Bret's mother Helen Hart threw in the towel. Three days later, Backlund lost the title in record time to Diesel ( Kevin Nash ). His last big fight was a defeat at WrestleMania XI against Bret Hart. In the following years he was briefly employed as a manager of The Sultan and Kurt Angle in the WWF. On 21 January 2013, the WWE on the show WWE Raw recording Backlunds into the WWE Hall of Fame the day before WrestleMania XXIX announced.
After the full-time career
At Final Resolution 2007 PPV of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Bob Backlund was part of the jury at the final of the Paparazzi Championship Series between Alex Shelley and Austin Starr. In the following weeks, then developed a feud between Backlund and Starr. Since then Backlund made occasional guest appearances on various promotions on special occasions.
Title
Private
Backlund is married to a physics teacher named Corki since 1974. Their daughter Carrie was born a few years later.
In 2000, he competed in the Connecticut unsuccessfully as the Republican candidate for a seat in Congress.