Bob Backlund's first reign
 

Now I've been getting more into WWWF history lately, and from some interviews I've watched with guys like Larry Zbyszko and Billy Graham, the theme seems to be that Bob Backlund was not a successful champion. Now, I know Larry is known to "push the truth", but he said Vince Sr was close to bankruptcy around 1980. Can anyone shine some light on this? I can see some validity in this as post-Bruno, I'm guessing business died off a bit and the company was head by the likes of Ivan Putski, Graham, Larry Zbyszko, Backlund. Not exactly Bruno Sammartino.

First I've ever heard of it, but I'm not really surprised. Good as he was in the ring, face backlund was pretty bland.

Feel like Graham would have been a better choice.

Maybe Seth82 or Kayfabeman can shed some light on this. I had heard things here and there regarding Backlund's title reign. From what SBG stated, Vince Sr was very hard headed and didn't want to admit that Backlund wasn't a good draw, even though there were pictures of Howdy Doody in the crowd of MSG. I have seen the cage match between Patterson and Backlund and the crowd seemed hot for it.

The credibility of wrestlers back then is a bit sketchy at best since Billy Graham hates Vince Jr and the WWE, and Bruno isn't one for shoots, and we all know how big of a blowhard Laryy can be.

lol yeah was just reading jerichos book again and came across the part where zbysko tried to sue Jericho for using the living legend moniker even though he never trademarked it. Also had a team of lawyers using PWI magazines as evidence. Fucking hilarious.

Watched a trailer for the WWE: Timeline 1980 DVD with Larry and boy does Larry look terrible. He does come across very well in the trailer though. The only one where I cringed was 1989 with Brutus Beefcake. He rips on Pat Patterson alot, especially about being given the barber gimmick.....yet it's by far his most successful gimmick.

Lol have noticed a lot of wrestlers saying Brooklyn Brawler was bisexual

Seriously, without the Barber gimmick, he had nothing but friendship with Hogan to rely on. And I've also heard that about the Brawler, but I've just wondered if it was more a matter of doing anything including sucking cock to stay tight with the office.

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It's almost night and day, is it not?

There was an article about the Backlund/Graham titles in Powerslam, they said it was more McMahon sticking to his timeline and doing the title switches when he'd planned rather than bowing to pressure from wrestlers, he'd told Graham how long his reign would last before he won it.

eh Backlund was hated by some and loved by some.

to go from Superstar Graham to Howdy Doody was just lame.

Backlund however did go around the territories defending the belt in WWF Champ vs NWA Champ matches.

I think he and Harley Race had a series of matches in Florida around 1978.

He and Flair faced off on July 4th 1982 in Georgia in a supposed unification match.

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Backlund also went to Japan to defend the title.

Here he faces Dusty Rhodes around 1980 in Japan.
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