92 Facts About Bob Backlund

Robert Louis Backlund was born on August 14,1949 and is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler.

Bob Backlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bob Backlund began his career in amateur wrestling, competing for the North Dakota State University Bison from the late 1960s to early 1970s.

Bob Backlund began training as a professional wrestler in 1973 under Eddie Sharkey and competed for the American Wrestling Association.

Bob Backlund then wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance and won the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship in 1976.

Bob Backlund held the championship until 1983, where he lost it in a match against the Iron Sheik.

Shortly after losing the title, Bob Backlund left the WWF, but returned in 1992 and was in the 1993 Royal Rumble match for over an hour, a record held until the 2004 Royal Rumble.

At the 1994 Survivor Series, Bob Backlund won his second WWF Championship, defeating Bret Hart.

Bob Backlund held the championship for three days, before losing it to Diesel at a house show in Madison Square Garden.

Bob Backlund is a graduate of Princeton High School, where he was a state finalist in wrestling.

Bob Backlund was an amateur wrestler at North Dakota State University, winning the Division II NCAA Championship at 190 pounds in 1971.

In 1972 Bob Backlund moved up to the heavyweight class and finished fifth at the NCAA DII Nationals.

Bob Backlund graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in physical education.

Bob Backlund was trained for professional wrestling by renowned trainer Eddie Sharkey and made his debut for the American Wrestling Association in 1973.

Bob Backlund's clean-cut look and technical approach made him a natural face, and he quickly got over with the fans.

In 1974, Bob Backlund wrestled in Texas, for Dory Funk Jr.

In mid-1975, Bob Backlund started working for Georgia Championship Wrestling.

Bob Backlund teamed with Jerry Brisco to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship from Toru Tanaka and Mr Fuji in October 1975.

In 1976, Bob Backlund left Georgia for Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Bob Backlund defeated Harley Race to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship on April 23,1976, and he lost the title to Jack Brisco on November 26.

In late 1976, Backlund joined Vincent J McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation.

Bob Backlund was managed by "The Golden Boy" Arnold Skaaland.

Less than four months into his WWWF run, Bob Backlund received his first shot at the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Superstar Billy Graham, but he lost by countout.

On February 20,1978, at Madison Square Garden, Bob Backlund finally scored a pinfall victory over Graham and won the title, despite Graham's leg being on the rope during the pinfall.

Bob Backlund won a series of rematches against Graham, including an April 1978 steel cage match at Madison Square Garden.

Three days after winning the WWWF Heavyweight Championship, Bob Backlund clashed with the NWA World Heavyweight champion Harley Race in a rare "WWWF vs NWA" title match.

Bob Backlund faced the AWA World Heavyweight champion and two NWA World Heavyweight champions Bob Backlund defeated the NWA Florida Heavyweight champion Don Muraco.

Bob Backlund had more tag team success when he won the "1980 MSG Tag Team League Tournament", last defeating Hulk Hogan and Stan Hansen on December 10 in Osaka, Japan.

Bob Backlund was able to overcome a challenge from Ken Patera, with whom he feuded on-and-off from 1978 until early 1981, including during Patera's reign as WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion.

However, Bob Backlund was billed as the WWF Heavyweight champion in other cities in the days following the controversy.

Bob Backlund turned back a challenge from Superstar Billy Graham, who returned to the WWF in late 1982 wanting to reclaim the championship.

The injury was a television story only; Bob Backlund wrestled the Iron Sheik at least three times for the title at house shows, and wrestled the Magnificent Muraco for the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, at a non-televised house show.

Bob Backlund continued to work for the WWF for a while after the title change, but did not receive another title shot for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship after Hogan's victory.

In Pro Wrestling USA, Bob Backlund unsuccessfully challenged AWA World Heavyweight champion Rick Martel.

Bob Backlund soon dropped out of the pro wrestling scene in 1985, but he made a surprise return in 1991 for Herb Abrams' short-lived Universal Wrestling Federation.

Bob Backlund wrestled for Newborn UWF and UWF International in Japan, in a series of matches with Nobuhiko Takada in 1988 and 1991.

In 1992 with the World Wrestling Federation struggling to find a new direction, Bob Backlund made a surprise return to the company on July 1,1992 in White Plains, New York and defeated Skinner.

Bob Backlund made his official return on the November 28,1992 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling and defeated Tom Stone.

Bob Backlund closed out the year remaining undefeated in competition and being announced as a participant in the upcoming Royal Rumble.

Bob Backlund faced Lex Luger in a qualifying match for the upcoming King of the Ring tournament but was defeated by countout.

Bob Backlund entered the fall of 1993 now in the lower card, and he rebounded to defeat Damien Demento and Papa Shango in numerous house show encounters.

On November 6,1993 in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, Bob Backlund faced yet another newcomer in Diesel, pinning him in their first match.

Bob Backlund competed in the 1994 Royal Rumble, this time only lasting a little over twelve seconds.

Bob Backlund faced newcomer Jeff Jarrett at numerous events and was winless.

Bob Backlund took a sabbatical and did not compete for several months before returning in May 1994.

Bob Backlund rebounded to pin Rick Martel in Sapporo, Japan four days later.

Hart won the match, capitalizing after Bob Backlund mistakenly believed he had won and helped Hart to his feet.

Bob Backlund "snapped" after Hart repeatedly tried to offer a sportsmanlike handshake following the match.

Bob Backlund slapped Hart in the face and locked him in the crossface chickenwing submission hold, while screaming hysterically.

Bob Backlund then started to regularly "snap" in similar fashion during his matches, viciously attacking his opponent with the crossface chickenwing and refusing to release it after the opponent submitted.

Bob Backlund continued wrestling under the new gimmick of an out of touch and highly volatile eccentric, out to teach "The New Generation" a lesson.

Bob Backlund dressed in business suits, had a hyperactive personality and used large words during his interviews.

Bob Backlund demanded that he be addressed as Mr Backlund, and he would only sign autographs for wrestling fans if they could recite the names of all of the United States Presidents in chronological order.

On November 23,1994, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in San Antonio, Texas, Bob Backlund faced Bret Hart in a special submission match for the WWF Championship where the only way for a wrestler to win was to have the opponent's valet, like Arnold Skaaland did for Bob Backlund over a decade earlier, stop the match by throwing a towel into the ring.

Bob Backlund began displaying a white towel that he claimed was the same one that was thrown into the ring the night he lost to The Iron Sheik.

Late in the match, as Bob Backlund was locked in Hart's trademark Sharpshooter submission, Owen entered the ring and attacked Bret from behind to cause him to break the hold.

When Bret turned around to argue with his brother, Bob Backlund took advantage and locked the crossface chickenwing on the champion.

Bob Backlund was awarded the championship and celebrated in the ring while Owen rejoiced in finally having cost his brother the championship.

Several vignettes aired, featuring Bob Backlund preaching socially conservative values, and one showed him campaigning at a beach.

In subsequent weeks Bob Backlund provided numerous policy objectives if becoming President, including the prohibition of rock music.

Bob Backlund ultimately gained the upper hand in the feud and dominated Man Mountain in matches as the summer of 1995 progressed.

Meanwhile, Bob Backlund continued to make television appearances as the year progressed, "campaigning" for the Presidency of the United States.

Still campaigning for the Presidency, Bob Backlund confronted a Bill Clinton impersonator who was seated at ringside at the 1995 Survivor Series.

Bob Backlund attacked Ross and placed him in the cross-faced chicken wing.

Bob Backlund competed in the Royal Rumble but this time only lasted just over two minutes before being eliminated by Yokozuna.

Bob Backlund's appearances began to become sporadic as the year wore on.

Bob Backlund returned on July 12,1996 at the In Your House: International Incident PPV, still campaigning for the Presidency.

The angle of Bob Backlund's campaign was quietly dropped before it reached a conclusion, and on September 9,1996 on Raw Championship Friday he announced a partnership with his old nemesis, The Iron Sheik to co-manage his new mystery charge.

Rocky however was victorious at the PPV; after the match The Sultan, The Iron Shiek, and Bob Backlund attacked Miavia until the latter's father Rocky Johnson came to his son's aid.

In February 1999, Bob Backlund appeared on an episode of Sunday Night Heat in a skit in which himself, The Iron Sheik, and Dominic Denucci gave comedic advice to Mankind before his WWF Championship match with The Rock at St Valentine's Day Massacre.

Bob Backlund returned to the WWF in the 2000 Royal Rumble.

Later on, Angle fired Bob Backlund and locked him in that move, after discovering Bob Backlund had booked him in a two-fall triple threat match against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 2000, where he ultimately lost both titles.

In 1995, while still working for the WWF, Bob Backlund started wrestling on the independent circuit.

Bob Backlund mainly wrestled for Windy City Wrestling from 1995 to 1998.

Bob Backlund lost to Jimmy Snuka on February 27,1996, at Trans World Wrestling Federation event.

At Against All Odds after Senshi defeated Austin Starr, Bob Backlund came out and put his own chickenwing on Starr before dragging him to the back.

At Destination X, Bob Backlund was in the corner of Austin Starr who lost to Senshi in a Crossface Chickenwing match.

At Lockdown, Bob Backlund was the special guest referee in a Six Sides of Steel match where Senshi defeated Austin Starr.

Bob Backlund made his in-ring return at Slammiversary, where he defeated Alex Shelley.

Bob Backlund then teamed with Jerry Lynn to lose to Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin at Victory Road.

When TNA redesigned their website, Bob Backlund's profile was removed, signaling the end of his run with the company.

Bob Backlund later appeared on Raw 1000 with all of the other Legends who had faced Slater over prior weeks, helping Lita chase Slater back into the ring when he tried to run away from Lita and the APA.

Bob Backlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6,2013, by his friend Maria Menounos, and was acknowledged onstage with the year's other inductees at WrestleMania 29.

Bob Backlund made an appearance on the October 7,2013, episode of Raw, unsuccessfully attempting to canvass votes in order to become the special guest referee for the WWE Championship match at Hell in a Cell; Shawn Michaels later won a public vote and was named as the special guest referee.

However, Bob Backlund did appear in a segment at Hell in a Cell together with The Prime Time Players, where they played WWE 2K14.

In early 2017, after Young got injured, Bob Backlund ceased appearing on television.

On September 21,2009, Bob Backlund defeated Jason Rumble at NWA On Fire in Springvale, Maine.

At 68 years old, Bob Backlund returned to Japan and joined for Dradition Pro Wrestling for two events in 2018.

Backlund's autobiography, The All-American Boy: Lessons and Stories on Life from Wrestling Legend Bob Backlund, was released on September 18,2015.

Bob Backlund was a guest on MTV's Singled Out, where he acted in sketches with hosts Jenny McCarthy and Chris Hardwick.

Bob Backlund played the role of Friar Chuck, alongside Maria Menounos and John Waters, in the feature film comedy In the Land of Merry Misfits.

The film played at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, where Bob Backlund appeared and signed autographs.