Bob Backlund
Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund (born August 14, 1949) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working for the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation from 1977 to 1984. He is known for holding the record for the second longest reign as WWE Champion in history which is ahead of Hulk Hogan's first reign and behind Bruno Sammartino's first. Signature move known as the cross face chicken wing was said to be inescapable once fully applied.
| Bob Backlund | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ring name(s) | Bob Backlund Mr. Backlund |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in[1][2] |
| Billed weight | 234 lb[1][2] |
| Born | August 14, 1949 Princeton, Minnesota, United States |
| Billed from | Princeton, Minnesota[1][2] |
| Trained by | Eddie Sharkey |
| Debut | 1973 |
| Retired | 2018 |
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Backlund started as an accomplished amateur wrestler and wrestled for the North Dakota State University Bison during the late 1960s to early 1970s. He also ran for a Connecticut seat in Congress on a Republican ticket in 2000 but was unsuccessful. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Maria Menounos on April 6, 2013.
Championships
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Steve Keirn)
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Jerry Brisco)
- NWA Western States Sports
- NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (three times)
- Northeast Wrestling Federation
- NEWF Heavyweight Championship (one time, first)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Match of the Year (1978) (vs. Billy Graham on February 20)[3]
- PWI Match of the Year (1982) (vs. Jimmy Snuka in a cage match on June 28)[4]
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1994)[5]
- PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1977)[6]
- PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1981)[7]
- PWI Rookie of the Year (1976)[8]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (1980)[9]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (1982)[10]
- He was ranked him #7 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.[11]
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Modern Era (Class of 2008)[12]
- St. Louis Wrestling Club
- NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship (one time)
- World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation/WWE
- WWF Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Pedro Morales)[13]
- WWWF/WWF Championship (two time)[14][15]
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)[16]
- Wrestle Association R
- WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Scott Putski and The Warlord)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Technical Wrestler (1980)
- Match of the Year (1980) (vs. Ken Patera in a Texas Death match on May 19 in New York City, New York)
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (1982) (Being WWF Champion)
- Most Overrated Wrestler (1983)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
Bob Backlund Media
Backlund in September 1998
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Brian Shields (2006). Main event – WWE in the raging 80s (4th ed.). Pocket Books. pp. 106–108. ISBN 978-1-4165-3257-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Bob Backlund Stats". Retrieved April 29, 2018.
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1979). "PWI 1978 Match of the Year Award". PWI 1978 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1983). "PWI 1982 Match of the Year Award". PWI 1982 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1995). "PWI 1994 Most hated Wrestler of the Year Award". PWI 1994 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1978). "PWI 1977 Inspirational Wrestler of the Year Award". PWI 1977 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1982). "PWI 1981 Inspirational Wrestler of the Year Award". PWI 1981 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1977). "PWI 1976 Rookie of the Year Award". PWI 1976 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1981). "PWI 1980 Wrestler of the Year Award". PWI 1980 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (March 1983). "PWI 1982 Wrestler of the Year Award". PWI 1982 Reader Awards (London Publishing Co.).
- ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on April 12, 2003. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame: Bob Backlund". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on May 29, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "World Tag Team Championship - Bob Backlund & Pedro Morales (August 09, 1980 - August 10, 1980)". WWE. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "WWE Championship - Bob Backlund (February 20, 1978 - December 26, 1983)". WWE. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "WWE Championship - Bob Backlund (November 23, 1994 - November 26, 1994)". WWE. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "Bob Backlund is Heading to the WWE Hall of Fame: Raw, Jan. 28, 2013". WWE. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
Other websites
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