Corrigan’s Corner: ‘Backlund’—The Missing Chapter in WWE’s Anthology

Bob Backlund got screwed.

He’s the second longest-reigning WWE Champion in history, and yet, he’s regarded as either some delusional, old man caricature or a puppet from the Baby Boomer generation.

Thankfully, his legacy has been restored with the publication of “Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling’s World Champion.” The almost 500-page memoir provides an in-depth look into the life of the sport’s greatest ambassador as well as the landscape of the industry before Hulkamania emerged and sports-entertainment began.

Backlund goes through every opponent he defended the WWE Championship against during his unbelievable run from 1978-1983 and explains the booking philosophy behind each match. It’s fascinating, for example, to learn why Vince McMahon Sr. booked the monstrous “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd to get only one Madison Square Garden title bout, whereas Pat Patterson received an unprecedented FOUR MSG battles with Backlund.

(I went straight to YouTube to watch a couple of these matches and enjoyed them, especially the , due to Backlund breaking down each story being told. WWE should produce a DVD of all these matches with Bob giving commentary like Austin does on his podcast.)

Another highlight of the book are the perspectives from Harley Race, Ken Patera, Sgt. Slaughter, Iron Sheik and more of Backlund’s peers included throughout.

The main question answered is actually the primary reason the 2013 WWE Hall of Famer finally agreed, with the help of co-author Rob Miller, to publish his autobiography: Why did he never face Hulk Hogan for the title? His answer indicates why the “All-American Boy” has remained one of the true heroes of professional wrestling.

If you thought Backlund was some bland goody two-shoes, you’ll be shocked at the tales of his childhood. Even diehard fans who typically gloss over the adolescent chapters of wrasslin’ autobiographies will be glued to the descriptions of his father and school days.

My gripe with the book is the lack of information regarding 1985-1992, his absence from WWE. Devoting only two pages to a seven-year timeframe is criminal, especially when Backlund mentions he was going through depression during that time. Sure, he may have felt uncomfortable digging up memories of those years, but readers would certainly love to know how this man who promotes a perpetual PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) dealt with such troubling times.

Most importantly, this tome serves to remind fans that Mr. Backlund is more than the cartoon character that has been portrayed over the past 20 years. He’s a former Division II NCAA Champion who helped the business evolve by training crowds to appreciate scientific chain wrestling rather than lust over the slugfests of the Sammartino and Morales years.

He’s also one of the rare performers who would not only mesh in today’s era, but also thrive. Trading suplexes with Ring of Honor’s stars, stealing the show in New Japan, or teaming with Chad Gable in NXT, Backlund would be in high demand, and that’s if he didn’t jump to UFC to dominate the octagon.

Ah, imagine the rivalries he could have had with Kurt Angle, Daniel Bryan, or Brock Lesnar.

Heck, with Backlund’s superb conditioning at the age of 66 (think Dennis Stamp but with the phone ringing,) maybe he’ll lock the Beast Incarnate in a Crossface Chicken Wing at WrestleMania.

Wrestledelphia.com assistant editor John Corrigan can be reached at . Follow him on Twitter at .