At first glance, Bob Backlund doesnt look like someone who could claim to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, but hes actually the second longest reigning WWF Champion in history. He held the title for 2,135 days, putting him ahead of Hulk Hogans 1,474 but behind Bruno Sammartinos 2,803. After he lost the title, he left WWF in 1984 and was gone for nearly ten years, missing the birth of WrestleMania and the entire Hulkamania era. He returned in 1992 portraying the same character he had when he left, but he seemed out of place among the larger-than-life characters WWF fans had become accustomed to. Things changed for Backlund at the Royal Rumble in 1993 when he set a record, lasting for one hour, one minute and ten seconds. The Rumble match gave Backlund the opportunity to show that while colourful characters are all well and good, they cant compare to old-fashioned wrestling ability. After this, Backlund began feuding with Bret Hart in a clash between generations, and his character was given an edge with the addition of bursts of fury that seemed involuntary. He later won the WWF Championship from Bret Hart, but only held it for three days before losing it to Diesel at a house show within eight seconds.
