10 Most Cringeworthy Political Angles In WWE History

5. Bob Backlund's Presidential Campaign

Sgt Slaughter
WWE.com

Younger fans may only know him as Darren Young’s nutjob life coach, but Bob Backlund was the face of WWE in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. One of Vince McMahon Sr.’s old favourites, Backlund was WWE Champion for a staggering 2,135 days (a reign only bested by Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino), and though fans eventually turned on him, his seamless transition from amateur to professional wrestling provided the blueprint for guys like Kurt Angle to follow.

When the fans rejected his saccharine babyface act, Bob adopted a new highly-volatile, eccentric personality that didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling. There are numerous reports of Backlund refusing to break character when bumping into fans behind the scenes, and he’d allegedly refuse to sign autographs for anyone who couldn’t recite the names of every United States President in chronological order.

The presidential theme continued in 1995. Bill Clinton and Bob Dole were set to represent the Democrats and Republicans the following year, but Bob announced his candidacy shortly after WrestleMania. Several vignettes aired highlighting Backlund’s conservative views, and in the initial segment, Backlund compared his run to the Titanic sinking and JFK’s assassination… because if there’s one thing we know about Bob Backlund, it’s that he’s absolutely crazy.

The campaign didn’t last, however. WWE dropped it without a conclusion when it failed to connect with the audience, but not before Bob had argued with a fake Bill Clinton at Survivor Series ‘95.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.