3. It Took Him 30 Years To Get Bob Backlunds Autograph...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6onn0PTD_CM Tommy Laughlin attended his first wrestling show in February of 1979, aged 9 years old. It was a WWF show in Madison Square Garden, with Champion Bob Backlund wrestling in the main event. After seeing him on TV, young Tommy idolised the clean-cut babyface character that Backlund was portraying on television at the time. Before leaving for the show, he fashioned a crude Bob Backlund #1 sign from two pieces of loose-leaf paper, held together with scotch tape. He then attended the event, accompanied by his best friend and his father. Young Tommy was the recipient of a high five from his newfound hero, which absolutely made his day. After the match was over (Backlund won, in case you were wondering), Tommy asked Backlund to sign his hand crafted expression of fandom. The champ promised to do it later, so young Tommy excitedly waited...And waited...And waited. Eventually, a security guard approached Tommy, asking him to leave. The boy who would become Tommy Dreamer stated that Bob Backlund had promised him an autograph. Taking pity on him, the security guard told Tommy where the wrestlers were leaving and the boy dutifully waited there, clutching his underwhelming little sign, along with a smattering of about 6 geeky fans and a couple of ring rats. Apparently, sleet was falling outside. Tommy asked his dad to wait in the distance, because he was afraid of embarrassment. His friend waited in the car, probably because it was freezing cold. Finally, Backlund emerged from the building and into the icy cold. Ecstatic, young Tommy asked again for his heros autograph, to which the champ replied, Ill get ya next time, kid and left. Tommy was left clinging to his crappy little sign and crying in the snow. Following this snub, Tommy, still a huge wrestling fan, hated Bob Backlund with a passion. In fact, according to Dreamer, he was the only fan cheering when The Iron Sheik ended Backlunds WWF title reign in 1983. Tommy Dreamer would briefly meet Backlund again during a WWF tryout in 1992 and once more when the latter had to be forcibly removed from an ECW show in the mid 1990s (long story, dont ask). However, Dreamer never approached the subject with him. Finally, 30 years after the initial snub, Dreamer, now 39, had dinner with Backlund, whereupon he told the former champion the story. According to Dreamer, Backlund was horribly upset when he heard Tommys story and apologised profusely. The pair discussed it at great length and all was forgiven, if not quite forgotten. A few days later, Dreamer picked up his mail to find an old black and white 10x8, signed by Bob Backlund, with a hand written message, saying To my number one fan, Tommy Dreamer, hope this makes up for it! Bob Backlund. Apparently, the pair are now firm friends. The man who once sarcastically responded to abusive ECW hecklers with the (frankly amazing) comeback I dont mind being called a p*ssy because I am what I eat! is generally known as a very fan friendly wrestler, now you know why!
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