10 Times WWE Failed To Replace A Major Star
5. Bruno Sammartino With Bob Backlund
Newer WWE fans may only know Bob Backlund as Darren Young’s eccentric life coach, but he’s also one of the longest reigning WWF Champions of all-time.
His 2,135-day run is the second longest in WWE history, and only Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino have held the gold for a longer cumulative period than Backlund throughout the title’s lifespan.
Backlund was supposed to bridge the gap from one WWE megastar to another. Sammartino was in decline by the time Bob came around, and after suffering a broken neck in 1977, Bruno drifted into semi-retirement and a more relaxed schedule. WWE had lost their franchise player, but Vince McMahon Sr. thought he had a natural successor in Backlund, who ended Superstar Billy Graham’s transitional reign in February 1978.
Backlund’s reign lasted close to six years, but it eventually turned sour, and fans grew sick and tired of Backlund’s squeaky-clean do-gooder persona towards the run’s mid-point. Vince Sr. eventually had no choice but to turn him heel, and his days were numbered as soon as Hogan arrived on the scene. Bob was an excellent technician, but Hogan was a grander, more charismatic wrestler, and he soon succeeded Backlund and became Sammartino's true heir.