10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Nov 6)

5. Bob Backlund Quietly Detested Hulk Hogan "Lying To Children"

When it became clear that Hulk Hogan was Vince McMahon Jr's chosen champion, Bob Backlund was quickly moved aside. In December, 1983, the holier-than-thou Backlund was defeated by the villainous menace of The Iron Sheik. The heel was simply a placeholder for Hogan, who captured the belt in rapid fashion in January, 1984. This was a huge moment in wrestling history. Hogan was everything that Backlund was not. Bob was a pasty white grappler who favoured a heavy technical wrestling style. By contrast, Hulk was super-tanned and relied more on stalling and playing to the crowd than any superb knowledge of holds and submissions. He also preached to the watching audience that they should stay away from drugs and get an education. This is where Bob Backlund lost respect for Hulk Hogan. Aware that Hulk wasn't practicing what he preached, Backlund detested that Hogan was a champion who lied to his people. During his own respective reigns as WWF Heavyweight Champion, Bob had tried to be entirely honest to fans. Seeing that Hulk didn't do this, yet still received massive cheers despite his apparent steroid and drug use, irked him immensely.