10 WWE Returns That Came Out Of Nowhere

4. Bob Backlund

Tatanka Tomahawk Chop 2006
WWE.com

Vince McMahon is batsh*t insane.

Growing up as a small child under the grey skies of Gateshead, England, your writer was drawn to the technicolour WWF Magazine and the bronzed Gods that appeared on it. The only thing your writer was ever good at, beyond being an SJW cuck of course, was writing. Having worked very hard for no money for years in his personal time, the dream was realised in June 2016: I had landed the ultimate dream job as a full-time pro wrestling Content Producer here at WhatCulture dot com. Under no illusions at all that this isn't a lucky convergence of so many factors, it's something I will always approach with humility and honour. It is a charmed life I lead, and incidentally, I'd like to thank you all very much for supporting me - even if you click out of boredom or rage.

It doesn't feel quite so charmed when you need to attempt to explain the machinations of Vince McMahon's mind. It is a gigantic headache. The job becomes impossible. Literally painful.

Why...why did Vince begin to sideline Macho Man in late 1992, only to bring in Bob Backlund as his old babyface self? Why did Backlund go the distance in the 1993 Royal Rumble? Why did Backlund wrestle at WrestleMania IX, a show Randy Savage commentated on?

Backlund was such an antiquated boy scout of an act that Vince might as well have brought in Lou Thesz.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!