When Bob Backlund returned to the WWF in 1992, there were a few eyebrows raised. The aging veteran's prime years were definitely behind him, and it was difficult to see how he'd resonate with the younger audience the company had attracted during his sabbatical from the promotion. The 'goody two shoes' character he played was very plain, and his milk bottle appearance was a far cry from the action-figure like stars fans had become accustomed to. By 1994, things had changed somewhat. Backlund turned heel, playing an out-of-touch character that was determined to change the WWF for the better. Feeling the youth of America had been corrupted, 'Mr. Backlund' offered to help them become more wholesome. Feuding with Bret Hart, Bob won the WWF Title at the Survivor Series in '94. After all the build up to his bout against Bret on Pay-Per-View, Backlund lost the title 3 days later to Kevin 'Diesel' Nash at Madison Square Garden. The match lasted mere seconds, and wasn't even televised. Diesel would go on to have a year-long reign as champion in his own right, but surely beating Bret Hart would have made his tenure with the gold mean more? Bob Backlund was an ill-fit for the top title scene, especially considering the WWF were running a campaign called the 'New WWF Generation', focusing on youth.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
