Another speed bump in Backlunds first championship run was the little-known yet extremely controversial result of his title match with Greg The Hammer Valentine in October of 81; which puts a further hole in the uninterrupted six year title run of Backlund. While it was never acknowledged in the history books, for one brief moment in time, Greg Valentine did in fact hold the WWF Championship; albeit under the most dubious of dubious circumstances. In a totally insane turn of events, the defending champion would pin Valentines shoulders to the canvas for the three count, only for the dazed and confused referee to raise Valentines hand by mistake. Having been knocked out just seconds earlier by Backlunds stray boot during an airplane spin by Valentine, the groggy referee blindly made the count; apparently not even noticing who was pinning who. The Hammer stood up first, prompting the ref to declare Valentine the victor. Following a brief spell of mass confusion, Valentine grabbed the strap and quickly returned to the locker room with championship belt in hand; however, the title would immediately be held up due to the controversial finish pending an investigation. Both men were decked out in black ring attire to further add believability to the storyline, while McMahons commentary filled in the gaps to strengthen its cause. Long before the days of video phones, social media or the internet, news of the title match controversy was largely contained within the city limits. So much so, that Backlund even had an entirely separate and unrelated WWF Championship feud with Don Muraco occurring simultaneously on house shows one across state lines. The WWF Title would become vacant to cover the controversy; however in an unprecedented and bizarre turn of events the title would only be deemed vacant in New York. The geographically-specific storyline was a clear sign of the times and a move that would be virtually impossible in todays technology-heavy society of smart phones and internet spoilers. Backlund would regain the vacant title a month later on November 23rd defeating Valentine in 15 minutes with a German Suplex and the whole ordeal would become a faded yet fascinating footnote in wrestling history.
Occasional wrestler, full-time gym rat and lifelong lover of the grapple game. Would probably buy you a shot of Jack at the bar in exchange for witty banter...and preferably more Jack.
@MartynGrant88 for more wrestling-related musings and weight room wisecracks!
