50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE Royal Rumble
40. Fans Would’ve Bought Bob Backlund In 1993
If Shane Douglas stuck out like a sore thumb in 1991, then Bob Backlund was like a broken hand in '93. The 80s relic felt positively ancient as he trotted out with a beaming smile on his face, and that had been the case since Bobby launched his unlikely comeback the prior year. Fans probably thought Backlund had been in stasis since 1984 when they saw him again.
However, Bob's quality as a wrestler shone through enough to make him one of the best things about 1993's Rumble. His hour long performance in the match must be one of the most underrated ever. Yes, Backlund was out of place next to the shiny emerging 'New Generation', but he won people over on the night with incredible selling, stamina and heart. That shouldn't be overlooked.
Bob even turned the nose up on his run by scoring a seemingly dumb WWF Title win that proved to be genius in 1994. During the '93 Rumble, he was eventually eliminated by winner Yokozuna, but the live crowd in Sacramento would've accepted Backlund as a shock winner in the heat of the moment. That says a lot about how much he put into his work, man.
A lot of kids charmed by the boom of Hulkamania and other colourful WWF stars like The Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage and Bret Hart probably wondered who the awkward pasty dude in the red trunks that wanted to shake everyone's hand even was. By the end of the night, Bob proved his worth to the roster and earned everybody's respect.
He must've been bloody shattered, right enough.