WWE: The Secret to Bob Backlund's Success & Possible Return

If you ask him, the character Bob Backlund has never lost the WWE Championship.

Backlund was in his physical prime in the early 1980s and was a part of what many in wrestling consider the end of an era. Backlund was then the WWF Champion, and Vince McMahon felt it was time to give the belt to the popular personality of Hulk Hogan.

Backlund ended up dropping the title to The Iron Sheik and then the Sheik quickly gave the title off to Hogan.

It would be 10 years later Backlund would return to the company with what seemed to be a second wind to his career. He would return, and before long take on a heel persona that did exactly what I feel a heel should.

Backlund's 1994 heel character did two things:

First, he made you hate him. He talked down to you with the words he used. He was bland in his appearance which, whether fans realize it or not, can be a magnet for simple heat. He had no entrance music, bland amateur ring attire, and looked like the crazy guy in the produce department of the grocery store.

Second, Backlund was a heel who made you think “Does this guy really act like this in real life?” We know it's a show, but could he genuinely come off as being a few sandwiches short of a picnic and difficult to talk to?

F4Wonline.com is reporting that Backlund is a strong possibility to be the legend who returns on Raw to take on Heath Slater.

If this happens, I'll be excited for several reason.

I'm curious how knowledgeable the Denver crowd will be and the reaction they give Backlund.

Does Backlund have music? I think it would be comical if Slater cuts his typical promo and then out comes Backlund walking with no music. Let the commentators explain who he is, and let Backlund get on the microphone and claim this is what's wrong with wrestling today. He reminds everyone he is the greatest and longest world champion ever, Mr. Bob Backlund.

I'm excited because I think Backlund's insane character could be very entertaining. He will perhaps have the segment end leaving us all to say, “Bob Backlund could be a valuable character in some way still for WWE.”

What makes Backlund's character so good is he is legitimately an eccentric personality. Reality always sells.

He is the kind of guy who won't walk by a penny on the ground without picking it up. It's not because he is broke, he just can't go on with his day without that penny being in his pocket rather than wasted on the ground.

A great showing of Backlund being himself is the backstage segment where he is celebrating with Kurt Angle. Backlund was suppose to put the WWE crew guy sitting down in the crossface chicken wing. Rather than just going with it and grabbing the guy, on live television he whispers to the guy (as if nobody will hear him as a boom microphone is hanging over top of him) that he needs to stand up. You can then see a confused and flustered Angle look off to a producer.

As always in wrestling, nothing is confirmed until it happens. I hope we get Backlund back, as I find him entertaining

It's fitting we see Backlund in an election year. Backlund for President...or Raw GM!

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