razazteca 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 Did they get rid of the lyrics "you are you are I am I am"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreatWhiteNope 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/i...t.asp?aID=18739 2/22/2007 10:52:00 PM Alex Marvez interviews Mr. Bob Backlund When this interview was completed, Bob Backlund let me in on a secret: He would have hung up the telephone on me had I not addressed him as Mr. Backlund when our conversation began. Such an anecdote reflects Mr. Backlund’s quirkiness as well as his adherence to a persona that makes him one of pro wrestling’s most unique characters, especially considering his five-year run as World Wrestling Entertainment’s soft-spoken champion before the promotion’s national expansion in the mid-1980s. In the following interview conducted February 14, Mr. Backlund discusses his arrival in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, the evolution of the Mr. Backlund character, his WWE tenure, run for Congress and commitment to improving his literacy during his time away from wrestling. A copy of my column on Mr. Backlund can be found at http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?acti...LING22-02-22-07. Q: What are your thoughts about working for TNA so far? Mr. Backlund: “Well, Mr. Backlund has enjoyed it quite immensely. Everyone is sort of laid back a little bit and enjoying themselves. There doesn’t seem to any pressure on any one person and everyone has been very polite.” Q: How did TNA get you to agree to work for them and how much interest did you have in returning to wrestling at the time? Mr. Backlund: “Well, it’s actually a long, long story. I never really, really wanted to stop. I stopped because of the principle. I’m not going to explain that principle right now. Jeff Jarrett and I had talked for a long, long time. When they hired Vince Russo to be the writer, he was in the WWF when I actually became Mr. Backlund and started using that name. He understands the value of the character. It has a lot to do with conversations between Vince and the people who have say in TNA.” Q: It certainly seems like TNA is building an angle for you to wrestle again. How much interest do you have in doing that and how do you stay in such phenomenal physical condition? Mr. Backlund: “When I do something, I have every intention of going to the moon. I don’t care what it’s in. I work out every day and I exercise mentally and physically and I believe I can do anything. I have interest in being a good role model for people and making sure people try to do good things. I don’t like when people throw garbage on the road or when someone makes a commitment and only does something for two days and gives up on it. I’ve saved my money and I’m trying to teach other wrestlers how to save rather than get eaten up trying to live in a Cadillac world. When I call people who watch ‘plebeians,’ I’m talking about the people who do things just like what I was just talking to you about. I’ve never thrown a piece of paper out of a car window. I never swear in front of my daughter. When I make a commitment, I mean it. “When I talk on television, you may think it’s funny but I’m as serious as I am sitting here talking to you. I am not an actor. When I was talking to those young men about pornography [on the Against All Odds pay-per-view show], I meant every word I said. It was very motivating for me to be able to do that because I was able to express myself from the heart. “I have a mission and my mission is to do good things and motivate people to be positive and do good things. When wresting fans see someone throwing paper out the window, I want TNA wrestling to pop into their mind with a picture of me saying not to do it. You may say that may not mean anything, but when you take the steps to start doing the little things and start doing the right things, people fall into place.” Q: What are your thoughts on today’s wrestling product as a whole? Mr. Backlund: “I think that’s one of the reasons I’m there is to be able to sit back and watch those things happen and then be able to voice my opinion of how I feel on the other side of that issue. I think a mom and dad can sit at home and watch what is going on with this group and that group and listen to what I say and then tell their kids, ‘Did you hear what Mr. Backlund said?’ I’m very proud to be in that role because that’s the way I live my life.” Q: You seemed earmarked for stardom as soon as you entered the wrestling industry. How ready do you think you were when you began your WWWF championship run in 1978 following in the footsteps of such great wrestlers before you and what are some of your fondest memories from that time? Mr. Backlund: “Well, one of my best things in my life was meeting Vince McMahon Sr. He was a man of his word. There were some things going on and some people trying to stop me from getting the championship the night before I got it. Mr. Mahon told them, ‘I gave the man my word. It doesn’t matter what you think.’ I get goose pimples when I think about that because there was no rhyme or reason for me to be put in that position. I wasn’t big. My character wasn’t outlandish. But Mr. McMahon had good character and I think about him every day of my life. “I was just a small-town boy out of Minnesota. I don’t think he realized that four years prior to that I was living out of the trunk of my car. My parents gave me a big hug when I left Princeton, [Minn.] to travel down to Louisiana [to start wrestling]. I didn’t get enough pay that day to get a room, so I slept in the trunk of the car. But by the end of that year, I had ended up saving $5,000. I could have gotten a room after that, but I would have spent it all.” Q: A new generation of fans may not realize just how big a box-office draw you were at Madison Square Garden during your championship reign. What do you think it was about your character that clicked with the fans? Mr. Backlund: “I was involved with a string of records, but I’m not a ‘me’ person. Every person on that card was a valuable part of making it a success. I just happened to have the championship. I was just another person on the card, but I was put in an opportunity to be put on top. I was just a member of a successful group. It was an honor and pleasure for me to be able to represent wrestling in that capacity for a good long time.” Q: How difficult was it for you to have that title reign end the way it did and why didn’t you resurface in a main role with another promotion? Mr. Backlund: “At the time when the championship changed, it was tough then. But when I think back to when the decision was made [by Vince McMahon Jr.], it was based on money. And when I look back, I think the person who made the decision made the right decision because he made a lot of money. I made the right decision and based it on my family. I don’t have regrets at all about my decision to stop wrestling all those years.” Q: Obviously, you’re name stayed in the wrestling pipeline so to speak, especially after your match with Nobuhiko Takada and working for Herb Abrams. But I’ve read on your web site that most of the time you spent coaching and even working construction. What was that like and how many people recognized you from your WWWF days? Mr. Backlund: “There were some areas in Hartford where people would come to the windows and look through the screen when I was working. I did dry wall when I was in college and high school. I did painting of houses. I’d clean streets if I had to. I don’t pretend to be a big wheel “ Q: Why did you decide to return to WWE in 1993? Mr. Backlund: “I think at that time, the shape of WWF was on a downswing and I think they wanted to try and see if I could be a part of it and maybe push it up a little higher. Now I can’t be real sure of that. I went back because I never really wanted to quit or stop because I liked what I did. To tell you reason I came back, I think it was to try and be Bob Backlund and be a good person and role model not just for fans but actual people in society.” Q: I’m sure it must have been one of the best moments of your life when you regained the WWE title albeit briefly in 1994? Mr. Backlund: “It was. I think I should explain to people, though, why I became a bad guy. I went to Vince McMahon and asked if I could be bad. He said, ‘Geez, you didn’t want to do that in 1984. Why now?’ I said, ‘Vince, the good guys lie, cheat and swear. If you let me bad by being good, I’ve built a voluminous vocabulary to agitate the plebeians.’ On a serious note, I never really wanted to be a bad guy but I was more happy being a bad guy than a good guy if I had to do what other people were doing to be good and be liked. I never succumbed to peer pressure in my whole life. I can stand up by myself. I don’t need to do something to get into a group and try to make somebody be my friend.” Q: Is it true that at one point you wouldn’t sign autographs unless a fan could name all of the U.S. presidents in order? Mr. Backlund: “I reinstated that policy the minute I got into TNA. It was my way of trying to encourage young people to utilize their memory.” Q: What I find interesting about your expansive vocabulary is the fact that Mick Foley wrote that you had a reading disorder growing up because you had dyslexia. Is that true? Mr. Backlund: “It wasn’t that. It was a battle of being lazy academically and never having any motivation. I got myself motivated athletically and physically at a pretty young age. For some reason, I didn’t get motivated mentally. That’s why it’s so important for kids to memorize things. When I stopped wrestling in 1984 and began educating myself, it took a long time because it’s hard to do after you’ve established an adult life. It’s better to do it when you’re young. Sometimes I would get a little bit down about it, but I’ve always been a person whose life had a lot of ups and downs and it was important trying to get those skills that I needed and neglected when I was growing up and in high school and college. It was all my responsibility. I don’t blame anybody else. “I knew that was more important than anything I ever did in my life, more important than winning the championship.” Q: Why did you decide to run for political office [a Congressional seat in Connecticut] in 2000? Mr. Backlund: “I was trying to get in position to do more and affect more people. I had a great time running for Congress. It was a great experience and an educational experience. I found out a lot about how government runs and what government and political parties’ goals are. I believe sometimes it’s not necessarily the goal of political parties to do things that are going to benefit the people the most.” Q: Would you ever consider running again? Mr. Backlund: “I would probably never do it again. It took a lot of time and effort in two years out of my life to do that. I didn’t accept any money from any political group. I sold 8,000 T-shirts to run by raising $80,000. I didn’t owe anybody anything. If I would have won, nobody would have sent me any letters saying I would have to do things because I gave this much money to your campaign.” Q: What had you been focused on doing since last running for political office in 2000? I read on-line that you were running a bail bonds company. Mr. Backlund: “I was a bail bondsman. People that get arrested for whatever reason need to hire a bail bondsman. Everybody I bail out recognizes me.” Q: Did you speak to those people about doing the right thing? Mr. Backlund: “I try to. I met a lot of people who needed a lot of help when bailing people out. I had some contact with them at first and I didn’t bail too many people out twice, but only they know if what I have said had a little affect on their lives.” Q: What professional goals do you have left in life and wrestling? Mr. Backlund: “I’m planning to go to the moon. I don’t do anything without having that same goal.” Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TNABaddboi 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 Did they get rid of the lyrics "you are you are I am I am"? I think they just slowed it down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike wanna be 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 Does Backlund really require recitation of the Presidents, or does he just say he does when he's being interviewed/requested for autographs on camera? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daileyxplanet 0 Report post Posted February 24, 2007 He ran for president in 1996 not 2000, or did he run twice? I'm confused. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisMWaters 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 He ran for president in 1996 not 2000, or did he run twice? I'm confused. He "ran for president" in 1996. He ran for Congress, IIRC, in Connecticut in 2000, as mentioned when he came out for the 2000 Royal Rumble. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slickster 0 Report post Posted February 25, 2007 Backlund never officially ran for President as far as I know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Failed Bridge 0 Report post Posted February 27, 2007 Vince Russo's failed with the booking Dusty's failed with the booking Raven had the book and wasn't able to get them over the top At this point I'd give Kevin Sullivan a call, pair him up with Jim Cornette and let Russo do nothing more than write the backstage skit type segments. Although I've been unable to watch Impact for about a month now, they still weren't wrestling the last time I was able to watch. I would figure the above mentioned team's gotta be better than what they have at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superfly Snuka 0 Report post Posted February 28, 2007 Does Backlund really require recitation of the Presidents, or does he just say he does when he's being interviewed/requested for autographs on camera? Actually, I believe he actually does this. Interesting to know, though, if this is how Backlund really is truly, or if he just stays in character at all times, ala "Loose Canon" Brian Pillman. Anyways, Backlund is gold. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted February 28, 2007 Raven is to obsessed with horror movies and hardcore weapon matches at the moment some of them are good ideas but too much of a good thing become repeative and eventually boring and there is really no reason to do one at every tv taping and every PPV. As a fan of Raven I can never get enough of the return of the Flock or his interviews which is the best in the company maybe he can do more interviews to get his clockwork orange freaks over instead of getting gimmick ideas from horror movies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pgi86 0 Report post Posted February 28, 2007 credit: TNAWrestling.com UPDATE ON NEW TNA WRESTLING DVDS COMING IN 2007 Several new TNA Home Video DVD releases are being planned for 2007! In addition to “The Best Of The Tag Teams” (Coming March 13), “Phenomenal: The Best Of AJ Styles, Volume 2” (coming April 3) and our monthly Pay-Per-View spectaculars, the following releases are being planned for the year: “Click, Doomsday: The Best Of Abyss” “Instant Classic: The Best Of Christian Cage” “Best Of The Bloodiest Brawls, Volume 2” “Kevin Nash And Alex Shelley Present: The Best Of Paparazzi Productions” DAMN! I`m really liking the sound of that last DVD. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2007 What no Best of Kurt Angle? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Star Ocean 3 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2007 “Kevin Nash And Alex Shelley Present: The Best Of Paparazzi Productions” I came. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacques 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2007 Jeff Jarrett made a decision recently to get longer matches back onto TV. A lot of people were complaining about how rushed the matches on Impact have been in recent months. Credit: Inside Pulse who have credited WON Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qdes 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2007 About time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2007 Next week, Jeff Jarrett vs Lance Hoyt in a 20 minute marathon match! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted March 2, 2007 Next week, Jeff Jarrett vs Lance Hoyt in a 20 minute marathon match! Hoyt vs Tomko with Nash, Backland, Firecrotch ring girl as special guest judges. The winner gets to be the next Kevin Nash protage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted March 3, 2007 Maybe already mentioned, but the TNA website says Hector Guerrero will be working for TNA as part of their Spanish announce team. Bring on someone wearing the Lazertron outfit in the X Division! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broward83 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2007 has it been dealt with as to why Mitchell is not on TV anymore? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacques 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2007 Sting beat the shit out of him on the last PPV. Also, Meltzer is reporting that he will be back with a new monster to take out Sting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike wanna be 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2007 Sting beat the shit out of him on the last PPV. Also, Meltzer is reporting that he will be back with a new monster to take out Sting. They still making a move for Big Show, or do they have somebody else in mind? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blade2kxx 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2007 Sting beat the shit out of him on the last PPV. Also, Meltzer is reporting that he will be back with a new monster to take out Sting. Matt Morgan? Giant Bernard? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2007 When does the Boogeyman's WWE contract expire? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mecca 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2007 Mike Johnson in his Audio Hotline today at PWInsider is reporting do to some general un-happiness between the sides of TNA and NWA that the two NWA World Titles, Heavyweight and Tag, will in the near future no long be used in TNA Wrestling and that TNA will crown new TNA Champions for their belts. He has suggest at Christan Cage or Samoa Joe because of their match at DX upcoming, would be the likley candidates to be the first new TNA Champion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dobbs 3K 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2007 I imagine they'll just make a subtle transition, like WCW did with their own titles in the early '90s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canadafour 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2007 I thought TNA had the rights to the NWA World and NWA World Tag Team Titles till 2009?? Bryan Danielson wants/needs to be the NWA World Champion!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted March 5, 2007 So the NWA championship belts will go back to obscurity and onto the indy circuit where it will be defended in civic centers, high school gyms, minor league stadiums once again? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GreatWhiteNope 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2007 So the NWA championship belts will go back to obscurity and onto the indy circuit where it will be defended in civic centers, high school gyms, minor league stadiums once again? PWInsider Elite says the NWA has already promised Danielson the Heavyweight title once TNA stops using it. ROH using the NWA lineage would be appropriate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
luke-o 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2007 Ive always felt that TNA should seperate itself from the NWA world title, just like WCW and ECW did. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razazteca 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2007 So the NWA is going from the South territory to the East territory to be defended in the great bingo hall? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
