WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund was a recent guest on Ring Rust Radio, talking about Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle being successful in amateur and professional wrestling, his thoughts on Hulk Hogan’s recent troubles, if he ever thought of trying to wrestle again, and more. You can read a few highlights and listen to the interview below:
Bob Backlund talks about Brock Lesnar transitioning from amateur to pro wrestling:
It’s not a hard thing to do more as it’s a mental thing to do. In amateur wrestling, you are always wanting to win matches and win matches and win matches. I changed my goal when I got into professional wrestling and I said I wanted to go out there and entertain at the highest level I could. I didn’t have any problem whether I won or lost as long as I had as good as a match as I could. Guys like Brock Lesnar that come from amateur wrestling love the business just as much as they loved the athletics in amateur wrestling.
Bob Backlund’s overall thoughts on Kurt Angle, working with him:
I have a lot of respect for his in-ring skills. To go and win a gold medal in the Olympics, not too many people get a chance to do that and it is such a great accomplishment. He really is such a fantastic amateur wrestler. When we worked together, I was using the cross-face chicken wing and we were wanting to pass it on to him. He got it on me one time but then I am not sure if he used it much after that. I still use it and think it’s pretty good. I was with Heath Slater and put him in the chicken wing and everybody in the building was roaring. Maybe it just didn’t fit with him. I was the first one to use the cross-face chicken wing at the time. The chicken wing and the cross-face were in the business but I was the first one to clasp my hands when I had both of them on. So I was sort-of the inventor of it. I heard lately a female wrestler was using it but not sure who she is. When I go to the signings like at WrestleMania and people have the options of what they want me to do with them, and more often than not they want me to put them in the cross-face chicken wing.
Has Backlund considered an in-ring return?
When I got put into the Hall of Fame in 2013, I told Triple H I would like to get back in the business and put a little bit more w in it and I was serious about it. I don’t know if he is ever going to take me up on the offer. I do think about it every now and then. I would like to get back in there and have a war. I am 66 years old but I feel like a spring rooster. I work out every day and my pulse was 42 the other day. The Harvard Step Test really makes your heart rate go down. I do that a few times a day and a high number of squats with other stretching and weight routines.
What was Backlund’s perception of Hogan and how did he compare to Bruno Sammartino and other WWE legends?
I know Bruno is a great man and has a lot of integrity and honor. He was very concerned at the time with what type of guy was going to replace him and take his spot. He didn’t know me very well and I didn’t know him, but about two or three years later we found out we were on the same page. We got along very well but didn’t talk very much. Hogan was a great person in the ring but we didn’t like his outside activities. We thought he wasn’t a very good representation of the business or a model for young people to look up to. He didn’t walk the walk.
