Bob Backlund Robert Lee " Bob " Backlund ( August 14 , 1949 ) is an American professional wrestler and actor with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years . Over that time , he went on to become a two - time WWWF / WWF Champion . His two reigns combined give make him the third longest reining WWE Champion of all time ( behind Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan ) . Backlund was also an accomplished amateur wrestler wrestling for the North Dakota State University Bison in the late 1960s to early 1970s . Backlund continues to work in the pro wrestling business in various capacities . In 2000 , Backlund unsuccessfully ran for a Connecticut seat in Congress on a Republican ticket . Career . In 1969 during his freshman year , Backlund was an All American in both football and wrestling ( 191 lbs finishing 3rd ) while at Waldorf Junior College in Forest City , IA . During his sophomore campaign , Backlund focused on wrestling and once again earned All American Honors ( 190 lbs and National Runner Up ) . Backlund was an amateur wrestler at North Dakota State University , winning the Division II NCAA Championship at 190 pounds in 1971 . In 1972 Backlund moved up to the Heavyweight class and finished 5th at the NCAA DII Nationals . Graduate of Princeton , MN High School where he was a state finalist in wrestling . He graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in physical education . He also made part of the lyrics for the hit song " Leeches and Scream " , making him two million dollars in permission charges . Turning pro . Backlund was trained for a professional wrestling career by legendary wrestling trainer Eddie Sharkey and made his debut for the American Wrestling Association in 1973 . Backlund ' s clean cut look and very technical approach made him a natural face and almost instantly got over with the fans . After working for the AWA for a while , Backlund started to travel the United States working for the National Wrestling Alliance in its various territories . In 1974 , Backlund worked in Texas for Dory Funk , Jr . and Terry Funk ' s Amarillo promotion . In March he defeated Terry Funk to gain the NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship , the promotion ' s main title . Backlund would only hold it for two months before losing it to Karl Von Steiger in May . In mid 1975 , Backlund started working for Georgia Championship Wrestling where he would team up with Jerry Brisco to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship ( not to be mistaken with the Georgia Version of the NWA Tag Team Championship ) from Toru Tanaka & Mr . Fuji in October 1975 . The Brisco / Backlund team would only hold the Georgia gold for 2 months before being defeated by Les Thornton and Tony Charles . In 1976 , Backlund moved on from the Georgia territory and worked in Florida for Championship Wrestling from Florida ( NWA Florida ) where he teamed up with Steve Keirn to defeat Bob Orton , Jr . and Bob Roop for the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship . Backlund and Keirn would lose the title to The Hollywood Blonds ( Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown ) in October 1976 . Backlund split his time between working in Florida and working in St . Louis , Missouri for Sam Muchnick ’ s St . Louis Wrestling Club where he defeated wrestling legend Harley Race to win the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship on April 23 . He held it until he was defeated by Jack Brisco on November 26 . World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation ( 1977 – 1984 ) . In early 1977 , Backlund signed with Vincent J . McMahon ’ s World Wide Wrestling Federation . Backlund was managed by “ the Golden Boy ” Arnold Skaaland early on . Less than 4 months into his run with the WWWF , Backlund received his first shot at the WWWF Champion against " Superstar " Billy Graham where he lost by countout . Over the course of 1977 , Backlund received additional shots at the champion where his fortunes started to change ; they first went to a double countout and later Backlund defeated Graham , but only by countout . On February 20 , 1978 at the famous Madison Square Garden , Backlund finally got the elusive pinfall victory over Billy Graham that earned Backlund his WWWF World Heavyweight Title . Backlund won the match despite Graham ’ s leg being on the rope during the pinfall . He also went after the WWF World Tag Team Championship with Peter Maivia but Maivia turned on him and attacked Backlund and Skaaland , which led the usually even tempered Backlund to go berserk in the post match interview , screaming to interviewer Vince McMahon that he was going to " kill that son of a bitch ! " Three days after winning the WWWF gold , Backlund clashed with the NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race in a rare “ WWWF vs . NWA ” title match . Neither title changed hands as the two fought to a 60 - minute time limit draw . Defending against other champions became a recurring theme in Backlund ’ s run with the title as he faced both the AWA ( Nick Bockwinkel ) in highly publicized matches and also engaged in a legendary series of scientific matches against NWF World Champion and Japanese legend Antonio Inoki . Backlund would also take on and defeat the Florida Champion Don Muraco and in 1982 battled " International Champion " Billy Robinson to a classic 63 - minute curfew draw in Montreal . Backlund defended the title against a who ' s who of professional wrestling legends , including Pat Patterson , Ray Stevens , Greg Valentine , Don Muraco , Superstar Billy Graham , Hulk Hogan , Jesse Ventura , Adrian Adonis , Sgt . Slaughter , Dusty Rhodes , The Iron Shiek , Nikolai Volkoff , Victor Rivera , Spiros Arion , Larry Zbyszko , Jimmy Snuka , Mr . Fuji , Mr . Saito , Professor Toru Tanaka , The Masked Superstar , Swede Hanson , Ivan Koloff , Stan Stasiak , Ken Patera , Antonio Inoki , Bobby Duncam , John Studd , Johnny Rodz , Blackjack Mulligan , Charlie Fulton , Iron Mike Sharpe , Killer Khan , Afa , Sika , Johnny Valiant , Jimmy Valiant , Jerry Valiant , The Moondogs , Ric Flair , Harley Race , Nick Bockwinkel , Stan Hansen , Rick Martel , Rene Goulet , Crusher Blackwell , Gorilla Monsoon , Lou Albano , Lord Alfred Hayes , Bob Orton Jr . , " Playboy " Buddy Rose , Baron Mikel Scicluna , Baron Von Raschke , Jimmy Garvin , Ron Bass , Tony Atlas , Kevin Sullivan , Dick Murdoch , Peter Maivia , Ernie Ladd , Bulldog Bob Brower , Raymond Rougeau , King Curtis , Killer Kowalski , George Steele , The Original Shiek , and many more . On August 9 , 1980 , Backlund teamed with Pedro Morales to capture the WWF World Tag Team Championship from The Wild Samoans at Showdown at Shea . Backlund and Morales were forced to vacate the title due to a then - extant WWF rule stating that no one can hold two championships at the same time . Backlund met with more tag team success at year ' s end when he ( along with Antonio Inoki ) captured the 1980 MSG Tag Team League Tournament with a win over Hulk Hogan and Stan Hansen on December 10 , 1980 , in Osaka , Japan . Backlund and Inoki finished the tournament with seven wins and two double - countout decisions en route to victory . Title controversy . While World Wrestling Entertainment officially recognizes Bob Backlund ’ s first WWWF / WWF Title reign to be from February 20 , 1978 until December 26 , 1983 there is at least one instance where Backlund was defeated in the ring for the title and one instance where the title was “ held up ” after a match . The first instance saw NWF Champion Antonio Inoki pin Bob Backlund in a match in Tokushima , Japan on November 30 , 1979 to win the title . Inoki was then billed as both NWF and WWF Champion in subsequent matches . On December 6 , Inoki and Backlund fought over the WWF title once again ; this time , Backlund pinned Inoki but had the result thrown out by WWF president Hisashi Shinma due to outside interference . After the match , Inoki refused to accept the WWF title back and Backlund appeared in the United States days later as the WWF Champion , with no official announcement of the title change ever being acknowledged by the WWF . It is also claimed by some sources that because Backlund ’ s WWF Title was held up after a match against Greg Valentine on October 19 , 1981 when a dazed referee " accidentally " gave the title belt to Valentine ( storyline ) that it constituted an “ interruption ” of Backlund ’ s title reign . Arguments against this constituting a break in the lineage is supported by the fact that Backlund was billed as the WWF Champion in other cities in the days following the " controversy " . In the early part of the 1980s where no federation had national television deals , it was not an uncommon practice to “ hold up ” the title in one area to build interest in a rematch that the champion would win while ignoring this fact in other parts of the territory . On November 23 , Backlund pinned Valentine for the " Vacant in New York only " WWF title . End of an era . After having been popular with the fans from early on , by the final months of his title reign , many fans had grown weary of " Howdy Doody " , as the Grand Wizard had dubbed Backlund ; this was illustrated by the fact that he was picked as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter ' s " Most Overrated Wrestler " in 1983 . Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its sister magazines also reduced the WWF Title from World Title status to a regional title . This was due to Backlund ' s not putting the title on the line against baby face wrestlers such as Tony Atlas and Tito Santana . He was further criticized for wrestling Sika Samoan in Texas as opposed to one of the better wrestlers in the host territiory such as Kerry Von Erich . Additionally , Vincent K . McMahon , who had taken over his father ' s wrestling promotion , wanted to put the title on the more charismatic and muscular Hulk Hogan . The younger McMahon approached Backlund and said that Hogan was the man that would take the WWF to the next level . McMahon initially wanted Backlund to turn heel and lose to Hogan outright , but when Backlund refused , they consequently needed a transitional champion to serve between Backlund and Hogan . On December 26 , 1983 , Backlund , recently " injured " in a TV angle where The Iron Sheik assaulted Backlund with his Persian Clubs , lost the title to the Sheik when Backlund ' s manager Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel while Backlund was locked in the Camel Clutch . Backlund was not defeated via pinfall or submission , as Skaaland ' s actions caused the title change . Because Backlund was declared " injured " , he was denied an automatic rematch with the Iron Sheik , and instead Hulk Hogan was given a match , and became the new Champion . Backlund continued to work for the WWF for a while after the title change but never saw a shot at the title he held for so many years . On August 4 , 1984 , Backlund defeated Salvatore Bellomo in his last WWF match for 8 years . After the WWF and semi - retirement ( 1984 - 1992 ) . After leaving the WWF Backlund had a run in the short - lived Pro Wrestling USA , which was a joint promotion between the NWA and the American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) to combat the national expansion of the WWF . In Pro Wrestling USA , Backlund unsuccessfully challenged AWA Champion Rick Martel but soon dropped off the pro wrestling scene . Backlund was believed to have permanently retired from wrestling but made a surprise return in 1991 where he began to work for Herb Abrams ' short - lived UWF . He made an appearance at " Beach Brawl " , the promotion ’ s only pay - per - view event , where he defeated Ivan Koloff . Backlund would also appear for Newborn UWF and UWF International in Japan , engaging in a memorable series of matches with Nobuhiko Takada . Return to the WWF ( 1992 – 1997 ) . In 1992 , Backlund returned to the WWF , which was very different from what he had left nearly a decade earlier . In his absence , the company had expanded to become an international wrestling promotion mainly because of the colorful wrestlers of the " Rock ' n ' Wrestling Connection " era that Hulk Hogan ushered in 8 years prior . Backlund , whose persona remained the same as it was in his heyday , seemed to be out of step with the evolution of the WWF . Many fans did not even remember him , as he had left just prior to Vince McMahon ' s national expansion . His initial period in the WWF was largely uneventful with Backlund working mid - card matches ; however , it was highlighted by his performance at the 1993 Royal Rumble , in which he lasted sixty - one minutes and ten seconds , a record that would not be broken until 2004 ( by Chris Benoit ) . Backlund ' s first appearance at a WrestleMania event , at WrestleMania IX , consisted of a quick match , which he lost to Razor Ramon . On the July 28 , 1994 edition of " Superstars " , Backlund took part in what was billed as an " old generation vs . new generation " match with Bret Hart , with Hart ' s WWF Championship on the line . Over a number of weeks , viewers were treated to vignettes of Backlund working out and training for his match with Hart . Hart won the match , after Backlund misconceived his own victory and helped Bret to his feet , but soon afterwards a new storyline developed in which Backlund " snapped " after Hart repeatedly tried to console a dejected Backlund with a handshake . He slapped Hart in the face and placed him in the crossface chickenwing submission hold , screaming hysterically . When he finally released the hold , Backlund stared at his hands in shock . Soon afterwards Backlund would start to suddenly snap during a match , go into a blind rage , and would viciously attack his opponent with a crossface chickenwing . Afterward , Backlund would seemingly snap out of his trance and be horrified by what he had done . Shortly after his match with Hart , on an episode of " Monday Night Raw " , a changed Backlund explained that he should still be considered the legitimate WWF Champion , as the Iron Sheik had never pinned him , nor had he submitted to the camel clutch . Backlund continued wrestling under the new gimmick of an out of touch , yet highly dangerous , maniac out to teach the new generation a lesson . He often appeared in business suits , had a hyperactive personality , and used ( or , often , misused ) large words to sound important . He also demanded that he be addressed as Mr . Backlund . He would only sign autographs for wrestling fans if they could recite the names of all of the U . S . Presidents in chronological order . On several instances , he attacked wrestlers and other WWF employees and placed them in the crossface chickenwing . These victims included Duke " The Dumpster " Droese , " WWF Magazine " writer Lou Gianfriddo , and his former manager Arnold Skaaland , whom he blamed for costing him the WWF Title eleven years earlier . On November 23 , 1994 at the Survivor Series pay - per - view in San Antonio , Texas , Backlund faced Bret Hart in a " Throw in the Towel " submission match for the WWF Championship , with Bret ' s brother Owen Hart in Backlund ' s corner ( carrying what Backlund claimed to be the same towel Skaaland threw into the ring in 1983 ) and The British Bulldog in Hart ' s . The object of the match was to place your opponent in a submission hold and make his cornerman throw in the towel . Late in the match the Bulldog ran after Owen , who had interfered behind the referee ' s back to break a submission , but missed and hit the ringside stairs head first . While Bret got up to argue with his brother , Backlund took advantage and locked the crossface chickenwing on the defending champion . Hart was locked in the hold for an unheard of eight - and - a - half minutes , but refused to give up . With Bulldog incapacitated and Owen pretending to be shocked at what was going on , he decided to go over to his parents Stu and Helen , who were seated at ringside . Owen , who was faking his concern , pleaded with his parents to throw the towel in to save Bret and handed the towel to his mother . After several minutes , which involved Stu Hart ripping the towel from his wife ' s hands , Helen Hart threw in the towel , giving the match and the championship to Backlund . The match is also notable due to its 35 - minute length and display of outstanding mat wrestling from both men . Backlund ' s second reign as WWF Champion was short - lived , however , as he lost the title on November 26 to Diesel at a house show in Madison Square Garden , home of many of Backlund ' s victories in the 1970s and 1980s . This match stands as the quickest World Title match as the towering Diesel simply kicked Backlund in the stomach and hit him with a Jackknife Powerbomb , pinning him a mere eight seconds after the bell rang . For weeks afterwards , fans jeered Backlund with chants of " Eight seconds ! Eight seconds ! " In a 2005 interview for the " Pro Wrestling Torch " , Nash fondly remembered how Backlund sold his Jackknife Powerbomb by crawling up the aisleway back to the dressing room area of the Garden . Nash said , " He couldn ' t have put me over any stronger . " This match , in addition to being the quickest WWF Championship match ever , was also the last time that the WWF Championship changed hands at a non - televised event . After the title loss Backlund started to work less and less , never again reaching main event status . His final noteworthy WWF match was an " I Quit " match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania XI on April 2 , 1995 . He lost , though many viewers have noted that Backlund never actually said , " I quit . " He screamed unintelligibly into the microphone , which special guest referee Roddy Piper seemed to interpret as " I quit . " Following WrestleMania , the WWF ran an angle where Backlund declared his candidacy for President of the United States . Several vignettes were shown on television with Backlund preaching socially conservative values , including one depicting him campaigning at a beach . However , this angle was dropped without fanfare , possibly due to lack of fan interest and because the U . S . presidential election would not be held for another year and a half . For a brief time in 1996 and 1997 , Backlund joined forces with his old nemesis the Iron Sheik to manage The Sultan in the WWF . Return to the WWF ( 2000 ) . He later returned to wrestling in the 2000 Royal Rumble . After that , he briefly became manager for the then - Intercontinental and European Champion Kurt Angle . During his run , he taught his crossface chickenwing submission hold to Angle , but later on , Angle fired Backlund and gave Backlund a crossface chickenwing after discovering that Backlund booked Angle in a two - fall Triple Threat match with Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho , with both of his titles on the line , at WrestleMania 2000 . Possibly inspired by his fake presidential candidacy in 1995 , Backlund also unsuccessfully ran for a Connecticut seat in Congress as a Republican in 2000 . He went on to operate a bail bond company in Connecticut . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and feud with The Motor City Machine Guns ( 2007 ) . After many references to Backlund by Kevin Nash , Backlund officially debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in January 2007 , at the Final Resolution pay - per - view , judging the finals of the Paparazzi Championship Series ( PCS ) between Alex Shelley and Austin Starr . Given the tie breaking vote , Backlund launched a long explanation before declaring his decision a draw , and the match was restarted by PCS director Kevin Nash . After the match was won by Shelley , Starr pie faced Backlund due to the former ' s belief that Backlund cost him the fight , to which Backlund responded by putting Starr in the cross face chicken wing . It was reported on TNA Wrestling ' s home page that Backlund would begin to make regular appearances on " TNA Impact ! " During his appearances on " Impact ! " , he was seen as crazy and weird by announcers Don West and Mike Tenay , in reference to his Mr . Backlund gimmick from his second WWF tenure . Backlund made his in ring return at Slammiversary and defeated Alex Shelley . He would go on to lose to the team of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin ( managed by Nash ) with his partner Jerry Lynn at Victory Road . When TNA redesigned their website , Backlund ' s profile was removed , signaling the end of his run with the company . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2007 , 2012 ) . On the 15th Anniversary of " Raw " on December 10 , 2007 , Backlund participated in the 15th Anniversary battle royal that involved 15 wrestlers from " Raw " ' s 15 - year history . Backlund was quickly eliminated from the match by Skinner . On the July 9 , 2012 episode of " Raw , " Backlund attacked Heath Slater after Heath ' s match with Sin Cara as part of a weekly series of legend appearances . He later appeared at Raw 1000 with all the other legends who faced Slater over the weeks , helping chase Slater back into the ring when he tried to run away from Lita and the APA . He was announced as an inductee into the WWE Hall Of Fame on January 21 , 2013 . Acting career . Backlund was also a guest on MTV ' s " Singled Out " , where he acted in sketches with host Jenny McCarthy and Chris Hardwick . The work caught the eye of director Keven Undergaro and producer Maria Menounos . He was subsequently cast to play the role of " Friar Chuck " , alongside Menounos and John Waters , in the comedy feature film " In the Land of Merry Misfits " . The quirky , offbeat film has been compared by critics to the works of L . Frank Baum , John Waters , and Kevin Smith . The film played at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival , where Bob Backlund appeared and signed autographs . The film , and the film ' s actors , are now touring festivals worldwide . Personal life . Backlund and his wife , Corki ( a high school physical education teacher ) have a daughter named Carrie . They live in Glastonbury , Connecticut .