BOB BACKLUND DISCUSSES HIS NEW BOOK, THOUGHTS ON PIPER, MORE
- 09/22/2015 (1:07:32 am)
- Bob Mulrenin
…
Show: Interactive Wrestling
Radio courtesy of www.WrestlingEpicenter.com
Guest: Mr. Bob Backlund
Date: 09/18/15
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & James Walsh
Bob Backlund has run the gambit in pro wrestling from being the ultimate "All American Boy" to being amongst the most hated bad guys for a time. This long-time WWWF Champion has a fantastic new book out which you can pick up at http://www.BacklundEnergy.com as well as book stores everywhere. We suggest the forward on that because the BacklundEnergy.com site offers you an autographed copy from Mr. Backlund himself!
An emotional and inspirational book of overcoming the odds with a strict moral code, Backlund: From All American Boy to Wrestling's World Champion is among the best wrestling related books out there. With a unique perspective from a gentleman who hasn't had the opportunity to truly express himself before, this book is a must for all fans of Bob Backlund and professional wrestling alike.
Join us as Mr. Backlund honors us plebeians with his presence for a fantastic interview we are very proud of!
You can download the MP3 or view the YouTube video of the interview right now at http://www.WrestlingEpicenter.com
On writing his book:
"Nobody knows this but I wanted to write a book in 1985," says Mr Backlund. "I think it would been the first wrestling book. I couldn't find a publisher. I wanted to tell my story in my own words. There was no avenue. As I got older, I got to be around 60 and I started thinking I wouldn't get the chance to tell my story," says Mr. Backlund. He continues by saying he got contacted by a man from Manchester, New Hampshire who had written two books previously and also had a degree from Yale and a law degree from Pennsylvania. He wanted to write a book about Mr. Backlund. They arranged a meeting. "I was worried about the meeting because I wasn't a character. He wanted to find out of I was a character or if I was "The All American Boy" he idolized when he was growing up. He realized I was that person. So, I told him my life story and he put it on paper." Mr. Backlund ends the answer with, "I thought I was going to die without ever telling my story."
On his brush with disaster in Junior High School:
"Mr. Walsh, we wanted to tell a story about my life so that people understand why I made the decisions I made. There probably isn't too many people in the world who would have made the decisions I've made and why i've made them." He adds, "When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I was on the fence. I was very close to landing on the ground and falling on my face because of all the bad decisions I was making. I messed up bad. I fell into a crowd that wanted you to sneak around and do what they were doing and didn't really care about you... I guess go down to their level. I learned something from that - To never go down to anybody's level. Make them come up to yours!"
On his relationship with the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and how Piper was chosen to write the forward:
"I had a match with him in California at the Olympic Theater. They wanted me to wrestle him and us to go 59:30 seconds. I wrestled in Madison Square Garden, went over to Japan and wrestled Antonio Inoki for an hour. I was coming back from Japan and stopped over in California and wrestled Roddy Piper for 59 minutes. They almost didn't want to ask me. They knew I was in a grind in a plane steadily for a lot of hours, having matches all over the country. But, I said no, no. We're going to go the time and we'll work as hard as we can. He really appreciated it. I spoke to him about a year and a half before the book came out and asked him to do the forward. I cried 3 times when I read what he said about me in the forward." He goes on to say that they decided to put Roddy's name on the cover as having writen the forward and asked his permission to do so. Roddy called back and left a voice mail saying he'd be honored to be on the cover of Mr. Backlund's book. "I listened to it, the next day I listened to it again and then I deleted it. Within 2 days, he died. I'm mad at myself for erasing the message."
Does amateur wrestling help make good pro wrestlers:
"When they were considering you to be a champion, you're going to have to know how to protect yourself. They're not going to consider you if you couldn't do that," said Mr. Backlund. He adds, "Maybe not so much today, but back then.". He also says that amateur wrestling absolutely helps pro wrestlers with body control as well. So, it is an absolute help.
On how he ended up getting ahead so quickly in the WWWF:
"Timing is everything in life. When I left home in Princeton, MN in 1973. Everybody said don't do it... You're not the Butcher, you're not Mad Dog. You're not Hacksaw Jim Duggan. You're just Bob Backlund. You're like a kid! You're an "All American Boy". The surprising thing is, after just a few years, Vince McMahon Sr. was out there looking for an "All American Boy". Guess who every promoter told him to call? The timing was right for me."
On his positive attitude which is talked about in the book:
"If you can't be positive, you may as well stay in bed. I have a rule that when I get out a bed, I make sure I'm going to have a positive mindset. When you're positive, you go uphill. WHen you're negative, you'll only go down." He adds that everybody makes mistakes, but if you make one, you shouldn't get mad at it but instead learn from it and be happy because you learned something. "That is one of the 1 Principles of Success, it is #13. Learn from adversities and defeat". The Principles of Success are a part of the third portion of Mr. Backlund's book.
On the book title changing from "All American Boy" to "Backlund: All American Boy to Wrestling's World Champion".
Mr. Backlund says that the picture that was going to be used was him in an American Flag jacket but it wasn't clear enough. So, they found a picture they all liked of him holding up the belt. So, with the new picture, they decided to change the title and include Wrestling's World Champions because it will show up more in searches on the Internet. "The one on the back is more me than the front one is... Just a kid, looking down."
On Vince McMahon Sr. and becoming WWWF Champion:
"When I left Princeton, MN, I knew I could do it. I didn't think about losing. My mind was on winning and working hard. When I met Vince McMahon Sr. and I found out what he was really like, he was the most honest man. He became like a dad to me. Everything he ever told me came true... Even if he said it a year ahead of time." Mr. backlund goes on to say that he thought, "If Vince McMahon is putting me in this position and he thinks I can do it, I'm going to do it!"
On Bruno Sammartino who he kind of took over the reigns from as top star:
"We're best of friends now because we're the same people," says Mr. backlund. He says that he didn't know him well at the time but as time went on, they started to realize they have more in common than either probably thought when they first met and continue to be best of friends to this day. "He has the same standards in family, working hard, family, and no drugs... It took us a while to realize that we're on the same page. He's the greatest champion ever. He laid the ground work for us. I get a little teary-eyed talking about him."
On a promo he cut in Pro Wrestling USA where he insisted he'd be WWF Champion again:
"When I say something, I do it. I don't tell the kids not to do drugs and then go home and do them myself. I walk the walk. If I say something, I mean it." He adds, "Saying no to peer pressure is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes it might seem easier to give in to peer pressure because you think you have to have friends. But, they're not really friends. I accept the responsibility that is out there to be a good role model."
On his Mr. Backlund "crazy" character:
Mr. Backlund says he wanted to become a bad guy in the 90's which is different from when he was asked to back in '83 and wouldn't. "What I said is I want to be bad by being good. If you look at my interviews, you'd probably agree with every single one of them. My daughter wasn't 6 years old at that time. The young people I promised I wouldn't do certain things were old enough to understand business. When my daughter was 6 years old in '83, I wouldn't do that to her because she'd get bothered in school. I wouldn't take that chance and hurt my daughter's life." Backlund also jests that the crazy character did, however, silence those who said he was unable to cut a promo.
On winning the title from Bret Hart at Survivor Series '94 by having the towel thrown on in:
"It was a mirror," jokes Mr. Backlund comparing it to when he lost the belt to the Iron Sheik. He once agains tates he told everyone he would win it again and did.
On losing the belt to Kevin Nash:
Mr. Backlund states he wasn't in favor of doing it at the time but made sure to put over the finish and crawled out of the ring to do so.
On if he feels the public thinks the crazy character he played for so long in the WWE and TNA is really him:
"Rob Miller wouldn't have written the book if I was on the verge of that other person," says Mr. Backlund. "When he met with me at the library, that's what he was looking for."
On his time in TNA and what he thinks of that company:
"As far as my career, I could have just stayed home," said Mr. Backlund. He goes on to say, Vince McMahon Sr. was the one behind the "All American Boy" and I should have just stopped when he passed away. I probably would have been better off. "The All American Boy" walked the walk and didn't play the game. If you don't play the game, you don't fit in. I had the man behind me. The people that were controlling TNA.they weren't TNA people. They were people in the wrestling business. Those people respected me but a lot of them didn't like me. I wouldn't bend. I wouldn't change my rules." James asks what they wanted him to bend on, Mr. Backlund quickly responds with, "Cocaine.. Marajuana... Would you bend? I'd be dead now. If I didn't have that happen to me in 8th grade, I have the mind set, you've got to do the most. I have to do the most push ups, I got to the wheel the most... When you're an athlete, you want to do the most. I know that would have happened if I didn't have my rules."
On being put in the WWE Hall of Fame:
"I was pretty excited! I've had people ask me, "What were you on that night". (Laughs) "I don't need to be on anything. I was high on life! They wanted to write my speech. I said if they write my speech, it would be a laughing matter. Sir, I speak from the heart."
On what actually happened at Verne Gagne's funeral:
Mr. Backlund says, "If Verne Gagne were alive, he would have loved it!" He explains the situation, "The Pastors were done with the funeral They left. They didn't know who was going to talk. I was sent there by the WWE... I was going to go anyway. But, WWE wanted me to go. I didn't get to see Greg before the thing. I didn't get to tell him I was representing the WWE. I told him in a loud way I was there representing the WWE. I was just trying to get a message to him. I didn't interupt Pastors while they were praying or anything like that."
On the importance of the book:
"I want this book to be my life," says Mr. Backlund. He says he put a great deal into it and really believes in it and hopes that parents that read it share it with their children who might be able to learn from the lessons he learned in Junior High School.
Guest: Mr. Bob Backlund
Date: 09/18/15
Your Hosts: Patrick Kelley & James Walsh
Bob Backlund has run the gambit in pro wrestling from being the ultimate "All American Boy" to being amongst the most hated bad guys for a time. This long-time WWWF Champion has a fantastic new book out which you can pick up at http://www.BacklundEnergy.com as well as book stores everywhere. We suggest the forward on that because the BacklundEnergy.com site offers you an autographed copy from Mr. Backlund himself!
An emotional and inspirational book of overcoming the odds with a strict moral code, Backlund: From All American Boy to Wrestling's World Champion is among the best wrestling related books out there. With a unique perspective from a gentleman who hasn't had the opportunity to truly express himself before, this book is a must for all fans of Bob Backlund and professional wrestling alike.
Join us as Mr. Backlund honors us plebeians with his presence for a fantastic interview we are very proud of!
You can download the MP3 or view the YouTube video of the interview right now at http://www.WrestlingEpicenter.com
On writing his book:
"Nobody knows this but I wanted to write a book in 1985," says Mr Backlund. "I think it would been the first wrestling book. I couldn't find a publisher. I wanted to tell my story in my own words. There was no avenue. As I got older, I got to be around 60 and I started thinking I wouldn't get the chance to tell my story," says Mr. Backlund. He continues by saying he got contacted by a man from Manchester, New Hampshire who had written two books previously and also had a degree from Yale and a law degree from Pennsylvania. He wanted to write a book about Mr. Backlund. They arranged a meeting. "I was worried about the meeting because I wasn't a character. He wanted to find out of I was a character or if I was "The All American Boy" he idolized when he was growing up. He realized I was that person. So, I told him my life story and he put it on paper." Mr. Backlund ends the answer with, "I thought I was going to die without ever telling my story."
On his brush with disaster in Junior High School:
"Mr. Walsh, we wanted to tell a story about my life so that people understand why I made the decisions I made. There probably isn't too many people in the world who would have made the decisions I've made and why i've made them." He adds, "When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I was on the fence. I was very close to landing on the ground and falling on my face because of all the bad decisions I was making. I messed up bad. I fell into a crowd that wanted you to sneak around and do what they were doing and didn't really care about you... I guess go down to their level. I learned something from that - To never go down to anybody's level. Make them come up to yours!"
On his relationship with the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and how Piper was chosen to write the forward:
"I had a match with him in California at the Olympic Theater. They wanted me to wrestle him and us to go 59:30 seconds. I wrestled in Madison Square Garden, went over to Japan and wrestled Antonio Inoki for an hour. I was coming back from Japan and stopped over in California and wrestled Roddy Piper for 59 minutes. They almost didn't want to ask me. They knew I was in a grind in a plane steadily for a lot of hours, having matches all over the country. But, I said no, no. We're going to go the time and we'll work as hard as we can. He really appreciated it. I spoke to him about a year and a half before the book came out and asked him to do the forward. I cried 3 times when I read what he said about me in the forward." He goes on to say that they decided to put Roddy's name on the cover as having writen the forward and asked his permission to do so. Roddy called back and left a voice mail saying he'd be honored to be on the cover of Mr. Backlund's book. "I listened to it, the next day I listened to it again and then I deleted it. Within 2 days, he died. I'm mad at myself for erasing the message."
Does amateur wrestling help make good pro wrestlers:
"When they were considering you to be a champion, you're going to have to know how to protect yourself. They're not going to consider you if you couldn't do that," said Mr. Backlund. He adds, "Maybe not so much today, but back then.". He also says that amateur wrestling absolutely helps pro wrestlers with body control as well. So, it is an absolute help.
On how he ended up getting ahead so quickly in the WWWF:
"Timing is everything in life. When I left home in Princeton, MN in 1973. Everybody said don't do it... You're not the Butcher, you're not Mad Dog. You're not Hacksaw Jim Duggan. You're just Bob Backlund. You're like a kid! You're an "All American Boy". The surprising thing is, after just a few years, Vince McMahon Sr. was out there looking for an "All American Boy". Guess who every promoter told him to call? The timing was right for me."
On his positive attitude which is talked about in the book:
"If you can't be positive, you may as well stay in bed. I have a rule that when I get out a bed, I make sure I'm going to have a positive mindset. When you're positive, you go uphill. WHen you're negative, you'll only go down." He adds that everybody makes mistakes, but if you make one, you shouldn't get mad at it but instead learn from it and be happy because you learned something. "That is one of the 1 Principles of Success, it is #13. Learn from adversities and defeat". The Principles of Success are a part of the third portion of Mr. Backlund's book.
On the book title changing from "All American Boy" to "Backlund: All American Boy to Wrestling's World Champion".
Mr. Backlund says that the picture that was going to be used was him in an American Flag jacket but it wasn't clear enough. So, they found a picture they all liked of him holding up the belt. So, with the new picture, they decided to change the title and include Wrestling's World Champions because it will show up more in searches on the Internet. "The one on the back is more me than the front one is... Just a kid, looking down."
On Vince McMahon Sr. and becoming WWWF Champion:
"When I left Princeton, MN, I knew I could do it. I didn't think about losing. My mind was on winning and working hard. When I met Vince McMahon Sr. and I found out what he was really like, he was the most honest man. He became like a dad to me. Everything he ever told me came true... Even if he said it a year ahead of time." Mr. backlund goes on to say that he thought, "If Vince McMahon is putting me in this position and he thinks I can do it, I'm going to do it!"
On Bruno Sammartino who he kind of took over the reigns from as top star:
"We're best of friends now because we're the same people," says Mr. backlund. He says that he didn't know him well at the time but as time went on, they started to realize they have more in common than either probably thought when they first met and continue to be best of friends to this day. "He has the same standards in family, working hard, family, and no drugs... It took us a while to realize that we're on the same page. He's the greatest champion ever. He laid the ground work for us. I get a little teary-eyed talking about him."
On a promo he cut in Pro Wrestling USA where he insisted he'd be WWF Champion again:
"When I say something, I do it. I don't tell the kids not to do drugs and then go home and do them myself. I walk the walk. If I say something, I mean it." He adds, "Saying no to peer pressure is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes it might seem easier to give in to peer pressure because you think you have to have friends. But, they're not really friends. I accept the responsibility that is out there to be a good role model."
On his Mr. Backlund "crazy" character:
Mr. Backlund says he wanted to become a bad guy in the 90's which is different from when he was asked to back in '83 and wouldn't. "What I said is I want to be bad by being good. If you look at my interviews, you'd probably agree with every single one of them. My daughter wasn't 6 years old at that time. The young people I promised I wouldn't do certain things were old enough to understand business. When my daughter was 6 years old in '83, I wouldn't do that to her because she'd get bothered in school. I wouldn't take that chance and hurt my daughter's life." Backlund also jests that the crazy character did, however, silence those who said he was unable to cut a promo.
On winning the title from Bret Hart at Survivor Series '94 by having the towel thrown on in:
"It was a mirror," jokes Mr. Backlund comparing it to when he lost the belt to the Iron Sheik. He once agains tates he told everyone he would win it again and did.
On losing the belt to Kevin Nash:
Mr. Backlund states he wasn't in favor of doing it at the time but made sure to put over the finish and crawled out of the ring to do so.
On if he feels the public thinks the crazy character he played for so long in the WWE and TNA is really him:
"Rob Miller wouldn't have written the book if I was on the verge of that other person," says Mr. Backlund. "When he met with me at the library, that's what he was looking for."
On his time in TNA and what he thinks of that company:
"As far as my career, I could have just stayed home," said Mr. Backlund. He goes on to say, Vince McMahon Sr. was the one behind the "All American Boy" and I should have just stopped when he passed away. I probably would have been better off. "The All American Boy" walked the walk and didn't play the game. If you don't play the game, you don't fit in. I had the man behind me. The people that were controlling TNA.they weren't TNA people. They were people in the wrestling business. Those people respected me but a lot of them didn't like me. I wouldn't bend. I wouldn't change my rules." James asks what they wanted him to bend on, Mr. Backlund quickly responds with, "Cocaine.. Marajuana... Would you bend? I'd be dead now. If I didn't have that happen to me in 8th grade, I have the mind set, you've got to do the most. I have to do the most push ups, I got to the wheel the most... When you're an athlete, you want to do the most. I know that would have happened if I didn't have my rules."
On being put in the WWE Hall of Fame:
"I was pretty excited! I've had people ask me, "What were you on that night". (Laughs) "I don't need to be on anything. I was high on life! They wanted to write my speech. I said if they write my speech, it would be a laughing matter. Sir, I speak from the heart."
On what actually happened at Verne Gagne's funeral:
Mr. Backlund says, "If Verne Gagne were alive, he would have loved it!" He explains the situation, "The Pastors were done with the funeral They left. They didn't know who was going to talk. I was sent there by the WWE... I was going to go anyway. But, WWE wanted me to go. I didn't get to see Greg before the thing. I didn't get to tell him I was representing the WWE. I told him in a loud way I was there representing the WWE. I was just trying to get a message to him. I didn't interupt Pastors while they were praying or anything like that."
On the importance of the book:
"I want this book to be my life," says Mr. Backlund. He says he put a great deal into it and really believes in it and hopes that parents that read it share it with their children who might be able to learn from the lessons he learned in Junior High School.
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