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Bob Backlund began life as a poor farm boy in the little village of Princeton, Minnesota, with a population of just over 2,000 people. He was a below-average student with a lackluster work ethic and a bad attitude, who hung with the wrong crowd and made a lot of bad choices. He was a kid whose life was headed for disaster—until a local coach took interest in him, suggested that he take up amateur wrestling, and offered to work with him if he promised to stay out of trouble.
It was in North Dakota that Bob Backlund had the first of several chance encounters that would shape his destiny. While working out at the YMCA gymnasium in Fargo, North Dakota, where he wrestled for North Dakota State, Backlund met a well-known professional wrestler, “Superstar” Billy Graham. The men talked, and at Graham’s suggestion, Backlund was inspired to pursue a career in professional wrestling.
Less than five years from that day, on February 20, 1978, Backlund would find himself halfway across the country, standing in the middle of the ring at Madison Square Garden with his hand raised in victory as the newly crowned World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. The man Backlund pinned for the championship that night was none other than Superstar Billy Graham.
Featuring contributions from Bruno Sammartino, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Pat Patterson, Ken Patera, Sergeant Slaughter, The Magnificent Muraco, George “The Animal” Steele, “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas, The Iron Sheik, and many others, this book tells the incredible story of the life and nearly forty-year career of one of the most famous men to ever grace the squared circle.
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- Sales Rank: #140281 in Books
- Published on: 2015-09-15
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.10" h x 1.60" w x 6.10" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 536 pages
About the Author
Robert Lee Bob Backlund is the former two-time World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion, with an in-ring career that has spanned nearly 40 years. He has wrestled nearly every big name in the sport, including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Andre the Giant. Backlund continues to make occasional appearances for the WWE, teaching amateur wrestling to children and traveling the country as a much-loved motivational speaker. He will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6, 2013.
Robert H. Rob Miller is a trial lawyer, equity partner, and member of the Management Committee at the New Englandbased law firm of Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green. He is also the critically acclaimed author of titles including "Law School Confidential." A fan of wrestling since childhood, Miller has always considered Bob Backlund his hero. Miller lives in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, with his wife, Carolyn, and their two sons."
Most helpful customer reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
One of the Most Inspirational Books I Have Read in a Long Time
By George A. Hero
George A. Hero, Founder and Head Coach of Midwood HS Wrestling (Brooklyn, NY)
The newly published autobiography of pro wrestling great Bob Backlund is one of the most inspirational books I have read in a long time. Unlike many autobiographies written by current and former professional athletes, Backlund: From All American Boy to Professional Wrestling's Champion is neither pretentious or boring. The voice of the subject comes through on every page thanks to the careful ghost writing of Rob Miller. The positive nature of the work reflects Mr. Backlund's personal philosophy which is uplifting and inspiring. It certainly explains why his reign as WWF's Heavyweight Champion (1978- 1983) made professional wrestling a bit more respectable.
The book is divided into three parts. The first traces Backlund's early life from his childhood on a small farm in Minnesota through his high school and college days in which he distinguished himself as a wrestler and a football player. Living in difficult economic circumstances and suffering under an alcoholic (and sometimes violent) father, sports gave him an outlet and the motivation to both stay in school and leave the limited life he would have faced in the small town he lived in. These early chapters are very effective in their depiction of the formation of the strong values and ethical code that would become Backlund's trademark the rest of his life. There is an honesty in the narration that carries over throughout the book which is refreshing. The parts dealing with amateur wrestling are very effective, in particular his dramatic victory in the NCAA Division II Championship at 190 lbs. in 1971. Anyone who has competed in scholastic or collegiate wrestling will find the account of his experiences compelling.
The second part, which takes up most of the book, examines his career as a professional wrestler. While the author explains how professional wrestling works, what makes his account fascinating is the analysis of the psychology behind it. According to Mr. Backlund, the athletes in the ring are supposed to be telling a story and getting the audience to invest emotionally into it. He explains that pro wrestling is a physical drama employing moves that are exciting and impressive, but also demanding and often dangerous. His dedication throughout his career to making each match as outstanding as possible, regardless of whether it was a large venue (such as Madison Square Garden) or a small local gymnasium, is evidence of his professionalism. Backlund's amateur background and exceptional physical prowess made him extremely effective in the ring, earning the respect of both the fans and his fellow wrestlers alike. Determined to be a positive role model during his years as WWF champion and after, he was temporarily forced out of the business in 1984 when he refused to become a villain. Even his later stint when he returned to the WWF in the 1990's as the "heel" (bad guy) "Mr. Backlund" was satirical and intended to criticize the shrinking morals of Generation X. The book's accounts of the politics and challenges of life as a pro wrestler are well developed and will be of great interest to fans and lay people alike.
The final chapter of the book discusses Backlund's personal ideas and values. Called the "Eighteen Principles of Healthy Living", it is a summary of the author's personal philosophy. Backlund stresses the need to maintain both physical discipline (healthy diet, regular exercise, proper sleep) and traditional values (respect for others, positive mental attitude, health self-esteem, reliability, honesty, self-reliance, hard work, fiscal responsibility, devotion to all pursuits). These beliefs are repeated throughout the book and are the values Backlund has always been known for.
As a former collegiate wrestler and high school wrestling coach for over 35 years, I greatly enjoyed reading it. The meticulous detail of Backlund's narrative gives his account real credibility. At no point in the book did the narrative become tiresome. I found his analysis of the professional wrestling business fascinating. Backlund's personal example and commitment to his craft is inspiring. My only criticism was the use of testimony from wrestlers, managers, and promoters about Backlund placed throughout the book. As it is not a biography, these excerpts do not belong there. They just interrupt the narrative flow, usually confirming what the author just stated. That being said, I would strongly recommend the book, especially to current or former wrestlers. It would also be of value to teens both for its positive message and as a realistic account of professional wrestling (I will be recommending it the members of my team). It is an unusual autobiography by an exceptional athlete whose dedication to traditional values and positive attitude are much needed in our highly cynical society.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
One of the best Pro Wrestling biographies I've ever read
By C. W. Dingboom
Even as a diehard pro-wrestling fan, I can honestly say that I just never was that exposed to Bob Backlund and his legacy in the wrestling world. It's likely a consequence of my age and just being too young to have grown up with his matches and his legacy to be a large part of my world. Even for his second run in the 90's, it was a little too before my time.
Reading this book, I've realized I've missed out on something special.
For much of Backlund's career, he wrestled in a pre-National-television era, where everything was about working a corner of the country and keeping that pocket of fans entertained. But even in that pre-national era, Backlund brought to the ring something that resonated with everyone in those arenas. No matter where he traveled to, even to Japan, the people wanted to see Bob Backlund and cheer him on to victory. Going back and watching some old clips on YouTube, I can see the spark he brought to the arena.
I've read a number of other wrestler's biographies and I honestly have to say that this reads as one of the most honest of them all. Many wrestler's bios are either wholly or partially ghostwritten and although Backlund had a writer assist him, the result reads as a pure and honest story told by Backlund. (Part of this feeling comes from the repetition of some stories, almost verbatim, in different parts of the book.) Aside from Mick Foley's memoirs, which he wrote on his own, this is the one wrestler's bio that I believe is 100% their story.
Additionally, the book is especially poignant considering the foreword was written by Rowdy Roddy Piper. Piper and Backlund faced each other in a historically inconsequential match early in Piper's career, but it's clear from Piper's story that Backlund went out of his way to help a young up-and-coming wrestler build their career. With Piper's recent passing and his legacy firmly entrenched in wrestling history, his voice jumps off the page to praise Backlund and his work ethic.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Backlund book a must-read
By Jeff Bukantz
Backlund is, far and away, one of the best wrestling books yet.
As someone who lived through the eras of Bruno and Pedro, I was as skeptical as everyone else that the All-American Boy experiment would fail miserably.
Having seen Backlund's entire career in the WWF, from the year-long television build-up to every main event at MSG, I can say that Bob proved all the naysayers wrong.
While learning about Bob's early life issues, and enjoying reliving the exact history of his 6 year WWF reign, it was really interesting to see how Bob was respected throughout the wrestling world, and why.
Unlike some other books, where the wrestlers sugar-coated their criticism of others, Bob was extremely candid. That was refreshing. While Bob went out of his to be fair when critiquing other wrestlers' shortcomings in the ring, such as Ox Baker or Jesse Ventura, he pulled no punches in calling out those who had character deficiencies, such as Stan Hansen, King Kong Mosca, and even Mil Mascaras.
The back-room politics were brought to light, and how Bob rose above the fray in that area.
For those who lived through the Backlund years, this is a must-read. For those who didn't but love pro wrestling, it is also a must-read.
Congrats to Mr. Backlund and co-author Rob Miller!
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