I'm surprised after reading the comments just how many people don't understand how wrestling worked in the territory days. The WWF title was a regional title whereas the NWA title actually was defended all over except in the locations that Vince Sr. had control over. The NWA champ's job was to make whoever he faced look good enough to beat him so that people would continue to buy tickets after he left the area. If the NWA champ ever dominated a regional champ he would kill the buzz created from his appearance. The WWF champ would not want to do all the traveling that the NWA champ was required to do so there is no way the match would ever be fixed for the NWA champ to lose any title unification bout by pinfall or submission. Bruno and Harley were legit tough guys that their promoters trusted to hold on to the belt in case their opponents decided not to cooperate. Vince Sr. understood the need for the territories and wanted Backlund for his image and ability in the ring. Flair was good for the NWA because he could flip between being a hero or a villain even in a single interview. Vince Sr. gave in to Vince Jr. who used their resources (Andre, the larger arenas, and TV deals) to eliminate the competition and now the product sucks. TNA would be wiser to bring back the old school matches and lots of blood instead of trying to push a cheap imitation of the WWE. Vince Jr. can just sit back and cherry pick their roster the way they operate now. I don't think wrestling as most of us enjoyed it will ever make a comeback. For me, it died when Crockett sold to Turner and Turner began mimicking WWE instead of continuing the formula that the NWA demographic preferred. Rant over....
I also agree 100%. Plus all the other regional wrestling leagues were once all part of the nwa, including the wwwf/wwf. The NWA world champion legitimately was the WORLD CCHAMPION so Race really was world champion and backlund a regional champion. Race could beat Backlund no prob. AWA champion Nick Bockwinel could beat Backlund no prob too.
Yep. Also, what a lot of people don't know is that the WWF at one time was part of the NWA. The split happened when there was a dispute between the promoters in the northeast (Vince Sr. and Toots Mondt) and the rest of the NWA. Interestingly, Vince Sr. rejoined the NWA and was even responsible for one of the most important decisions in the history of pro wrestling when he cast the deciding vote to put the NWA belt on Ric Flair. Interestingly, I often wonder what would have happened had Wrestlemania been a flop. Would the WWF have rejoined the NWA and what would have happened to Hogan?
Brian Washington vinnie mac put up everything he had in mania 1..if it weren't the success it was, well who knows what would have happened..the NWA was and will always will be the oldest sanctioning body in pro wrestling dating back to the very early 1900's..WWWF & AWA branched off from them, but to me, the original was always the best. they put the belt on buddy rogers and he became the first WWWF champion...and of course on may 17th.1963 everything changed and the NWA was hit big time with it's ''child'' the WWWF growing up, and with it the best WWWF champion ever, bruno sammartino...i believe it was the WWWF's way of saying that they didn't want or need anyone holding there title belt that was originally from the NWA, they created there own superstar in bruno.
Harley was rocking an epic hair helmet. Legend says that there was a beautiful garden in the barber shop where Harley got his haircuts. It came from the barber not ever sweeping Harley’s hair off the floor.
Backlund "boring"? "Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the man who holds the World Wrestling Federation championship IS the champion! Now I don't really want Harley Race's belt because I've got the best!" He may not have screamed and hollered like a maniac (yet) but he truly believed what he said and the fans loved him for it! And at this time, his words (not from a cue card or a Hollywood writer) would prove to be prophetic!
Pulsar Stargrave I agree fully with your comment! backlund didn't need to scream, yell, or holler about how good he was or what he was going to do in the ring! he let his ring actions do all the talking for him!
Different eras, different tastes. Backlund was the Daniel Bryan of the 70s, not a very charismatic guy (until he turned villain in the 90s) but one of THE best pure mat wrestlers to ever step in the ring. Larry Zbyszko liked calling wrestling "The game of human chess", Backlund was a chess-master, three moves ahead before the game even started.
As much as I enjoyed 80s and 90s WWE WCW ECW I'd give anything to have it like it was when it was territories and stuff was built for years. Shit had meaning and they understood the medium of television.
Backlund was incredibly functionally strong. The spot he used to do where his opponent had an armbar on him and Backlund would lift said opponent from the ground up onto his shoulder was simply fantastic. He did it to Hogan, Muraco and I believe Big John Studd too. That's dead weight, being lifted up in a very awkward way. Great strength feat.
brian centi harley race jas a steel plate in his left hand and some wrestlers found out how it worked. anxre the giant was afraid of two guys. 1. meng 2. harley race. thats a huge fact. harley didnt give a shit. 100mph down the road lol and tougher than hell
backlund lifted and swung the iron sheiks clubs,,,they weighed 75lbs a piece,,,,he was strong as hell and killer endurance,,,literally a wrestling machine
I was at the match with my parents.We went every month.It was kinda cool(back before Vince ignored the other orgs.).It was a 1 hour match time limit draw.But a killer match.Backlund also fought Nick Bonwinkel to the same draw.
Houston Bockwinke vs Race. Bad enough to mention two world champions let alone three. NWA GCW mentioned all three belts in 1984 after Backlund lost the WWWF/WWF title to the Iron Sheik. Rick Martel and Ric Flair were interviewed bye Gordon Sollie for a unification match Backlund told them he wants winner. Harley Race fought Superstar Billy Graham in Florida to a count out which some say is the first but the first unification was in Houston. Also when Backlund was champion at one point Sr. got back with the NWA and the title was reduced to the WWWF/WWF regoinal title and was not a worlds title.
Darrin Baker Harley Race doesn't shave. When he decides he doesn't want any facial hair, he goes to a mirror, points at said follicles, and says "Get the hell off my face." Said facial hair does whatever Harley Race says.
@@melbias5046 Vince Sr. and Eddie Graham were buddies and Eddie played a role in Backlund getting the belt. When Vince Sr. wanted to move away from the "ethnic' champions (Bruno and Pedro Morales) Graham made a couple of suggestions. The one that won out was Backlund. However, the other guy he suggested was Steve Keirn. The reason he suggested Keirn was because not only could he be perceived as the "All American Boy" but because Keirn's dad was a war hero who fought in WWII and Vietnam. To me Keirn probably would have been a great choice because not only could he wrestle, but he was a good looking dude and would have probably attracted the ladies to the matches. Also, being in New York he might have been more of a mainstream celebrity because of his looks. However, McMahon went with Backlund and the rest is history.
It wasn't Jarrett, who held the North American belt in that angle, it was Dan Severn who was NWA World champ at that point, and yes, that's the belt. TNA was also using that belt when they were using the NWA World title as their top belt. I assume the smaller NWA is still using it today. Very iconic belt.
Bob Backlund's style cutting promos and doing interviews at this time was very non gimmicky and made his character believable. Compaired to his comeback in the mid 90's as a heal when he seemed to have lost his mind both in and out of the ring.
You know what would have been awesome during one of these unification matches...whether it was Race vs. Graham, Race vs. Backlund, or Flair vs. Backlund? If there has been a three match series booked...I know it's improbable, but hear me out. First match, one of the champions wins both belts...gets to be the undisputed (granted the AWA existed, but still...) world champion. The other belt holder wins a return match and they're the undisputed champion. Then in a blowoff somewhere like Race and Graham's often forgotten main event in the 'Super Bowl' of wrestling at the Orange Bowl in 1978, one of the champions wins back THEIR belt, probably the heel with deception and both promotions have their champions. That could've made big bucks back in the day if done right.
Manu Ginobilis Bald Spot could never work because no federation wanted their product devalued when the other federation won its belt. So inconclusive draws, DQ’s or count outs were all you were going to be able to settle for while each champion held his respective strap.
harley in real life was a shoot fighter, and backlund being incredibly talented made for an incredible match..but vince saying that this was a long time in coming is a lie, superstar billy graham already fought harley while he was champion..so as always, vinnie mac wants the fan, to believe that this match was the first champion vs champion match ever.
brian centi even in those days mcmahon like to fiddle with the facts! prior to this match backlund also met awachampion nick bockwinkle in a unification bout in 79!
brian centi true, but I like this match much better. The Race vs Graham was two out of three falls with both wrestlers each winning one fall. As much as Graham and those that make a case for him like to put down Backlund for interrupting his title reign the match between he and Harley Race was lame. Never knew a match during time that was won with a bearhug 👎🏾, but I guess if you have no wrestling skill and strength is your only selling point it has to be 🙄.
I don't know what Backlund and the WWWF were thinking with this interview. You don't sell tickets to a title unification match by downplaying your opponent's title.
It's funny, I grew up in the South during the 70s and 80s. Mid Atlantic was what I grew up on. I thought it was the best promotion(Crockett) and I still do. But i started getting the Apter mags in the late 70s and early 80s. I was able to see what was going on in other territories and I wished I could have seen AWA and WWWF wrestling on TV. Thankfully, on youtube I can see anything I want. I've had so much fun seeing all these stars, that i never saw in action as a kid.
No....WWWF vs NWA. Most people know that the WWWF broke away from the NWA and became a regional organization in the northeast. The NWA title, back then, was the greatest title in North American history. To me there was no question who was the best between Hogan and Flair. Flair was the wrestler, Hogan was a cartoon character.
If I’m not mistaken the W.W.W.F rejoined the NWA back in the early 70s again so at that time wouldn’t that make the wwwf title just a regional title in the eyes of the NWA?
@pez334 You are correct. To answer that about whether the WWWF status as a "World title," I would refer to you two bouts that Backlund was in (vs. NWA Race and later Flair worlking with the NWA). Both matches were billed as a "World Title Unification Matches." In an interview together with the legendary Gordon Solie, Flair referred Backlund as the "World Champion." ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x8P9AsX7AXM.htmlsi=_YKam3FCfHRJt65h ( Sole interview w/ Ric & Bob) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6YF67XhcTrM.htmlsi=weIe7TKXGgk3z13A (VKM interview w/ Harley & Bob)
It's 2 bad that when Vince didnt keep WCW a secret when he bought it and tried 2 secretly keep it a legit competition. And once a year the 2 champs coulda faced off just like this old school stuff.
+rs232il There was a match with George Steele where Backlund picked up Steele's foreign object. The ref DQ him and Backlund went ballistic on the interview.
Douglas Bryant Bob unsuccessfuly tried to spin that his belt was superior. He should’ve let Buddy Rogers do the talking if he were his manager. Arnold couldn’t talk like the original Nature Boy!
In ELVIS' case he is the greatest. In Hogan's and Flair's case I believe they were the greatest although I wouldn't argue that Backlund and Race were among the greats. They were masters of the game.
So did Bruno, who liked Graham, and wanted Vince Sr, to turn Graham face. But Backlund established himself, as a all time great, like both Bruno and superstar did.
Actually, Jarrett had to NWA North American Heavyweight Championship. Look it up on Wikipedia. I was living in Italy and missed most of the angle where the NWA invaded the WWF.
The NWA title was the best ever in the history of wrestling back then what people forget is the the NWA belt was a belt defended in Territories and, The wwf belt was only defended in the wwf territory
@YankeesFlair Vince's father - Vince Sr. was very tight with the other promoters at the time (Geigel, Crockett etc...) and they would trade talent and hold unification matches. When Vince Sr. passed, that all changed of course.
Bob Backlund was a punk. When the Iron Sheik whipped his ass, he tucked his tail between his legs and went to the AWA where he got his ass kicked in by Sgt Slaughter, Larry Zybysko and Dino Bravo. He held the America's title in the AWA briefly, but buckled under the competition. That showed how crappy a wrestler Bob Backlund was.
True, I would have to say that you are partially correct as far as being remembered, but Elvis was flashy and everywhere just like Hogan and Macho Man, Ric Flair etc. They were Mainstream, but that does not mean they were better. Race and Backlund may not have been Mainstream but I would not say they have been eclipsed. I respect your original comment because you are 41 and not some stupid teenager I am 33.
The NWA let big cities like Minneapolis, chicago and NY work on their own so the U.S. Gov wouldn't accuse them of monopolizing pro wrestling. This is how the AWA and WWF formed . The NWA still did well on their own until Vince Jr. Raided tallent 1983 onward .
The National Wrestling Alliance was the association of all the regional promoters across North America including the AWA and WWF. Vince Sr. never used the NWA Champion but had an equal vote on who got to wear the NWA Title just like the other territorial promoters.
@@travissloan6864 No he left the NWA, but he still had a good working relationship with them and shared talent etc. Its common knowledge you can't stay in the NWA and promote a separate world champ. Hence the Bruno/Buddy Roberts affair.
@@Michael_Chandler_Keaton I know Vince, jr left the NWA but his daddy was a good member in standing which gave him an equal say in who got to wear the NWA title.
Believe it or not Harley Race was a mere 37 years old in this promo....that is the OLDEST looking 37 year old Ive ever seen! What did he do to himself???
Vince Sr. was a legit gentleman, that's why he's still very respected among the remaining promotions, unlike his son... Anyway, this was a genuine Clash of the Wrestling Titans
Vince SR during this time was willing to do special matches between the NWA Champion and WWE champion. he worked with the NWA board to make it happen His son Vince JR. just ignore the other promotions raided their talent and wanted nothing to do with them as far as special matches. Sure from what I hear Vince SR had his issues people didn't care for him but at least he had respect for the other promotions. and was willing to call the other promoters up when he was looking for new talent or trade talent when others wanted to use wrestlers he had.
Poor Backlund, he said he was the real champion because of the fans. Schmuck. Race said he was because he was a better wrestler & he was going to prove it to poor Bob.
@YankeesFlair This was prior to his actually owning the WWF. His father was the owner. The WWF was actually a part of the NWA. Wrestling magazines at that time only listed the NWA championship as a World Title. It was only after Graham became champion was the title defended outside of the WWF.. It was the best time in Pro Wrestling IMO..
@Sanguiluna , Vince JR was not in charge of WWE at the time of this video clip. His Dad was in charge and hi Vince SR. reconized other champions in other promotion something Vince JR. didn't do when he took over.
Hulk Hogan was the best "sports entertainer," in his era and faced only people in his region. Flair was a champion who faced people before they became "cartoons" like Race, Dibiase, Steamboat, Roades, and Piper. Faced AWAY Champ Rick Martel before he became a model, and battled him to a draw in Japan. I'm a fan of wrestling plain and simple. By the way accidents and planned spots to make you feel pain are not all fake in pro wrestling.
@YankeesFlair What's interesting, is that when the WWF acquired WCW and ECW, after they unified the WWF and WCW world titles, they called their championship the undisputed world title, despite the fact that there was one other world title--the NWA World Heavyweight Championship--out there. Vince went 180, from matching his champion against the world champion of other promotions, to totally denying the existence of the very championship that the WWE Championship traces its roots from.
@Rightsideup Ah so was Backlund. He won an NCAA championship in wrestling and was a pretty tough dude. Ask people like Superstar Graham and Tony Atlas. They said Backlund was was strong person and knew how to wrestle. Would have been a good fight.
Vince McMahon Sr Wanted To Shape Bob Backlund Into A Bruno Sammartino Type Of Wrestler , The Big Difference With Sammartino Is That He Had Charisma , Backlund Didn't Have Any Charisma , Just Technical Wrestling Skill
Back when this took place the NWA Title was the one true World Title in the business. The NWA territory was waaaay bigger than the wwwf. To top it off they had the toughest man ever in the business holding the belt. Backlund was a beast but Harley Race was the best WRESTLER ever on God's green earth!!!!!!!
