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Questions I've always wondered about...


sek69

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I'm guessing this is going to be right up HTQ's alley, but I was watching some DVDs and it reminded me of a few things that always bugged me:

 

1. I was watching Bloodbath and saw Backlund vs Patterson from 1979, then on the Hogan disc there was the match where Hogan made his WWF return in 1983. One thing that really stood out is that in 1983 Backlund looked practically anorexic. Was it just an optical illusion since Backlund had shorter hair and switched to wearing a college wrestling style singlet? It definately looks like he had the steroid bloat in 1979, but I can't imagine a guy so goody-two-shoes he freaked out about turning heel shooting up.

 

2. Speaking of Backlund, why did he disappear off the face of the earth for 10 years after Hogan came back? I always thought that given Jimmy Snuka's problems Bob could have been a solid #2 face in the WWF.

 

3. The WWF worked so hard to erase Stan Hansen's time in the company from history, so what was the deal with his completely random appearance in No Holds Barred?

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Guest Hunter's Torn Quad

I'm guessing this is going to be right up HTQ's alley, but I was watching some DVDs and it reminded me of a few things that always bugged me:

 

1. I was watching Bloodbath and saw Backlund vs Patterson from 1979, then on the Hogan disc there was the match where Hogan made his WWF return in 1983. One thing that really stood out is that in 1983 Backlund looked practically anorexic. Was it just an optical illusion since Backlund had shorter hair and switched to wearing a college wrestling style singlet? It definately looks like he had the steroid bloat in 1979, but I can't imagine a guy so goody-two-shoes he freaked out about turning heel shooting up.

 

2. Speaking of Backlund, why did he disappear off the face of the earth for 10 years after Hogan came back? I always thought that given Jimmy Snuka's problems Bob could have been a solid #2 face in the WWF.

 

3. The WWF worked so hard to erase Stan Hansen's time in the company from history, so what was the deal with his completely random appearance in No Holds Barred?

1. I was watching Bloodbath and saw Backlund vs Patterson from 1979, then on the Hogan disc there was the match where Hogan made his WWF return in 1983. One thing that really stood out is that in 1983 Backlund looked practically anorexic. Was it just an optical illusion since Backlund had shorter hair and switched to wearing a college wrestling style singlet? It definately looks like he had the steroid bloat in 1979, but I can't imagine a guy so goody-two-shoes he freaked out about turning heel shooting up.

Backlund's change in physique was down to him changing the way he trained. After meeting Karl Gotch in Japan, who impressed upon Backlund the idea that wrestlers shouldn't weight train, Backlund altered his workout to focusing on endurance exercises. The change resulted in a less impressive physique, so even though he looked smaller, he really wasn't.

 

2. Speaking of Backlund, why did he disappear off the face of the earth for 10 years after Hogan came back? I always thought that given Jimmy Snuka's problems Bob could have been a solid #2 face in the WWF.

Backlund was upset with Vince's plan for him to turn heel, refused to do it, and was promptly fired. What kept Backlund out of wrestling, at least on a major level, was his belief that he could somehow use magazine interviews and the like to rally his fans and force Vince to book Hogan v Backlund in a title match, where Backlund would shoot on Hogan, and pin him to get the WWF Title back. He quickly faded from the major scene, apart from a short lived stint in an NWA/AWA joint venture meant to combat the WWF, and a couple of bouts over in Japan for the UWF/UWF-I groups.

 

3. The WWF worked so hard to erase Stan Hansen's time in the company from history, so what was the deal with his completely random appearance in No Holds Barred?

That was likely down to Hogan, for whatever reason. Hogan and Hansen were friends at the time, still are as far as I know, so Hogan probably asked for Hansen to be in it.

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Throwing a few more out there....

 

 

1. I know Piper's had at least one legit motorcycle accident, but weren't they also used as covers for his hip replacement surgeries? I know I heard that was the reason he was retiring at WM 3.

 

2. Did Sgt Slaughter really get death threats during the Iraqi angle, or was that just Vince trying to retroactively add heat to a gimmick that they thought would sell out the LA Coliseum for WM but didn't?

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Guest Cam Chaos

2. Did Sgt Slaughter really get death threats during the Iraqi angle, or was that just Vince trying to retroactively add heat to a gimmick that they thought would sell out the LA Coliseum for WM but didn't?

I believe Slaughter genuinely had threats issued towards him and his family. He got bodyguards at the time.
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Guest Hunter's Torn Quad

2. Did Sgt Slaughter really get death threats during the Iraqi angle, or was that just Vince trying to retroactively add heat to a gimmick that they thought would sell out the LA Coliseum for WM but didn't?

Slaughter and Gen Adnan both had death threats, and also took to wearing bullet-proof vests.
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