Bob Backlund vs Hulk Hogan (WWF - 4/12/1980)
Mar 12, 2019 19:31:44 GMT -5
Post by superstarsleeze on Mar 12, 2019 19:31:44 GMT -5
WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Hulk Hogan - WWF Philly 4/12/80
My pick for the best Hulk Hogan match ever. I love the narrative of this match. Bob Backlund lives by the motto "Anything you can do, I can do better" and in this match he dies by that motto. As he works so hard to out-power Hulk Hogan that it leads to his own demise. Incredible narrative backed by solid power-based work and great character dynamics.
This might be my favorite Bob Backlund match. It is definitely the one I have seen the most. It is so much fun and really represents who Bob Backlund is at a professional wrestler. The core characteristic that defines Bob Backlund is the phrase "anything you can do I can do better". He will out-wrestle, out-brawl and out-power you. That's why I love Backlund. He is so versatile. He adapts the Bob Backlund match to his opponent. It is not just lets have the same match with Hulk Hogan as I do Adrian Adonis. Those are two very different wrestlers, but he never ever loses his identity either. It is still very much a Bob Backlund match.
What makes this match so interesting is that it is Bob Backlund's core tenet of his identity "anything you can do I can do better" actually costs him the match. There is a little bit of hubris there that we don't see from the champion. Hogan is so cocky early on as he is taller, heavier and stronger than Backlund, but Backlund understands leverage and is crazy strong himself. We see Hogan throw Backlund off. Backlund does a great job putting Hogan over in these exchanges and they make the shine that much stronger. He is not scared of Hogan, but he is cautious and realizes that this a major test. The way he rubs his hands on the top ropes before the test of strength. He acknowledges he is at a disadvantage, but he wont back down from a challenge. Of course, we get the really fun Backlund shows up his opponent spots like his single pick ups. Backlund really cranks the headlock. Really good stuff before Hogan hits a Robinson backbreaker. The weakest part of the match is Hogan's arm work. There is no urgency and just no real wrenching. So Hogan had hoisted Backlund up to the top rope to embarrass Bob and Backlund was pissed took a swing at him. This all sets up the mother of all deadlifts as Backlund powerlifts the 300lbs, 6' 8'' Hulk Hogan from a short arm scissors. Always an incredible sight! Hogan goes to the bearhug, which is the move I think he should have controlled with. I think Hogan focusing on the back would have been for the best. In my second favorite spot of the match, Backlund transitions out of a bearhug into an awesome piledriver! Both guys are spent and Hogan hits a vertical suplex. Throughout the match we have seen Backlund do Hogan's offense right back to him. There is a big suplex struggle and Kal does a great job putting over that Backlund cant afford to take another suplex. When Backlund hoists Hogan up for the suplex and the crowd went apeshit! Finally Hogan gets Backlund up for the airplane spin. Of course, Backlund's natural instinct is to put Hogan in the airplane spin, but they tumble to the outside so he does another one out there, but as he is revolving he puts Hogan back into the ring and he is left dazed and confused on the outside to lose by countout.
Just a pitch perfect finish to a great story. This was such a great consistent story. Everything Hogan did, Backlund would do right back to him and do it better. This built to that amazing deadlift and suplex. However, that hubris was Backlund's fall as he was so committed to out-powering Hogan that he lost due to the airplane spin. One of the best narrative-based matches you will ever see. ****1/2
My pick for the best Hulk Hogan match ever. I love the narrative of this match. Bob Backlund lives by the motto "Anything you can do, I can do better" and in this match he dies by that motto. As he works so hard to out-power Hulk Hogan that it leads to his own demise. Incredible narrative backed by solid power-based work and great character dynamics.
This might be my favorite Bob Backlund match. It is definitely the one I have seen the most. It is so much fun and really represents who Bob Backlund is at a professional wrestler. The core characteristic that defines Bob Backlund is the phrase "anything you can do I can do better". He will out-wrestle, out-brawl and out-power you. That's why I love Backlund. He is so versatile. He adapts the Bob Backlund match to his opponent. It is not just lets have the same match with Hulk Hogan as I do Adrian Adonis. Those are two very different wrestlers, but he never ever loses his identity either. It is still very much a Bob Backlund match.
What makes this match so interesting is that it is Bob Backlund's core tenet of his identity "anything you can do I can do better" actually costs him the match. There is a little bit of hubris there that we don't see from the champion. Hogan is so cocky early on as he is taller, heavier and stronger than Backlund, but Backlund understands leverage and is crazy strong himself. We see Hogan throw Backlund off. Backlund does a great job putting Hogan over in these exchanges and they make the shine that much stronger. He is not scared of Hogan, but he is cautious and realizes that this a major test. The way he rubs his hands on the top ropes before the test of strength. He acknowledges he is at a disadvantage, but he wont back down from a challenge. Of course, we get the really fun Backlund shows up his opponent spots like his single pick ups. Backlund really cranks the headlock. Really good stuff before Hogan hits a Robinson backbreaker. The weakest part of the match is Hogan's arm work. There is no urgency and just no real wrenching. So Hogan had hoisted Backlund up to the top rope to embarrass Bob and Backlund was pissed took a swing at him. This all sets up the mother of all deadlifts as Backlund powerlifts the 300lbs, 6' 8'' Hulk Hogan from a short arm scissors. Always an incredible sight! Hogan goes to the bearhug, which is the move I think he should have controlled with. I think Hogan focusing on the back would have been for the best. In my second favorite spot of the match, Backlund transitions out of a bearhug into an awesome piledriver! Both guys are spent and Hogan hits a vertical suplex. Throughout the match we have seen Backlund do Hogan's offense right back to him. There is a big suplex struggle and Kal does a great job putting over that Backlund cant afford to take another suplex. When Backlund hoists Hogan up for the suplex and the crowd went apeshit! Finally Hogan gets Backlund up for the airplane spin. Of course, Backlund's natural instinct is to put Hogan in the airplane spin, but they tumble to the outside so he does another one out there, but as he is revolving he puts Hogan back into the ring and he is left dazed and confused on the outside to lose by countout.
Just a pitch perfect finish to a great story. This was such a great consistent story. Everything Hogan did, Backlund would do right back to him and do it better. This built to that amazing deadlift and suplex. However, that hubris was Backlund's fall as he was so committed to out-powering Hogan that he lost due to the airplane spin. One of the best narrative-based matches you will ever see. ****1/2
