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You know your wrestling history. It brings a tear to my eye really.
The other major problem from that ill-fated Backlund/Nash title switch is that Nash got over in the first place by being a bad ass heel, in particular by absolutely dominating the 1994 Royal Rumble then later winning the IC belt and tag titles with Shawn.
But then inexplicably and immediately upon putting the belt on him, they had Nash in a friggin Santa hat singing I Wish You a Merry Christmas at Titan Tower to the WWF employees like some smiling babyface goof. The fans didn't want it and Nash didn't have any experience at the time as a babyface - on top of the fact that frankly it's really hard in any era to get over as a babyface when you're 6'10" 300 lbs - and the whole thing was a gigantic fuckling bust.
Bret Hart mentions Bob in his Crazy Bob period as being a true class act:Bob Backlund probably could have wrestled up until 2010....no joke. Ive seen him a few times at Indy events or signings and he always looked to be in incredible shape. Not just big, or lean, but genuinely fit. Its wild that he went away at a time where his crazy gimmick could have thrived in going into the late 90s.
Also, HBK is the in ring goat. Fuck Flair & fuck Bret.
"This new Crazy Bob was beginning to get over... In the dressing room, Bob continued to be the picture of class. He often had his face buried in huge books about politics, or he'd be working out, in push-up position, relentlessly using an [ab-roller]... My feelings about Bob getting the Belt had completely changed. He was trying so hard... "
Hart continues on the title switch with Diesel and his failure as a champion:
"I felt kind of bad for Bob when Vince told me that he'd only be champion for three days and then drop the belt to Diesel... I suggested to [Vince] that he keep the belt on Bob-there was plenty of time for Diesel to make it to the top- but his mind was made up... Since taking the belt, Diesel had proven he didn't have enough experience... Vince told me Diesel wasn't cutting it as champion, making the excuse that it was because of his elbow. But I'd always thought that Diesel was as good as dead after he worked with Shawn in Wrestlemania X..."
Finally, Bret mentions Vince's thoughts as WCW overtook WWF in the ratings:
"I was a guest announcer for Diesel's match with Davey, and we got into a pie-face pushing kind of thing while I was at the announcers table. Diesel got no help from the Canadian audience, and the match bombed badly enough that Vince hurled his headset down in disgust and hissed "Horrible!" It was around this time that WCW accomplished the unthinkable by beating Vince in the ratings, which only made things seem that much worse."