Bob Backlund: From Fan Favorite to Retirement and Beyond
Bob Backlund, a professional wrestler with a net worth of $2 million, began his wrestling career in the American Wrestling Association in 1973 after excelling in wrestling and football and earning a degree in Physical Education from North Dakota State University. It wasn’t until he joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1977 that he became a fan favorite with his boy-next-door looks and fought against multiple champions to eventually gain the WWF Title.
In 1983, Backlund abruptly changed his image, but his new look was not popular with fans. As the WWF began focusing more on their newest star, Hulk Hogan, Backlund retired, only to return to wrestling in 1992. He competed steadily until 1997 and has continued to wrestle sporadically both in the US and abroad since then. In April 2013, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
