Who Will Induct Bob Backlund Into the WWE Hall of Fame?

WWE announced this week that Bob Backlund — the unhinged grappler in suspenders and a bowtie — will be the second inductee into its Hall of Fame Class of 2013. It’s an overdue honor for Backlund, who reportedly turned down an offer to be inducted several years ago, insisting that he still had “one more good run” left in him (which wasn’t totally implausible, given how disturbingly impressive he was during his mid-’90s WWF return). But it seems 63-year-old Backlund has reconsidered, and is now ready to take his rightful place in WWE history and be recognized by his peers. But which of those peers is the ideal candidate to induct Backlund in the Hall of Fame during the glitzy April 6 ceremony at Madison Square Garden? We present 10 options, along with the pros and (sometimes considerable) cons of each. 10. Jerry Brisco Pros: When Backlund was just beginning his ascent to fame in the mid-1970s, he teamed with Jerry Brisco to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship; a year later, after beating Harley Race for the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship, he lost the belt to Jerry Brisco’s brother Jack. Jerry could speak on behalf of his late brother and provide unique insights into Backlund’s early days. Cons: Despite having a long, decorated history in wrestling (and surely many tales to tell about Backlund), Jerry is not wrestling’s most captivating or charismatic. Plus, the former “stooge” of Vince is sometimes hard to take seriously. Continue To The Next Section In This Post ›››