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PWINSIDER Q&A: BOB BACKLUND IN THE HALL OF FAME, ROAD WARRIORS, WRATH AND MORE

Answered: 3/15

Why isn't Bob Backlund in the WWE Hall Of Fame?  He's made many appearances for WWE in recent years.  Is it because he had that run in TNA?

Bob Backlund isn't in the WWE Hall Of Fame because he doesn't want to be.  Jim Ross has stated that back when he was involved in talent relations, he contacted Backlund about being inducted, and Backlund refused.  Backlund's belief was that he had "one more run" in him as an active wrestler, and didn't want to go into the Hall Of Fame until he knew he was really retired for good.

Who, in your opinion is the best wrestler to never win a world title in the modern era? My picks are Owen Hart and Scott Hall.

I guess it depends on your definition of "modern era" and also what you consider to be a "World Title".  Since you asked for my opinion, I will say Dean Malenko, Owen Hart, and Fit Finlay are amongst my favorites in more recent times to not to win any form of a "World Title" in the U.S.  Of all time, the answer is Bruiser Brody.

Everyone talks about how tag teams don't make money like singles stars, so it had me wondering, what tag team, financially, was the most successful in wrestling history?

It's the Road Warriors, hands down.  They have very lucrative contracts in Jim Crockett Promotions (Paul Ellering, simply for being their manager, was making more than Four Horseman members Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson at one point), and then signed big money deals with the WWF.  They also sold tons of merchandise, from shirts to toys to posters.  They also had a separate deal with All Japan Pro Wrestling for most of their career that paid them as much as mega-stars like Brusier Brody and Stan Hansen.  There was also a period where they were the main drawing card for the AWA and NWA at the same time, and a regular part of the main event picture. 

Has there been any interest by the WWE to put on wrestling shows in the former Soviet Union and what are the prospects of such an event happening?

WWE has stated that they are looking into new markets for live shows, and I have heard that they have been putting a lot of research into having events in China, where they recently opened an office.  The former Soviet countries are another area that WWE would like to run shows in, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.  As a lot of music acts have found out, touring in those countries can often be a money-losing proposition, and I can't see WWE bringing their crew on a tour that won't be profitable, especially when there are so many foreign countries where WWE can rake in money.

I collect wrestling figures and i have this old one named Wrath. Do you think you can give me some details?

Wrath was Bryan Clarke, who also wrestled as the Nightstalker in SMW, Adam Bomb in the WWF, and was Wrath in WCW before going back to being Bryan Clarke and teaming with Brian Adams as Kronik. The team had a very (VERY) brief WWF run in 2001, losing to Undertaker & Kane.  In fact, I think their WWF tenure was less than a month long. That was pretty much the end of Clarke's career as a mainstream star.

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