Who did Bob Backlund defeat to commence his WWE title reign? Exploring the wrestling legend's career

Bob Backlund’s WWE world title reign is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time. The superstar is among a handful of performers to hold the prestigious championship for more than two thousand days.

Backlund’s title reign alone dwarfs the combined reigns of most modern-day superstars, including current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. But where did it all start for the enigmatic Backlund?

Backlund’s legendary title reign kicked off on February 20, 1978, at the historic Madison Square Garden. A young Backlund defeated “Superstar” Billy Graham to capture what was then called the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against wrestling’s most hated heel to a stunning ovation from the crowd.

The two engaged in a couple of rematches for the prestigious championship over the next several months. One of their bouts pitted them against each other inside a steel cage at Madison Square Garden.

Backlund’s title reign was interrupted on October 19, 1981, courtesy of Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. The storyline called for the referee to accidentally hand the title over to the heel in New York. Despite the controversy, Backlund’s title reign was acknowledged as having gone uninterrupted from 1978 to 1983.

WWE finally created a new title ahead of the draft

The WWE Draft 2023 is set to kick off this Friday on SmackDown. Days before the draft, Triple H came over to RAW to unveil a brand new World Heavyweight Championship. The Game declared that a new champion will be crowned at Night of Champions on May 27 in Saudi Arabia.

The new title led some fans to question whether Roman Reigns will add it to his collection. However, The Tribal Chief is reportedly defending his Undisputed Championship on the same night, so it's all but certain that he won’t be the first World Heavyweight Champion.

Are you excited for Night of Champions? Let us know in the comments!