@dagrabill68 Snuka was an amazing performer but just horrible on the mic. I think that's what prevented Vince from putting (at least) the IC belt on him.
when I young watching old wwf wrestling matches, jimmy snuka going off the top of the cage was something. now when I look back that cage is about 4 feet above the top ropes.
remember being 12 yrs old watching this match when I lived in TX, saw it on this thing called Cable TV, where you got NY channels and realized WOW this is a new dawn, think it was in 1982 or 83, never felt such eletricoty watching a match before, these were the Classics of my time, so glad to remember these times, thanks for posting
Huge Backlund fan growing up, I remember watching this on USA or MSG live. I was so nervous that Backlund was going to lose. Maybe the best match I ever saw live on TV.
I remember when this happened. It was one of the rare times that they covered pro wrestling results on the sports segment of the local 11:00 p.m. news
@Mortagne yeah because the pop Backlund gets only clips the damn audio. I was there. The place fucking exploded. Backlund was a great champion for quite a while and represented the company with a class not seen in a WWF champion since.
@jpwjr1199 I couldn't have said it better myself. I was'nt there cause at that time you had to be a certain age and height to see wrestling matches at MSG but my older brother went and he came home screaming! He told me that was the best match he ever saw in his life and to this day nothing can compare. Bob Backlund was a respected champion and athlete ans as a kid i enjoyed watching channel 9 at midnight to see Backlund and the other wrestlers. You were there huh? you gotta tell how it felt...
@jpwjr1199 Correction! actually that age and height stipulation @ MSG was effective in the 70's cause i now remember i couldn't go in to see the Bruno Sammartino vs Stan Hansan match that night cause i was too young and too short LOL ( that match i believe was in 1977) i didn't see the Backlund/Snuka cage match cause ny brother didn't get a ticket for me just him and his best friend Mark... i was *^%$#% mad! as hell LOL i can imagine how loud it mustve been when Backlund crawled out of that cage
@kdemonde I don't remember if there was a stipulation on age and height when I went, but my uncle and I took the LIRR there (and I was pretty young), and I can't imagine my uncle being turned away with me (he had a ticket for me and as far as I know there was nothing on the ticket saying minimum age or whatever). Anyway, as a kid I loved wrestling, and loved Bob Backlund, so naturally it was really cool. I was seven years old, when I went, so the spectacle of it was lost on me a bit, but hey
@kdemonde I was also lucky enough that same year to see the Islanders win in the playoffs, so I wasn't completely stunned when the people there erupted. But I remember in both cases, I held my ears and screamed (hell, everyone else was, so it was fun and seemed okay to do!), and then I would crack up laughing. Funny, but it's the same thing I do now in my thirties!
@jpwjr1199 Ya know i was 10 yrs. old when that scenario happened, i know i went with my parents to the Garden, we were at the window, my father had the tickets, i recall the guy asking my father how old was i, once he told the guy i was 10, he had me stand next to a height chart and the guy told my father that because there would be blood in these matches i was too young to enter the arena. My parents were shocked and i cried and they took me back home and my parents went back to MSG
@kdemonde My mom passed away and my father can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago so i don't have any substantiated proof for myself that this was true. Maybe i'll google it or something, however i'm glad for you that you had such a memorable experience. Backlund was a modern champion at that time and Vince Sr. found him marketable, but when he died Vince Jr. didn't feel the same and had dreams of making the WWF into a circus soap opera and call it Sports Entertainment, Hogan did well though
@kdemonde Man, I'm sorry to hear about your losses (my condolences)...and, dude, you don't need proof, I take your word for it. Your parents sound like good souls. My Dad loves hockey and took me to the games, but hated wrestling. Believe me, if I went with my Dad it may have been the same deal. This uncle, I'm pretty sure, having paid for the tickets would not have been denied without some conflict, so I don't remember there being an issue. That doesn't mean there wasn't one (haha!)
@jpwjr1199 Thankyou very much for your expression, appreciate that. As i said, that is what i recollect from 33 yrs. ago. I do remember alot of wrestler had those "lines" across thier foreheads ( remember that?) in the 70's & 80's. Dusty, Flair, Abdullah the Butcher, Bruno, Snuka, etc. I know they cut themselves in some of their matches to offer some reality in the matches which may have instigated some type of restrictions when it came to minors watching the matches.
@kdemonde still, as an adult, I don't see the legality of that. If a parent as a paying customer gave oral, or signed a written consent, legally, they would have to let you in with the child or risk a huge lawsuit. To my adult ears, and remembering the context, this sounds like a way to keep the crowd close to adult age, as they would at a strip club. However, the big difference is under the law you, as a parent, could technically give consent, but then child prot. services would intervene!
@jpwjr1199 As you know, back in the 70's although N.Y.C had Social Service agencies that existed to protect children, their investigative capabilities were non-existent. A child abuse situation would have to be called in by a nosy (but justified) neighbor who would have to testify in court. But i believe there may have been a situation where a mortified parent who took thier child to a match that resulted in a bloody mess lodged complaints and MSG had to act on it to avoid media backlash (??)
Great match! Still holds up. The only problem with both of these dudes is that they had really shitty promo skills. They should have learned more from guys like Flair, Dusty, Muraco, and Billy Graham
@jtc1148 No one could do it better than Flair when it came to promo's except Dusty Rhodes. Backlund, at times upgraded his promo's when he was mad, like the time Billy Graham destroyed his belt on national TV where Backlund cried with the saliva drooling out of his mouth and the whole bit, whereby he was dubbed ";The crybaby champion" His promo's were boring otherwise and i think Jake Roberts's promo's were good and of course my favorite was The Rock! sorry he left to do Disney movies
Yeah its fake but what made this good was the talent of the athletes. Today everybody has a Mic in the ring and a storyline. Boring!!! I haven't watched regularly since the 1st incarnation of Sting (NWA?) and Hogan was passed Backlund's belt. Those were the great ole days, FOR REAL!
Yeah its fake but what made this good was the talent of the athletes. Today everybody has a mic in the ring and a storyline. Boring!!! I haven't watched regularly since the 1st incarnation of Sting (NWA?) and Hogan was passed Backlund's belt. Those were the great ole days, FOR REAL!
i always hated bob backlund ,,,i wish snuka nailed him on the superfly..& cruched his brains out of his skull ,,,jimmy couldve had him stuffed like a bear from a hunter.... he would call it the backlund flyrug,with bobs head at the end of the rug with his last look at life v ,,,snuka flying on him from the steelcage,,,yaaaaaahooo!
The best sellers in WWE history R Snuka, Brett Hart, Randy Savage, & Dynamite Kid....These were the guys who made everything look so real!!! They made every move/punch realistic, never undersold/fake or overdone/cartoonish reactions. Randy Orton & Mick Foley R great sellers also.
To those who insist or emphasize that wrestling is "fake"-DOES IT REALLY MATTER?! Are the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park "real?" Are the sharks used in the Jaws movies "real?" Are the "fight" scenes in martial arts and action/adventure movies "real?" Are the wild car chases in the James Bond movies "real?" THINK ABOUT IT. Why do some people call WRESTLING "fake" when the MOVIES are JUST AS FAKE-and yet, they don't "doesn't seem to mind" what's on the "silver screen?"
Sorry .. Do me a minute of your time ... Did you ever think of yourself ... One of the finest creatures ... Have you thought about where your destiny after death ... You and all people of the universe Society You will end up like this ... Your destiny to ((Allah)), does know how to avoid punishment ... Do you know Islam ... Do I have heard that a Christian or a Jew entered Islam? Many .. Well you Vice versa? Why? Do you know the secret of the Quran? Did not distort any character? Why?
Everyone knows it's fake. What's not fake is the entertainment these matches bring. Listen to the crowd roar when Backlund moves out from Snuka's leap. People enjoy it.
I think some feel like they are intellectuals telling people it's fake. What they are really saying is they are too full of themselves to enjoy what it all is. Entertainment.
@dQbell You're just exactly right. When a man climbs to the top of a 20 foot high steel cage and leaps whether he lands on the guy or not, thats a fantastic stunt no matter what. I'm not willing to jump off my roof onto a 2 inch pad on my back yard.
@dQbell I know right? Movies are real? When poeple pay to see a movie at the theatre is that real? TV series like CSI, Criminal Minds are they real? Good shows mind you, but I know idiots that really get into TV series shows but ridicule you if you watch wrtestling with any bit of interest! Morons!
@naytedawg They actually went crazy for Backlund. But with this match, they new eventually that they had to turn Superfly babyface because he was a phenomenal athlete at that time. He actually didn't land right with that leap. If it wasn't for his conditioning, he would have had internal injuries..
crowds were so hot in the days before Jr. took over and made it sports entertainment. i liked it so much better before Hulkamania and Rock n Wrestling
Bob Backlund ranked the 7th greatest wrestler of all time. He held the belt for 5 years in a row for a reason: he was a fighting champion and wrestled everyone. Was even the WWF Champion and WWF Tag team Champion with Pedro at the same time. Awesome wrestler.
backlund was a fraud.Snuka should have been the new champ in this period.backlund kept it too long and almost didnt want to give it up to the iron sheik because he didnt want to lose to hogan who he put down so he preferred to lose to the iron sheik.hogan should have been champ in 1980 ,then after leaving for hollywood,snuka should have taken the belt.Backlund had it way too long.Even john studd should have beaten backlund.
backlund jobbing out the belt saved wrestling and catapulted it to stardom.Backlund,unfortunately kept it too unpopular for too long 77-83,way too long.why didnt he at least job it out a few times before winning it back as sammartino did and as the champs of today do.
@fadethetrade You really must be a youngster. Bruno held the title nearly 8 years before losing to Koloff. Backlund was a popular champ (even though I myself wanted to see him lose) for that time. Wrestling was popular to the blue collar crowd. Different time period.. It was wrestling then. Not sports entertainment.
I'm 50. By the way,kolofff lost it to pedro morales then morales lost it to stan stasiak,then bruno won it back.backlund should never have held it for 5 straight years.Thats why vince Sr almost bankrupt the company.You must be a youngster with business.
Far from being a youngster, but definitely not as old as you..lol. Vince Sr. bankrupt the company? Always selling out MSG/Spectrum/Boston Garden on monthly basis.. More like Vince Jr. almost bankrupted the company when trying to hold two major cards on the same night. Also, taking a gamble w/Wrestlemanias 1-3.. Look it was different time when people still believed in the good guy/villain and cheered who they were forced fed. Personally, I hated when Backlund defeated Graham.
But give Backlund credit, he always provided a good match. Shit, I wanted Snuka to beat him. At the time, friends of mine were trying to figure out who was gonna beat Backlund. We always thought that if the Grand Wizard hadn't of passed away, he was gonna be Orndorf's mgr who would have beaten Backlund. Oh well..what ifs.. Better time for wrestling than today. Oh by the way, Backlund did lose the title to Inoki in Japan but it wasn't directly acknowledged.
He was the most unpopular champ even though the fans acted insane when he won.Inside they didnt like him that much.The howdy doody all american wrestler image was only good for a few years
Backlund was champ for 5 years. He couldn't have been that unpopular. McMahon, Sr. didn't want Backlund to job while Vince Jr did. That's why as soon as Vince Jr. took over, he had Backlund lose the belt and Hogan era began.
@TheLuscious He was the last of an era of wrestlers that actually needed to be able to shoot in case someone from another territory decided to shoot on the champ and sneak out with a belt.
The ring is about 5 ft high. The cage is probably 8-10 ft high. Then you add the jump, it's a legit number but on the low side. They just don't TRAVEL 15-25 feet because of the height of the ring.
maybe.. but I always figured since Snuka is about 6'1 and his head is about a foot or 2 from the top of the cage. Maybe if you count the distance from his head in mid jump to the concrete floor he's not landing on....it may come close to 15 ft.. blahhhh lol
I've been waiting to see this match again for years. It's not nearly as impressive as the Snuka-Muraco angle/match as the real highlight of that encounter was Snuka throwing the belt and spitting on Muraco after the dive was the icing on the cake. However, this reminds me how big matches in MSG, Boston Garden and the Philly Spectrum were during those days. Wrestling used to get some respect back then.
Backlund was a huge black eye the WWF. So lifeless,boring and just LAME. Awkwardness at it's most profound. How or why he rose to the level he did is beyond me. If he made up for his lame personality with some good ring skills then at LEAST there would be something less for me to complain about.
Perhaps if he had entered the Olympics or become a high school or college wrestling coach his amateur background would have served him well. Aside from conditioning,what the hell good is the fact that he was an NCAA champ going to do in the world of pre determined outcomes and cage matches? Seems like YOU don't know what the hell you are talking about. McMahon Jr. himself felt making Backlund champ was a mistake.
Okay, you made the comment that Backlund had no in-ring skills, which is false, regardless of pre-determined outcome/kayfabe; in fact, the opposite is true. McMahon SR. is the man who made Backlund champion and McMahon JR. is responsible for forcing him out of the company, so your last point is totally irrelevant, as YOU are mixing up father-promoter and son-promoter. In fact, son didn't screw over Backlund until father died already, so, at least, learn of what you speak before doing so.
I didn't mix up anything. I should have made myself clearer. McMahon JR. disagreed with his fathers decision to make Backlund champ(SR. liked his Jack Brisco type qualities). McMahon JR. wanted Graham to hold on to the title,but at the time it was what his dad wanted that mattered. So you see,what I wrote wasn't irrelevant at all. So tell me,what Greco Roman,champion NCAA skills did Backlund utilize in his matches. Atomic drop? Chicken wing? Perhaps his (I must admit impressive) pile driver?
Strengh. Backlund had really freaky strengh. Once gave Ivan Koloff a one arm curl without his help. Very influenced by Karl"No Pain No Gain" Gotch. Still today works out like a demon.
I agree! As much as I love "old school" wrestling, I DON'T SEE how Bob Backlund was "main event" (IF this cage match WAS the MAIN EVENT, that is!) material! When Bob used to wrestle the-then- current WWF villains/heels, I would look forward to watching Bob GETTING HIS BUTT KICKED!
There are no moments or matches like this in wrestlnig today. It has devolved into indulgent nonsense. This was the time w hen wrestlnig was exciting and great. Too bad.
Can we say one the top ten matches of all time? did you hear the pop from the crowd when snuka missed?Today, cage matches arent that great. Even the elimination chamber matches dont have the drama as say the cage matches of the 70's and 80's
kisten to that crowd heat. a heel who was a heel, a face who was a face, in a feud that was built over time, and the belt meant something. it was so simple and good pre Hulkamania
it was a big deal because it was the first time anybody ever jumped from the top of the cage. keep in mind this match was about 25 years ago if not more. in today's cage matches a move like that is expected.
This match occured two days after my high school graduation.. 6/28/82. Remember it well. At the time, I didn't think it was a really good cage match. But in today's world---CLASSIC!!
It wasn't the first time ever a wrestler jumped off of a cage, Adrian Adonis did it in late 1979 or early 1980 in a tag match with his partner Jessie Ventura vs Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne.
I have the match on tape and like Snuka Adrian missed.
The best part of this match is Snuka pausing at the top rope and then deciding to go to the top of the cage. Only Taker throwing Foley off the top of the cage tops this.
Wow ! This was a great memory of my chid hood to watch ! The most exciting thing in the world to me at the time. How stupid wrestling is now today. Its like watching CARTOONS!They dont even try to make it look real anymore!
maxx, you probably dont know this but the reason why this fight is so well known is that this is the jump that motivated not just Foley (and others who later became wrestlers who were in the audience) but wrestling in general into the high flying action that it is now. if he spoke good english he would have became the world champ. but then hulk took the job.
this is why its called the superfly splash. :D.. to this day.. :D.. his first ever jump also.
I fail to see how people hold this match in high regard, despite the fact that wrestlers these days do more insane stunts. Snuka jumped 10 feet off of the top of the cage and missed... missed his opponent. That's great, how? Kane was set on fire twice in the WWF/E, and Snuka did here what so many others have ever done in a cage match.
What you miss is the very thing that is wrong with wrestling and the mistake that they made. It is all CONTEXT. Some of the best things during the 90's are also some of the worst. At that time, this had shock value. Just like chair shots, blood etc. Now it has become, "I've seen this all before" because you have. So Kane was set on fire twice. How can they top that? Now people can't even get a pin fall after murdering someone. Think someone canb actually take a sledgehammer blow?
At the time, this was outrageous. Things have "progressed" if you want to call it that. It's the same way with cell phones. An answering machine used to be a big deal, but now, they are garbage. You have to acknowledge that these things are on a timeline.
No, I still don't see why this particular cage jumping incident is so famous. People have jumped off of steel cages before Snuka. The only reason I can think of that this moment was so great is because previous cage jumps were done by nobodys at un-televised or taped events, so finally a big name did it. If the cage was a little higher than 10 feet (less than twice the height of a corner post) and he actually CONNECTED with his opponent, I would have been impressed.
Backlund overacting is hilarious! How many times does he go into covulsions and start to almost get up and the crash back down on his back?! Hahahahaha
was this before he landed on Don Muraco?
capucchan8 6 months ago
@capucchan8 yes
dagrabill68 6 months ago
@dagrabill68 Snuka was an amazing performer but just horrible on the mic. I think that's what prevented Vince from putting (at least) the IC belt on him.
LT9856 5 months ago
when I young watching old wwf wrestling matches, jimmy snuka going off the top of the cage was something. now when I look back that cage is about 4 feet above the top ropes.
TheShootTruth10 6 months ago
Never noticed Bob was playing possum, the way he looks up for a second.
peterp21 7 months ago
Look @ Backlund @ 1:17.
Freebleeper 7 months ago
The most famous wrestling match of the 1980's.
MrTeslaV 7 months ago
remember being 12 yrs old watching this match when I lived in TX, saw it on this thing called Cable TV, where you got NY channels and realized WOW this is a new dawn, think it was in 1982 or 83, never felt such eletricoty watching a match before, these were the Classics of my time, so glad to remember these times, thanks for posting
leongarza 9 months ago
2:36 WTF would you bring a toddler to a huge match like this???
Oh wait... I know.
TheWitchOvAgnesi 1 year ago
@TheWitchOvAgnesi Lmao! "oh wait...I know" lol. Took u a sec 2 realize it huh.
tonypanz 11 months ago
@tonypanz Yeah, actually, it took me far longer to type it out...
TheWitchOvAgnesi 11 months ago
Huge Backlund fan growing up, I remember watching this on USA or MSG live. I was so nervous that Backlund was going to lose. Maybe the best match I ever saw live on TV.
deuceoo 1 year ago
Would have been better if he nailed him.
aitraining 1 year ago
@aitraining LOL, woulda killed him.
TheWitchOvAgnesi 1 year ago
I remember when this happened. It was one of the rare times that they covered pro wrestling results on the sports segment of the local 11:00 p.m. news
dowhatthouwilt911 1 year ago
Try that swan dive. Fuck, most of the nay sayer's could not take one back drop.
1961slam 1 year ago
that crowd was electric
yoyo2121d25 1 year ago
That was a serious leap.
Nightrain76 1 year ago
I remember the one with don muraco but not this one.
goodlookin41 1 year ago
watching this match now going off the top of the cage seems like nothing.
goodlookin41 1 year ago
is there a date to this match? when it happened? i'm guessing this is MSG...
blozier2006 1 year ago
@blozier2006 June 1982
KINGVISION2000 1 year ago
LOL at Mcmahon "25 Feet in the air!!" . 25 feet my ass, maybe 11 feet at best you fucking lieng scumbag
grandfinale1934 1 year ago
@grandfinale1934 um...relax?
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
man those cages were short 0_o
MrBrettFavrefan 1 year ago
I never knew Snuka was a Heel.
Fartingbellybutton 1 year ago
I'm sorry but this match should of been Snuka's ! Not Backlund ! Fuck him !
Mortagne 1 year ago
@Mortagne yeah because the pop Backlund gets only clips the damn audio. I was there. The place fucking exploded. Backlund was a great champion for quite a while and represented the company with a class not seen in a WWF champion since.
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
@jpwjr1199 I couldn't have said it better myself. I was'nt there cause at that time you had to be a certain age and height to see wrestling matches at MSG but my older brother went and he came home screaming! He told me that was the best match he ever saw in his life and to this day nothing can compare. Bob Backlund was a respected champion and athlete ans as a kid i enjoyed watching channel 9 at midnight to see Backlund and the other wrestlers. You were there huh? you gotta tell how it felt...
kdemonde 1 year ago
@jpwjr1199 Correction! actually that age and height stipulation @ MSG was effective in the 70's cause i now remember i couldn't go in to see the Bruno Sammartino vs Stan Hansan match that night cause i was too young and too short LOL ( that match i believe was in 1977) i didn't see the Backlund/Snuka cage match cause ny brother didn't get a ticket for me just him and his best friend Mark... i was *^%$#% mad! as hell LOL i can imagine how loud it mustve been when Backlund crawled out of that cage
kdemonde 1 year ago
@kdemonde I don't remember if there was a stipulation on age and height when I went, but my uncle and I took the LIRR there (and I was pretty young), and I can't imagine my uncle being turned away with me (he had a ticket for me and as far as I know there was nothing on the ticket saying minimum age or whatever). Anyway, as a kid I loved wrestling, and loved Bob Backlund, so naturally it was really cool. I was seven years old, when I went, so the spectacle of it was lost on me a bit, but hey
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
@kdemonde I was also lucky enough that same year to see the Islanders win in the playoffs, so I wasn't completely stunned when the people there erupted. But I remember in both cases, I held my ears and screamed (hell, everyone else was, so it was fun and seemed okay to do!), and then I would crack up laughing. Funny, but it's the same thing I do now in my thirties!
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
@jpwjr1199 Ya know i was 10 yrs. old when that scenario happened, i know i went with my parents to the Garden, we were at the window, my father had the tickets, i recall the guy asking my father how old was i, once he told the guy i was 10, he had me stand next to a height chart and the guy told my father that because there would be blood in these matches i was too young to enter the arena. My parents were shocked and i cried and they took me back home and my parents went back to MSG
kdemonde 1 year ago
@kdemonde My mom passed away and my father can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago so i don't have any substantiated proof for myself that this was true. Maybe i'll google it or something, however i'm glad for you that you had such a memorable experience. Backlund was a modern champion at that time and Vince Sr. found him marketable, but when he died Vince Jr. didn't feel the same and had dreams of making the WWF into a circus soap opera and call it Sports Entertainment, Hogan did well though
kdemonde 1 year ago
@kdemonde Man, I'm sorry to hear about your losses (my condolences)...and, dude, you don't need proof, I take your word for it. Your parents sound like good souls. My Dad loves hockey and took me to the games, but hated wrestling. Believe me, if I went with my Dad it may have been the same deal. This uncle, I'm pretty sure, having paid for the tickets would not have been denied without some conflict, so I don't remember there being an issue. That doesn't mean there wasn't one (haha!)
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
@jpwjr1199 Thankyou very much for your expression, appreciate that. As i said, that is what i recollect from 33 yrs. ago. I do remember alot of wrestler had those "lines" across thier foreheads ( remember that?) in the 70's & 80's. Dusty, Flair, Abdullah the Butcher, Bruno, Snuka, etc. I know they cut themselves in some of their matches to offer some reality in the matches which may have instigated some type of restrictions when it came to minors watching the matches.
kdemonde 1 year ago
@kdemonde still, as an adult, I don't see the legality of that. If a parent as a paying customer gave oral, or signed a written consent, legally, they would have to let you in with the child or risk a huge lawsuit. To my adult ears, and remembering the context, this sounds like a way to keep the crowd close to adult age, as they would at a strip club. However, the big difference is under the law you, as a parent, could technically give consent, but then child prot. services would intervene!
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
@jpwjr1199 at a strip club, that is !
jpwjr1199 1 year ago
@jpwjr1199 As you know, back in the 70's although N.Y.C had Social Service agencies that existed to protect children, their investigative capabilities were non-existent. A child abuse situation would have to be called in by a nosy (but justified) neighbor who would have to testify in court. But i believe there may have been a situation where a mortified parent who took thier child to a match that resulted in a bloody mess lodged complaints and MSG had to act on it to avoid media backlash (??)
kdemonde 1 year ago
Great match! Still holds up. The only problem with both of these dudes is that they had really shitty promo skills. They should have learned more from guys like Flair, Dusty, Muraco, and Billy Graham
jtc1148 1 year ago
@jtc1148 When Snuka was a heel he had Lou Albano for promos, and even Backlund had Arnold Skaaland to talk for him at times.
chn71 1 year ago
@jtc1148 No one could do it better than Flair when it came to promo's except Dusty Rhodes. Backlund, at times upgraded his promo's when he was mad, like the time Billy Graham destroyed his belt on national TV where Backlund cried with the saliva drooling out of his mouth and the whole bit, whereby he was dubbed ";The crybaby champion" His promo's were boring otherwise and i think Jake Roberts's promo's were good and of course my favorite was The Rock! sorry he left to do Disney movies
kdemonde 1 year ago
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Yeah its fake but what made this good was the talent of the athletes. Today everybody has a Mic in the ring and a storyline. Boring!!! I haven't watched regularly since the 1st incarnation of Sting (NWA?) and Hogan was passed Backlund's belt. Those were the great ole days, FOR REAL!
megagreg38 1 year ago
Yeah its fake but what made this good was the talent of the athletes. Today everybody has a mic in the ring and a storyline. Boring!!! I haven't watched regularly since the 1st incarnation of Sting (NWA?) and Hogan was passed Backlund's belt. Those were the great ole days, FOR REAL!
megagreg38 1 year ago
that is AWESOME
chumsyalibumsy09 1 year ago
i always hated bob backlund ,,,i wish snuka nailed him on the superfly..& cruched his brains out of his skull ,,,jimmy couldve had him stuffed like a bear from a hunter.... he would call it the backlund flyrug,with bobs head at the end of the rug with his last look at life v ,,,snuka flying on him from the steelcage,,,yaaaaaahooo!
matt101071 1 year ago
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The best sellers in WWE history R Snuka, Brett Hart, Randy Savage, & Dynamite Kid....These were the guys who made everything look so real!!! They made every move/punch realistic, never undersold/fake or overdone/cartoonish reactions. Randy Orton & Mick Foley R great sellers also.
Tarantulisimo 1 year ago
Great, great fucking drama!!!!!
clebo99 1 year ago
thats a "POP" right there lol
HipnosisV1 1 year ago
To those who insist or emphasize that wrestling is "fake"-DOES IT REALLY MATTER?! Are the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park "real?" Are the sharks used in the Jaws movies "real?" Are the "fight" scenes in martial arts and action/adventure movies "real?" Are the wild car chases in the James Bond movies "real?" THINK ABOUT IT. Why do some people call WRESTLING "fake" when the MOVIES are JUST AS FAKE-and yet, they don't "doesn't seem to mind" what's on the "silver screen?"
AngelofAnguish 1 year ago
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mnaloh 2 years ago
Everyone knows it's fake. What's not fake is the entertainment these matches bring. Listen to the crowd roar when Backlund moves out from Snuka's leap. People enjoy it.
I think some feel like they are intellectuals telling people it's fake. What they are really saying is they are too full of themselves to enjoy what it all is. Entertainment.
dQbell 2 years ago 26
@dQbell - Well said!
Derby14 2 years ago
@dQbell You're just exactly right. When a man climbs to the top of a 20 foot high steel cage and leaps whether he lands on the guy or not, thats a fantastic stunt no matter what. I'm not willing to jump off my roof onto a 2 inch pad on my back yard.
philldholes 1 year ago
@dQbell if you think wrestling is all fake then you step your ass in the ring
Coldstonechampion 1 year ago
@Coldstonechampion I have stepped on the mat. Even better.
dQbell 1 year ago
@dQbell So what?! Its just entertainment. Dummy.
joesingle 1 year ago
@dQbell but in these days it was still entertaining now its not.
TheTigerclaw1 1 year ago
@TheTigerclaw1 a bit like comic books and Santa. We've grown up.
bluemonk611 1 year ago
@dQbell I know right? Movies are real? When poeple pay to see a movie at the theatre is that real? TV series like CSI, Criminal Minds are they real? Good shows mind you, but I know idiots that really get into TV series shows but ridicule you if you watch wrtestling with any bit of interest! Morons!
donaldc5166 6 months ago
@dQbell replace "fake" with "scripted"
DeathMountainDew 5 months ago
You're the one saying "Snuka dominated that match."
Yeah, It was set up that way. He only dominated because he was told to.
Yu're such a mark.
TheChampionInMe 2 years ago
@naytedawg They actually went crazy for Backlund. But with this match, they new eventually that they had to turn Superfly babyface because he was a phenomenal athlete at that time. He actually didn't land right with that leap. If it wasn't for his conditioning, he would have had internal injuries..
HardrockGX 2 years ago
Superfly was so over with the crowd that he never needed a belt to prove he was the shit.
bmcjones 2 years ago
crowds were so hot in the days before Jr. took over and made it sports entertainment. i liked it so much better before Hulkamania and Rock n Wrestling
eatpigsnot 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
bullshit backlund moved out of the way
what a way to ruin the match.
bibafortuna 2 years ago
Bob Backlund ranked the 7th greatest wrestler of all time. He held the belt for 5 years in a row for a reason: he was a fighting champion and wrestled everyone. Was even the WWF Champion and WWF Tag team Champion with Pedro at the same time. Awesome wrestler.
TheLuscious 2 years ago 11
backlund was a fraud.Snuka should have been the new champ in this period.backlund kept it too long and almost didnt want to give it up to the iron sheik because he didnt want to lose to hogan who he put down so he preferred to lose to the iron sheik.hogan should have been champ in 1980 ,then after leaving for hollywood,snuka should have taken the belt.Backlund had it way too long.Even john studd should have beaten backlund.
fadethetrade 2 years ago
Now this i absolutely 100 percent agree with you on. Snuka should have been the new champ. Snuka dominated that match.
TheLuscious 2 years ago
You do realize it's fake, right!?!?!?
TheChampionInMe 2 years ago
backlund jobbing out the belt saved wrestling and catapulted it to stardom.Backlund,unfortunately kept it too unpopular for too long 77-83,way too long.why didnt he at least job it out a few times before winning it back as sammartino did and as the champs of today do.
fadethetrade 2 years ago
@fadethetrade You really must be a youngster. Bruno held the title nearly 8 years before losing to Koloff. Backlund was a popular champ (even though I myself wanted to see him lose) for that time. Wrestling was popular to the blue collar crowd. Different time period.. It was wrestling then. Not sports entertainment.
HardrockGX 2 years ago
I'm 50. By the way,kolofff lost it to pedro morales then morales lost it to stan stasiak,then bruno won it back.backlund should never have held it for 5 straight years.Thats why vince Sr almost bankrupt the company.You must be a youngster with business.
fadethetrade 2 years ago
Far from being a youngster, but definitely not as old as you..lol. Vince Sr. bankrupt the company? Always selling out MSG/Spectrum/Boston Garden on monthly basis.. More like Vince Jr. almost bankrupted the company when trying to hold two major cards on the same night. Also, taking a gamble w/Wrestlemanias 1-3.. Look it was different time when people still believed in the good guy/villain and cheered who they were forced fed. Personally, I hated when Backlund defeated Graham.
HardrockGX 2 years ago 2
But give Backlund credit, he always provided a good match. Shit, I wanted Snuka to beat him. At the time, friends of mine were trying to figure out who was gonna beat Backlund. We always thought that if the Grand Wizard hadn't of passed away, he was gonna be Orndorf's mgr who would have beaten Backlund. Oh well..what ifs.. Better time for wrestling than today. Oh by the way, Backlund did lose the title to Inoki in Japan but it wasn't directly acknowledged.
HardrockGX 2 years ago
superstar billy graham shouldve been champ longer,
SATANSCHILD954 1 year ago
He was the most unpopular champ even though the fans acted insane when he won.Inside they didnt like him that much.The howdy doody all american wrestler image was only good for a few years
fadethetrade 2 years ago
Backlund was champ for 5 years. He couldn't have been that unpopular. McMahon, Sr. didn't want Backlund to job while Vince Jr did. That's why as soon as Vince Jr. took over, he had Backlund lose the belt and Hogan era began.
TheLuscious 2 years ago
@TheLuscious He was the last of an era of wrestlers that actually needed to be able to shoot in case someone from another territory decided to shoot on the champ and sneak out with a belt.
mongoose704 1 year ago
@TheLuscious Are you sure about the 5 years? I thought it was 7 years straight.
smokeykevin 1 year ago
@smokeykevin absolutely positive it was 5 years straight. Backlund won the belt in '78 and lost it at the end of '83. Hogan won it January 1984.
TheLuscious 1 year ago 2
@TheLuscious I stand corrected. Thanks
smokeykevin 1 year ago
@TheLuscious I'm glad he made it to 7th all-time who were the wrestlers before him?? Baclund was unappreciated and not acknowledged for his greatness
kdemonde 1 year ago
@kdemonde Hogan Flair Inoki Hart, Andre Dusty Rhodes
TheLuscious 1 year ago
@TheLuscious with the charisma of a brick wall
stephen181 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@TheLuscious "Bob Backlund ranked the 7th greatest wrestler of all time." He's not
"He held the belt for 5 years in a row for a reason:" he's white.
LVSWTZ 11 months ago
@TheLuscious fabulous moolah is higher in the ranks because of her thirty something championship reign
Cena121234 9 months ago
lolI luv how they always yell "15-25ft" in the air!.. when it looks more like 7.5 ft to me...
elchicho25 2 years ago
The ring is about 5 ft high. The cage is probably 8-10 ft high. Then you add the jump, it's a legit number but on the low side. They just don't TRAVEL 15-25 feet because of the height of the ring.
cbaldwinjr 2 years ago
maybe.. but I always figured since Snuka is about 6'1 and his head is about a foot or 2 from the top of the cage. Maybe if you count the distance from his head in mid jump to the concrete floor he's not landing on....it may come close to 15 ft.. blahhhh lol
elchicho25 2 years ago
Exactly. Wrestling is about suspended disbelief lol. How else could you believe Hulk Hogan was really 6'9"? LOL. But that's why we loved wrestling.
cbaldwinjr 2 years ago
I Love old school wrestling but it is SOOOO staged! if u want da title why would u jump back in da ring & not get out & win??
DoublePlatinum313 2 years ago 2
rip snuka.
diesel021234 2 years ago
@diesel021234 H
chuckgan 1 year ago
I've been waiting to see this match again for years. It's not nearly as impressive as the Snuka-Muraco angle/match as the real highlight of that encounter was Snuka throwing the belt and spitting on Muraco after the dive was the icing on the cake. However, this reminds me how big matches in MSG, Boston Garden and the Philly Spectrum were during those days. Wrestling used to get some respect back then.
MrDeray5 2 years ago
Backlund was a huge black eye the WWF. So lifeless,boring and just LAME. Awkwardness at it's most profound. How or why he rose to the level he did is beyond me. If he made up for his lame personality with some good ring skills then at LEAST there would be something less for me to complain about.
Chrisdrumz 2 years ago
thats mr backulnd to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
: ]
Rockwildon 2 years ago
Backlund was a NCAA champion greco-roman wrestler, so what the hell are you talking about? I'll answer that: you don't know.
jpwjr1199 2 years ago
Perhaps if he had entered the Olympics or become a high school or college wrestling coach his amateur background would have served him well. Aside from conditioning,what the hell good is the fact that he was an NCAA champ going to do in the world of pre determined outcomes and cage matches? Seems like YOU don't know what the hell you are talking about. McMahon Jr. himself felt making Backlund champ was a mistake.
Chrisdrumz 2 years ago
Okay, you made the comment that Backlund had no in-ring skills, which is false, regardless of pre-determined outcome/kayfabe; in fact, the opposite is true. McMahon SR. is the man who made Backlund champion and McMahon JR. is responsible for forcing him out of the company, so your last point is totally irrelevant, as YOU are mixing up father-promoter and son-promoter. In fact, son didn't screw over Backlund until father died already, so, at least, learn of what you speak before doing so.
jpwjr1199 2 years ago
I didn't mix up anything. I should have made myself clearer. McMahon JR. disagreed with his fathers decision to make Backlund champ(SR. liked his Jack Brisco type qualities). McMahon JR. wanted Graham to hold on to the title,but at the time it was what his dad wanted that mattered. So you see,what I wrote wasn't irrelevant at all. So tell me,what Greco Roman,champion NCAA skills did Backlund utilize in his matches. Atomic drop? Chicken wing? Perhaps his (I must admit impressive) pile driver?
Chrisdrumz 2 years ago
Strengh. Backlund had really freaky strengh. Once gave Ivan Koloff a one arm curl without his help. Very influenced by Karl"No Pain No Gain" Gotch. Still today works out like a demon.
yardlet6 2 years ago
Snuka was built like the proverbial brick shit house
bigpaulie68 2 years ago
i hated bob backlund. one of the worst champions of all time. a complete bore
plansheiky 2 years ago
Agreed. But I can at least watch him wrestle. With Cena in WWE i won't even watch a jobber match anymore.
hawkeystud 2 years ago
I agree! As much as I love "old school" wrestling, I DON'T SEE how Bob Backlund was "main event" (IF this cage match WAS the MAIN EVENT, that is!) material! When Bob used to wrestle the-then- current WWF villains/heels, I would look forward to watching Bob GETTING HIS BUTT KICKED!
CerebralContusion 2 years ago
żal lepiej nie oglądać!!!!!!!!
kari1624 2 years ago
alec 1115
The canvas is 4 feet off of the floor.
the cage is 8 feet high
snuka is about 6 feet tall... 18 feet approx.
altoon89 2 years ago
Cage matches up north sucked back then. First one out the door won. Down south and in the NWA there was no escape, it was about settling the score.
NAYellowjackets 2 years ago 3
i TOTALLY agree,the WWE cage matches SUCK!!!!!!!!! Only their HELL IN THE CELL MATCHES are good!
anthony1468 2 years ago
I wonder how much blow Snuka did before that leap.
AdolfBadsex 2 years ago
wAS THIS DIVE BEFORE THE ONE ON MURACO?
anthony1468 2 years ago
before...
JoeyPencils 2 years ago
how small were the cage's back then.
Mirpuria 2 years ago
Warner Wolf was a tv sports reporter. He have shown WWF big match clips and shown winning moves. The dive was seen.
popcur 2 years ago
25 feet in the air? Looks like 8ft to me.
alec1115 2 years ago
heights are always exagerated in wrestling, makes the people look better, and it's about 15 feet from the ground, about 10 from the mat.
CubbieBlue902 2 years ago
I never knew Snuka was a heel.
GarfieldVsSnoopy 2 years ago
i thought foley was at the muraco-snuka match
Will87 2 years ago
He was.
86lenny 2 years ago
There are no moments or matches like this in wrestlnig today. It has devolved into indulgent nonsense. This was the time w hen wrestlnig was exciting and great. Too bad.
ItsFrankieBoy 2 years ago
Can we say one the top ten matches of all time? did you hear the pop from the crowd when snuka missed?Today, cage matches arent that great. Even the elimination chamber matches dont have the drama as say the cage matches of the 70's and 80's
ashleybound 2 years ago 2
kisten to that crowd heat. a heel who was a heel, a face who was a face, in a feud that was built over time, and the belt meant something. it was so simple and good pre Hulkamania
eatpigsnot 2 years ago 2
OMG I remember this match! So awesome!
r32adt3db 3 years ago
lol i never seen this match up until now,the funny thing is why is this such a big deal when he missed it and lost?LOL.
rudebwoy1234567 3 years ago
it was a big deal because it was the first time anybody ever jumped from the top of the cage. keep in mind this match was about 25 years ago if not more. in today's cage matches a move like that is expected.
mavjer53 2 years ago 2
This match occured two days after my high school graduation.. 6/28/82. Remember it well. At the time, I didn't think it was a really good cage match. But in today's world---CLASSIC!!
HardrockGX 2 years ago
It wasn't the first time ever a wrestler jumped off of a cage, Adrian Adonis did it in late 1979 or early 1980 in a tag match with his partner Jessie Ventura vs Jim Brunzell and Greg Gagne.
I have the match on tape and like Snuka Adrian missed.
86lenny 2 years ago
comment 107
devour5231978 3 years ago
Mick Foley was definitely in this crowd. Apparently, he hitchhiked to the Garden that night.
chessarama 3 years ago
Actually the match he hitchhiked to was the Snuka-Muraco cage match
bauble24 3 years ago
Jimmy Snuka is still one of the best in my opinion.
ActoneSUCKA 3 years ago 4
lol, big move back then, now its used no less then 17 times in a match with the divas no less. lol screw wrestling. fake shyte.
082076 3 years ago
so much better than todays "sports entertainment". listen to that crowd. that is when the title actually meant something, when it was not a prop.
eatpigsnot 3 years ago
Lo Fallo Snuka!! 1:26
edgar8491 3 years ago
Classic moment in wrestling.
PeterSmeter 3 years ago
was this after the Muraco match in 83? or before?
niccebodguy 3 years ago
Before...Snuka was a heel.
KaneRobot 3 years ago
been dying to see this ever since I heard of it thank you
latinoish37 3 years ago
15 years ahead of its time!
jumpy27 3 years ago
The best part of this match is Snuka pausing at the top rope and then deciding to go to the top of the cage. Only Taker throwing Foley off the top of the cage tops this.
ewoldt 3 years ago
These guys were selling out the gardens long before hulk was around.
okrabay 3 years ago 3
look at the height of the cage xD
SaveUsM2X 3 years ago 2
Classic. Those were the days.
JackStraw65 3 years ago
what an amazing leap!!!
jollybird66 3 years ago 2
Thus: ECW was born.
countbloodula 3 years ago
This is sick lol.
Caljamscott 3 years ago
I have films like this as well. In fact I had a run-in with the WWF so I'm a bit leery as to waht to do with them at the moment.
Caljamscott 3 years ago
Wow ! This was a great memory of my chid hood to watch ! The most exciting thing in the world to me at the time. How stupid wrestling is now today. Its like watching CARTOONS!They dont even try to make it look real anymore!
mozartinlove 3 years ago
i love how they say my name over and over....
jonasbacklund 3 years ago
lol u called it a sport therefore your "gay" one here
ShawnSavage07 3 years ago 4
This has been flagged as spam show
Wrestling is the gayest sport EVER.
PFCPEDERSON 3 years ago
Crap....what happened to pops like that!?
Mbk606 3 years ago
cena....batista.....
quatroespada 3 years ago
Wrestling is the greatest sport ever.
ronsmac 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Snuka was one of the dumbest wrestlers. He could have climed down the cage instead he risk a super fly leap and missed what a dope.
signhere13 3 years ago
wasn't this the match witnessed by a young mick foley,
subsequently inspiring him to wrestle?
:)
AzzFellows2006 3 years ago 4
Nah, that was a cage match, probably around the same time, but Snuka vs. MURCO.
AlexDCl 3 years ago
You mean Don Muraco?
I think this was the match that Foley saw. Foley was also influenced by Magnificent Muraco, though, and he inducted him into the WWF Hall of Fame.
CaptainCrunchisma 3 years ago
no, that was Snuka vs Muraco Oct 83 also from MSG
eatpigsnot 3 years ago
This is one of the reasons I hated Cage matchs. As long as you exited, whether unconscious or accidental, you became winner. Humbug.
peposo7 3 years ago
maxx, you probably dont know this but the reason why this fight is so well known is that this is the jump that motivated not just Foley (and others who later became wrestlers who were in the audience) but wrestling in general into the high flying action that it is now. if he spoke good english he would have became the world champ. but then hulk took the job.
this is why its called the superfly splash. :D.. to this day.. :D.. his first ever jump also.
fijimahnbebo 3 years ago
Vine is a douchebag by stating Snuka was 25 feet in the air. It was 8-10 feet TOPS!
americandiablo 3 years ago
Do you count the length from the canvas to the outside
AlexDCl 3 years ago
Richie Cunningham as the WWF champion back then! LOL! Backund was a great technical wrestler as Bret Hart, but he lacked personality.
collarsup4me 3 years ago
I fail to see how people hold this match in high regard, despite the fact that wrestlers these days do more insane stunts. Snuka jumped 10 feet off of the top of the cage and missed... missed his opponent. That's great, how? Kane was set on fire twice in the WWF/E, and Snuka did here what so many others have ever done in a cage match.
MaxxTheSlash 3 years ago
What you miss is the very thing that is wrong with wrestling and the mistake that they made. It is all CONTEXT. Some of the best things during the 90's are also some of the worst. At that time, this had shock value. Just like chair shots, blood etc. Now it has become, "I've seen this all before" because you have. So Kane was set on fire twice. How can they top that? Now people can't even get a pin fall after murdering someone. Think someone canb actually take a sledgehammer blow?
bigpaulie68 3 years ago
At the time, this was outrageous. Things have "progressed" if you want to call it that. It's the same way with cell phones. An answering machine used to be a big deal, but now, they are garbage. You have to acknowledge that these things are on a timeline.
seanbonjovi7 3 years ago
No, I still don't see why this particular cage jumping incident is so famous. People have jumped off of steel cages before Snuka. The only reason I can think of that this moment was so great is because previous cage jumps were done by nobodys at un-televised or taped events, so finally a big name did it. If the cage was a little higher than 10 feet (less than twice the height of a corner post) and he actually CONNECTED with his opponent, I would have been impressed.
MaxxTheSlash 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
LOL Backlund BARELY got past a guy that couldn't win a single match from 1988-93.
destronia123 3 years ago
Such a classic match......
clebo99 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I like how the guys on the wrong end of the suplex help themselves up with their legs.
Wrestling is fake, ya know.
OrangeSFO 3 years ago
OMG.....fake?!?!?! really?!?!?! Have you told anyone?
You should write a book.
gravy3000 3 years ago 6
lol the guy on the floor looked up at him on top of the cage, then pretended he hadnt seen so he cud move out the way
wolfo0205 3 years ago
Backlund overacting is hilarious! How many times does he go into covulsions and start to almost get up and the crash back down on his back?! Hahahahaha
TomFromJersey 3 years ago
Were Backlund and Vince McMahon ever an "item"? They look a lot alike (little head, no chin, big shoulders and beer gut).
:)
destronia123 3 years ago
Backlund got lucky unlike Muraco who also tasted the leap from the top of the cage too
anthony1468 3 years ago