I feel this is a solid nomination. Bob shows off his amateur wrestling background early. Hogan focuses on Bob's back with a body slam, kicks and stomps, and a big back breaker. Hogan switches over to the arm which was a departure from the story he was telling. Hogan puts Bob on the mat with a hammerlock. in a fun spot Bob fights to his feet to only get pulled down by the trunks. Bob keeps things interesting by fighting from underneath. He wasn't content to sit in holds. In the spot of the match Bob flips out of a hammerlock and rolls Hulk up for 2. Hulk sets for a backdrop, and Bob catches him with a small package. Hulk misses the leg drop. Bob focuses on the lkeg now. He uses this cool fig 4/Indian Death Lock variation. Bob row,row,rows the leg. Just simple stuff that works. Nice drop hold from Bob. Bob sets for a backdrop. Hulk kicks him and sells his worked over leg. Bob gets bumped to the outside. Some KOTM spots. Bear hug by Hulk. Bob uses an atomic drop to escape. Bear hug again Bob uses some dbl knees to escape then pile drives him that was cool as fuck. At the finish Hulk channels Buddy Rose and gets his foot caught in the rope for the count out.

BOB BACKLUND vs HULK HOGAN (05/10/1980; WWF Philadelphia Spectrum; 00:29:26)
-    Starts different from the previous match with Hogan controlling bob with arm locks and wrist locks. Great arm work honestly. Now he is hooking in a hammerlock after ramming the arm into the corner. So I have figured out the biggest problem with Hogan is he just isn’t over at this point in his career. Bob breaks out and a great sequence ending in a two count for a Bob small package. Hogan goes for the leg drop, misses and Bob takes over with the leg work.  There is almost no free space in this work. Everything is working or moving unlike the first match. Hogan powers out and sends Bob out but still selling the leg. Even trying to play King of the Mountain and kicking Bob, he sells his leg. A big knee off an Irish whip and Bob has life. Great work by both guys and I have a hard time saying that about 19980 Hogan. Hogan hooks in a bear hug and not selling the leg so a couple of points off. Bob keeps fighting to get out so props to him. He breaks out and hits his great piledriver for two. A dropkick makes Hogan take an over the top rope bump. Wow! Hogan’s leg gets tangled in the ropes and Bob wins on a count out. I thought this was a better count out than last month. This entire match was much better than last month. This is the classic. This is the match that should be on the set. EASY NOMINATION. The last match was 5-7 minutes longer with LOTS of down time. This had almost no down time.  

BOB BACKLUND vs HULK HOGAN (05/10/1980; WWF Philadelphia Spectrum; 00:29:26) 

Interesting that this time Hogan offers the handshake and Backlund flat out refuses to shake. Hogan does some clean breaks and Bob rethinks the handshake. Like the early feeling out process and it’s definitely more engaging with Bob being the one working from underneath with Hogan working the arm.  Like the transition to Bob working the leg, and Backlund is usually active when wrenching arms or legs. Gret leg selling by Hogan when he is in control again. From the point Backlund breaks out of the bearhug into a great piledriver, it’s once again war of attrition. Was not expecting that Hogan bump over the top rope and I liked the way the finish played out. There’s been no definitive winner in their two matches, and this sets up a third match to settle things more decisively, which we never got.

Liked this more than their first match and it’s a matchup that should be on the set, so a Strong nomination overall.