[2001-04-06-TWZ] Bob Backlund vs Gillberg

As Gillberg makes his way around ringside slapping hands with the fans, Backlund is inside doing his knee walk.  Gillberg enters and starts mocking the walking, flapping his arms as if he’s a chicken.  Backlund takes exception to that, exiting the ring to go on a walk around the building.  After over three minutes of nothing (the bell also having rang before Backlund left!), Gillberg goes out after him and chases him back into the ring.  Drop down, hip toss and Backlund rolls under the bottom rope, returning to the outside.  He’s holding his back, and boy is he milking this, as Gillberg makes more fun of him.  After a bodyslam Backlund is on his knees offering the hand of friendship (only after he’s rolled to the floor...again) although his opponent isn’t so keen.  Gillberg eventually offers his own hand and when Backlund goes to shake it, he pulls away and starts strutting as if he’s Jackie Fargo.  A bit of nonsense and shenanigans with the ref, that the crowd laps up, and finally we get a hand shake.  With neither man cheap shotting the other, Backlund turns to the crowd, almost showing them that he can be trusted.  As he does so, Gillberg with a school boy for the three and Dwayne Gill has just cleanly pinned Bob Backlund!

I took a chance on this as its Bob Backlund in 2001.  Seeing who his opponent is I went in fully expecting plenty of comedy, shtick and not much in the way of heated grappling exchanges!  Well we got a bit of ‘comedy’, but this was a ten minute match that consisted of four actual wrestling moves (hip toss, two bodyslams and a roll up) padded out with a shit ton of stalling and some shtick.  Heck, we didn’t even get a spear!  You book Gillberg and don’t even let him do the spear?  I’m sure Dwayne Gill never in his wildest dreams imagined getting a pin on Bob Backlund, but he does here.  Don’t make the same mistake I did and watch this.