WWE News: Bob Backlund Returning To WWE In Effort To Help This Superstar [Spoilers]

Bob Backlund has not made an official WWE appearance on television since 2013, but the “All-American Boy” is back, and chances are it could be for an extended run. On this week’s episode of Smackdown, Backlund will appear in a backstage segment alongside Darren Young, as reported on by Daily Wrestling News. Ironically, the last time Backlund was on WWE programming, he appeared alongside Young and Titus O’Neil at the 2013 Hell in a Cell pay-per-view playing video games, specifically WWE 2K14.

The segment will see Young approach WWE Hall-of-Famer Bob Backlund requesting him to become his life coach. Backlund agrees in an effort to “Make Darren Great Again.” This phrase is obviously a spoof of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign slogan to “Make America Great Again.” Backlund stresses to Young that he must understand that “wrestling is life,” which should go hand-in-hand with Young’s approach and catchphrase of “no days off.”

Last year, Darren Young was a guest alongside Titus O’Neil (Prime Time Players tag team at the time) on Chris Jericho’s podcast where Young revealed that he pitched this exact storyline to management some time ago. It was originally either denied or put on the shelf, and whether or not Young presented officials with the Bob Backlund idea again, or they simply swept the dust off it is unknown. Either way, it appears Young will receive some type of re-packaging as a singles competitor with the guidance of Bob Backlund.

Backlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 and was recognized alongside his fellow inductees (Mick Foley, Bruno Sammartino, Trish Stratus, Booker T and the aformentioned Donald Trump) at WrestleMania 29. Triple H was the key broker in negotiating on Backlund’s behalf to join the Hall of Fame. The ceremony that year was held at Madison Square Garden, where Backlund performed to many sold-out crowds. In late 2015, Backlund told The Inquisitrof the positive relationshiphe had built with HHH.

“He’s done everything he said he would with me since I met him. I can’t say he’s Vince McMahon Sr, but you can’t judge somebody in a years time span. You gotta do business with them for quite a while before you could really know that he is that person you’re hoping that he is. So far, I believe he’s a very good person and I know he’s a good family man.”

So it appears that Bob Backlund will continue building that relationship with The Game as his role with Darren Young unfolds. Curiously, however, Backlund was not as fond of John Cena as he was with Triple H. It’s interesting in that Cena exemplifies many of the same qualities Backlund tried to exude during his tenure as a WWF star. But Backlund questioned the authenticity of Cena the man vs Cena the WWE superstar.

“I’m not a fan of his, I see what he does on television, I don’t see what he does [off television]. Has he ever went to a hospital without a camera with him? I judge him on that he was a married man at one time, you say ’till death do you part.’ You honor that for the rest of your life, so I don’t know him well enough to tell you he walks the walk.”

Cena has been one of Darren Youn’s most outspoken supporters, especially since Young came out publicly as homosexual. It remains to be seen whether Young attempts or has attempted to mend any of those fences or changed Backlund’s mind. Young and Titus O’Neil had two go-arounds as tag team partners, but WWE is bent on seeing what they can do on their own. O’Neil is coming off a suspension and now the goal is to “Make Darren Great Again” with the unusual help of Bob Backlund.