Wrestling great makes return appearance in Delco
BROOKHAVEN >> Like working the professional wrestling circuit of decades past, former World Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund recently made his second appearance Burman’s Health Shop in six weeks for a meet-and-greet with fans and to talk about the benefits of a health-minded lifestyle. Backlund’s appearance at the Edgmont Avenue store this month followed a September visit as a guest on the store’s Rising Core podcast, covering nutritional supplements and healthy living.
“I’ve had a great time down here,” said Backlund, WWF champion from 1978-1983, on the second day of the two-day engagement. “I’m really into being happy, smiling and keeping yourself that way on a day-to-day basis … people are going to go out there and get in that groove where every day is a pleasant day and a learning experience.”
A football player and NCAA Division II National Champion wrestler at North Dakota State University before embarking on his professional wrestling career, Backlund has spent the years since the 2015 release of his autobiography, “Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling’s World Champion,” promoting exercise, self-discipline and a clean-living lifestyle.
Reading the autobiography prompted store owner Marty Burman, a lifelong fan, to connect with Backlund and arrange the podcast and in-store guest appearances. Backlund’s November visit was a multi-generational event for the Burman family, with Marty’s sons in attendance along with his father Harvey, who founded the health shop’s predecessor, Burman’s Pharmacy, in Chester in 1965.
“My dad told me he wants me … to tell my kids this is a childhood hero of his that I got the chance to be with,” said Sam Burman, Marty’s youngest son and current sophomore at Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood. Following his father as a baseball player, Sam spoke with Backlund about his exercise and lifestyle philosophies. “I learned back squats aren’t very good for you because it puts pressure on the lower back,” Burman said. “From the athletic standpoint, I heard from Bob … no matter how long it takes, just work as hard as you can, because it’s going to pay off. He started at the bottom and he made it to the top.”
Backlund writes in his autobiography that after a difficult youth in Princeton, Minnesota, he dedicated himself to athletics at age 15 after being eliminated in a wrestling tournament by a future state champion.
“On the way home I said ‘if he can do it, why can’t I?,’” he told the Times in September. Filling two fivegallon pails with cement connected by a pipe to create a barbell, Backlund dedicated himself to training. He defeated the same wrestler one year later. “I said ‘this hard work pays off’ – over and over and over again to this day,” he said.
Backlund’s amateur wrestling achievements ultimately put him on the track to the WWF (predecessor to today’s World Wrestling Entertainment) championship. In the territorial era of professional wrestling, the Northeastbased
WWF, Midwestbased American Wrestling Association, and the National Wrestling Alliance (a consortium of dozens of promotions throughout the U.S. and abroad) each recognized a separate world’s championship. World champions were often chosen for both their ticket-drawing power and legitimate grappling ability, should a double-cross of the prearranged outcome be attempted when visiting another territory.
While the nature of the business has changed since Backlund’s championship reign, young fans were still in attendance at Burman’s for the meet-and-greet. Regular store customers Carmen and Cathleen Borelli of Middletown had their son Carmen Jr., 9, in tow for photos with Backlund. The senior Borelli said his son has exposure to past eras of wrestling through the WWE Network (a streaming video service).
“We (watch) it all the time,” said Cathleen. “It’s good clean fun; especially Mr. Backlund. He’s such a good guy,” she said.