Bob Backlund vs. The Iron Sheik

[9.0] "Great match. They positioned Backlund as entering in rough shape, a nice way to allow him to preserve his position. He still looked great here and the crowd was still behind him, though the pop Hogan got admittedly dwarfed his. Sheik played the aggressive heel role to the hilt. Just a great match to end one era and start another."

[7.0] "Not only was it an important part of the history, but it was also a great pure wrestling match. Sheik dominated much of the time, and it really looked like Bob was going to get a second wind and win, but the villain weakened the champion so much that it never happened. The match was intense, especially when Bob was unable to perform moves due to an injured shoulder and neck, and it would go on to perhaps mark the beginning of a new era for the WWF."

[8.0] "I feel old school wrestling has such a charm to it. Even if this is just mostly holds it was very enjoyable"

[6.0] "This was an effective match that was more about setting the stage for Hulk Hogan's impending coronation as 'the man' than anything else. Backlund comes into the match with an injured neck and shoulder, and as such the majority of the bout is controlling by the Iron Sheik. Backlund sells convincingly and has some nicely timed comeback attempts, but he doesn't have a whole lot else to do here as their main focus was just on using the injury angle to give Backlund an 'out' for losing and protect him in defeat. Sheik does a fine job dominating the match and plays his part effectively, albeit nothing much to rave about. It's a solid match where they achieve exactly what they set out to, and obviously a landmark event in WWE history."

[6.0] "For in-ring quality this doesn't hold a candle to their 1979 title match, but this is the biggest signal so far that the WWF is changing. Hulk Hogan was signed 3 days prior to this and now Vince McMahon Jr.'s style of storytelling was taking full hold. Instead of a great in-ring match that Hogan vs. Backlund would be, having Hogan be the American hero beating the evil foreign heel of The Iron Sheik was going to be much more in line with the way WWF was heading."

[6.0] "It's a shame that Sheik wasn't better in the ring because he looked like an absolute beast in this match and could have had a longer main event run then he did, rather then a random heel for Hogan to beat. I've always enjoyed Backlund and I think he should be remembered more then his is for being a good wrestler. These two mesh petty well with a hot crowd and a good story with Sheik working over Backlund's neck. The big downside of the match is it's just slow and long restholds which was the style of the time but doesn't age well today. It dose however have one of the important finishes in wrestling history. Overall, a match that should be watched for historical reasons."

[7.0] "This was a classic moment and iconic for the Iron Sheiks title win at Madison Square Garden. Sheik worked a methodical match and Backlund having the towel thrown in on him was a great ending. The crowd was stunned when the Sheik won, but man what a moment."

[6.0] "That was a solid match with a shocking finish. The in-ring work from both wrestlers was decent. The finish was quite surprising given that Bob Backlund's manager threw in the towel. This match is pretty significant in wrestling history, as this was the end of Bob Backlund's 5 year reign as WWF Champion, signaling the end of an era and bringing in more colorful characters such as Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper. 6/10"

[5.0] "From a wrestling standpoint, this was a decent match, though largely unremarkable in its execution for the most part. What made this match meaning however was the result, that being the end of Bob Backlund's run as champion, in itself a symbolic end to the old WWF, with the Hogan era soon to begin after Sheik's transitional reign. It sucked to see Backlund largely shafted in exchange for Hulkamania, but it was unsurprising since he didn't have the same charisma as Hogan."