Superstar Billy Graham passed away on Wednesday. He was 79 years old. In the 1970's, Graham was a revolutionary figure in professional wrestling because of his physique. Superstar Billy Graham began his career as a bodybuilder and he became friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the late 60's in California. After starting his wrestling career in California, by 1972 Graham moved to the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and he had great feuds with legends like Verne Gagne, Wahoo McDaniel, The Crusher, Ken Patera, and Billy Robinson. With his mythic physique and his colorful attire, Graham was a franchise star and soon he would move into the big leagues. In 1975, Graham moved onto the World Wide Wrestling Federation which is now the WWE.
Superstar Billy Graham was at the pinnacle of his career in WWE. While in WWE, Graham feuded with Bruno Sammartino, Ivan Putski, Pedro Morales, Dusty Rhodes, and Mil Mascaras. Graham reached the top of the mountain in WWE on April 30, 1977, when he defeated Bruno Sammartino for the World Title in Baltimore. Superstar held the title for nine and a half months and became one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling.
Superstar Billy Graham influenced so many stars including Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, and Scott Steiner. Graham's promos and his physique changed the way pro wrestling was presented and marketed. Thank you Superstar Billy Graham. Your contributions to the wrestling business will never be forgotten.
THE PROFESSOR
