In 1969, he decided to enter the world of professional wrestling, and adopted the ring name Billy Graham, as a tribute to the famous evangelist of the same name. He worked first with Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling promotion and then in 1972 adopted the “Superstar” moniker and joined Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association.
Graham quickly became a standout talent with his bodybuilder physique, flashy almost gaudy fashion sense, dyed hair and beard and charisma with the mic. Drawing heavily on Muhammad Ali’s quick-witted style on the mic, Graham became must-see TV as much for his interviews and promos as he was for his ring work.
By the late 70s, Graham was one of the leading names in wrestling and his greatest success came in Vince McMahon Sr’s WWWF when he defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship on April 30, 1977. Graham held the title for nine and a half months, defeating the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Gorilla Monsoon and Dwayne Johnson’s grandfather “High Chief” Peter Maivia. He eventually lost the title to Bob Backlund.
Graham’s star began to wane in the 1980s as he hit his 40s and a new generation of stars who had co-opted his style, ring persona and mic work came to prominence. He quit wrestling for good in 1987 and became a color commentator and a manager in Vince McMahon Jr’s WWF.
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