"Superstar" Billy Graham is one of the most controversial individuals in sports-entertainment
history. He's somebody who made it big but then when he left
the industry he turned on the very industry that made him big. However,
this story does have a happy ending as he returned to the sports-entertainment
family and is now a member of World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) Hall of Fame.
Two years after becoming a Hall of Famer, "Superstar" Billy Graham wrote
his autobiography and was produced in his very own DVD. Both items are
available now by clicking here for the autobiography and clicking here for the DVD. This is the review of the DVD entitled WWE 20 Years Too Soon: The "Superstar" Billy Graham Story. The main feature on the DVD begins with the story of how Graham grew up. Graham's family had four children in it, he was the youngest and he says that they were all close. His father had MS (Multiple Sclorosis) and would actually beat Graham so bad that he was afraid to walk. The future WWWF Heavyweight Champion wouldn't start walking until he was over two years old. When Graham was a teenager he was the first in his family to find religion. He found God when he was driving his sick father back and forth to the hospital and one day in the middle of the desert, there was a tent being produced with a billboard in front of it with the words: "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN." Graham decided to go inside of the tent and once he did, he listened to the preacher talk about the Great Lake of Fire and he did not want any of that. Graham walked down the isle and prayed at the alter to be saved by Jesus Christ. Graham started working out after his older brother asked him if he wanted to work out with him. "Superstar" told the story of his first visit to a gym and how he wanted to try lifting some weights. So he took some of the weight off one side and then the barbell with the heavy weights crashed into a window and the glass fell ontop of the people walking downstairs. Graham goes on to say he tried playing football but it just wasn't for him. The chapter regarding Grahams training in Calgary begins with him stating he was back in Phoenix, Arizona and his friend Bob Luke asks if he wants to become a professional wrestler. Luke told him it was lots of fun and is easy money. Graham drove to Calgary in the winter of 1970 and spent the first two weeks in Stu Hart's dungeon. He said Hart did not show any mercy during the training and when the training was finally over, Hart suggested Graham went to different cities and arm wrestle the wrestlers. When he wrestled for the first time the fans laughed at him because he didn't know how to wrestle due to Stu just beating the crap out of him. Graham met Dr. Jerry Graham in a nightclub and the Doctor said for them to wrestle on an Indian Reservation. Once they made no money, Jerry told him to wrestle in Los Angeles. They then became tag team partners and shortly thereafter he became "Superstar" Billy Graham. Graham suggested the arm wrestling gimmick once again to the new promoter and one week he arm wrestled "Classy" Freddie Blassie. In the end, Blassie beat Graham and that was the last time the two would work together. Graham briefly speaks about his time in AWA and how he tag teamed with Dusty Rhodes. The conversation then moves to how he meets his wife, Valerie. Graham said he often says Valerie "was doomed to love me." Historical footage of Graham winning the WWWF Heavyweight Championship is shown during the next chapter of the DVD. Jim Ross stated that Bruno Sammartino was "the steak" but "Superstar" Billy Graham was "the sizzle." Graham stated that he sold-out MSG in 19 out of the 20 main events he participated in. The DVD also discusses Graham's feud with "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes which took place in the late 1970s. Graham joked that a Texas Death Match sounds so much more threatening than a Vermont Death Match. After their second match, Graham went to Vince McMahon Sr and said they needed one more match and it needed to be a Texas Bull Rope Match. The match took place and Graham stated that up until then, the fans at MSG (Madison Square Garden) had never seen such a bloody contest between two men. The feature film then discussed when Bob Backlund defeated "Superstar" Billy Graham to win the WWWF Heavyweight Championship. Vince McMahon, Jr. said his father was looking for the "All-American Boy" and that did not match Graham. Jim Ross wondered what would've happened if Graham chased Backlund for the championship. Graham stated he felt betrayed after losing the championship. Graham said after he lost the championship to Backlund, he decided to take a sabbatical from the world of wrestling. His wife, Valerie, said while he was off he started getting quieter and depressed. He got so bad at one point, he started to mutilate his body with forks and other foreign objects. Valerie said she was told later on by him that he would think of ways to end his life without it being gory so that way when she came home and found his lifeless body, he wouldn't be in some form where she would play it again and again in her head. When "Superstar" wanted to return to wrestling, he decided the "old" Graham was "dead" so he decided to shave off what was left of the hair on his head and return as a Karate wrestler. Valerie did not like the Karate wrestler gimmick. After Graham went to NWA, he decided to return to the original gimmick. Graham called Vince up and asked to return and he was allowed but once he returned, when his opponent leaped into his arms for a bearhug, Graham felt |
REVIEW: WWE 20 YEARS TOO SOON: THE "SUPERSTAR" BILLY GRAHAM STORY |
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