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Showing posts with label Superstar Billy Graham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superstar Billy Graham. Show all posts

May 17, 2023

WWE Legend Billy Graham Dead At 79

WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham has died ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Billy's family tells us he died Wednesday after being taken off life support. We're told Billy's wife and daughter were by his side when he passed. As we reported, Billy's wife Valerie announced Monday he had been in the ICU for three weeks as a result of various health issues. She said doctors wanted to take Billy off life support Monday night, but she initially refused.

Known for his prowess as a wrestler and a bodybuilder, Billy rose to fame back in the day wrestling for the American Wrestling Association and later the World Wrestling Federation.

Billy mentored big-time wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Scott Steiner, Ric Flair and Jesse Ventura ... and in 2004 the WWE inducted Billy into its Hall of Fame.

Billy's recent health issues took a toll on his body ... his family says he lost 45 pounds while suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes, hearing loss, and a significant infection in his ears and skull. We're also told his kidneys were failing.

Tributes are now pouring in from across the wrestling world ... with Ric tweeting, "THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFLUENCE On My Career!"

Billy was 79.

November 3, 2015

Wrestling Legend Signs New Deal With WWE


Wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham announced on Facebook that he has signed a WWE Legends contract after being offered the deal by Triple H. Graham attended last week's WWE TV tapings in Phoenix and met with Mark Carrano of Talent Relations to discuss the deal.

Graham has had several issues with WWE in the past, including speaking out against Linda McMahon during her 2010 Senate campaign. Soon after that, Graham had some health issues and reached out to the McMahons to apologize. Graham sent a letter to Vince McMahon this past summer and asked to take Dusty Rhodes' job in WWE NXT after he passed.

Graham wrote the following on Facebook:

"Hello Facebook fans around the world. I am thrilled to report to all of you that Triple H, via a telephone conversation, has offered to give me an official WWE Legends contract. I of course said yes, and thank you very much! I have received that contract, and signed and mailed it back to the WWE. So I am officially back in the WWE family, proving that miracles still happen !! I did go to the Smackdown show held here in Phoenix on October 27th, as some had reported on the internet. I met with WWE Talent Relations executive Mark Carrano to go over various opportunities for me in the future. Mark Carrano is a real class act and gentleman and was very encouraging on the future release of my WWE merchandise sometime after the first of the year, along with attending WrestleMaina 32 in Dallas as part of the meet and greet fan access festivities. So, I want to thank Triple H and Mark Carrano for making this exciting event happen for me. I am officially back home in the family of the WWE where I belong !!!!"

July 1, 2015

More On WWE Hall Of Famer Wanting Dusty Rhodes' Old NXT Job


As noted earlier this week, WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham is interested in taking Dusty Rhodes' old job of helping NXT talent develop promo. Graham posted the following on his Facebook this week:

Hello wrestling fans, this is Superstar Billy Graham. With all of the rumors going around about my interest or lack of, concerning a position for me with the NXT that my dear friend Dusty Rhodes had, I thought that was necessary to give you a direct statement from me to set the record straight. First off, I have been planning on moving back to Florida for some time now. My wife of 35 years, Valerie, is from Tampa and all of her family lives there. Also my daughter lives in West Palm Beach.

This morning, Tuesday, June 30th 2015 I sent an email directly to Vince informing him that if the position that Dusty once had has not yet been filled, that I am very much interested in taking it since I am moving back to live in Florida . I have not heard back from Vince or any of his staff as he is a very busy man. I am sure at some point I will get an answer from Vince concerning this question.

About my qualifications for this position: It should be obvious that I am qualified for this NXT position of coaching the younger talent about how to to do promos and communicate with the worldwide WWE TV wrestling audience. Also, I am not so stupid that I would try to teach them how to be charismatic to the level of a Dusty Rhodes or myself, one is born with that level of charisma, but a young wrestler can be taught to be more confident in their delivery and bring out their full potential in this area.

About my health: As almost everyone knows, I have had a successful liver transplant. My liver, according to a recent test, is doing extremely good. I feel very robust, alert, and healthy, as the doctors at the world famous Mayo Clinic Hospital here in Phoenix have told me and I train at a 24 hour fitness gym 4 days a week.

As soon as I hear from Mr Vince McMahon regarding the NXT position one way or another, I will post that information on my Facebook. Thank you for your time and every one have a nice day, Superstar Billy Graham.

Here are some reasons the WWE might not want him back:

"Superstar" Billy Graham Auctioning HOF Ring


Former Professional Wrestler Blasts Linda McMahon and Her Campaign For Senate

March 6, 2013

Superstar Billy Graham Wants Out of WWE's Hall of Fame


Superstar Billy Graham wrote the following post on his facebook page about wanting out of WWE's Hall of Fame. The Christian Post also did a story talking about Graham wanting out which you can read here.

The following is from Graham's Facebook page:

"In 2011 I became one unhappy retired wrestler when WWE inducted into its Hall of Fame Abdullah the Butcher (Larry Shreve). Not just because Shreve had never worked for the WW(W)F or stepped foot inside Madison Square Garden, not just because my good friend Randy "Macho Man" Savage was passed over in the honors list of that year, but because Abdullah actually is a butcher in a disturbingly real sense.

Now we all know that pro wrestling is largely make-believe. The trouble is that many of us end up losing the ability to distinguish fantasy from reality. The temptation to become in real life the characters we create in the ring can sometimes become just too overwhelming. I'm afraid that's the case with this WWE Hall of Fame inductee. For decades Larry Shreve has played the blood-lusting Abdullah the Butcher, a maniac psychotic enough to qualify as a Canadian-born Hitler, another Fuehrer.

Well, losing touch with reality is one thing; losing respect for other wrestlers' rights is another, and in my view the "Butcher" has blotted his copybook big time by becoming a suspected spreader of Hepatitis C through his negligence when blading in the ring. The Butcher, who is Hepatitis C positive Genotype 2 is currently facing allegations of negligence, assault and battery in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice stemming from an unsanitary blade assault in a 2007 professional wrestling match. Nicholson is being represented by Ronald Caza in the case. Caza, of the Caza Saikaley law firm is one of Canada’s most eminent lawyers.

In this link (youtube.com/watch?v=0rN4FI8yqq8) you will see how Shreve, in a match against Hannibal (Devon Nicholson), cut his own head with a razor blade and then cut the forehead of the unsuspecting Nicholson. It’s alleged that the end result of this assault was Nicholson, a healthy young man at the time who was just beginning a promising career, contracting Hepatitis C. How many others wrestlers have contracted Hepatitis C thanks to Abdullah's indifference to the danger he poses regularly to his fellow workers? Nicholson is now in the middle of a 9 month regimen with disturbing side effects to rid him of this disease.

In my opinion every time "The Butcher" behaves in this utterly irresponsible way, cutting the foreheads of other wrestlers, it is as if he is attempting murder, because the fact is the Hepatitis C can kill. I take no pleasure at all in saying this. Larry Shreve was once a friend of mine and it has saddened me to see him sink into such anti-social behavior. But right is right and wrong is wrong and never the twain shall meet. WWE, with its powerful influence on our vulnerable youth in these increasingly immoral times, should be strongly condemning life-threatening gimmicks in the ring, not rewarding them, and Larry Shreve needs to take stock of his actions and the tragic effects they have had on others. The world of pro wrestling is a rough and tough one, and none of us has a lily-white record when it comes to personal behavior. But carelessly spreading a deadly disease in the name of "entertainment" is beyond a joke. So hopefully now you will all have a better understanding of exactly why I asked WWE to remove my name from the WWE Hall of Fame list when Abdullah was inducted two years ago.

January 15, 2013

Billy Graham Responds To Chris Jericho; Says He Is A Triple H Mark


WWE Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham today responded on Facebook to Chris Jericho who recently called him a "mark" after he lashed out at WWE Champion CM Punk for his recent promo on Raw in which he claimed Bruno Sammartino only wrestled once a month in Madison Square Garden when he was WWE champion. Below is the full response given by Graham to Jericho:

"Mr. Jericho Sir,

I won’t say Dear Chris because I know you hate me with the utter most hatred.

Addressing your quote about me, "And stop being such a mark” The truth is, I believe everyone is a mark for someone or something at some point in their life. For instance, I am a total mark for Bob Dylan. The man has written over 600 songs and I saw him in person here in Phoenix last year. He had never sounded better at the age of 70! Fans are marks for the upcoming Super Bowl, The World Series, The NBA championship playoffs, and Nascar to name just a few examples.

In pro wrestling I am a mark for Triple H and proud to admit it for numerous reasons. He had a great hard earned physique, he had enormous charisma and an in ring presence that was unmatched. I remember sitting on the front row at a PPV here in Phoenix and his opponent gave him a sling shot into the post. I had my eyes fixed on him because I was curious about how he was going to do the blade job. As soon as his head hit the post he started bleeding, I did not see him cut himself and he was right in front of me, just a few feet away! Back in the locker room we were sitting next to each other and I asked him, "Brother, how did you cut your head, as you started bleeding immediately?" He said, " Superstar, I cut my head right before it hit the post." I marked out at that very moment, what a pro that man was and still could be if he wanted to be.

In closing I hope that answers your statement to me regarding “being such a mark.” And your quote to me about "Shutting the hell up” I won’t even address that because what I do best is CUT PROMOS!!!"

Superstar Billy Graham

October 19, 2012

Muscle & Fitness Magazine Ranks the Best Bodies in Wrestling


Former WWE Champion Batista is featured on the cover of the November issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine. The issue also looks at "the best bodies in wrestling" with stories on Mark Henry and David Otunga.

They rank the ten best wrestler physiques with John Cena, The Rock, Paul Orndorff, Bill Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, Rick Rude, Triple H, Superstar Billy Graham, Scott Steiner and The Ultimate Warrior. The five worst physiques are listed as Dusty Rhodes, Yokozuna, George "The Animal" Steele, Abdullah the Butcher and Haystacks Calhoun.

January 29, 2012

Triple H's UFC Comments Come Alive in Chael Sonnen


Back in September 2011, Triple H drew a lot of heat for comments he made about the UFC needed to evolve and "give more of an entertainment standpoint". Various MMA sites have picked up on Chael Sonnen's interview after his UFC win last night and noted how closely it resembled a promo from Superstar Billy Graham. You be the judge:



Sonnen is being criticized for "stealing" the promo; however, I think he is just a fan paying homage to a legend. I think Triple and Chael have the right idea with bringing more "show" to the UFC.

April 24, 2011

Abdullah the Butcher Fires Back at Superstar Billy Graham on WWE HOF


In a recent interview with The Ottawa Sun, Abdullah the Butcher discussed recent comments by "Superstar" Billy Graham that he didn't belong in the WWE Hall of Fame.

"I helped Superstar Billy Graham when he was in Calgary. I loaned him money. For him to say I shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame is wrong. I still think he's a nice guy, but he doesn't know what he's talking about. What shouldn't I be in the Hall. They put Drew Carey in. What's wrong with me? I drew money all over the world?"

April 17, 2011

Wrestler Spurned By WWE Still Wrestling


The phone call hit Devon Nicholson like a folding chair to the side of the head.

Bleary-eyed and behind the wheel of his green 1997 Toyota Tercel, he had just completed a 15-hour drive from Ottawa to Edmundston, N.B., where he was putting up posters for a future wrestling show, the first week of September in 2009.

Two months after shocking news that Nicholson had tested positive for Hepatitis C, the voice on the other end of the cellphone told him a three-year WWE contract offer had been yanked off the table. Devon Nicholson claims to have gotten Hepatitis C from Abdullah the Butcher, but he is still wrestling...More?

source: slam wrestling

April 9, 2011

Superstar Billy Graham on the WWE HOF Warpath Again; Bashes Chris Jericho


Superstar Billy Graham has an axe or two to grind. And they're not just small matters. The former wrestling star, now 67, wants to be pulled out of WWE's Hall of Fame because he is appalled at the inclusion of Abdullah the Butcher.

And if you call wanting to kill 40-year-old Chris Jericho an issue, well, he's not too fond of Y2J, who is currently competing on Dancing With the Stars.

"For the WWE to induct into their Hall of Fame, Abdullah The Butcher, who has never wrestled one match under a WWE contract, is bordering on blasphemy," said Graham.

"I am demanding that this company remove my name from their index of Hall of Fame wrestlers. It is a shameless organization...More?

source: slam wrestling

November 18, 2009

More Billy Graham Bitterness Directed to Linda McMahon

Please read Chris Keating's excellent tale today of wrestling nutjob Superstar Billy Graham, who was happy to make piles of money for years off Vince and Linda McMahon but who is now bitter and out to take down the former WWE CEO in her campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Is it possible that we are dreaming this? Connecticut is sinking and the Republicans are giving us pulp fiction. Sam Caligiuri's knife-to-the-back of Justin Bernier yesterday was pretty dramatic, but is there any way any other candidate can match the daily drama this woman brings to the campaign?...More?

From Keating's story today:

An aspiring painter, Graham said he intends to create and distribute T-shirts that depict a drawing of McMahon with a razor blade taped to her finger with dripping blood and the slogan, "Linda McMahon is a scam and is made out of spam."

source: blogs.courant.com

Former Professional Wrestler Blasts Linda McMahon and Her Campaign For Senate

Superstar Billy Graham is speaking out against the woman he says made millions from the violence, sexual exploitation, blood and excesses of professional wrestling. What outrages him particularly, he says, are recent attempts to sanitize the wrestling mega-enterprise whose sexy women wrestlers once performed in "lingerie matches" and were still posing nude in Playboy as recently as 2008. He views this toning down as a huge act of hypocrisy — an attempt to graft a family-friendly face onto a business that has been anything but...More?

source: courant.com

Just a bit bitter are we? I guess the WWE was supposed to employ him for the rest of his life.

August 6, 2009

Superstar Graham Not Sentimental About Hall of Fame Ring Auction

"Superstar Billy Graham still bitter about his release from WWE:

"I was certainly offended by being released from the company, by letting my contract expire," he said. "Not to be too braggadocios, but I consider myself to be an icon because of my influence on guys like Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura. So just dropping me from the employment contract was really a slap in the face."

"As regards Wrestlemania, I wanted to participate in the art festival that they've had for the last couple of years, where WWE employees put their art on display, but John Laurinitis told me that they couldn't afford to fly me from Phoenix to Houston, which is about a $225 (US) round-trip. That, I found that very insulting."

"So rather than anger or frustration, there's a lot of disappointment in me towards Vince McMahon at the moment. It's not anger, I'm just very saddened at the lack of respect for the contribution that I've made to the WWE, and in fact inspiring Triple H to a great degree, not to mention Hogan, Ventura, Austin Idol, and many others. The selling of the Hall of Fame ring is really more due to disappointment, as opposed to a vengeful act of animosity. And to be discarded in such a blunt way with the excuse of budget cuts -- that doesn't sit well with me."...More?

source: slam wrestling

Why does he think he has a lifetime contract with the WWE. I think he has forgotten his last name isn't McMahon or Levesque.

July 14, 2009

"Superstar" Billy Graham Auctioning HOF Ring

It seems "Superstar" Billy Graham is still upset about being released from the WWE to the point that he put his Hall of Fame ring up for auction on eBay.The 2004 Hall of Fame inductee was personally presented the ring by Vince McMahon last year. The winner of the auction will also receive the original letter enclosed with the ring, which was signed by McMahon. To view the auction, click here.

source: rajah.com

May 4, 2009

Update on Billy Graham and WWE

According to wrestleview.com, the WWE contacted "Superstar" Billy Graham and told him that he does own all the rights to his three wrestling names that include Wayne Coleman, Billy Graham and Superstar Billy Graham...More?

May 3, 2009

More Graham Crackers from "Superstar" Billy Graham

Billy Graham sent out a copy of an email he sent to Vince McMahon in response to having his "consultant" contract terminated. Here is an excerpt:

"One more thought concerning not being able to use my wrestling name of Superstar Billy Graham in any capacity related to wrestling once my contract is up. What if I wanted to paint a portrait of a dead wrestler, my dear and precious friend, Eddie G. And I wanted to sell this painting of Eddie for his memory to and for wrestling fans and wrestlers alike. I would not be able to sign my wrestling name of Superstar Billy Graham to a portrait I just painted of Eddie? Vince will indeed burn in Hell for trying to stop me from using my pro wrestling name, because he doesn't want me to, let him burn, he is one evil man."

Graham also has some choice words for Karl Lauer, the Executive Vice President of the Cauliflower Alley Club. Graham sent a threatening e-mail to Lauer, likening him to Adolf Hitler and saying he should get "666" tattooed on his head. Graham was upset that he didn't get paid for a seminar. That issue has since been corrected. Click here for the full story.

May 2, 2009

Kaliqo's Commentary - "Superstar" Billy Graham Upset Over Release and Publishes Termination Letter

"Superstar" Billy Graham is so upset about being released from his WWE contract, he asked Georgiann Makropoulos of WrestlingFigs.com to post a copy of the letter that was sent to him by WWE. Graham is miffed that the WWE is exercising their rights to their intellectual property. Graham says the name "Superstar" Billy Graham belongs to him. Georgiann goes on to say:

"Why do the McMahon's feel like they have to own everything, even after they let wrestlers go?"

Well, if Billy signed his rights to the name over to the WWE, then that's why they feel like they own everything. Maybe he should check his contract. If he thinks he has a legal leg to stand on - then file suit. Otherwise stop crying.

I'm sure Billy will miss the $2,000 a month he was getting. Who wouldn't? But according to Billy's own letter that he made public:

In accordance with section 11.1(a) of the Contract, WWE is hereby providing you written notice that it is terminating the Contract effective July 19, 2009...

Therefore he knew or should have known that this was always a possibility - just like any other wrestler.

I'm so tired of these wrestlers signing contracts and then getting pissed when they are released, let go, terminated, however you want to say it. Why do they think their contract only terminates upon their death? Unless your name is McMahon or Levesque, there are no guarantees.

April 22, 2009

Hall of Famer Released from his Contract

In a cost-cutting measure, World Wrestling Entertainment released "Superstar" Billy Graham, 65, from his $2,000 per month level consulting contract this past week — saving $24,000 annually.

The WWE Hall of Famer was given 90 days notice that the company was canceling the contract with one year remaining on it.

source: wrestling observer

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