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Professional wrestling legend Superstar Billy Graham dead at 79
He'd been ailing for quite a while.
Link to tweet
Link to tweet
Graham, real name Eldridge Wayne Coleman, started out as a bodybuilder in the 1960s and became a close friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He became a pro wrestler in the late 60s and got his start in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling Promotion. He got the "Superstar" monicker while wrestling in the American Wrestling Association and he debuted in the WWF in 1975 in a tag team match where he teamed with Spiros Arion. He briefly left and returned to the WWWF in 1977 and won the WWF Heavyweight Championship.
Graham's career took a downturn after losing the title to Bob Backlund in 1979 and shortly thereafter he would leave the territory. This was also when he was starting to deal with health issues that stemmed from the bumps he took and heavy steroid use. There were local reports about his death at the time, including an article written by Gorilla Monsoon that was never retracted.
Graham had a short stint in the WWF in 1982 and 83 with a shaved head, mustache, and a Karate gimmick that went nowhere. After another run in the AWA and NWA, Graham returned for his final run as a wrestler in the WWF in 1986 but by that time, his failing health had taken a toll on him and he eventually worked full-time as a commentator before being phased out in late 1988.
He became a pro wrestler in the late 60s and got his start in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling Promotion. He got the "Superstar" monicker while wrestling in the American Wrestling Association and he debuted in the WWF in 1975 in a tag team match where he teamed with Spiros Arion. He briefly left and returned to the WWWF in 1977 and won the WWF Heavyweight Championship.
Graham's career took a downturn after losing the title to Bob Backlund in 1979 and shortly thereafter he would leave the territory. This was also when he was starting to deal with health issues that stemmed from the bumps he took and heavy steroid use. There were local reports about his death at the time, including an article written by Gorilla Monsoon that was never retracted.
Graham had a short stint in the WWF in 1982 and 83 with a shaved head, mustache, and a Karate gimmick that went nowhere. After another run in the AWA and NWA, Graham returned for his final run as a wrestler in the WWF in 1986 but by that time, his failing health had taken a toll on him and he eventually worked full-time as a commentator before being phased out in late 1988.
https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/wwe-hall-of-famer-superstar-billy-graham-has-passed-away
