Dark Pegasus Video Review: 20 Years Too Soon – The Superstar Billy Graham Story

20 Years Too Soon: The Superstar Billy Graham Story

Growing Up: Graham grew up in Phoenix and was, of course, poor. His dad used to whip him which led to Graham being a “slow walker.” Graham saw all the bodybuilders at the gym, and realized that’s what he wanted to be. He didn’t have enough money for the gym, so he made makeshift weights with coffee cans and cement. He wound up in the wrong crowd and dropped out, losing his opportunity for a scholarship.

Religion: His family had no religious background, so he was curious when a tent preacher came to town and told him he was going to hell if he wasn’t born again. Graham became preacher of the gospel to show kids you didn’t have to be scrawny to serve god. The ministers arranged a marriage for him in order to keep him from giving in to temptation. I’m not a devout Christian or anything, but wouldn’t a better way avoid temptation be to have the inner strength that organized religion is supposed to give you? I mean, marriage works too. Don’t get me wrong. No one has ever given in to temptation when they were married. **cough** Oddly enough, it didn’t work out, and Superstar got divorced. He was morally torn because he thought God wouldn’t forgive him the sin of divorce until another preacher, who didn’t know Graham, saw him one night and told him that the marriage had been forgiven.

Bodybuilding & Football: Graham went back to bodybuilding where he met Arnold Schwarzenegger just after he arrived. Graham tried out for the Raiders and Oilers, but didn’t make the cut. Instead, he went to the CFL and played for Calgary and then Montreal.

Training in Calgary: Bob Roop told him to try wrestling for easy money. Graham traveled back to Calgary where Stu Hart abused him for a couple of weeks. Stu set up Graham in all the towns in arm wrestling matches. He says he didn’t learn how to wrestle much because he was too busy getting beat up by Stu.

Meeting Dr. Jerry Graham: It was back to Phoenix and bouncing. He met Jerry Graham who invited him to wrestle on Indian reservations for no money. Jerry took him back to the Los Angeles territory where he became “Billy Graham” for the first time and died his hair. “Jesus Christ Superstar” had just come out, so he took the name “Superstar” in tribute. Freddie Blassie, who was the big heel in the territory, beat him at arm wrestling, and then two heels jumped Freddie from behind.

“Going to School” in San Francisco: Onto San Francisco and Roy Shires’ territory. Shires brought Graham in to team with Pat Patterson, who Graham says, was the best heel. Graham says he learned from all the guys like Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson & Ray Stevens.

AWA: It was later on to the AWA. It was all about technical wrestling there, which didn’t exactly fit. He got over, though, so he broke that mold. Dusty Rhodes says that Graham just looked like he was supposed to be the champion. Dusty and Graham became a tag team. It was the first place that Graham really did become a superstar.

Meeting Valerie: Graham went down to Florida where he met his wife, Valerie. HOO AHH! She was a looker back in the day and has aged quite well. When she saw all the books on religion and the Lord, she knew he was the one for her.

Winning the WWWF Heavyweight Championship: It wasn’t too long after that Vince McMahon Sr. called Graham to come in as a foil for superhot babyface Bruno Sammartino. Jim Ross calls Bruno the steak and Graham the sizzle. Graham finds a lot of ways to say they had great chemistry. However, the business was changing, and Graham was the face of it.

Ahead of His Time: Gerald Brisco and Dusty Rhodes talk about how Graham was the first to really have that chiseled look and the promos to match. Hulk Hogan says Graham was the main reason he got into the business. Graham recalls seeing a big blond guy out there in the audience. Graham says it’s so flattering that Ventura and Hogan ripped him off. The outlandish tye-dye outfits didn’t hurt his drawing power. Graham says he learned his promo work from Mohammed Ali. Dusty Rhodes even says Graham was way ahead of him. Hogan credits him for having a vision of the new way of doing things. Instead, he came along before wrestling really paid attention to promotion and merchandising.

Selling Out Main Events: Rhodes says Graham was beloved as an outlaw. The fans came to boo him saying “Please don’t let him lose” because then the fun of booing would be over. Graham was a big superstar and draw. He was paired against former partner Rhodes, and they managed to talk their way into a sellout crowd at the Garden.

Feud with Dusty Rhodes: We see footage of Graham and a significantly thinner Rhodes engaged in a Texas Death Match. Rhodes tries to strangle Graham out with a rope, but Graham eventually comes out on top. After the Texas Death Match, Rhodes went to Vince Sr. and asked to have a Texas Bullrope match with Graham at the next MSG show. This time, Graham tries to strangle Rhodes.

Loses WWWF Heavyweight Championship to Bob Backlund: Okerlund says that there’s a formula that a babyface has to chase down the heel and defeat him or the fans will get burned out. At the time of his title loss, Graham was about to surpass Bruno in popularity, but he was still a heel. Vince Sr. found Bob Backlund, who was an all-American boy. Backlund went over Graham for the title, a situation that sent Graham into what sounds like a depression, though he doesn’t use that term.

Superstar takes a Sabbatical: Graham took a break from the business. Ross says it was a mistake because Graham chasing Backlund would have sold a lot of tickets. Graham spent 1979-80 in a drug-induced stupor trying to avoid the situation.

Martial Arts Look: Graham killed off the Superstar and came back to the WWF as a martial arts expert. And my God, he looked awful. Still, he sold out the Garden in a feud with Bob Backlund. However, he isolated himself from his wife and the wrestlers to the point that Big John Studd begged him to take care of himself.

The Superstar is Back: Graham wound up in Mid-Atlantic for a while before calling up Vince Jr. and asking to come back. Vince says the only problem Graham had was that he was too far ahead of his time. Graham returned and injured his hip during a bearhug.

Hip Replacement: The hip injury was so bad that Graham’s hip had to be replaced. Vince offered to pay for the hip replacement if Graham would come back and wrestle to pay him back. We see Graham training to make his big comeback.

Superstar’s Fall From Grace: In 1987, Graham returns to face Steve Lombardi (the future Brooklyn Brawler). Both Vince and Graham realized that he couldn’t wrestle, so he became the manager of Don Muracco. Then, it was off to become a commentator. Lombardi says he was a great commentator. Mmm, yeah, gonna have to sort of go ahead and disagree with you there. Yeah. Bruce Prichard agrees with me, saying there’s a big difference between promo talking and commentary.

Superstar is Fired: Graham injured his ankle this time and couldn’t perform. Vince had to let him go. Graham’s wife took care of him financially, but Graham began using amphetamines and cutting himself! The more the WWF skyrocketed, the worse Graham felt.

Steroid Scandal: With no money and no pride, Graham sued Vince, claiming that Vince encouraged him to use steroids, which led to his injuries. Graham thought that Vince would settle out of court rather than risk a scandal, but it wound up being a federal case (literally). We hear a lot of bad things about steroids and injuries, but Graham says the reward was so great that it was worth it.

Dedicating His Heart to the Lord: Graham says he’s not a mean person and didn’t want to hurt anyone. Valerie refused to lie under oath for him, ruining the case. So Graham dropped the lawsuit and turned back to God. Graham then begged Vince for forgiveness. Vince says that he can afford to be forgiving because he rules the world. Well, not in those words. Lombardi calls him a conman but in a loveable sense.

Liver Transplant: Valerie notes that Graham was becoming quiet and tired again. She woke up one night covered in blood from a ruptured vein in his neck. It was all due to a bad liver. Usually, this is a fatal disease, and it would have been had not Superstar gotten a transplant in 2002. Valerie says she felt a combination of guilt and relief because someone else had to die for Graham to get that liver. We see a picture of the 26 year-old girl who died in an auto accident and whose liver was used as the transplant. After surgery, he felt invigorated and had a new lease on life.

Superstar is Reborn: Graham says he doesn’t want her liver to go in vain, so he’s dedicated himself to promoting organ donors. When the WWE came to Phoenix, Graham was invited backstage and had a tearful reunion with Vince.

Hall of Fame: When time came for the Hall of Fame, Vince wanted Superstar in. Triple H was the one to induct him, and he talks about what an honor it was. Everyone talks about how unique he was at the time and how he redeemed himself after going astray.

Extras:

Billy Graham (w/Ivan Koloff) vs. Armando Rodriguez (8/15/73)
We are in the AWA. Graham gives his usual glitz and glamour pre-match interview. Graham forearms Rodriguez from behind and chokes him down. Rodriguez doesn’t even get a move in before Graham finishes him with a reverse elbow at 1:26. 1/4*

Billy Graham vs. Angel Rivera (10/6/73)
Before the match, Graham has to beat Rivera in an arm-wrestling match. He even lets Rivera use two hands. Graham finishes with a bodyslam at 0:40. No, I didn’t leave anything out. 1/4*

WWWF Heavyweight Championship: Bruno Sammartino vs. Billy Graham (4/30/77).
I realize that this is Graham’s tribute and all, but they already put this on the “Hall of Fame” DVD. Why not use the match where Bruno got counted out to set this up? Bruno was in his second stint as the big draw for the WWWF, having originally been replaced by Pedro Morales. Poor Pedro understandably couldn’t measure up, though. Graham starts out overpowering Bruno by shoving him into the corner. Bruno comes back with an armdrag and works the arm. They try a test of strength, which Graham wins, forcing Bruno to his knees. Bruno powers up and forces Graham down, but he’s in the ropes for the break. They go again, this time off an overhand wristlock. Again, Graham wins, but Bruno powers up and forces Graham over into an armbar. Graham chokes Bruno out on the ropes. Bruno looks to be in trouble, but he avoids a charge, and Graham rams his own knee into the buckle. Graham gets his leg caught in the ropes before falling to the outside, hurting the leg further. Graham is busted open. Back in, he begs off, but Bruno isn’t having it. Graham catches him in a bearhug, though. Sammartino whips him into the corner and works the back with a series of knees. Now Bruno has the bearhug. Graham makes the ropes, but Bruno starts pummeling in the corner. Bruno stops to argue with the ref, and Graham scoops him up and puts his feet on the ropes for the win and the title at 13:44. Lots of little “battles within the battle,” which I like. **1/2

WWWF Heavyweight Championship: Billy Graham (w/the Grand Wizard) vs. Ivan Putski (8/28/77)
Graham is being an arrogant bastard, so Putski attacks and pummels him before the bell. Graham begs off but gets knocked into next week by a right. The crowd is LOVING this. Putski steps on Grahams neck as he’s trying to get back in the ring. Once he gets back in the ring, Graham applies a neck vise. Vince notes that Graham’s 22″ arms are “somewhat larger than a normal man’s.” Ya think?! Anyway, the neck vise goes on for a long time before Putski starts to power up. Putski reverses to his own neck vise, putting Graham down to the mat. Graham rakes the eyes to get out of it, but Putski no-sells a shoulderblock, getting a huge pop. Putski hits a double ax-handle and gets one of the hugest pops you will ever hear. Graham sells it like the Rock getting shot in the face with a firehose. Graham comes back with a Full Nelson to kill more time. Putski breaks it and reverses to his own. Yeah, this isn’t exactly the X-Division. Putski gets caught in the bearhug. Putski whips Graham to the corner and gets his own bearhug. Putski charges, but Graham backdrops him over the top rope. It’s not a DQ in the WWWF, but it is considered a big high spot at the time, so Putski can’t return to the ring in time and gets counted out at 17:59 (although Finkel announces 13:50). Too much power stuff with Graham doing one move and then Putski reversing to the exact same hold. *3/4

WWWF Heavyweight Championship, Texas Death Match: Billy Graham (w/the Grand Wizard) vs. Dusty Rhodes (10/24/77)
Rhodes mocks Graham’s interview style before the match. We get two bells to open, so I’m not sure which is which. Rhodes attacks Graham while he’s taking his robe off. Graham attacks Rhodes from behind when he’s going after the Grand Wizard, but his only serves to fire up the Dream. Graham fakes walking out before returning to the ring. Graham tries a bulldog on the outside, but Dusty throws him into the ring to counter. Graham finds a rope and tries to strangle Dusty with it. Rhodes elbows his way out of it and turns the tide, choking Graham and hanging him over the rope. Both guys are bleeding now. Rhodes drops a fist between the eyes and splashes Graham, but he’s in the ropes. Rhodes pulls him back and covers again. ONE, TWO, TH-Graham gets his foot on the ropes again. Rhodes thinks he’s won, but Graham charges and collides with him, knocking them both down. Graham recovers and gets the anticlimactic win at 9:11 (10:12 announced). After the match, Dream drops a series of elbows on Graham to set up their Bullrope match. It was intense, but not wild enough for a Texas Death Match. **1/4

WWWF Heavyweight Championship: Bob Backlund vs. Billy Graham (w/the Grand Wizard) (11/21/82)
This is after Graham returned from his hiatus, and he’s doing his martial arts gimmick. His prematch interview makes it pretty clear that he was on drugs at the time. His body looks horrible here compared to just a few years earlier. The storyline here is that Graham returned and tore apart the title belt. Backlund attacks before the bell. Graham knocks him down with “karate,” but Backlund makes the big babyface comeback. Graham rolls to the floor off an atomic drop. Graham comes back with “karate” and grabs a bearhug. Backlund elbows out of it, but Graham chokes him out with wrist tape. Referee Danny Davis tries to get involved, but Graham tosses him aside. Graham pulls Backlund to the outside, and Davis gets elbowed again. Both men brawl all the way back to the dressing room until the double DQ at 10:14. Not very good, even for the time. *3/4

“I am the Arm Wrestling Champion of the Universe” All Star Wrestling 10/6/73: Graham gives himself said title in case there are any Martians out there who think they can go against him. He promises to bring blood, pain and broken bones to the Taj Mahal when he wrestles Billy Graham.

“These Hands Can Crush Coconuts” AWA: Graham runs through all the things he can do with his strength and promises to introduce Ivan Putski to violence and pain. I guess because life in communist Poland was just to easy on him.

“I Don’t Want You to Ask Me Any Questions” All Star Wrestling 8/27/75: Vince McMahon gets a word from Graham and the Grand Wizard. Wizard challenges Vince to tell him he’s seen a body like Graham’s before. In an odd moment, the Wizard says Graham has an enlarged heart. Graham says he doesn’t want McMahon to ask him questions, he wants to ask Vince how it feels to interview him. In a funny ironic moment, Graham calls Vince “skinny,” which he was at the time. Graham advises us to hock our cars and buy a color TV just so we can see him in all his glory.

“This Is the Beauty of a Champion” Madison Square Garden 6/27/77: This is an awfully generic promo from the new champ. He throws his shirt into the crowd and watches people fight over it.

“I am the Most Colorful Man in all of Wrestling” World Worldwide Wrestling 9/3/85: This was during Graham’s second comeback, this time with the NWA. “The women’s pet, the men’s regret. What you see is what you get, and what you don’t see is better yet.” Now *that’s* a great line.

“The People Want the Real Thing” Mid-Atlantic Wrestling 9/10/85: According to Graham, his pythons are now 24″. Hmmm. He claims people are trying to imitate him in other federations, but he’s the real thing like Coke (the soft drink). He says he went to the Congo and found a gorilla that looked like Abdullah the Butcher and broke his arm. The gorilla told him he was bad to the bone.

The Comeback Wrestling Challenge 11/29/86: Graham cuts a promo with tarantulas crawling all over his arms. Ewwww!

Overdose: Graham talks about abusing drugs to the point that he couldn’t even recognize himself. His wife had to pull food out of his mouth and pull him off the toilet because he would pass out. *That’s* dedication. He talks about being in Connecticut and taking several handfuls of drugs. He came back to the room and passed out against the toilet. His wife heard him over the phone and called the ambulance. They tried to keep him in the hospital, but he ripped out the IVs and said he had a show to make at MSG.

Apache Reservation: He talks about going to the reservation with Jerry Graham and not having anyone to put up the ring because the other wrestlers couldn’t help him lest they tip off the Indians that it was worked. Unfortunately, the ring collapsed during their tag match. Of course, they didn’t even get paid for the show.

Jimmy Hart Story: Hart talks about Graham accidentally picking up a cushioned chair and hitting Jos LeDuc with it. Jerry Jarrett thought that they’d killed Memphis wrestling because people wouldn’t buy it, but Superstar told him it would double the houses. Hart confirms that it did.

Bruce Prichard Imitation: Bruce, who does great impressions of Roddy Piper, shows us his imitation of Graham. Not bad, but it’s no Piper.

The 411: There's no denying this man's immense influence on the industry. Not only are there obvious copies in the next generation (Hogan, Ventura), but his physique opened doors for others (the Road Warriors, Warlord & Barbarian). Even today, you can see Scott Steiner aping his shtick to a tee. The matches have not aged that well, but they give you a good snapshot of how wrestling was changing during the late 1970's. One only hopes that more wrestlers will be influenced to change their ways by his out-of-the-ring antics than his in-ring career. It is refreshing, though, to see a guy say, "I don't have my own ankles, don't have my own hips, don't have my own liver, and I made my wife miserable for twenty years...but I'd do it all again for the fame." Thumbs up for "20 Years Too Soon – The Superstar Billy Graham Story."

Final Score:  6.0   [ Average ]