Billy Graham (wrestler)
Eldridge Wayne Coleman (born June 7, 1943 in Phoenix, Arizona) is a retired American professional wrestler of part Arkansas Cherokee descent who is best known for his highly dramatic and charismatic style of wrestling which he perfected with The World Wide/World Wrestling Federation under the ring name, "Superstar" Billy Graham. He is also an amateur fine artist. Graham is widely acknowledged as the individual who revolutionized modern American pro wrestling by combining it with bodybuilding, so that today professional wrestlers without bodybuilders' physiques have become a rarity.
| "Superstar" Billy Graham | |
|---|---|
 "Superstar" Billy Graham at a 2CW event in May 2008 | |
| Born | June 7, 1943 Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona |
| Lives in | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Wayne Coleman Billy Graham |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed from | Paradise Valley, Arizona |
| Trained by | Stu Hart |
| Debut | 1969 |
| Retired | 1987 |
During the steroid allegations involving WWE owner Vince McMahon Jr. in 1992, Graham went on The Phil Donahue Show, admitting that he was avid user of steroids and blamed the WWF for his addiction although these drugs were not yet illegal in the 1970s. The incident caused a rift between Graham and McMahon which lasted for over ten years.
WWE Hall of Fame
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 by Triple H. He later announced that he wanted his name removed from the WWE Hall of Fame because of his general dissatisfaction with the way professional wrestling had developed.[1]
Championships
Graham held many championships during his professional wrestling career:
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (two times)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (one time) (with Ox Baker)
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (one time)
- Continental Wrestling Association
- CWA World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
- International Pro Wrestling
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (one time)
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (three times)
- NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions
- NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (one time)
- NWA San Francisco
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (two times) (with Pat Patterson)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1973)
- PWI Match of the Year (1977) (vs. Bruno Sammartino on April 30)
- PWI Match of the Year (1978) (vs. Bob Backlund on February 20)
- PWI ranked him #277 of the best 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Class of 2009
- World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
- WWWF Championship (one time)
- Slammy Award for Hulk Hogan Real American (1987)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Pro Wrestling Book (2006) (with Keith Greenberg)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
References
- ""Superstar" Billy Graham Wants Out Of The WWE Hall Of Fame; Blasts Chris Jericho". wrestlingnewsworld.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
Other websites
- Official website Archived 2013-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Billy Graham's Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame profileArchived 2013-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Billy Graham's WWE Hall of Fame profile