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Jeff Wilen of the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports the following about Mike Graham‘s death:

Mike Graham, whose real name was Michael Gossett, died at 61 in Daytona Beach while visiting for Biketoberfest.

Graham lived in Indian Rocks Beach (near Clearwater) in Pinellas County, Fla.

According to WWE’s Jim Ross, the Tampa native co-hosted “Talking Wrestling with Mike Graham,” a one-hour radio show that aired on Saturdays. Along with co-host Tedd Webb, the duo talked mostly about the good old days of wrestling in the Tampa Bay area.

The radio show website said Graham died Thursday night, while other reports said Friday night. An autopsy has not yet been released.

Graham debuted in Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1972. That year, he was named Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Rookie of the Year. He held the NWA and AWA Light Heavyweight titles at the same time during the 1980s.

Younger fans might not remember much about Graham, who had a 17-year career.

In the late 1970s and in the 1980s, Graham had story lines with Dusty Rhodes, Kevin Sullivan, Barry Windham and Steve Keirn.

Dusty Rhodes’ son, Dustin Rhodes (Goldust), called Graham his “mentor.”

Graham wrapped up his wrestling career in 2000 as an agent and trainer for WCW.

In 2008, he appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame to accept his father Eddie’s posthumous induction.

Eddie Graham promoted Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121019/COLUMNS/121029999?Title=Former-wrestler-Mike-Graham-dies-at-61-in-Daytona-Beach