NWA (San Francisco) world tag team titles w/Pat Patterson defeating Peter Maivia & Ray Stevens (January 1971);
NWA Hawaii heavyweight title defeating Ed Francis (January 9, 1974);
IWA (Japan) world heavyweight title defeating Billy Robinson (August 16, 1974);
NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating Mad Dog Vachon (August 5, 1975);
NWA Florida heavyweight title defeating Dusty Rhodes (November 22, 1976);
NWA (Florida) Southern heavyweight title defeating Dusty Rhodes (1977);
NWA Florida tag team titles w/Ox Baker defeating Jack & Jerry Brisco (1977);
WWWF heavyweight title defeating Bruno Sammartino (April 30, 1977);
NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating Mark Lewin (1978);
CWA (Memphis) world heavyweight title defeating Pat McGinnis (October 8, 1979);
NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating Mark Lewin (January 18, 1980);
NWA Florida heavyweight title defeating Billy Jack Haynes (June 10, 1984);
Career Highlights
In The Beginning:
Wayne Coleman became a devoted Christian as a teenager.
Wayne Coleman won numerous bodybuilding titles as a teenager.
Wayne Coleman would use his feats of strength as a tool to draw people into his evangelistic meetings.
Wayne Coleman played pro football for nearly three years with the Houston Oilers & Oakland Raiders before starting wrestling.
Wayne Coleman appeared as a guest on the Truth Or Consequences program hosted by Bob Barker in the late 1960s.
Getting Into The Business:
Wayne Coleman was recruited by Stu Hart into Stampede Wrestling when he was being scouted by the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders.
Wayne Coleman move onto the San Fansisco territory, and became “Billy Graham” in dedication to the world renowned evangelist.
Championship Wrestling from Florida:
Billy Graham ended up in Florida as the youngest “brother” in the famous Graham wrestling “family”(with Eddie, Jerry & Luke).
American Wrestling Association:
Billy Graham made a huge impact on the sport when he gave AWA World Heavyweight Champion Verne Gagne a serious run for his money.
1974: Billy Graham won the NWA Hawaiian Heavyweight title.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:
October 1975: Billy Graham competed in the Mid-Atlantic territory of the NWA for several months.
~~~While in MACW, Graham feuded with Wahoo McDaniel and briefly teamed with Steve Strong.
Championship Wrestling from Florida:
1976: Billy Graham defeated Dusty Rhodes to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight title.
Billy Graham won the NWA Florida Tag Team titles with Ox Baker.
1977: Billy Graham defeated Dusty Rhodes to win the Southern Heavyweight Championship.
World Wide Wrestling Federation:
Billy Graham went to the WWWF where he was managed by The Grand Wizard.
March 30, 1977: Billy Graham defeated Bruno Sammartino to capture the World Wide Wrestling Federation title!
~~~Billy Graham faced every worthy challenger in the WWWF during his reign as champion.
~~~Defeated Sammartino, Rhodes, Putski, Strongbow, Monsoon, Zbyszko, Garea, Mascaras & Backlund and many others.
1977: Billy Graham battled Harley Race in the first ever NWA vs WWWF World Title Unification match.
~~~The two World champions for rival promotions wrestled to a bloody one-hour time limit draw.
February 2, 1978: Bob Backlund defeated Billy Graham to win the WWWF World Heavyweight title.
WORTHLESS TRIVIA: Billy Graham the only WWF champion to both win and lose the title with his feet on the ropes.
Billy Graham teamed briefly with his “half-brother” Crazy Luke Graham, and also Ivan Koloff, having great success with both.
Billy Graham continued his legendary feud with Dusty Rhodes in the WWWF.
Billy Graham defeated Dusty Rhodes in a classic Texas Bullrope Match.
Billy Graham left the WWWF shortly after.
Keeping Busy:
1980: Billy Graham appeared on CBS’s “The World’s Strongest Man” competition.
Billy Graham made a few scattered appearances in Memphis to face Jerry Lawler in matches.
Rumors began to spread that Billy Graham had died — which obviously turned out to be FALSE.
Billy Graham worked a series of matches on the Phoenix indy circuit gearing up for his WWF return.
~~~In his final match, as a going away present, he put their top man, Jody Arnold, over in two straight falls.
Back in the World Wrestling Federation:
1983: “Superstar” Billy Graham (with a new bald look) reappeared on WWF television and confronted Bob Backlund.
~~~Graham then proceeded to take the leather and gold WWF title belt and literally tear it in half!
~~~Graham left the WWF again soon after.
The AWA & Floria Return:
Billy Graham wrestled briefly in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association.
Billy Graham would eventually resurface back in Florida territory.
June 10, 1984: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Billy Jack for the Florida State Heavyweight title.
November 22, 1984 – Starrcade: Wahoo McDaniel defeated Billy Graham to retain the United States title.
July 6, 1985 – Great American Bash: Manny Fernandez & Sam Houston & Buzz Tyler beat Billy Graham & Barbarian & Abdulah.
November 28, 1985 – Starrcade: Billy Graham defeated the Barbarian in an Arm Wrestling match.
Last Run in the WWF:
Summer 1987: Billy Graham once again jumped to the World Wrestling Federation for one last run.
July 15, 1987 – Superstars: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Bob Bradley.
July 25, 1987 – Superstars: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Steve Lombardi.
August 16, 1987 – Wrestling Challenge: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Barry Horowitz.
Billy Graham was immediately challenged by “The Natural” Butch Reed, who claimed that he had the better physique.
~~~This led to a posedown on WWF TV that resulted in both Reed and his manager Slick attacking Graham!
1987: The years of steroid use had finally taken their toll on Billy Graham’s body.
~~~Some of Graham’s skeletal structure was eaten away and died, most affected area was his hip.
~~~Graham actually wrestled with a severely damaged hip during this last WWF stint.
~~~Graham was told by doctors that he required hip-replacement surgery.
Fall 1997: Graham vs Butch Reed ended when Slick & One Man Gang interfered and they demolished Graham.
~~~Luckily, Don “The Rock” Muraco came to Billy Graham’s rescue.
September 13, 1987 – Wrestling Challenge: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Tim Patterson.
September 27, 1987 – Wrestling Challenge: Ivan Putski and Superstar Billy Graham defeated Joe Mirto and Rocky Stone.
October 3, 1987 – Superstars: Superstar Billy Graham & The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau) defeated Joe Mirto, Rick Gantner and Tom Stone.
October 16, 1987 – MSG Network: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Butch Reed in a steel cage match.
November 14, 1987 – Superstars: Superstar Billy Graham defeated Butch Reed by disqualification.
Billy Graham underwent his hip-replacement surgery knowing it would end his wrestling career.