[Billy Graham GALLERY]
[Graham Family] [Army of Darkness]
Check out Billy Graham’s WWE Alumni profile here!
Title History
- 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.
Billy Graham the Manager:
- Billy Graham became the manager for Don “The Rock” Muraco.
- Summerslam 1988: Billy Graham’s last big WWF appearance where he provided colour commentary from ringside.
- Billy Graham left the World Wrestling Federation for the last time (until 2004 when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame).
Legacy of the Superstar:
- Graham influenced many wrestlers including Austin Idol, Steve Strong, Jesse Ventura, Hulk Hogan, Scott Steiner & Flesh Gordon.
- Billy Graham now speaks out against drug and alcohol abuse.
- Billy Graham also helps point people to the benefits of a personal relationship with God.
- 1996: Billy Graham’s Christian play, “The Empty Ring”, debuted at Tommy Barnett’s church in the suburbs of Phoenix.
- Famous Quote: “I’m the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour!”
Billy Graham’s Battle:
- January 2, 2002 – Billy Graham has made a remarkable recovery after suffering four burst veins stemming from advanced liver disease.
- ~~~This sort of occurance could have been fatal.
- ~~~Graham underwent several blood transfusions during the day as he had lost so much blood.
- ~~~Due to a lack of circulation, he was in danger of losing his extremities.
- ~~~Graham’s internal bleeding has stopped and they are hopeful he will be able to get out of intensive care unit.
- ~~~Graham was hospitalized with internal bleeding for ten days about one month ago.
- ~~~Graham first learned that he would be needing a liver transplant a month ago.
- ~~~However, he didn’t learn until the last few days of the severity of the liver damage.
- October 2002 – Billy Graham’s liver was checked out yesterday and he does not have the feared liver cancer.
- ~~~Graham is also in line for a liver donation that would potentially save his life.
- October 18, 2002: Billy Graham underwent a successful liver replacement operation at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
- ~~~Graham was called in earlier that day with word that they had found a liver from a woman who had died in an accident.
- ~~~Doctors have said his recovery after surgery considering all his health problems has been amazing.
- Billy Graham has reached a deal with Vince McMahon to publish his autobiography with Simon & Schuster.
- March 12, 2004: Billy Graham was hospitalized in New York with the same intestinal ailment that had him hospitalized a month back.
- ~~~Billy Graham’s intestine began poking out of his stomach, in an “Alien” type fashion.
- March 13, 2004 – WWE: Billy “Superstar” Graham is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York City!
- March 14, 2004 – WrestleMania XX: Billy “Superstar” Graham is honored with all the other Hall of Fame inductees during the PPV.
- December 28, 2004 – WWE Live Event: “Superstar” Billy Graham appears for a live interview and knocks the Coach out cold!
- February 25, 2005–Live Event @ MSG: The Coach interviews Superstar Billy Graham, who knocks the Coach on his ass!
- February 28, 2005 – RAW: Superstar Billy Graham encourages Randy Orton to step up and do something to set himself apart.
- October 3, 2005 – WWE Homecoming: Billy Graham participated in a Legends Ceremony which included roughly 24 Legends.
- January 23, 2006 – RAW: Superstar Billy Graham made a brief appearance to promote his book AND dvd.
- May 28, 2006: Billy Graham was hospitalized for several days due to a bowel obstruction that stems from a prior operation.
- Superstar Graham announced that he has less than one year left to live after his transplanted liver started to show signs of failure.
- May 17, 2023: Billy Graham passed away at the age of 79.
