Years before Hulk Hogan exploded in popularity and changed the face of the industry, it was "Superstar" Billy Graham who set the template for a true headliner in pro wrestling. Back when WWE was known as the WWWF and run by Vince McMahon Sr., Graham was brought in as the next big thing, with the elder McMahon choosing Graham to end Bruno Sammartino's multi-year reign with the company's Heavyweight Championship in 1977.
Graham carried the title for nearly a year, until the time came for him to drop the belt to Bob Backlund. That had long been the plan, and Graham knew he was going to lose to Backlund before he even joined the promotion. However, nobody anticipated the kinds of reactions Graham would garner from crowds, and the wrestler felt he deserved a chance to keep holding the belt. Unfortunately for him, McMahon disagreed and went ahead with the title change.
Following the loss, Graham grew depressed and nearly quit the company. He stuck around for awhile but, by the end of the year, Graham could sense things had changed. Audiences just weren't giving him the same reactions they had before. Choosing to try his luck with the various NWA promotions, Graham left before the end of 1978.Things didn't exactly improve for Graham after leaving the WWWF, however.
Graham continued wrestling around the country to smaller and smaller crowds, and it seemed as though he might have left the industry altogether if he wasn't contacted by Vince McMahon Jr. in 1982. Now in control of his father's company, the younger McMahon wanted to bring the "Superstar" back. He reached Graham at a time when the wrestler was exceptionally desperate, living in a hotel and withdrawing from various substances, and successfully convinced him to come back. However, when Graham arrived, it wasn't the version McMahon had expected.
Now sporting a bald head and a thick moustache, Graham had adopted a karate-inspired gimmick that stood in stark contrast to his old persona. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Graham failed to connect with audiences in the same way he had before. With McMahon evidently feeling buyer's remorse, Graham's second run with the company came to an end after he failed to win the title back from Backlund.
Hogan would enter the picture soon after, and though Graham would eventually return for another run, he'd never again reach the early heights of his career. Graham's career went off the rails following his loss to Backlund, but the question of whether the fault lies with Graham or someone else remains.
Graham was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and continued to make occasional appearances for the company in the years that followed. Following a long series of health issues, Graham died in 2023 at the age of 79.
