Sports

Wrestling’s ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, the template for Hulk Hogan, dies at 79

Published

1 year ago

May 18, 2023

Wrestling’s ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, the template for Hulk Hogan, dies at 79

“I lift barbell plates. I eat T-bone steaks. I’m sweeter than a German chocolate cake. How much more of me can you take?“

When you discuss the hyperbolized figures in pro wrestling history, “Superstar” Billy Graham has to be in the conversation. He was supposed to be a reviled rulebreaker, but after hearing him talk, fans never truly reviled him. At the height of his popularity in the 1970s, Graham sold out Madison Square Garden, the original mecca of pro wrestling, 19 times.

If you are a current pro wrestling fan and never heard of Graham, well, you actually have and just aren’t aware of it. Hulk Hogan, probably the biggest wrestling star of all time, copied a lot of his persona from Graham. The blond goatee. Walking to the ring wrapped in a feather boa. The emphasis on physique. Using the word “brother” liberally in his interviews. If you closed your eyes and listened to prime Graham and prime Hogan, you could barely tell them apart.

“What you gonna do when the Superstar comes down on you?“ —Superstar Billy Graham

“Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?”—Hulk Hogan

Graham’s influence can be seen in the greatest of all time — Hogan, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes and Jesse Ventura — as well as countless others who never reached superstar level.

“Billy was the most influential wrestler of the 1970s,” wrestling journalist and historian Dave Meltzer, author of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, said. “Obviously, he was the prototype of the Hulk Hogan character, the Jesse Ventura character, but so many others like Dusty Rhodes copied his interview style and colorful dress, and they were the guys who carried the business. Even Chael Sonnen in MMA would directly copy his interviews.”

Graham died Wednesday at age 79, WWE said.

He gained his greatest fame with the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), now known as WWE. Graham, who wrestled for the promotion briefly in 1975, returned in April 1977 and defeated heavyweight champion Bruno Sammartino. He traveled around the world as champion, wrestling such notables as Jack Brisco, Pedro Morales, Rhodes and Mil Mascaras.

“He was a prototype of what Vince McMahon saw as a top wrestling attraction going forward,” Meltzer said. “Billy was neither the first wrestler to use steroids nor the biggest abuser of them, but he was as associated with them as [much as] almost anyone, and later became a very vocal speaker against their use, and sometimes that wavered as he went through different periods of life.”

Graham talked openly about steroid use among wrestling’s biggest stars in a story published by The Times in 1992, catapulting it into the mainstream media for the first time.

“It was sad for a figure, one who made so many people become fans in the first place, to see his life after wrestling, with his health problems, financial problems and mood swings,” Meltzer said. “So many people owe so much of their success to him.”

Graham held the title until February 1978, losing to Bob Backlund. Graham was a heel, but fans reacted positively to him, so much so that Graham asked WWWF owner Vincent J. McMahon, who preceeded his son Vince, to make him a good guy. McMahon, looking at Graham in his tie-dye outfits, feathered boas and goatee, refused, unable to see him as anything other than a bad guy.

Disappointed, Graham left the WWWF and wrestled for other organizations, such as the AWA and NWA, before returning to the then- WWF in 1982. He wrestled for the promotion until 1983 and returned again in 1986. However, by that time, his hips and knees were shot. WWF had a wrestler attack him at ringside to explain his absence, and even showed graphic images of his hip replacement surgery on TV, in hopes he could come back as an inspirational babyface, or good guy. His body was a mess by this time, however, which Graham later blamed on steroids. His wrestling career was over, but it continues to live on thanks to his countless imitators.

But perhaps, even in death, we should let Eldridge Wayne Coleman, born June 7, 1943, but forever known as Superstar Billy Graham, have the last word.

“I am the women’s pet, the men’s regret. What you see is what you get. And what you don’t see is better yet.“

Sports

Scottie Scheffler praises police for being 'our protectors,’ describes interactions with them while in custody

Published

4 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Scottie Scheffler praises police for being 'our protectors,’ describes interactions with them while in custody

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Scottie Scheffler was in unfamiliar territory early Friday morning, as he was arrested en route to the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

The ordeal had Scheffler feeling “pretty rattled, to say the least,” and he admitted it took him a “few holes” to feel somewhat normal again.

But in a somewhat ironic twist (he is facing a felony charge of second-degree assault on a police officer), the officers who were involved in placing Scheffler in custody wound up playing a role in calming him down.

Scottie Scheffler of The United States walks off the tee on his first hole, the par 5, 10th hole with his playing partner Wyndham Clark during the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

“The officer that took me to the jail was very kind, he was great. We had a nice chat in the car, that kind of helped calm me down. I was sitting there waiting to go in, and I asked him, I was like ‘Can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down?…’” Scheffler said after his round. (He even joked that he had been stretching in a jail cell.)

“The officers inside the jail were tremendous.”

Scheffler even said he was the butt of some jokes made inside the jail “when they figured out who I was and what happened and how I ended up there.”

“This one older officer looked at me when I was doing my fingerprints and looks at me and goes ‘Do you want full experience today?’ I looked at him and go, ‘I don’t know how to answer that.’ He was like ‘Come on man, do you want a sandwich?’ I was like ‘sure, I’ll take a sandwich. I didn’t eat breakfast yet.’ They were really kind.

Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts on the 18th green during the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER DAZZLES IN SECOND ROUND OF PGA CHAMPIONSHIP HOURS AFTER ARREST

“I’m thankful that we have such strong police. They’re our protectors out there. We just got into a chaotic situation this morning. That’s really all it was.”

Scheffler was detained at 6:01 a.m. ET and released just over two-and-a-half hours later, and arrived at Valhalla another half hour after that, 56 minutes before his tee time.

Starting on the back nine, the reigning Masters champion naturally birdied 10 to start the day. He followed with a bogey on 11 but responded with a birdie on 12.

After five-straight pars, he then ripped off four birdies in his next eight holes.

He finished the round two shots back of the lead, as Collin Morikawa rattled off five straight birdies at a point to head into the clubhouse at -11; Scheffler was -4 after the first round.

Scottie Scheffler of the United States speaks to the media during a press conference during the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Scheffler was booked into the Louisville Department of Corrections later Friday. He was also charged with criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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Sports

Lakers announce dates and sites for three preseason games

Published

4 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Lakers announce dates and sites for three preseason games

The Lakers announced dates and sites for three preseason games on Friday, including a game against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas on Oct. 15 at T-Mobile Arena.

The Lakers open preseason play Oct. 4 and 6 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, respectively. The complete preseason schedule will be released this summer.

Tickets go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. Tickets for the Warriors game will be sold at axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office. Tickets for Acrisure Arena will be sold at Ticketmaster and the Acrisure Arena box office.

Spectrum SportsNet will broadcast all preseason games. The preseason games can be heard on the team’s flagship radio station, 710 AM ESPNLA, as well as in Spanish on KWKW 1330 AM.

Sports

Scottie Scheffler tees off for PGA Championship's 2nd round after arrest

Published

11 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Scottie Scheffler tees off for PGA Championship's 2nd round after arrest

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Scottie Scheffler teed off from the 10th hole in the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course in Kentucky just hours after he was arrested.

As his name was announced, and he stepped toward the tee box, Scheffler received a raucous round of applause. He would go on to birdie.

Scheffler got back to the course less than an hour before his tee time. He was tied for 12th at the start of the second round and released a statement. His first stroke hit just off the fairway.

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do,” he said. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.

Scottie Scheffler warms up before the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”

He was with Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.

“Just a wild morning, man,” Harman told ESPN’s Marty Smith.

ESPN reported that Scheffler drove past a police officer in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle. The officer screamed at him to stop and then attached himself to the car until Scheffler stopped his vehicle about 10 yards later. ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington characterized it as a “misunderstanding with traffic flow” as authorities were investigating a traffic fatality earlier in the morning.

“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’” Darlington said on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”

Scottie Scheffler was booked into a Kentucky jail on May 17, 2024. (Louisville Department of Corrections)

XANDER SCHAUFFELE’S 9-UNDER START MAKES PGA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

“Right now, he’s going to jail,” one officer at the scene told Darlington. “He’s going to jail and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.”

Scheffler was booked into the Louisville Department of Corrections later Friday. He was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

Scheffler was coming off of four victories in the last five tournaments, including a second Masters title. He was home in Dallas the last three weeks waiting for the birth of his first child, which occurred on May 8.

Scottie Scheffler hits a drive at the 12th hole during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Xander Schauffele had the lead after the first round. He was 9-under par. Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau and Mark Hubbard were tied for second place at 6-under par.

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