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Chappell: You also often
tagged up with Steve Strong
during that short 1975
Mid-Atlantic run. You all were
an imposing duo! Strong was a
powerhouse, much like yourself
in terms of having that extreme
muscular bodybuilding look.
I
think many Crockett fans will be
surprised that you and Steve
Strong are still very close…to
this day.
Graham: Oh yes, yes! Steve
Strong is one of my dearest
friends…absolutely!
As
you may or may not know, Steve
is a very successful artist. He
painted Jesse Ventura’s official
portrait for the Capitol
building in Minneapolis…
Chappell: That’s really
something…
Graham: Yes, that oil
painting of Jesse Ventura hangs
there today.
[Steve Strong] taught me how to
paint, and so I became an artist
also because of him. So we’re
very, very close friends.
Chappell: I feel sure that a
lot of folks who admired your
work in the ring wouldn’t have
necessarily pegged you as an
artist!
Graham: As a matter of fact
Dave, when I get done with this
book tour and get this all
behind me, I’m going to start
painting again!
Chappell: Really? What type
of painting?
Graham: I’m going to really
start putting a lot of time back
into my artwork. I never reached
my potential in art…I don’t
think you ever do in your
lifetime, really, as an artist.
And so I really want to get back
into turning out some more oil
paintings, and I think I’ll do
some wrestling themes.
Chappell: Outstanding!
Graham: You know, I think
the fans would enjoy that.
Chappell: Without a doubt!
Artistic talent is a true gift,
that I think you really have to
be born with. Of course, you can
always enhance it…and I’m so
glad you’re committed to sharing
that gift with us at this stage
of your life.
Graham: I think you do
really have to have a natural
gift to begin with. Of course,
you can be taught how to paint.
But it’s just like cutting a
promo…the guys with all the
charisma, these guys have
natural gifts from day one.
Chappell: Who do you rank at
the top of the class as far as
promo ability?
Graham: Dusty…and of course,
Ric Flair. I’ve always
considered Ric to be the most
BELIEVABLE promo guy in the
business---ever.
Chappell: And Superstar
Billy Graham has to be up at the
top of any list when it comes to
promo ability!
Graham: Well, Dusty and I,
we did kind of funny
promos…entertaining promos. But,
of course, Ric Flair, he’d tear
your guts out with his promos!
Chappell: (laughs) That’s
for sure!
Graham: (laughs) No question
about it!
But
cutting promos…that’s a natural
gene that some folks end up
with. It’s just a natural
ability. No matter how hard a
guy will try that doesn’t have
that natural ability…it never
comes off NATURAL.
Chappell: Very true, and it
can be pretty painful to watch
someone just starting out, who
thinks he has that natural
ability on the mic…but doesn’t!
Graham: (laughs) Exactly!
Chappell: We talked earlier
about your taking a number of
Ric Flair’s shots in the
Mid-Atlantic area after the
plane crash in October of 1975.
A large portion of your matches
then were against another
wrestling legend, who was just
starting a program with Ric
then, the ‘Big Chief’ Wahoo
McDaniel.
Graham: Oh yes!
Chappell: You actually had
quite a history with Wahoo, one
that predated your matches
against him in the Crockett
territory in 1975.
Graham: Oh, absolutely,
Dave. He was one of my very
favorite opponents.
Chappell: Really, Wahoo was?
Graham: Yes. And my favorite
three opponents---and I’ll go on
the record in saying this…
Chappell: Good enough
Superstar….a Mid-Atlantic
Gateway exclusive here! And this
is not in the book!
Graham: (laughs) That’s
right!
My
three favorite opponents were
Wahoo, Bruno Sammartino and
Dusty Rhodes.
Superstar Graham battles Dusty
Rhodes
Chappell: That’s some trio!
Graham: Those are my top
three guys. Our chemistry
together just absolutely meshed.
Chappell: So your definition
of a ‘favorite’ opponent, would
be an opponent that you just
clicked with in the ring?
Because Wahoo, Dusty and Bruno
all certainly had very different
ring styles and personas!
Graham: Yes, all those
matchups were perfect.
Like Wahoo McDaniel, when I
first started with him up in
Minnesota, being that humble
Indian. The American Indian, the
humble, humble Indian…with all
the fire and the guts. And then
you have Superstar Billy Graham…
Chappell: (laughs) Not real
humble!
Graham: Yes! The flamboyant
Superstar Billy Graham , with
the tie-dye and the rap and all
that.
Chappell: QUITE a contrast
between you and Wahoo.
Graham: I would constantly
be putting [Wahoo] down. It was
an absolute match for me against
him…made for wrestling. It
really was.
Chappell: You and Wahoo had
some spectacular matches in the
Mid-Atlantic area in the fall of
1975. A number with special
stipulations. I remember you
battled Wahoo in an Indian Strap
Match and a Texas Death Match in
my hometown of Richmond,
Virginia.
That contrast between the
Superstar and the Indian made
for some electric matches!
Superstar Billy Graham battles
Chief Wahoo McDaniel
in
an Indian Strap Match in
Richmond VA. (Bill Janosik
Photo)
Graham: Yes, it sure did!
And also the contrast with Bruno
Sammartino and myself.
Chappell: For sure.
Graham: Bruno Sammartino was
the ethnic Italian…and all the
ethnic folks and particularly
those of Italian descent from up
in the New York area just loved
him. And in comes the
loudmouthed, the tie-dyed, the
flamboyant Superstar…against
the humble, ethnic Italian and
defending champion Bruno
Sammartino.
So,
these types of things were like
absolute perfect character
contrasts.
Chappell: And certainly,
your biggest moments in
wrestling came against
Sammartino…where you eventually
snared away the WWWF
Championship from him in 1977.
Superstar Graham slams Bruno
Sammartino in a battle for the
WWWF (WWE) championship.
For
Mid-Atlantic fans, I think it’s
noteworthy that you first
debuted for the WWWF in Madison
Square Garden against Dominic
DeNucci in December of 1975, as
you were at the same time
winding your stint down in the
Mid-Atlantic area.
Graham: That’s true.
Chappell: We really didn’t
see you extensively again in the
Mid-Atlantic area until nearly a
decade later, in early 1985,
when you came back in your
martial arts persona, with Paul
Jones as your manager.
Graham: Oh yes, exactly. I
did the karate gimmick out of
complete despondency…after I had
to give the [WWWF] Title to Bob
Backlund up there. It just took
everything out of me. And so I
just came back…not as the real
Superstar Billy Graham.
Superstar Billy Graham with his
manager Paul Jones during
Graham's return to the Crockett
territory in 1984. (Eddie
Cheslock Photo)
Chappell: I want to go back
and ask you more about losing
your WWWF Title to Backlund in a
moment…because I think that’s a
fascinating part of the book.
But
your 1985 stint in the
Mid-Atlantic area was very
significant to you, because you
ditched the karate gimmick later
during that stint and teamed up
with Jimmy Valiant, and became
the ‘real’ Superstar Billy
Graham again! Tell us about that
transformation.
Graham: I came through the
Crockett territory with that
karate gimmick, and one day I
went into Jim Crockett’s office…
Chappell: With a bombshell
to drop?
Graham: Well, I had already
told Dusty [Rhodes] about what I
was thinking about doing.
Chappell: Dusty was booking
the Crockett territory at this
point.
Graham: Yes. So I went in
and said, ‘Listen Mr. Crockett,
I would like you to give me six
weeks off, let me go back to
California and bring that
tie-dye gimmick back, instead of
this karate crap I’m doing now.’
Chappell: (laughing) What
did Crockett say?
Graham: Jim Crockett told
me, he said, ‘Well, you know
what Superstar? That’s what I
thought I was getting when you
came back.’ (laughing)
Chappell: (laughing) Hearing
that, you’ve got to wonder why
Jimmy Crockett didn’t say
something to you before that!
It’s a wonder he even recognized
you in the karate getup!
Graham: (laughs) Where was
the real Superstar?!
And
so, of course, that was the
turning point…and Mr. Crockett
agreed. We took that six/seven
week break there, and came back
with all the tie-dye again…with
the shaved hair and wore the
two-tone goatee.
Chappell: You were back
where you belonged, Superstar!
Graham: It was just like
coming back…like a prodigal son,
almost. I came back to who I
really was, you know.
Chappell: And as I recall,
you came back as a
babyface…forming that tag team
with Jimmy Valiant.
Graham: Yeah, I came back
and turned out a babyface. And
really, honestly, that was my
real true calling in this
business…
Chappell: Interesting
statement!
Graham: It was because of my
entertaining promos…like Dusty
Rhodes. Entertainment…you know.
The tie-dye, and that whole
package put together. It’s
extremely entertaining, and it’s
hard for folks to dislike you.
Because they want to like
you…because of your look.
NEXT:
PART THREE
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