DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham DVD Review
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at 12:12 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #188

Welcome one and all to the 188th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Apologies for the 2 DVD Reviews in a row guys. But I was really struggling to post any column whatsoever this week, so this is my way of keeping the weekly streak going & giving me some sort of a chance to continue that streak for a full year. I have just passed the 10 month mark, which was my minimum aim anyway.

Plus, I really want to catch up on the relatively older DVD’s that I have yet to review before the scheduled release of a few new ones hit our stores soon. Following this one, the only DVD’s that come to mind for me to review are Ric Flair’s, Jake Roberts’, Dusty Rhodes’ & The Greatest Managers set. I already have Flair’s purchased & should be able to get my hands on copies of the other 3 sets, so stay tuned for reviews some time in the remaining 5 months of 2006.

There has been a bit of news of late. Jeff Hardy is back in the WWE. It will be interesting to see if he ends up on Raw, SmackDown or ECW. Rumors are swirling around that the WWE could lose both Lita & Trish before the end of the year… That can’t be a good thing. While SmackDown is in the midst of another ‘New Talent Initiative’. I personally find that interesting to watch & have been impressed with the likes of Stevens, Burke & James thus far.

Ok, I’m short on time, so on with the show…..


BILLY GRAHAM DVD REVIEW

The full title of this 1 disc set is ’20 Years Too Soon: The ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham Story’. It pretty much follows the standard formula for a WWE DVD in that it has a documentary portion (lasting 85 minutes), 6 matches & then some non-match extras. There are a couple of easter-eggs tacked on for those good at finding them, or those who read my column!


APPETIZERS – Documentary

As per usual with these documentary portions of DVDs, we begin with a look at Graham’s (real name: Wayne Coleman) early years as a child growing up in Phoenix. He came from a rather poor family & as an example, Billy states that he had to make his own weights out of concrete, as he couldn’t afford gym membership. He was into sports at school, but he got in with the wrong crowd & as a result, he missed a potential chance at going to the Olympics & competing in the discus event.

In his late teens, he became very religious & became an ordained minister. Graham got married soon after, but it was practically arranged as it was the thing to do for ministers at the time. Unsurprisingly, he was divorced soon after. Billy then got back into bodybuilding & somehow got rather close with Arnold Schwarzenegger! He also tried American Football, where he didn’t succeed with the Raiders & Oilers, but did play a year in the Canadian Football League.

In 1970, he gave professional wrestling a try. He was trained by Stu Hart & had the usual tough time in ‘the dungeon’. Stu then used him mainly as an arm-wrestler in his promotion for a few months, but when it came to actually wrestling, Billy admittedly struggled. Back in Phoenix, Billy met up with Dr Jerry Graham, formed a tag-team & then went on to wrestle in LA. Later, in San Francisco, he wrestled as Pat Patterson’s tag-team partner. Graham credits Patterson as teaching him the psychology of pro wrestling. In 1973, he followed Ray Stevens into the AWA where he immediately became a hit as a colorful & cocky heel.

Following a short chapter on meeting his wife Valerie (in Tampa), Superstar explains how he was brought into the WWWF by Vince McMahon Sr. It all happened so quickly for him there, as on April-30, 1977, he defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Title! The industry changed with this title change, as arguably the biggest territory in North America now had a muscular & charismatic man as their figurehead, as compared to a solid pro wrestler.

Hulk Hogan speaks next & talks about how it was seeing Graham perform that partially kept him on track to become a pro wrestler. He also admits that he patterned his character on the Superstar. Some (like Triple H) clearly state that Ventura & Hogan are clearly imitators of Graham! We next hear some of Graham’s promos, which were undoubtedly way ahead of their time. Even as a heel, he entertained the crowd with his cocky & fast-paced rhyming. He admired Muhammad Ali & modeled some of his persona & mic work on the legendary boxer.

As WWWF Champ, Graham sold out 19 of 20 MSG shows as the main event. The October 1977 Texas Death Match against Dusty Rhodes is featured, as is the subsequent Texas Bull-Whip (Bull-Rope) match against the same opponent. This feud worked well as Dusty & Billy were equals promo wise & meshed rather well in the ring. In early 1978, Vince Sr was worried that Graham was becoming too popular as a heel, so he found a new young face to defeat him for the title. So, in February of ’78, Bob Backlund defeated ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham for the WWWF Title! Graham was devastated & decided to take some time off from wrestling. He went back to Phoenix, but unfortunately became a heavy drug user.

He eventually went back to the WWWF, but it was with a new look & persona. He shaved his head, grew a moustache & took on a martial-artist gimmick. He was hardly recognizable & definitely not as successful. He took the new gimmick to the NWA as well, and again, it wasn’t well received. He eventually realized it himself & went back to the colorful & cocky character in the WWWF. But soon after, his hip gave way & his in-ring career was basically over. Well… almost! As he made a short-lived comeback in 1987. The pain was too much though & he became a manager for Don Muraco, before later moving to the announce table as a commentator (both of which he enjoyed immensely).

After being released by the WWF, Billy continued to take drugs & practically became suicidal. Out of desperation, he filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon Jr & the WWF. Graham accused Vince of encouraging the use of steroids, which subsequently resulted in career-ending injuries! The truth was though that he started taking steroids 10 years before he even started wrestling for either McMahon. Even his wife had no choice but to contradict his case in court!

Graham then contracted liver problems & he was originally diagnosed as needing a transplant within 5 years. But just a few months later, he almost died & required the transplant immediately. The surgery was successful & to this day he attempts to give back to society by promoting organ donation & living life to its fullest. We end with footage of ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham’s 2004 Hall of Fame induction & words about his legacy from many past & present WWE wrestlers & employees.


ENTREE – Non-Match Extras

I Am the Arm-Wrestling Champion of the World: An October 1973 backstage interview from All Star Wrestling. 2 minutes in length.

These Hands Can Crush Coconuts: Another 2 minute backstage interview, this one aimed at Ivan Putski.

I Don’t Want You To Ask Me Any Questions: An August ’75 ringside interview conducted by Vince McMahon Jr . Graham really gets his love for himself over in this 5 minute segment from All Star Wrestling. Best line: “I don’t even cook my meat!”

This Is The Beauty Of A Champion: June 1977 in-ring interview conducted by Vince McMahon. Just over one minute in length.

I Am The Most Colorful Man In All Of Wrestling: One minute September ’85 backstage promo from WorldWide Wrestling which is probably the best accumulation of all of Graham’s famous lines & rhymes.

The People Want The Real Thing: From Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, this is another 2 minute backstage promo. Something about the Congo & a Gorilla is talked about! Not one of his best promos.

The Comeback: Freaky November ’86 vignette set in the desert with Graham talking while 2 tarantula spiders crawl across him!

Overdose: The present-day Graham talks in further detail about his drug-taking & specifically how he overdosed the night before his last MSG match. So many drugs were found in Graham that everyone felt he attempted to commit suicide! 5 minutes in length.

Apache Reservation: 3 minute story of how hard it was to wrestle in front of an Indian tribe… And how hard it was to get paid.

Jimmy Hart Story: Short & uninspiring story of a chairshot.

Bruce Prichard Imitation: Prichard imitates the Superstar & does a pretty good job of it.


MAIN – Matches

vs ARMANDO RODRIGUEZ (AWA All-Star Wrestling. August-25, 1973): Early AWA match which includes a good pre-match promo about The Superstar’s clothing. Short 1 minute squash match that is uninspiring & actually looks very fake. More here for the pre-match promo & that is what most of my rating is for! Match Rating… 3

vs ANGEL RIVERA (All-Star Wrestling. October-6, 1973): This match includes a pre-bout arm-wrestling match! Another unimpressive one minute squash. Match Rating… 2

vs BRUNO SAMMARTINO (April-30, 1977): This is the infamous Baltimore match where Graham wins the WWWF World HeavyWeight Championship. The footage isn’t the clearest, but it’s sufficient & we should be thankful that such an important match is completely on film at all. Literally, the first 8 minutes of the bout are different variations of tests of strength. There are even pinfall attempts out of the 2 simply locking hands! While it was interesting at first & the live crowd ate it up, it definitely went on way too long. When the gears finally shifted up, Graham’s aggressiveness initially dominated, until Bruno made the predictable comeback to the delight of the crowd. A bloodied Graham eventually slowed the champion down with a bearhug, which was then countered by Sammartino with one of his own. This sequence resulted in a cheap & anti-climactic title win to Graham at the 14 minute mark. Not exactly super exciting, but a decent back & forth battle between 2 genuine main-eventers. Match Rating… 6

vs IVAN PUTSKI (August-29, 1977): Emanating from MSG, this bout was for Graham’s WWWF Title. It includes yet another pre-match Graham interview. Pretty good beginning to this match with (a rather young looking) Putski intensely attacking a gloating Graham at the bell. Graham eventually slows the pace down though with an overlong resthold. Even worse, when Putski finally powers out, he reverses into the same hold. So if you have never seen a 6 minute resthold, watch this bout! A nice running the ropes test of strength follows & definitely gets the crowd involved. But they are quickly silenced by a Graham full-nelson. Two minutes later & I’ll give you one guess what happens… Yep, Putski puts on his own full-nelson! A few kicks & punches then precede a Graham bearhug. After getting out of the hold, Putski runs at Graham, is thrown over the top-rope & is counted out! You will never see an 18 minute (announced as 14) match with less wrestling holds! Tough to watch as there were just too many restholds over such a long match. Match Rating… 3

vs DUSTY RHODES (October-24, 1977): This was a Texas Death Match (ie: No Holds Barred Match) for Graham’s WWWF Title that emanated from MSG. This time it is Dusty that gives a pre-match promo & a pretty good one at that. Another good & intense beginning to the bout as Dusty goes crazy with his infamous elbow shots. Graham thinks about walking out, but decides on coming back to the ring where there is some decent back & forth action. The NHB rules of the bout then allows the wrestlers to wrestle at ringside where Rhodes is busted open around the eye. The Superstar follows up by grabbing some rope from under the ring & using it as a weapon, but it is Dusty who gets the upper hand & hangs Graham up over the top-rope. A bloodied Rhodes dominates from here, but gets shoulder blocked for the anti-climactic pinfall at the 14 minute mark! Sufficiently entertaining, even & varied match which was hurt by the silly ending. Match Rating… 7

vs BOB BACKLUND (November-21, 1982): Emanating from MSG, this was a WWWF HeavyWeight Championship rematch held over 4 years after Graham lost the same title to Backlund. Not only is Graham almost unrecognizable in looks, but as is his backstage promo pre-match. While the karate champion gimmick looked ridiculous on such a strong man, it actually may have added to his limited repertoire. Graham breaks up some back & forth action with repeated bearhugs & then attacks the face champ to the throat with chops & chokes. Hatred eventually gets the better of both men as they brawl in & around the ring. The end comes when both men lay hands on the referee at the 10 minute mark, resulting in a double disqualification. Not bad, but not exactly scintillating viewing, with neither man really showing their true expertise. Match Rating… 5


DESSERT

Easter Eggs & Conclusion

EASTER-EGGS

- In the ‘Chapters’ menu, highlight ‘Growing Up’ & press ‘left’ twice to see a modern day Graham telling a childhood story of how he accidentally hit a kid with a pick.

- In the ‘Chapters’ menu, highlight ‘AWA’ & press ‘right’ twice to see Graham (& Flair) talking about Ric Flair receiving his first bleached blond hairdo from Graham’s wife in Graham’s house.


CONCLUSION

I must be honest & state that this was a DVD that I rented for 3 or 4 bucks from my local DVD rental store. There was no way I would have thought of purchasing it, and that goes before & after watching it. In fact, I have to wonder how many wrestling fans would have paid their hard-earned buying this, when there are so many other great WWE DVD’s on the market.

The documentary portion of this DVD was good. It wasn’t exactly up there with the best of the documentaries, such as ‘The Rise & Fall of ECW’, Bret Hart’s or Chris Benoit’s, but it told a decent story & was well put together. In fact, I would almost say that there was a decent enough story here to say this was above the average with regards to the WWE’s (approximately) 90 minute documentaries. While viewing it, I actually thought that more time should have been spent on Graham’s actual wrestling career & matches, but I was soon to find out why.

The non-match extras are ok, but are pretty much filler. You could almost delete them all & keep two of them that came off as a bit like ‘Best of’ promos. Some of the other ones came off more like Easter-Eggs to me.

But it was the matches that really let this DVD down. I don’t know if there were other bouts that may have been included to increase the quality, but I’m going to guess it would have been much of a muchness. The bottom line is that Graham simply was a very limited wrestler & struggled to take part in a bout that received a passing grading. That is evident by my ratings here of some of the huge matches that he took part in & had the crowd roaring with anticipation. But as a fan sitting at home, most will be snoring, rather than roaring!

As the matches take up practically half of the DVD, I cannot recommend anyone other than a huge Graham, or 70’s wrestling, fan purchasing this DVD. The documentary does hold some interest, but not so much to overcome the extras & anywhere near a full purchase price. Worth a watch if you can rent it & are bored.


Once more, apologies for 2 DVD reviews in a row, but it was sort of unavoidable. My computer problems are very much still occurring & this has left me with limited access to my email. I should be able to view them, but replying may be a little trickier. Still, if you feel the need to email feedback and/or questions concerning the ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham DVD, my e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com. But if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889

Most will be glad that there is no DVD review planned for next week. It has quickly come around to SummerSlam, so I will have my predictions up for that big pay-per-view. I also want to talk about JBL at the announce position & a topic concerning the cruiserweight division which I was supposed to post about a month back. As per usual, my column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2006

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