Superstar Billy Graham promos Re: Dusty Rhodes

[azuzaj1]

God this is classic. Billy Graham Legend..kind of like Hogan and Ali in one

[charvelgtrs]

Jesus, who didn't steal from Billy Graham? It's like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair all in one.

[timpenfield5]

MOST COLORFUL WRESTLER EVER.SHOULD HAVE STAYED CHAMP LONGER

[ProWrestlingMarkXD]

If Larry David was a wrestler...

[mdhotstuff]

I remember reading wrestling magazines and seeing photos of their battles... sadly I never got to see SBG until he joined Paul Jones Army in the Carolinas.

[SuprJoinT]

This was my first big wrestling event I went too. I was 8 yrs old and if I recall the main event was "Cowboy" Bill Watts vs Terry Funk for the NWA title.

[prowlifik]

superstar once said that he had no skill on the mic until he met ali, and just looking at his promo style you can see alot of ali in the superstar

[BjornSPhakk]

Hear 1:21... is that Arnold talking...?

[genosynca]

"and make you holla", scott steiner must have seen that and said that is my catchphrase to get them fans and bitches to go wild. lol love steiner and billy graham.

[90038jhon]

from a promo and physical sense, graham was money...the problem with superstar holding the belt long term is that he was AWFUL in the ring. even early in his career, it was kick punch bearhug repeat.

[UnlimitedSeduction]

He was obviously reading cue cards.

[Fanik8]

Billy Graham>Dusty Rhodes

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

Legendary man.

Superstar forever.

George Vreeland Hill

[danteras23]

It's amazing that Superstar Graham is still alive. The way his health deteriorated later in his career, you would have thought he would have died a long time ago. He's still around though. He's a survivor.

[htrrz]

I enjoyed Super Star also, I first saw him in 1972 on tv, but he destroyed his health with steriods, and showed real courage admiting this and trying to keep others from steriods.

[swbsws]

Hogan before Terrry B knew who Hogan was. Billy Graham is the greatest!

[diesel021234]

i feel the power, it is consuming my body. i feel the awesome power of the superstar, damn. i feel like eating t-bone steaks and lifting barbell plates. i am sweeter then german chocolate cake. i am the superstar.

[treetoptop]

@diesel021234 Awesome reply brother, I too felt the power after reading your post. The reflection of perfection, the #1 selection.

[RAV52]

He's right: after Dusty suffered brain damage by the Superstar he was never the same...

[meathead320]

Little known FACT: Billy Graham took 7th place in the 1980 Worlds Strongest Man contests.

That would make him the 7th strongest man on earth at the time, officially, and he was competing with an injury!

[whomejohn]

Too much steroids hath made thee mad!

[starbucksfromhell]

damn!! billy grahams been working out!

[diagreen]

they should have made backlund champ much later.

[TheRogueMonk]

lol he got stuck in the first line

the man of thE aHOUGHa lol arnold

[TheRogueMonk]

@TheRogueMonk lol sometimes he sounds like arnold

[toyotas2006]

Wow!

That is a Classically Bad Promo

It's like a bad Muhammad Ali meets Dusty Rhodes genetic mutation

[TheRogueMonk]

Look at this bicep look at these wrestlers who were so talented but didnt come into hollywood , what shame to not make them be who they were , they had some of hte best bodies .

[HONKEYMcCRAKER]

Yeah he had it all figured out when it came to bodybuilding drugs. When I was a kid I had a poster with Billy and Arnold , dam I wish I still had that pull out they were both on their game.

[RevDarkehorse]

I think Vince, Sr. should've kept the belt on the Superstar and had forgotten about Backlund. Having Graham as a face champion made a lot of sense. The fans wanted it, so did The Superstar. I think that Backlund could've been an AWA champion. To me, it seems Bob fit in better with Verne's style of wrestling.

[lockenjr]

it should have been man. Billy would have been an icon from77-87 he would have ruled..

[lockenjr]

I wonder if he pondered it

[DJglasgowSon]

@RevDarkehorse

i totally agree. even vince sr.'s federation was based on colorful characters. the awa was based more on great wrestling, which would've suited backlund way better since he was a great wrestler, but had zero personality.

[lockenjr]

@RevDarkehorse yep. the fans wanted superstar he wanted to turn face we could have had grahamamania in 78 instead of hulkamania in 84...

[venicejefe]

Remember how Lysle Alzado fell apart so quickly, those earlt roid users were not monitored by real health professionals.

Superstar was the best. As a kid, I always wanted to see Billy Graham vs Ken Patera in the early 70's. Instead, I saw Patera vs Sammy Steamboat in Hawaii, ringside. It was spectacular.

[cpthurme]

Wow.

[MikeTysonEatsKids]

I still dont know how Grahms health deteriorated so bad. I mean most of the wrestlers of that era used steroid just as much, did grahm use too much steroids?

His health is shot to hell!

[MrBigraw]

Yes he used steroids.The horse kind.That means they wer for race horses and no on e knew the purity or dosage to take.Race horses don't race that many years becuae they start breaking bones like Barbaro.Bad stuff for humans.

[TheAmazingSenshi]

Like MrBigraw said, he also proberbly just used too much, his muscles were building faster than his bones could stenghten to adapt to them which is why they kept breaking, just looks at the state of Dynamite Kid now, he's in a wheel chair due to steroid abuse, in Dynamites autobiography he even mentions using horse sterioids.

[RAV52]

Superstar brought the Ali swagger and mic skills to the ring, combined with the best physique in wrestling. Hogan was easily the most popular and influential wrestler in history though, revisionist history aside. And as Hogan said, he wanted to be like the Supa-Star!

[MrBigraw]

Superstar is my favorite wrestler of all time!!!!!

[TheLuscious]

In this promo it's clearly evident that The Superstar copied some of his persona from The Greatest Muhammad Ali. Go ahead Superstar. Way to put Ali over like that.

[BHoz77]

I always thought Graham and Rhodes sounded almost identical both in their voice and promo style. Who copied off of who? Both seemed to get their start in wrestling around the same time.

[EvenflowBlack]

Quite a lot of guys, including Rhodes, Flair and Hayes, admit to ripping off Graham. Muhammad Ali did as well.

[TheLuscious]

Know what you talking about. Ali copied his persona from the one and only Gorgeous George, a great wrestler from the so-called Golden Age of wrestling the 1950s. In wrestling, it's not ripping off. When you copy a guy's persona, you're putting him over. Check Ali's bio or Wiki. He freely admits to idolizing Georgeous George and being a huge wrestling fan as a little boy.

[EvenflowBlack]

Oh, don't misunderstand me - when I use the term "ripping off", I mean specifically "imitating", and as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or, to use wrestling terminology as you do, putting them over. I figured Ali took his lead from Gorgeous George, but I thought he borrowed his style from Superstar. Like a man wearing orthopaedic shoes, I stand corrected. Thanks.

[maxwellpartey]

with ali it was the other way around

[Bizarronumber4]

Jesse Ventura also.

[ChromeFamily]

Hulk Hogan did too

[saalakhan]

The most influential and important performer in the history and growth of professional wrestling.He mastered and originated an approach that lifted wrestling from cult-like following into a world wide cash making phenomenon. sure,Bockwinkle,gagne,backlund­,etc were better scientific grapplers but in this biz, its about filling the seats and entertaining the fans and no one has done that better than SUPER STAR BILLY GRAHAM.

[philaman1972]

Superstar Billy Graham could take a box of dirt, go to a Wall Mart parking lot, and sell bags of it to people. That's how amazing he is on the mic.

[stylinnprofylin]

I met Superstar a few years ago the guy is a total legend he spent about 20 minutes talking with me signing his name and taking pics,a true legen what a great guy.

[010lats]

Still impressive today are the images of SBG pressing 405 overhead from the floor ; long arms and all. Not as skilled as some in the ring but most colorful. He lived hard and its amazing he's still alive.

[musiclove49]

is he dead

[ChromeGhost0219]

no just not active sadly

[010lats]

He's in his 60's. Authored two books and has become an evangelist. The most colorful wrestler strongest and best built. All wrestlers bodies break down steroids or not. It's like  being a very active stuntman.

[ChromeGhost0219]

I mean in todays wrestling

[010lats]

Yes it is sad we dont have SBG in wrestling today as we did some 30 plus years ago when he was the world Champion. Built lean and Huge strong Benching just shy of 600 lb.s wout a lifting shirt. But w/out SBG there would have been no Jessie Ventura nor Hulk Hogan!

[ChromeGhost0219]

exactly

[010lats]

CG you pretty smart wrestling fan for a 15 y/o keep your nose clean say your prayers work out and take your vitamins (in moderation lol) listen to your Mom and Dad. CG

Frankielats Baby!

[ChromeGhost0219]

I watched WCW growing up instead of wwf.that might have something to do with it

[stevekuuntz]

nor no ultimate warrior nor no rick rude or big poppa pump scott steiner.

PS: I think the 46 year old steiners physique and manner in the ring is most indicative of SBG he looked astonishing on TNA last week

[highnrising]

Maybe, but the natural ones like Sammartino and Race seem to hold up a little better. Graham himself blamed steroids for his bone and joint problems.

[010lats]

Steroids didnt mess up his joints pressing 405 did , landing on his neck, ass, and spine did. steroids just allowed him to do it bigger. Other drugs make these guys rife with injury on there own such as Alcohol, Amphetamines, Pain killers, Bruno stayed clean he's Great!

[stevekuuntz]

SBG has been a bit of a pikey and conman/liar during his period of "bitterness" in 80's/early 90's.

He blamed steroids when it suited him. on a recent shoot he says steroids are great beneficial things when cycled/moderation. But that he did huge doses on a non stop 20 year cycle. Add to dat his use of painkillers, alcohol, valium, morphine, his lifting insane and unneccesary weights and of course the brutal bumps of a 20 year wrestling career than is it any suprise his body broke down?

[010lats]

Bruno was a better wrestler too and knew how to fall. Bruno also has great genetics looks great today. SBG was more intense more high impact more extreme. the roids didn't ravage his body as much as they added to his extreme life style. Oral steroids may have contributed to his liver so may have alcohol , cocaine and amphetamines the heart.

[the1ali]

Superstar admitted to using Ali's persona, but it's funny because Ali admitted to getting his trash talk from Gorgeous George. So everything comes full circle.

[Knugabug]

Ahead of his time with the swagger, moves, interviews & steroids. Sat at a Phoenix flea market stone broke selling his things at one point.

[Carloscda40]

His body broke down because of steroids!

I remember watching wwf back in the day and they showed getting a hip replacement.

[brtshstel]

This was Hulk Hogan before there was Hulk Hogan. This is the REAL muscle-man wrestler. too bad his body broke down the way it did.

[jumar05]

they all seemed to steal Muhammed Ali's swagger....I mean they're good on the mouthpiece dont get me wrong but they'd be down right liars if they didnt say they were inspired by ALI....c'mon now! everybody with that kinda style from rhodes all the way to The Rock.

[1975tooto]

I know one thing for sure is that Billy Graham did admit he used the trash talk of Ali in a newsppaper article I read 3 years ago!! Ali also admitted he was inspired by Georgous George ! Especially the Oh I am so Pretty Line!!

[FanikII]

I was at a house show in Manchester, NH.,front row and the SuperStar pointed right at me. It was great!!

[ssssohn]

Simply fantastic.. gotta imagine, he looked and held promos like this already more than 30 years ago!

Superstar Billy Graham.. 20 years too soon..

[arkham335]

best talker of his day

[ANCIENTMYS]

Hulk Hogan stole his style back in the day.

[Wrestlingthemes3V2]

Idolmania is Running Wild!!!!

[TheLizardKing1967]

Dusty and Billy sound alike. It sounds like they are trying to talk like a brother. LOL

[Wrestlingthemes3V2]

Billy Doesnt have a Lisp like Dusty has Lol

[STPfuzzDemon]

They are imitating southern baptist ministers

and even 'faith healing' ministers.

[rael8]

the man of the hour with the power to sweet to be sour

[STPfuzzDemon]

Seems like he was great as both a Heel and a babyface!

[jasonbantle]

He was supposed to turn face much sooner but McMahon insisted on keeping him heel. He was the first true heel to be loved by the fans

[battlestarmarc]

add more superstar promos.

[wrestlingthemes3]

Billy Graham was never able to have children because the amount of steroids he took rendered him sterile

[bcmguy]

he had two children actually - later he wasn't able to have children with his wife Valerie from drugs

[DGarcia879]

has muscles like the hulkster, talks like ali, and has eyes like Randy Orton

[bigbadge107]

i have and his arms are bigger than arnolds go to superstar billy grahams web site for more of those pics you speak of .

[Hunkywunkster]

steroid Frankenstein

[Aryana4ever]

Dude Scott Steiner is not the only guy who juices, its pervalent in wrestling including Billy Graham. Its also very prevalent in all other sports especially in sports where strength and size is essential (ie powerlifting, bodybuilding, football, etc). Insecure pencil neck geeks try to belittle to make themselves feel better.

[lastwolflord]

yup. and not just sports. lots of musians and actors do them to. Unless some of you believe you can work out a few months and look like you been lifting for years. Or can have a kid and get in complete shape within 2 months. 6 pack and all.

[lukehusky]

No other man can fill SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM'S shoes...He will always be the man!

[Sener]

This promo is sort of horrible though.

I do love Graham though, he's awesome

[bigbadge107]

its said that arnold swarzenager was in awh the first time he saw billy ghrahams muscle which were alitlle biger than arnolds at the time .

[Aryana4ever]

Billy Graham might have weighed more because he had more bodyfat but don't compare his physique with Arnold's. Billy Graham was not that lean, had a big waist, and underdeveloped legs. Google a bodybuilding pic of Billy Graham and you'll see a pic of his standing next to Arnold - then you'll know what I'm talking about.

[1975tooto]

Yes Superstar was known really just for his arms.He did win a few best Arms competions in his early days!

[reh629]

superstar was the prototype.

[kgmckool]

THAT IS HULKS IDOL,THE ORIGINAL.

[hydra555]

Billy Graham is like the bad version of Hulk Hogan.

[trendsetter74]

John Cena couldn't lace Billy Graham's boots.

[mangamegs]

@trendsetter74 Too true

[hydra555]

Scott Steiner= The New Billy Graham.

[hydra555]

Scott Steiner= The New Billy Graham.

[JohnShaft71]

Scott Steiner shouldnt be mentioned in the same sentence as this man

[Aryana4ever]

Scott Steiner was a real wrestler in college and probably has the best physique ever for a wrestler. He lacks Billy Graham's charisma and personality.

[Sener]

I think Steiner has as much charisma as Graham.

[Fit4Life1967]

I respectfully disagree. Steiner had weak mic skills. He was better before he bleached his hair and increased the size of his physique.

[NWAfan]

I agree Steiner's promo are awful he talks like a confused child.

[kruunk1]

@JohnShaft71 ...yeah...Scott Steiner is waaaayyy better. That would bring his morale down..

[iconoclastic666]

One Saturday afternoon in the mid-70s I went to my local YMCA to lift weights and Superstar was just walking out of the weight room when I got there; he was in town for a match that night.

I am no small person myself and not easily impressed, but this guy was HUGE.

A friend of mine used to know this guy back when he was a nightclub bouncer before he became famous as a wrestler. One night he watched Superstar easily take out a couple of rowdy cowboys; he was a real bad-ass when he needed to be.

[uschi3]

the original professor of thuganomics

[chopperdude22]

fucking classic.

[Xian1228]

I LOVED Superstar's promos... I don't think he can be called a great worker, but brother could he work the crowd and the mike!

[mjl221]

Sounds like he's been listening to the Dream too much on this promo.... if you will :) LOL

[Xian1228]

Good point, but I think the comparison should be made the other way around. On his DVD "20 Years Too Soon", Dream made it obvious he got his style from Superstar. JR goes on to say that Dusty Rhodes is probably one of the top 5 talkers in the business, and he'll tell you, he learned from Superstar.

On the other hand, I'm sure around this time these two were influencing each other, seeing that they were working a program against each other.

[trendsetter74]

true but both of them were listening to Ali first.

[dexterville]

At his peak within the pro Wrestling industry, he was the most fantastic sports entertainment celebrity. You could see he loved doing the Gorgeous George " bit" (with a BIG wink to the poetry of Muhammad Ali )and he always played to his audience.

[uschi3]

sweet!

[stargate121]

So THAT'S where Dusty's brain damage comes from :)

[brtshstel]

So THAT'S why Dusty talks with a lisp!

[tubewrestler]

Superstar is an original ! Hogan ruined wrestling

[iancg85]

jesse the body ventura took off superstar too, with his tiedye and earings, see the body wanted to be billy graham for the look and hogan for the sound but he cudn do it.. jesse and a mick go well jesse and a ring with a man in it dont

[milkskitmaker]

Hulk hogan was too much of a goodie two shoes

even when he was a heel

[n439]

he looks so diffrent with hair

[SomemillinWISC]

The Original Blond Bad-Ass "Brother"!

[hydra555]

hulk hogan ripped off billy graham!!!!!!!!

[jaseharris2112]

wow billy graham was little when i saw him preach!

[austinmayor]

"The American Dream and New Orleans... That RHYMES!"

[aitraining]

Wow Graham is huge in that second clip and for the late 70's - that's amazingly big and cut.

[keithmoore9164]

is that dusty rhoads with a flat hair doo?

[thomasirving2006]

You will feel the power!!! Hahahahahahaaaaa

[ThundaLippz]

is superstar black? an albino nigga witta tan perhaps?

[kedordu]

totally awesome .0.28 where he pauses hes thinkin of the rhyme scheme.aww man totally hilarious . he knew it worked for comical value so it wasnt a botched work

[HENDRIXSBIGGESTFAN]

Billy Graham was clearly 20yrs or so ahaed of his time n u guys r ryt Ali did copy Gorgeous George but we all are influenced by some1..der are only a handful of originals. safe

[NJJUKES]

and "ALI" admitted to copying the like of the infamous "Buddy Rogers" and the flambouyant one Mr. "Gorgeous George"! That's the simple unadulterated fact Jack you pencil neck geeks! Know your wrestling trivia brudda's! Wwoooooooo

[solow79]

And "ALI" was a boxer. I'm not really into boxing so I wouldn't know who Ali copied.

[J5MARLON]

"ALI" boxer copied the showmanship of Rogers and Gorgeous George (wrestlers) and idolize Suger Ray Robertson and Jack Johnson (boxers). Billy Graham copied Ali. Hogan, Ventura,Flair, Macho Man and pretty much all of American Pro Wrestling copied Graham.

Dusty Rhodes on the other hand just copied alot of black folks in general. I know he's from NEW ORLEANS. He called it blue eyed soul. Who later inspires The Rock (Dusty calls him lil Deuwy).

[andyjohnD]

Can't forget Hulks first manager Freddy Blassie

[andyjohnD]

In his HOF speech and book the Hulkster does site Dusty and Superstar as his influences. Def. during the NWO years you do hear a bit of a Superstar influence

[dexterville]

one of the greatest "huckster" Entertainers in the business of Pro Wrestling!!

[kedordu]

omfg ... this is awesome

[Nat1831]

And it's said that Superstar, Flair , hogan and Rhodes all copied Thunderbolt Paterson.

But Billy Graham did it the best.

[hailwillis]

Clearly Hulk Hogan copied this man

[terps2703]

Superstar's not dead.

[wilsdomain]

terps2703, "RIP, Superstar Billy Graham" is a reference to Vince McMahon. In 1997, Graham went on a public crusade against McMahon's steroid scandal. It was alleged (wink) that McMahon profited from his stable of "juiced up" pro wrestlers. Now, Graham lecture high school students (athletes) about steroid abuse, from which Billy himself is NOW sufering. Despite Graham's wrong choices in life, he'll always be "Supertar Billy Grahman." I missed old school wrestling. :-(

--- WilsDomain

[wilsdomain]

"RIP, Superstar Billy Graham" is a reference to his crusade agaist Vince McMahon steroid scandal in 1997. For obvious reason and to avoid McMahon suing my butt, I will just state: "RIP, Superstar Billy Graham" is a reference to his crusade agaist Vince McMahon steroid scandal.

--- WilsDomain

[wilsdomain]

"RIP, Superstar Billy Graham" is a reference to his crusade agaist Vince McMahon steroid scandal in 1997. For obvious reason and to avoid McMahon suing my butt, I will just state: "RIP, Superstar Billy Graham" is a reference to his crusade agaist Vince McMahon steroid scandal.

--- WilsDomain

[wilsdomain]

RIP, Superstar Billy Graham.

--- WilsDomain

[Grunt6869]

Sounds like Jimmy Valiant wannabe.

[wilsdomain]

Or... Perhaps Muhamed Ali.

--- WilsDomain

[solow79]

Yep, he used to copy Ali. Superstar also used to tweak Bob Dylan lyrics to suit his promo's too.

[Fit4Life1967]

Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura and Scott Steiner all owe a big thanks to the Superstar. They all took a little from him in creating their own gimmick.

[dacigarpimp]

Old School greatness...