It would be nice if they did something about Chris Benoit that dude always works out in trains I know nobody wants to hear about him anymore nobody knows what happened to Chris Benoit if I was Chris Brown and his shoes out of retired from wrestling all those injuries like all that pounding I took in the ring they let him perform knowing he had all those injuries but if he didn't he would have lost his job with a WWE
Without knowing a hell of a lot about him I would say the fact that a body builder, football player, pro wrestler was able to compete in the WSM is a huge testament to his strength.
Yes, they were the top 10 or so strength athletes in the World then so regardless how he placed means nothing, doing multiple sports like boxing at even a lower level, shot putter, etc. is simply being gifted. Most BB could never even qualify and Billy seemed to lift more for physique lots of times than strength events like a dedicated strength athlete.
Totally agree with you. Before him, wrestlers were either overweight or skillful. He was The Trendsetter that inspired the images of Flair, Ventura, Hogan & whoever else.
And hulk Hogan stole his style and persona. No one really remembers that how hulk Hogan took over his entire look. He took the entire look and swag of Billy Graham. Now I ain't going to say he stole it but I'm just saying he did all the way down to the beard
I have to agree with you completely. Superstar Billy Graham was the the man. Hogan saw how well his persona worked. And used every part of it he could copy. @@gregoryyarbrough7765
I can remember when I started watching then WWWF Wrestling in 1977 with my Grandmother in Brooklyn NY , Superstar BG would wrestle ocassionaly same with Dusty Rhodes , Andrea was the main event and helped created the WWWF , I remember other powerful wrestlers at the time like Ken Patera , Ivan Putski , Mil Mascrasas , and Tony Atlas , Great Times
He was my favorite wrestler in the 1970's he just blew everybody away with his fantastic body and the way he dressed, I took up body building at that time.
I used to see him in the strongest man contest, back in 76, 77 times, an then see him wrasslin, an think, you dont wanna try this guy!, Rest un paradise Superstar!!!
One of my all-time favorite wrastlers. I bench pressed with him once when he popped into the central downtown Milwaukee YMCA when in town for a wrestling match. He was working with 275 lb just pumping out sets of 10. I suppose he stayed so light because he had a match later that night. He was very quiet, which surprised me a bit.
I still find this premise for your channel super creative while remaining simple in form. *I think when the current generation of kids and teenagers reaches adulthood, many will find your videos when looking back on their youth and reflecting on their idols and role models.* For all those that happen upon my post, a couple summers ago at the hardware store, I got to hold the door open for Bill Kazmaeir by rushing ahead of him as he went to try to hold it open for me! lol *I remember watching Bill live on TV in the 80's!!!*
The legendary superstar. He who's image inspired hogan, ventura, and others. Ventura was my favorite talker though he kicked it up to 12. Superstars promos were a little more grounded and subtle but excellent. Also superstar should have had a longer title run back then
As a teenager in the 70's watching him, Ken Patera, Ivan Putski, and others made a tall skinny kid like me hit the weights hard. I eventually even got into pro wrestling and held the Strap 5x's in an independent federation! I got to wrestle in the WWF, NWA/WWA, IWA, and others ... Meeting and even wrestling some I use to watch on TV ... It really was a dream come true, and a period in my life I will never forget! Actually at 63 yrs old now my injuries are haunting me and won't let me forget! 🤪😜🤣😆😭😮💨
Used to watch The Superstar wrestle in Pittsburgh 1977-80. i emulated him on stage at our highschool auditorium...it was a talent show, my friend played the Wizard. Great memories. 💪
He was a good friend to my dad who was a preacher. Wayne, as we knew him, would draw a crowd with his feats of strength and then dad would preach to the crowd.
I hate to say it but steroid abuse really came back and haunted him In his later years. For a man who innovated and inspired many he sure got the bad hands dealt to him
One of my all-time favorite, most iconic athletes of all time. I remember watching him wrestle when I was a kid in the 70s at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Thanks for making the video 👍
Thanks for the video of Mr. Graham. He had a real potent influence in wrestling with great strength attributes. So did Mr. Patera. . Real strong men who could take it and dish it out.
I met him in Baltimore when I was 13 years old, during his WWWF championship run. I'm 61 now and have never forgotten how kind and patient he was, as he was my hero and I was starstruck, LOL. You're right. The photos didn't do him justice, he was gigantic!
He’s one of underrated wrestlers of all time considering the stardom he deserves. He’s the SUPERSTAR that inspired the likes of Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Scott Steiner, and many others. Without Billy Graham wrestling won’t be the same.
Like a few other WSM competitors, Superstar was past his strength prime when he competed in the event, and as you mentioned, he was beat-up. He would have done better if he were a little younger. I got to see Billy wrestle Bruno Sammartino a couple of times at Madison Square Garden. Billy resented the plan to allow Bob Backlund to defeat him for the title. While Backlund was a legit college All-American wrestler, the idea of making this relatively "new" kid, who was 45 lbs. lighter the champion, got under his skin. He went along with the plan since it was what the boss, Vince McMahon, wanted. Backlund wasn't exactly weak by any means. I worked out in a gym with him when he was champion and he was fairly strong. I found out Tony Atlas had just finished his workout and left. I would have really liked to see him workout!
The funny thing is that on paper, being 37 years old at that competition he should have been at his peak but I agree, I think the amount of gear Billy used, along with his hard life, burnt him out early
I saw Superstar in Portland Maine around 1973. He went against Andre The Giant. Match ended in a draw but those memories will never die. I was 10 years old.
I remember SuperStar as a wrestler and I think it was just about the time I heard of Arnold Schwarnengger but I did not know that they trained together. Thanks for sharing
@@tonyjones1560 I seen Arnold last year in a hotel I was staying at but I did not want to bother him. When I go back I am going to try and work out in the gym he goes to. I heard he is friendly. Thanks for the info 👍
@@ALtheDoctorWho A high school friend, way back in the Eighties won a local bodybuilding competition that Arnold just happened to have attended. This was before he was a megastar, before the first Conan movie. Anyway, after the show Arnold came backstage, congratulated him on his victory then spent nearly an hour giving him contest and training pointers. When came back to school, and was asked how he did it was, “Dude, not only did I win, I got coached afterwards by the Austrian Oak himself! Arnold Schwarzenegger!” It meant more to him than the first place trophy. Nobody’s perfect, Arnold included, but all-in-all I think he’s a really good guy.
Superstar was a bit before my time but if there was no Superstar there would of been no Hulk Hogan and the explosion of pro wrestling popularity in the pop culture of the 80s that followed. Real tragedy with all the health problems he had in his later life. RIP Superstar
Before wrestling blew up the only name i constantly heard or saw pictures of in a wrestling magazine was Billy Graham ..and being from Massachusetts i never saw him wrestle on TV
51 YEARS AGO I MET SUPER STAR BILLY GRAHAM AT THE LOCAL YMCA I USED TO WORKOUT AT. I WAS INTRODUCED TO HIM BY MY WORKOUT PARTNER HAROLD SAKATA, PROFESDIONAL WRESTLER ACTOR KNOWN AS ODDJOB FROM GOLDFINGER!! WHEN I SAW ROCKY II, I THOUGHT THAT WAS BILLY GRAHAM INSTEAD OF THE HULK HOGAN!! BILLY GRAHAM HAD LIKE 23 INCH ARMS!!!
i saw him when he returned to the wwf and he "managed" don the rock murucco when the internet started i watched a lot of his promos and he was on fire in them, really great wrestling superstar and sadly missed
There sure wouldn’t! He changed the game. Back then the law of the land was that you had to have some sort of experience in actual amateur wrestling to be considered champion. Billy was the first to be heavyweight champion without being a real wrestler. Hogan came right after
great trip down memory lane with one of the best. Don't know if you saw my request for a video on Mike Tyson. I think you have such a wonderful way of presenting these videos.
Hey, I did see your request, sorry for not replying. I have researched Mike in the past and revisited more recently but sadly there was unable to find anything particularly useful info. In a recent interview, Mike was asked directly what he benched? I got pretty excited but was than immediately disappointed when he failed to provide an answer😂
There's no doubt he was an absolute unit! However, I wouldn't be surprised to find his lifts (like so many other WWE wrestlers) exaggerated. He was also definitely past his prime when attempting WSM. I guess we'll never know!
Most strength athletes peak in their late 30’s but it has to be said that Billy looked in his mid 50’s at the WSM. Time and the PED use had caught up to him
What a beast I just thought he was(just 😂) a world class bench press weightlifter but no he was also a track and field high jump and shot put champion, ameture and pro boxer than competed in the golden gloves, a wrestler who had apparently actual ameture wrestling training, a strongman who competed in the world's strongest man and placed 7th without specific strongman training and with injuries, mr america bodybuilder, mr universe or Olympia bodybuilder who won the most developed arms competition, and a high school and varsity American football player.
Kaz claims that's why he was banned for 3 years. He said that he won by so much that he was "too strong" and it wasn't fair to other competitors. Of course Kaz could be a bit of a snot rag when he wanted to. Lol. 😂
I have a good one for you I remember when DUSTY came to my house because my MOM would watch his first son we had pictures of him in my house I lived in TAMPA FLORIDA I remember a lot of the ones from those days a friend of my family was at the armory in TAMPA when Jack and Jerry Briscoe lost a match and he went into the ring and he cleared the ring as soon as the wrestlers came out there to get him out they had the cops to get him out of the ring all of his friends just called him BIG MAN then lot of years later I started working at a restaurant in TAMPA when I got to meet BLACK JACK and some of the other ones from back then. GOD BLESS ALL OF THE ONES WE HAVE LOST ALONG THE WAY
Probably the best built wrestler ever plus he lived on I those who imitated him like Hulk Hogan,Jesse Venura, Playboy Buddy Rose etc .Rest Well Superstar it was a pleasure to grow up seeing you in your prime along with the Grand Wizard of Wrestling thanks for the memories
@@StrengthUniverse well anyone honestly can take everything they want to and look great but if me whose mostly incredibly healthy and have an enlarged kidney but I go for an ultrasound every year these don’t even go to the doctors so they are won’t going to know what their bodies are going through plus they were using like 1000 mg Of test plus’s dbol and hgh so how can myself who’s super healthy tg only has that and do blood work and only use small amounts of test and I worry sometimes bc I don’t feel like I can’t bench at all like I’m lucky enough to do 225 for 1-2 sets of ten and he was bench 600 I can do that too just give me what he was taking I can bench 600 as well so
@@Snoopydogg743 if only it were that easy buddy. Someone could take 5 grams of gear a week and still not look good or be able to bench 500lbs; if someone has bad genetics there is nothing they can do to reach these levels.
Happy Moments , & Sad moments , memories are part of everyone’s LIFE , SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM, L❤ED IS NARCISSISTIC STAGE PRESENTATION 😂 BICEP 💪🏻 POSE, paved the way for many to follow
Just making the top 10 in world strongest man is amazing by itself. He's competing against prime Bill Kasmire for crying out loud! Put some more respect on this guy's name! Finishing 8th or 10th is a huge achievement!
I met him during his championship run. I was 13 years old, and he was (still is) my favorite wrestler. They say you should never meet your heroes, but he was simultaneously the largest and the kindest man I'd ever met in my life (up til that time). I'm 61 years old and I'll never forget that. "The man of the hour, the man with the power!" RIP Superstar Billy Graham. You are missed.
WOW, so many of these facts and pictures i have never seen, i used to watch him wrestle on TV in the mid 70's on the weekends at a friends place. He used to have that 'coach' i think called the grand wizard?? Nobody lives or stays young forever, poor guy, sad way to waste away like that! I will be 69 in December and doing what i could in my mid 20's is just a memory!
👁 am 63, we can only do our BEST to keep 💪🏻 fit & healthy, 👁 have to get OFF THE COOKIE 🍪 & back in the gym, was doing good for a while, NO EXCUSE - 👁 am retired since 62
👁 am 63, we can only do our BEST to keep 💪🏻 fit & healthy, 👁 have to get OFF THE COOKIE 🍪 & back in the gym, was doing good for a while, NO EXCUSE - 👁 am retired since 62. 🙏🏼✌🏽😍🙏🏼
@@bruceberger1569 I still work and exercise mainly light weights and 15-20 reps and lots of stretching, good to stay flexible, i have a hyperextension machine in my living room. hehehhe
The Grand Wizard of Wrestling (also known as Ernie Roth, his real name) was Superstar's "manager." I'm 61 and a disabled combat veteran so I can relate. I'm a shadow of what I was when I was 45, let alone 20. We might not be able to do what we used to, so we do as much as we can. Who knows? Maybe some of those old "powers" might come back?
Yeah but the amount of steroids he was taking was insane so yeah ofc once ur off ur back to square one ! Anyone can do that !! U can’t stay on forever so yeah ! Can believe that in football all the players are on stuff !! People still watch it whist cheating ! lol better watch soccer instead they can’t cheat like they do in football!🏈
Without a doubt Superstar Billy Graham was the Michael Jordan arrestler. He was way before all of these other guys people grew up on Superstar. Billy Graham was there doing his thing? A true champion a SUPERSTAR
Cage match Wpg Manitoba 1973. Ivan Koloff ( Russian Bear) yanks Graham down from high up the cage. Graham falls about 10' face down to the mat. ( It obviously hurt)
I agree. If McMahon Sr had put the title back on Graham and turned him into a "babyface," they would have generated an astonishing amount of money. Superstar Billy Graham was the breakout money-maker that pro wrestling had been looking for, for years but McMahon Sr couldn't see it. I think Billy saw that the fans were turning him into a "face," and that another run as then WWWF champion would have been a license to print some serious money. He got depressed, dropped out of the business for a while and developed a drug problem. When he came back with the "karate master" gimmick, he was still in the midst of this storm and tried to cut his ties to the blond, Thai-dyed, smooth talking muscleman. He was also very embittered by the way he felt he'd been treated by the McMahons, which likely explains why he nearly single-handedly exposed the steroid situation in the WWF, even though he had been using "gear" long before he got into wrestling. Speculative as this is, if McMahon Sr had been able to see past "good guys" and "bad guys," Superstar Graham might have been the first "breakout" star that paved the way for Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold and even The Rock. His story, as it is, is told in an autobiography called "Tangled Ropes" and on a DVD set appropriately titled "20 Years Too Soon: The Superstar Billy Graham Story." If you're interested. Sorry for the rant.
He was one of the best I remember him wrestling Ivan Putski at the Providence Civic Center.... with his manager the grand wizard of wrestling,,, I was blessed in that time era..... as wrestling today is Era.....,,,,,,, just to think that these guys like Billy Graham ....Andre the Giant ....Chief Jay Strongbow etcetera... pave the way with Blood Sweat and Tears... VIP,,,,,,🙏
Triple H once referred to Hogan on video as "a cheap Superstar Billy Graham knock-off." If you ever get to watch "20 Years Too Soon: The Superstar Billy Graham Story," on DVD, you can see/hear him say it. I don't think Hogan would have argued the point. By one account, he was "inspired" to become a wrestler after seeing Superstar in Tampa. He managed to link up with Hiro Matsuda for training, and allegedly came in the door proclaiming himself "The Next Superstar Graham!" Terry Bollea (Hogan) was so obnoxious with this that Matsuda decided to run him off by breaking his arm. When the cast came off, Hogan came back, and the rest (as they say) is history...
Thanks for watching. Please comment your opinion of Billy Graham below.
The good old Strength Universe is back!!! We are waiting for more materials. Greetings from Poland
@@krzysztofmarciniak102 thank you 🙏
@@StrengthUniverseThe 1st professional wrestler to bench 600lbs 605 to be exact & I didn't know Wayne Colman was a bit of a tough guy
$uper$tar Billy Graham was the role model for
those who came after.
It would be nice if they did something about Chris Benoit that dude always works out in trains I know nobody wants to hear about him anymore nobody knows what happened to Chris Benoit if I was Chris Brown and his shoes out of retired from wrestling all those injuries like all that pounding I took in the ring they let him perform knowing he had all those injuries but if he didn't he would have lost his job with a WWE
Without knowing a hell of a lot about him I would say the fact that a body builder, football player, pro wrestler was able to compete in the WSM is a huge testament to his strength.
That strongman lineup was something else. Very competitive.
Yes, they were the top 10 or so strength athletes in the World then so regardless how he placed means nothing, doing multiple sports like boxing at even a lower level, shot putter, etc. is simply being gifted. Most BB could never even qualify and Billy seemed to lift more for physique lots of times than strength events like a dedicated strength athlete.
Hell yeah
The man was a beast. And I believe if he would have trained for strength events. He would have placed a lot better. Then did in this event.
Billy Graham was ahead of his time.
Totally agree with you. Before him, wrestlers were either overweight or skillful. He was The Trendsetter that inspired the images of Flair, Ventura, Hogan & whoever else.
I was a very young boy that truly looked up to him a lot because I did not have a dad in my life (. R.I.P..)
Thank you Superstar Billy Graham for the memories and stories from wrestling to Arnold stories and The Ultimate Warrior, Rest In Peace.😥
1943 to 2023, 80 years old, is a great run considering all the bodily abuses and trauma he took on. He was a Super Star.
It's a reasonable age for sure; unfortunately, his last 20 years were spent in very ill health
My thoughts indeed. Normally people that abuse anabolics don't get to sniff 50 let alone 80. The Man was a freaking Warrior
@@StrengthUniverseWayne Colman would have done very good in the tug a war
I'm a die hard billy graham fan this guy changed the game for ever
And hulk Hogan stole his style and persona. No one really remembers that how hulk Hogan took over his entire look. He took the entire look and swag of Billy Graham. Now I ain't going to say he stole it but I'm just saying he did all the way down to the beard
I have to agree with you completely. Superstar Billy Graham was the the man. Hogan saw how well his persona worked. And used every part of it he could copy. @@gregoryyarbrough7765
@@gregoryyarbrough7765 And Hogan is bald too.
@@terry_willis yeah they lost that hair around the same way. Didn't they that hairstyle he took that too
That high school photo of him just says it all wow even back then he looks totally different than everybody
When I saw that, I wondered if he was using even back then.
The Superstar was an original decades ahead of his time, ALOT of wrestlers ripped off theyre gimmicks from The Superstar
I can remember when I started watching then WWWF Wrestling in 1977 with my Grandmother in Brooklyn NY , Superstar BG would wrestle ocassionaly same with Dusty Rhodes , Andrea was the main event and helped created the WWWF , I remember other powerful wrestlers at the time like Ken Patera , Ivan Putski , Mil Mascrasas , and Tony Atlas , Great Times
He was my favorite wrestler in the 1970's he just blew everybody away with his fantastic body and the way he dressed, I took up body building at that time.
I used to see him in the strongest man contest, back in 76, 77 times, an then see him wrasslin, an think, you dont wanna try this guy!, Rest un paradise Superstar!!!
He was an unforgettable character and I enjoyed watching him in the WSM competition. 2nd place in the battery hold is quite an accomplishment.
He beat Bill Kazmir in an advent, that's an accomplishment!
One of my all-time favorite wrastlers. I bench pressed with him once when he popped into the central downtown Milwaukee YMCA when in town for a wrestling match. He was working with 275 lb just pumping out sets of 10. I suppose he stayed so light because he had a match later that night. He was very quiet, which surprised me a bit.
To finished in 7th place in the World's Strongest Man is an amazing 👏 feat of strength 💪!! Superstar was great!!
4:16 Geoff Capes and Billy Kazmaier that’s two names I’ve not heard of in decades
I still find this premise for your channel super creative while remaining simple in form. *I think when the current generation of kids and teenagers reaches adulthood, many will find your videos when looking back on their youth and reflecting on their idols and role models.*
For all those that happen upon my post, a couple summers ago at the hardware store, I got to hold the door open for Bill Kazmaeir by rushing ahead of him as he went to try to hold it open for me! lol
*I remember watching Bill live on TV in the 80's!!!*
Thanks Jon,. Really enjoyed your recounting of your meeting Kaz, what a legend!
One of my favorite old school wrestlers tower of power too sweet to be sour
The legendary superstar. He who's image inspired hogan, ventura, and others. Ventura was my favorite talker though he kicked it up to 12. Superstars promos were a little more grounded and subtle but excellent. Also superstar should have had a longer title run back then
Yep, it's incredible how many wrestlers were inspired or like Hogan straight up stole his persona
You were my favorite Billy! RIP Superstar.
As a teenager in the 70's watching him, Ken Patera, Ivan Putski, and others made a tall skinny kid like me hit the weights hard. I eventually even got into pro wrestling and held the Strap 5x's in an independent federation!
I got to wrestle in the WWF, NWA/WWA, IWA, and others ... Meeting and even wrestling some I use to watch on TV ... It really was a dream come true, and a period in my life I will never forget! Actually at 63 yrs old now my injuries are haunting me and won't let me forget! 🤪😜🤣😆😭😮💨
Used to watch The Superstar wrestle in Pittsburgh 1977-80. i emulated him on stage at our highschool auditorium...it was a talent show, my friend played the Wizard. Great memories. 💪
R.I.P. Superstar Graham, thank you for your time in this world. 🕊
Beautiful and stunningly good tribute.
Thank you very much!
He was a good friend to my dad who was a preacher. Wayne, as we knew him, would draw a crowd with his feats of strength and then dad would preach to the crowd.
That’s awesome, praise the Good Lord in Jesus’ Name 🕊
Billy did alot in his life but that last photo of him in bed, old, thin and weak shows we just can't win time.
he had hepatitis c and a brain and ear infection
Duh
I definitely agree you can't be time. However, we have it within ourselves to make the game of life last much longer
@@wagabagabobobo In the end.......we've all got something. That's why we die.
I hate to say it but steroid abuse really came back and haunted him In his later years. For a man who innovated and inspired many he sure got the bad hands dealt to him
One of my all-time favorite, most iconic athletes of all time. I remember watching him wrestle when I was a kid in the 70s at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Thanks for making the video 👍
Even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin said that Billy was the original “Stone Cold”.
This man gave his all. RESPECT 😊
Thanks for the video of Mr. Graham. He had a real potent influence in wrestling with great strength attributes. So did Mr. Patera.
. Real strong men who could take it and dish it out.
Thank you
Loved it. Thank you.
Thank you for a great video as always. The extra information about his life was very interesting. Sad at times.
Thank you, pleased you enjoyed it
The reflection of perfection
Another legend
I trained alongside him at Rick Poston's Athletes Fitness Center in Tampa. Very nice guy! And HUGE!
I met him in Baltimore when I was 13 years old, during his WWWF championship run. I'm 61 now and have never forgotten how kind and patient he was, as he was my hero and I was starstruck, LOL. You're right. The photos didn't do him justice, he was gigantic!
He’s one of underrated wrestlers of all time considering the stardom he deserves.
He’s the SUPERSTAR that inspired the likes of Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Scott Steiner, and many others. Without Billy Graham wrestling won’t be the same.
Like a few other WSM competitors, Superstar was past his strength prime when he competed in the event, and as you mentioned, he was beat-up. He would have done better if he were a little younger.
I got to see Billy wrestle Bruno Sammartino a couple of times at Madison Square Garden. Billy resented the plan to allow Bob Backlund to defeat him for the title. While Backlund was a legit college All-American wrestler, the idea of making this relatively "new" kid, who was 45 lbs. lighter the champion, got under his skin. He went along with the plan since it was what the boss, Vince McMahon, wanted.
Backlund wasn't exactly weak by any means. I worked out in a gym with him when he was champion and he was fairly strong. I found out Tony Atlas had just finished his workout and left. I would have really liked to see him workout!
The funny thing is that on paper, being 37 years old at that competition he should have been at his peak but I agree, I think the amount of gear Billy used, along with his hard life, burnt him out early
When he showed up at WWWF it was shocking. The first bodybuilder I ever saw and major impact on my life. God bless Superstar
💪🏼"Superstar" Billy Graham.
📖🙏🏼
I saw Superstar in Portland Maine around 1973. He went against Andre The Giant. Match ended in a draw but those memories will never die. I was 10 years old.
Have to admit, your pro wrestler segments are my favorites!
Glad you like them!
I was around his entire career, he was indeed the Super Star of Super Stars !!!
I remember SuperStar as a wrestler and I think it was just about the time I heard of Arnold Schwarnengger but I did not know that they trained together. Thanks for sharing
Arnold is Superstar's daughter's godfather. Evidently, Billy was among the first friends Arnold made when he came to America.
@@tonyjones1560 I seen Arnold last year in a hotel I was staying at but I did not want to bother him. When I go back I am going to try and work out in the gym he goes to. I heard he is friendly. Thanks for the info 👍
@@ALtheDoctorWho A high school friend, way back in the Eighties won a local bodybuilding competition that Arnold just happened to have attended. This was before he was a megastar, before the first Conan movie. Anyway, after the show Arnold came backstage, congratulated him on his victory then spent nearly an hour giving him contest and training pointers. When came back to school, and was asked how he did it was, “Dude, not only did I win, I got coached afterwards by the Austrian Oak himself! Arnold Schwarzenegger!” It meant more to him than the first place trophy. Nobody’s perfect, Arnold included, but all-in-all I think he’s a really good guy.
Superstar was a bit before my time but if there was no Superstar there would of been no Hulk Hogan and the explosion of pro wrestling popularity in the pop culture of the 80s that followed. Real tragedy with all the health problems he had in his later life. RIP Superstar
SO SAD was such a superstar but he shinned to bright too fast but his light will always shine on in history and fans
Before wrestling blew up the only name i constantly heard or saw pictures of in a wrestling magazine was Billy Graham ..and being from Massachusetts i never saw him wrestle on TV
Rest in peace billy Graham, my favorite wrestler ever
51 YEARS AGO I MET SUPER STAR BILLY GRAHAM AT THE LOCAL YMCA I USED TO WORKOUT AT. I WAS INTRODUCED TO HIM BY MY WORKOUT PARTNER HAROLD SAKATA, PROFESDIONAL WRESTLER ACTOR KNOWN AS ODDJOB FROM GOLDFINGER!! WHEN I SAW ROCKY II, I THOUGHT THAT WAS BILLY GRAHAM INSTEAD OF THE HULK HOGAN!! BILLY GRAHAM HAD LIKE 23 INCH ARMS!!!
Even as a little baby he is wearing that signature hat.
Guido hat?
......wow. I wish you had footage of Superstar Graham arm-wrestling Ken Patera in 1974. Both these guys were super strong!
i saw him when he returned to the wwf and he "managed" don the rock murucco
when the internet started i watched a lot of his promos and he was on fire in them, really great wrestling superstar and sadly missed
I work in the Building Ted now owns where he has his Weightlifting equipment business. I see him almost every day and enjoy our bantering. 👍
What a cool experience
Without Billy Graham, there probably wouldn’t be Hulk Hogan…
There sure wouldn’t! He changed the game. Back then the law of the land was that you had to have some sort of experience in actual amateur wrestling to be considered champion. Billy was the first to be heavyweight champion without being a real wrestler. Hogan came right after
great trip down memory lane with one of the best. Don't know if you saw my request for a video on Mike Tyson. I think you have such a wonderful way of presenting these videos.
Hey, I did see your request, sorry for not replying. I have researched Mike in the past and revisited more recently but sadly there was unable to find anything particularly useful info. In a recent interview, Mike was asked directly what he benched? I got pretty excited but was than immediately disappointed when he failed to provide an answer😂
@@StrengthUniverse even if you can't find anything concrete I know you'd still make a great video
This video was great! You should do a video on Mathew Raggs
There's no doubt he was an absolute unit! However, I wouldn't be surprised to find his lifts (like so many other WWE wrestlers) exaggerated. He was also definitely past his prime when attempting WSM. I guess we'll never know!
Most strength athletes peak in their late 30’s but it has to be said that Billy looked in his mid 50’s at the WSM. Time and the PED use had caught up to him
What a beast I just thought he was(just 😂) a world class bench press weightlifter but no he was also a track and field high jump and shot put champion, ameture and pro boxer than competed in the golden gloves, a wrestler who had apparently actual ameture wrestling training, a strongman who competed in the world's strongest man and placed 7th without specific strongman training and with injuries, mr america bodybuilder, mr universe or Olympia bodybuilder who won the most developed arms competition, and a high school and varsity American football player.
Loved watching his matches with Chief Wahoo McDanials
One of the best pro wrestlers I ever saw in my 75 years.
Please do a video on Scott Steiner
Right here: th-cam.com/video/q44al9Kr27g/w-d-xo.html
He was the first Hulk Hogan type character.
Man, those old wrestlers were really impressive. Almost all of them had interesting backgrounds and extracurricular activities
The super star was great on the microphone great promos
Bill Kazmaier was over 25 points ahead of 2nd place impressive.
Kaz was on another level but part of the reason for that huge lead was the final event, the tug of war was worth double points
Kaz claims that's why he was banned for 3 years. He said that he won by so much that he was "too strong" and it wasn't fair to other competitors. Of course Kaz could be a bit of a snot rag when he wanted to. Lol. 😂
Can't believe the strong man competition wasn't televised, would have been perfect for "Wide World of Sports"
It was televised but they only show the performances of the top 4 or 5 competitors
I have a good one for you I remember when DUSTY came to my house because my MOM would watch his first son we had pictures of him in my house I lived in TAMPA FLORIDA I remember a lot of the ones from those days a friend of my family was at the armory in TAMPA when Jack and Jerry Briscoe lost a match and he went into the ring and he cleared the ring as soon as the wrestlers came out there to get him out they had the cops to get him out of the ring all of his friends just called him BIG MAN then lot of years later I started working at a restaurant in TAMPA when I got to meet BLACK JACK and some of the other ones from back then. GOD BLESS ALL OF THE ONES WE HAVE LOST ALONG THE WAY
The original American real life super hero physique 🇺🇸💪 Rest in peace and eternal glory SuperStar! 🫡🙏🏼
Legend !!!
0:43 He also became a brotha for a while, what a life! Love these videos.
Probably the best built wrestler ever plus he lived on I those who imitated him like Hulk Hogan,Jesse Venura, Playboy Buddy Rose etc .Rest Well Superstar it was a pleasure to grow up seeing you in your prime along with the Grand Wizard of Wrestling thanks for the memories
Austin Idol
The goat of wres.
Legend. Great talker
Jesus Christ. This man was literally falling apart during his last years. Poor guy
Yes his last 20 years were shocking: Cirrasis, bowel obstruction, diabetes, Hep C, double pneumonia, cancer, sepsis, multiple organ failure
@@StrengthUniverse well anyone honestly can take everything they want to and look great but if me whose mostly incredibly healthy and have an enlarged kidney but I go for an ultrasound every year these don’t even go to the doctors so they are won’t going to know what their bodies are going through plus they were using like 1000 mg
Of test plus’s dbol and hgh so how can myself who’s super healthy tg only has that and do blood work and only use small amounts of test and I worry sometimes bc I don’t feel like I can’t bench at all like I’m lucky enough to do 225 for 1-2 sets of ten and he was bench 600 I can do that too just give me what he was taking I can bench 600 as well so
@@Snoopydogg743 if only it were that easy buddy. Someone could take 5 grams of gear a week and still not look good or be able to bench 500lbs; if someone has bad genetics there is nothing they can do to reach these levels.
@@StrengthUniverse With all that, he lived several years past the doctors' predictions but he was definitely in and out of the hospital...
Happy Moments , & Sad moments , memories are part of everyone’s LIFE , SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM, L❤ED IS NARCISSISTIC STAGE PRESENTATION 😂 BICEP 💪🏻 POSE, paved the way for many to follow
Just making the top 10 in world strongest man is amazing by itself. He's competing against prime Bill Kasmire for crying out loud! Put some more respect on this guy's name! Finishing 8th or 10th is a huge achievement!
I met him during his championship run. I was 13 years old, and he was (still is) my favorite wrestler. They say you should never meet your heroes, but he was simultaneously the largest and the kindest man I'd ever met in my life (up til that time). I'm 61 years old and I'll never forget that. "The man of the hour, the man with the power!" RIP Superstar Billy Graham. You are missed.
WOW, so many of these facts and pictures i have never seen, i used to watch him wrestle on TV in the mid 70's on the weekends at a friends place. He used to have that 'coach' i think called the grand wizard?? Nobody lives or stays young forever, poor guy, sad way to waste away like that! I will be 69 in December and doing what i could in my mid 20's is just a memory!
👁 am 63, we can only do our BEST to keep 💪🏻 fit & healthy, 👁 have to get OFF THE COOKIE 🍪 & back in the gym, was doing good for a while, NO EXCUSE - 👁 am retired since 62
👁 am 63, we can only do our BEST to keep 💪🏻 fit & healthy, 👁 have to get OFF THE COOKIE 🍪 & back in the gym, was doing good for a while, NO EXCUSE - 👁 am retired since 62. 🙏🏼✌🏽😍🙏🏼
@@bruceberger1569 I still work and exercise mainly light weights and 15-20 reps and lots of stretching, good to stay flexible, i have a hyperextension machine in my living room. hehehhe
The Grand Wizard of Wrestling (also known as Ernie Roth, his real name) was Superstar's "manager." I'm 61 and a disabled combat veteran so I can relate. I'm a shadow of what I was when I was 45, let alone 20. We might not be able to do what we used to, so we do as much as we can. Who knows? Maybe some of those old "powers" might come back?
Second only to the LEGENDARY Pat Casey in the bench.
He should have been called Mr. Excitement!
Sad to see how he aged after how powerful he was
Hey Adnan, it was sad, Time wasn’t kind to Billy
Yeah but the amount of steroids he was taking was insane so yeah ofc once ur off ur back to square one ! Anyone can do that !! U can’t stay on forever so yeah ! Can believe that in football all the players are on stuff !! People still watch it whist cheating ! lol better watch soccer instead they can’t cheat like they do in football!🏈
One of my childhood heroes.
Without a doubt Superstar Billy Graham was the Michael Jordan arrestler. He was way before all of these other guys people grew up on Superstar. Billy Graham was there doing his thing? A true champion a SUPERSTAR
Cage match Wpg Manitoba 1973. Ivan Koloff ( Russian Bear) yanks Graham down from high up the cage. Graham falls about 10' face down to the mat. ( It obviously hurt)
He should’ve had another or longer run with the WWE title
I agree. If McMahon Sr had put the title back on Graham and turned him into a "babyface," they would have generated an astonishing amount of money. Superstar Billy Graham was the breakout money-maker that pro wrestling had been looking for, for years but McMahon Sr couldn't see it. I think Billy saw that the fans were turning him into a "face," and that another run as then WWWF champion would have been a license to print some serious money. He got depressed, dropped out of the business for a while and developed a drug problem. When he came back with the "karate master" gimmick, he was still in the midst of this storm and tried to cut his ties to the blond, Thai-dyed, smooth talking muscleman. He was also very embittered by the way he felt he'd been treated by the McMahons, which likely explains why he nearly single-handedly exposed the steroid situation in the WWF, even though he had been using "gear" long before he got into wrestling. Speculative as this is, if McMahon Sr had been able to see past "good guys" and "bad guys," Superstar Graham might have been the first "breakout" star that paved the way for Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold and even The Rock. His story, as it is, is told in an autobiography called "Tangled Ropes" and on a DVD set appropriately titled "20 Years Too Soon: The Superstar Billy Graham Story." If you're interested. Sorry for the rant.
He took dbol to a new level so
dbol and a bit more
It's called stacking
Good for Billy!!!
Love Superstar in his time in Florida with that no-good Sir Oliver Humperdink!! *boo boo*
Classic
Billy Graham and Ox Baker take on everybody in Florida NWA wrestling .
He was one of the best I remember him wrestling Ivan Putski at the Providence Civic Center.... with his manager the grand wizard of wrestling,,,
I was blessed in that time era..... as wrestling today is Era.....,,,,,,, just to think that these guys like Billy Graham ....Andre the Giant ....Chief Jay Strongbow etcetera... pave the way with Blood Sweat and Tears...
VIP,,,,,,🙏
great heel
Billy Graham aka Wayne Colman started abusing steroids in late 1965 to maybe very early 1966 till about mid 1990
He was Sorry As hell in Football 🏈 😂😂😂
Super macho Man from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out was clearly made after Billy Graham
Interesting name in strongman , arm wrestler extrodinare , Cleve Dean.Did Hulk Hogan get his entire schtick from the Super Star ?
Yes Hogan stole his whole style, persona and catch phrases from Superstar, calling people Brother and referring to his arms as Pythons
Triple H once referred to Hogan on video as "a cheap Superstar Billy Graham knock-off." If you ever get to watch "20 Years Too Soon: The Superstar Billy Graham Story," on DVD, you can see/hear him say it. I don't think Hogan would have argued the point. By one account, he was "inspired" to become a wrestler after seeing Superstar in Tampa. He managed to link up with Hiro Matsuda for training, and allegedly came in the door proclaiming himself "The Next Superstar Graham!" Terry Bollea (Hogan) was so obnoxious with this that Matsuda decided to run him off by breaking his arm. When the cast came off, Hogan came back, and the rest (as they say) is history...
He was strong, but not as strong as Ken Patera. They had a contest between them doing military presses close to 400lb+ and Ken left him in the dust.
I bet he caught hep C from facing Abdullah The Butcher
He actually said he did!
Billy the Saint
Okay did anyone watch him at the world strongest man?
7 th strongest man in the world would literally mean he's super strong
Stronger than you or me put together along with half the East Coast.
I remember I was in the army station at Ft Hood Tx. Super star was on every Saturday night. I think. He was with AWA and he was Ripped.😂