WWE Hall of Famer ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham dead at 79

WWE Hall of Famer “Superstar” Billy Graham, a flamboyant competitor who was the wrestling promotion’s world heavyweight champion during the late 1970s, died Wednesday. He was 79.

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Graham’s death was first announced by another iconic wrestler, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, who tweeted that “The Superstar Billy Graham just left us.”

In a tweet, the WWE wrote that the promotion was “saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham has passed away. We extend our condolences to Graham’s family, friends, and fans.”

No cause of death was given, but Graham, whose legal name was Eldridge Wayne Coleman, had been in poor health for several years and was hospitalized in February, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His wife, Valerie, wrote on social media earlier this week that Graham was on life support and had been suffering from a major infection in his ears and skull,

An update earlier this week to a GoFundMe page set up for Graham said the former wrestler “coded.” According to SBNation, the term is used in hospitals when a patient goes into cardiopulmonary arrest and requires immediate resuscitation efforts.

The page noted that Graham had also lost 45 pounds over the past month. Previously, Graham had hip replacement surgery and a liver transplant in 2002 due to hepatitis C and cirrhosis, according to the WWE Encyclopedia and Sports Illustrated.

In a news release, WWE said that Graham’s “flashy fashion style, over-the-top interviews and bodybuilder physique created the archetype for a generation of Superstars that followed in his footsteps.”

Graham a former bodybuilder and heavily muscled wrestler, was born in Phoenix in 1943, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He would have turned 80 on June 7. He trained as a bodybuilder and was able to bench press 605 pounds, according to WWE.

He gained some notoriety when one of his photo shoots with Arnold Schwarzenegger was featured in Joe Weider’s “Muscle and Fitness” magazine, the news release stated.

Before joining the WWWF (later called the WWF and now known as WWE), Graham wrestled under his legal name when he debuted in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1970, People reported. He spent three years in the American Wrestling Association from 1972 to 1975 before joining the WWWF in 1976.

Known for his flamboyant boas, tie-dye shirts and bombastic interviewing style that was inspired by Muhammad Ali, Graham was a significant “heel” in the WWWF when Vince McMahon Sr. ran the wrestling promotion in the Northeast.

He was the promotion’s heavyweight champion from April 30, 1977, to Feb. 20, 1978, according to the WWE Encyclopedia. Managed by the Grand Wizard (Ernie Roth), Graham defeated the legendary Bruno Sammartino for the title in Baltimore and held the belt for 296 days before dropping it to Bob Backlund at Madison Square Garden in New York.

According to WWE, Graham’s reign was the longest for any ring villain in WWE history.

Graham retired from the ring at age 44 in 1987 and became a manager and then a color commentator.

His interviews were legendary, as he bragged that “I am the reflection of perfection.”

“I am the sensation of the nation. The No. 1 creation,” Graham would tell jeering audiences.

Graham was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. His autobiography, “Tangled Ropes,” was released in 2006. That same year, WWE released a documentary, “20 Years Too Soon: The ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham Story.”

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