WWE icon “Superstar” Billy Graham’s epic career takes center stage this week on VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring

Dark Side of the Ring will be back on VICE TV this week, documenting the career of former WWE Champion “Superstar” Billy Graham. The legendary star held the prestigious title from April 1977 to February 1978.

Often regarded as ahead of his time, “Superstar” Billy Graham emerged as one of the first megastars in the wrestling business. He influenced major stars such as Hulk Hogan and Jesse “The Body” Ventura. The legend originally started as a preacher but quickly transitioned into pro wrestling, using his charismatic persona and unique look to rise to the top of the business.

This week’s episode will delve into the rise and fall of Billy Graham. In the ’70s, Vince McMahon Sr. recognized his talent and picked him to dethrone the legendary Bruno Sammartino. Due to the nature of the business back then, Graham arguably only served as a transitional champion, losing the title to Bob Backlund some months later.

Wrestling veterans Jim Cornette and Dave Meltzer shared their insights during the episode. Cornette highlighted Graham’s ability to sell out arenas. He noted that fans thronged to see the star, something uncommon for heels during that era. A wrestling historian himself, Cornette recalled that Graham’s downfall started after losing the WWE Title in 1978.

After Vince McMahon took over, Graham had a major falling out with the McMahon family, which seemingly hurt his legacy. In 2004, when WWE inducted him into the Hall of Fame, the legend was finally acknowledged for his contributions to the industry. He passed away in 2023.

Tune in to VICE TV for an exciting episode of Dark Side of the Ring this Tuesday at 10:00 PM Eastern.

About the author

” data-lazy=”https://keedag.sportskeeda.com/user-pic/22538-1716468601-200.jpg?w=200″
alt=”Prityush Haldar” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Prityush is a WWE news writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling who started watching wrestling in the later part of The Attitude Era. Although he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Prityush was a creative writer for his college, and his flair for creativity and love of pro wrestling eventually led him to the journalism field. After an initial stint in 2016-2017, he has been writing regularly for Sportskeeda since 2021.

As someone who loves and respects the business, he prides himself on factual, clean, and ethical reporting, free of plagiarism and AI usage. One of the ways he ensures this is by transcribing videos that he reports on.

Prityush had the privilege of interviewing superstar Matt Hardy in his career so far. Although, his favorite wrestler is CM Punk, as he relates to his Straight Edge philosophy.

When he is not reporting news, he loves reading and collecting WWE action figures. He currently owns over 500 wrestling figures and merchandise.

Know More