Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: Superstar Billy Graham
Date: March 10, 2006
Your Hosts: James Walsh, Ben Benya, Brendon Brooks, & Francine
"SUPERSTAR" BILLY GRAHAM
Interview conducted by Ben Benya, Brendon Brooks and James Walsh
Transcript by Chris Furguson
Bringing up Billy's book and DVD, which are released through WWE, the first question relates to Billy's relationship with the WWE. "I've got a great relationship with Vince and Stephanie." Mr. Graham later says "It's nice to have that again, especially at this point in my life, to have everything back in place is really a good thing."
After accidently calling the guest "Bruno [Sammartino]," Brendon gets out a question about what's missing in today's wrestling. Billy mentions being in at a book signing in Philadelphia, Bruno's home town. "We had 200-250 fans come out to the signing and I would say that 99.9% of the fans had never heard of Bruno Sammartino. They were all young fans and they were just non-responsive to his name." He later says that 5% of the fans actually knew who Bruno was!
After a bit about how well-received Billy was in Philly, James asks the next question. "Why do you think Bruno won't the accept nomination into the Hall of Fame?" Billy's response is "Well, Bruno's very bitter. I'll tell you how bitter he is." Billy brings up Bruno's Italian heritage ("The word 'vendetta' comes to mind"), as well as David Sammartino's use of steroids, which is why Bruno disowned him. "This has been going on. what, 17 years already and he's never spoken a word to his son in 17 years. Completely disowned him for him doing steroids." Billy later explains that Bruno has absolutely no interest in the Hall of Fame.
Benya brings up Billy's 10 month WWWF title reign, as well as the fact that Billy was the first "charismatic superstar" and had his reign lasted a little longer, Billy would have been the "Icon" of professional wrestling. Billy mentions Vince quoting something like that for his book, "Tangled Ropes: 20 Years Too Soon." According to Billy, Vince Sr. was strictly traditional and thought Billy was too big to be an actual babyface and thought Backlund would be a more sympathetic figure. Billy then says "it was a disasterous change at that time" and how Backlund would "go down in history as the most unpopular champ, even though he had a 5-year reign, of all time." They then go into how Backlund had no charisma.
James brings up the Steroids question, specifically if Billy had any idea how much damage they'd do to his body. He didn't. "In the late 60's and the early 70's, we were very much in denial that things were going to happen to us." He goes on to say that the brochures that came with the drugs only warned about potential liver problems, which the wrestlers themselves dismissed as a "non-issue."
Brendon, after messing up Billy's name again, mentions a story that Billy had contracted Hepatitis C from being in the ring. Billy says that he got the disease from a co-mingling of blood (the only way you can get it), and how matches in the 70s were bloodbaths. Billy also says that Road Warrior Hawk had Hepatitis C.
Benya brings up a name from Billy's past: Abdullah the Butcher. Is Billy still friends with him? "Yes, of course. I haven't seen him in years, but he was my mentor in the business and took me under his wing."
Billy's Hall of Fame speech, where he strongly brings up donor cards and how people should carry them, is the next topic. Billy brings up Katie Gilroy, a 15-year old girl who had signed her donor card and was sadly killed in a car crash three years earlier. Since Billy had the "worst liver in the state" and was #1 on the transplant list, he got Katie's liver. Katie's heart went to another woman and the kidneys were sent to two najavo girls as well. Katie saved many lives by signing her donor card and Billy felt he had to mention that in his acceptance speech, since he would not be around without her.
Brendon brings up Billy's book, mentioning other biographies as well. What makes Billy's book stand out from the rest? "I think the honesty of divulging into my steroid abuse and the drugs and the true mental state and the true events that I have gone through. I think there's a lot of the books, they didn't want to [go into detail], especially the Hulk's book, which was like a puff piece. And a lot of they really don't want to get into the legitimate hardships of their life."
Billy's book, according to James, is honest "while not exactly diminishing to other people." Billy responds with "Oh, right! I didn't take this opportunity to put anybody down or tear anybody up. I wanted to be fair to everyone."
James then brings up the dreaded question about how, when Vince McMahon was on trial for steroid distribution in the mid 90's, Billy was instrumental in bringing up the lawsuit. "I don't know... I know the criminal charge against Zahorrian, which I was involved in, carried a lot of weight. I think that the federal government, at that time, was after Vince because they believed, and the story was pretty legitimate, that he was involved in the mafia distributing steroids and things like that." Billy later says that the Feds really believed the story.
Was there any resentment from Vince for being part of the Zahorrian trial? "Oh, no no no. He would have rathered I wouldn't have been involved, but, of course, at that time I was still very bitter with them and then, shortly after that trial, I filed a lawsuit against Vince, which was a fictictious lawsuit. And he knew that, so ever since then, the hatchet's been buried and all's well."
Does Billy think the WWE will enforce their new drug policy? "I have personal knowledge. I've spoken to the attorney. He's the intermediary to the person who will be doing the drug testing." This was before going to do some talk shows about his book, so he'd have some heads up knowledge when asked about it. The policy, according to Billy's information, would be enforced around the time after Wrestlemania.
Are there any stars who are might have a sense of security about the testing? Billy doesn't think so, as he was at a RAW show and a Smackdown PPV, and the boys believe it's coming. Billy mentions that some of the physiques are starting to deflate.
Benya mentions that Billy is "born again." Does Billy keep up with his ministries? "Not right now, I'm not doing anything actively at this time." Billy mentions that it's diffcult for him to continue with it because of the traveling.
Billy Graham did some color commentary in the 80's. Would he like to do some more? Billy would, but he believes that Vince is looking for a younger look. He mentions JR's "release" as one example of the company looking for new faces.
If Billy had been the WWE, right now, just getting his start, where does he think he'd be presented? "I would still have a great character, assuming however, the limitations on originallity as far as scripts and things like that and how they, literally, stifle a person's character. Because there are written scripts that they have to follow, there's little room to be original." He then brings up a story about Mark Henry, doing an interview with Daivari that took 90 mintutes to film because the director was very particular about what he wanted.
James mentions Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura borrowing Billy Graham's gimmick, as well as Scott Steiner. How does Billy feel about people about people borrowing his gimmick so much? "Oh well, actually, if you think about it, it's a great compliment because it's a great legacy to have..." Billy later affirms that he's never been angry at people borrowing from him.
Will Billy ever run for public office? "I would love, but I have too many skeletions." Billy then brings up Jesse Ventura, who told him "don't ever think about it!"
The interview concludes with a potential book signing that was "up in the air" at the time of the interview and Billy's final plug for his book, "Tangled Ropes" and his DVD, "20 Years Too Soon."