There’s an old saying that heels sell the tickets, and that was true for the longest time until Hulk Hogan took over the wrestling world popularity wise in the 1980s.
Even then, he was so big because he had some of the best heels to work with, and one even inspired him.
Superstar Billy Graham was a new type of wrestler as flamboyant types weren’t very popular before he started, and his appearance, promos, and ring work inspired some of the greats like Hogan, Scott Steiner, and Jesse Ventura.
Breaking the mold
Times were changing when Graham defeated Bruno Sammartino on April 30, 1977 to with the WWWF Championship in Baltimore, Maryland.
His win propelled heels as it marked him as the first heel to have a long title reign in the WWWF (currently WWE).
Special thanks to @awrestlinghistorian for the quote.
“The first thing that I did was look for the photographers at ringside. I held up the belt, let the cameras flash a few times, then satisfied that the event had been documented, formulated my exit strategy. Already, tons of spectators had made it down to ringside, pounding on the canvas with their fists. Garbage was starting to fly into the ring. Bruno remained there with Skaaland to deflect attention from me. But that could only work for so long.
“Usually, the signal for fans to calm down was turning on the house lights. However, the person commissioned with this task had forgotten to perform it. I imagine him being as awestruck as everyone else. Security was supposed to keep the aisle clear. But the barrier consisted of a thin piece of rope, and a wave of irate fans flooded the walkway. I jumped off the apron into the darkness of the arena, getting blasted with beer, Coke, and saliva. A couple of marks landed kicks and punches. Some cops managed to fight their way over to me and act as shields as I swung my belt over my head like a helicopter propeller to keep back the hordes.
“To use a wrestling cliché, it was true pandemonium in Baltimore. Superstar Billy Graham had stolen the title and gotten away with it.” – Billy Graham, Tangled Ropes book.
A great a moment as this was for Graham, heels, and wrestling in general, it came as a favor to Florida promoter Eddie Graham (no relation) by Vince McMahon Sr. The original plan was for Ken Patera to win.
For me, Graham’s on the Mount Rushmore of heels with Ted Dibiase, Jake Roberts, and Ric Flair. What heels are on your Mount Rushmore of heels? Let us know in the comments below.
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