Ned Flanders drew money. Homer drew money. When Bart Simpsons was on they watched him. When Ralph Wiggum was on they watched him. Nelson! Nelson Muntz drew money. When Millhouse, Martin & Smithers were on people were changing the channel to watch something else.
No matter how old you see adults turn back to small children when they talk of the day they lost their Dad & mom and then his children now know his pain very sad
I grew up in the neighborhood where the grahams lived..the fingers in sunset park tampa...Eddie was one of my childhood heros...we would go over to his home as kids and knock on his door..his wife would answer the door...we would shout out, is he home ? He never refused to see us.he was bigger than life..the scars on his forehead and the cauliflower ears were a testament of his battles in the ring. He was a kind man .. occasionally we see Mike come home from school...thank you Eddie and Mike...
Mike seemed like he was in a good place here but you never know what battles someone is facing on the inside. That was heart wrenching watching him talk about his dads last day.
He didn't look or sound good at all. This is a classic example of a narcissistic, paranoid, and delusional individual. Within 5 minutes he contradicts himself multiple times. It's sad.
I think losing his son to suicide sealed his fate. His dad killed himself, his uncle killed himself, and then most importantly, his son killed himself. Mike shortly followed. I have heard that he internalized all of that. The man wondered aloud to many friends that he must have been a terrible father and a terrible son for them to have both committed suicide. I Regardless of how any of us feel about Mike Graham, I can’t even imagine the pain inside of him. A truly tortured soul, and tortured entirely by the idea that it was his fault that his dad and son were driven to suicide.
This guy might as well have had a bullseye on his forehead. He's wearing "Distressed" all over him. Older age is VERY HARD for some of us to get through.......all I can do is say STEAL YOURSELF and get through day to day.
Everybody knew I was coming to the Super Bowl, like he was Elvis, geez, he sucked himself off for almost an hour and a half, Mike taught me how to take a shit, watch him in ring
Billy Jack Haynes said she slept with a lot of wrestlers when she got her start. He said she was in a limo and gave head to Vince and Hulk trying to get a job in the WWF. It’s Billy Jack, so who knows if its true. But Im sure there were rumors out there that probably pissed off Benoit and led to a lot of arguments.
billy jack haynes is a loony toon trying desperately to get attention. as for mike graham.... he jumped to the wrong conclusion and as a result....threatened to kill someone. and he's oh so proud of this, what a shithead.
You know I can see it with both. With Greg working with Hogan and Bischoff. Mike obviously from Florida. Greg and Mike were both working with WCW at the time. I'm sure there's a $hit ton of embellishment, bit I bet there's a small piece of truth with each.
I really enjoyed this video thank you. Took place a year before he lost his son and the beginning of what destroyed him. What a good guy, would have liked to have met him.
RIP to Mike Graham an amazing mind who understood the business and was a great storyteller. It's unfortunate that he took his life because of the ghosts he lived with. When he died, a world of knowledge left this earth.
Amazing talent for the business in the ring & behind the scenes tragic end. A very smart performer knew the business & had total dummies like Bischoff in charge.
On October 19, 2012, Graham was found dead by his wife of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at their residence in Daytona Beach, Florida. His father & son had committed suicide in similar manners on January 21, 1985 and December 14, 2010, respectively. His grandfather & uncle also committed suicide. His uncle was sick with cancer at the time. Now that is so sad.
I wonder if his son had any kids especially sons. They may want to get him checked out. There seems to be alot of mental health issues running on that side of the family
Poor guy, I forgot who but one of the wrestlers said Mike once said something like 'I must be such a piece of shit person that my father killed himself AND my son killed himself. What does that say about me, I feel like if I don't kill myself, then I won't ever get respect' something to that effect, not exactly words
No but I think Mike has a daughter and believe or not that could be even more traumatic on her cuz the first man a woman trust and leans on is her father.. May God continue to bless the rest of the Graham/Gossett family. 🙏🙏💔💔
“…and than Thomas Alva Edison walks in and asks me - Mike, what should I do and I took a pity on him and told him - Thomas Alva Edison, here’s what I would do if I were you - And I told him about the whole light bulb idea and gave him some drawings. Because Thomas could not draw. The rest is history”.
So we know Mike Graham was a liar. Hogan joined WCW in 1994. He claims that WCW stopped doing COTC right after that. The final COTC was in 1997. Hate to speak ill of the dead, but Graham really was a bitter old man. And for the record - I paid to watch Perry Saturn in ECW when he was part of the Eliminators, and I liked him in WCW. I wouldn’t have dropped a dime to see Mike Graham.
I wish I could've been fortunate enough to see the Graham family in person, wrestle. They had a "sound" product with all the crazy shanagins performances outside the ring. It drew ticket sales. Smart business. Great story lines and Kevin Sullivan, Dusty Rhodes, Mike's in ring fight with Dory Funk Jr, priceless ! R.I.P father & son. God bless you both.
Man, most wrestlers are full of shit...but Mike is on a special level: He gave Bischoff every idea, he got Hogan to WCW, he was the one Sid pulled a squeegee on, not Pillman
78bcat yeah I mean I’m not saying Eric Bischoff was perfect or Eric Bischoff had all the answers but this is one of those shoot interviews that came out in the mid 2000’s. Back then everyone and their brother was just trying to point their fingers and say they had the inside scoop on what happened to WCW. I think everyone with the brain who has been paying attention can clearly today in 2019 look back and say “ yes WCW sucked the last year it was in business but that’s not why it went away.” I’m sorry I just don’t buy this bogeyman theory and WCW when WCW was number two behind the WWF from 1989 till mid 1996 and they never went out of business but now I’m supposed to believe that just because they got behind in the ratings Turner closed up shop on them. Ted Turner lost control of his company and AOL didn’t want professional wrestling so they sold it. WCW Monday nitro when it was still on the air in 2000 and 2001 was still the highest rated show on TNT. It wasn’t because they weren’t beating WWF in the ratings. Anyone that believes that might as will carry around a certificate saying I believe anything a WWF documentary tells me.
@bassclay100 he mike graham never made it in big leagues pro wrestling then wwf wcw nwa. rent ton old wwf wcw, nwa ppv tapes never saw him wrestling. he no different that internet tough guy. since mike graham couldn't make it like lex luger, sid, sting all big names in pro wrestling in wwf/E wcw. ask 100 people on street in big city in America who is mike graham no one would know. ask same 100 people who is hulk Hogan, lex luger, chris beniot, sting is 100 people would name lex luger, stingm hulk Hogan chris beniot is.
@@MrDivalover1 really? Who wouldn't notice a guy standing over 6foot5 and 275lbs !!!! Just because this guy doesn't fall into that category doesn't mean he wasn't someone who gave something to the business or did since he committed suicide if you didn't already know that!
As small as he is, his weightlifting record that stood for 17 years in Florida proves that he absolutely was strong. He does seem to lie a lot, but he will always get a free pass for me. Losing his uncle, father and son to suicide must have been extremely traumatizing. His friends say that he blames himself for his dad and sons suicide. To the point where he has said he must have been a shitty son and father. It should come as no surprise that someone who had these thoughts would eventually end their own life. Truly sad.
RIP Mike Graham. I'll owe you for the rest of my bloody life for the "never drew a dime line" I use it often, I use it when it doesn't even apply and more when it does.
rick taylor I feel for him. His dad killing himself left a void. But losing his own son to suicide was the last straw. Friends of his have mentioned that he often wondered aloud how he must have been a terrible son and father. He internalized his trauma. He blamed himself. Even if he is the liar that everyone agrees he is, I can’t even imagine the mental state leading to his suicide. It’s just fucking heartbreaking.
mike west He wondered aloud, if his daddy and son was watching over him, somewhere far abound, He had to reverse his life, he couldn’t live in the past. Then he had to kill himself to set his soul free, belong to him at last. -Never Drew a Dime
Eric Bitchoff killed the company. Ric Flair, Jim Cornett, Kevin Sullivan, Mike Graham knew talent & Bishoff & the stooges destroyed it Vince Russo is about as smart as a 5th grader.
Greg Gagne and Mike Graham both gave Bischoff the recipe for success it must be something with sons of legendary promoters who didn't reach their fathers heights.
Mike Graham sounds like Ole Anderson everybody can't draw a dime Eddie, Benoit, basically everybody who became stars in the WWF was told by this guy they will never become a star wrong everytime
Life is a game. Its can be good if you find a way to enjoy yourself while youre hear. Nothing matters that is behind you and the future is always open. No need to kill yourself. This guy was hated because he is a natural heel. But with all the hate in wrestling, there is always love. Which is why cornette has a successful podcast today.
I think the "heredity" angle comes from how the remaining family members justify it to themselves. "Dad did himself in because he was old and broke down. Couldn't work anymore and felt useless ". They explain it to the kids in the terms they have used to cope themselves. One of my best friends did it, and his grandfather did to. When you justify to your kid someone doing that, someone that they would look up to, it will seem like a reasonable choice to them in their darkest hour.
Met Mike at Ft Lauderdale National Guard Armory in 1970. He was f’n strong. Nice fellah. He n Kevin had it going on. I was just a 10 year old kid, but he was really cool.
Mike Graham was a good, consistent interview. Very, very interesting. A very underrated scientific wrestler, in my opinion. Dont know if he ever had a series with "Superstar" Bill Dundee or "Nightmare" Dan Davis; but those are dream matches that if i was a booker i would have had them battle for 4 to 6 months for lightweight and Southern heavyweight gold. So sad to hear of the family tragedies. Legends in wrestling.
Mike suggested they sign Hogan Greg Gagne suggested they sign Hogan Ric Flair suggested they sign Hogan Larry the janitor suggested they sign Hogan My childhood cat Bob god rest his soul suggested they sign Hogan
“Hey Mike, what would you do if you could run this company tomorrow? And I told him I’d get Hogan I’d go to Disney I’d start the NWO I’d buy stock in Time Warner, I’d bring in a guy name Goldberg and give him a winning streak” LMBO we get it Mike. You invented everything.
I think people classify Mike Graham as being a faulty storyteller, but imo I think his Sid Vicious story is prob very close to historically accurate. I think what he’s referring to with Nancy is probably Borderline Personality Disorder. I don’t think that is too much of a stretch to be true. This is same umbrella Tammy/Sunny would fall under.
Im sorry, I know he's no longer with us, but Mike Graham absolutely sucked. His matches were slow and boring. His promos were bland with no emotion. And he didn't even have a good look. Check out his matches in the ring, he had a small body with a big head. He's definitely a member of the George Gulas and Erik Watts camp.
Blaming Dusty for Barry Windham, Mike Rotundo, Ron Bass, and others for leaving FL for Crockett is complete horseshit. The reason they left, according to Black Bart, who also left with them, is because Eddie Graham screwed them on their pay for the Lords of the Ring show at the Orange Bowl. Dusty didn't "steal' them away. The one guilty of theft was Eddie Graham himself.
I hear the criticisms,but to me Mike was always a straight shooter,and when he talks,i listen. He has the experience,knowledge,common sense and well adjusted for all his own faults or bitterness. Yeah,when he talks I can believe what he says. Rest in peace. Rest in peace to Kevin Sullivan also.
In 1979, a new pro wrestling publication hit newsstands and magazine racks across the nation. It was Pro Wrestling Illustrated. When the first issue went to press, Mike Graham was ranked at #9 in the National Wrestling Alliance, #7 in the Most Popular Wrestlers category, and at #6 in the Tag Team Division with Steve Keirn.
@@kienpaulspicer1173 Got the push because he was Eddie's kid. Ditto when Bill Watts tried to make his little cub, Erik, the face of WCW. You were gonna make Papa Bear's beloved little cub look good or you were gone.
@mkl62 try and Eric watts sucked he couldn't draw a dime either.for every Bret, yoko, and Curt Henning , there's mike Graham, Eric Watts and David Flair
@@kienpaulspicer1173 And don't forget the second generations of Andersons. There was Gene's son, Brad, and there was Ole's son, Bryant. Plus there was also Mike & Chris Von Erich. And we know how that ended.
Mike could have saved WCW if he was able to run it from about 96 on. Like him or not the guy knew the business. I love his shoots personally, I enjoy listening to his stories. FCW was on fire back in the day.
@the shoot interview man ned flanders drew a lot dimes in tv ratings. doubt this little old guy could beatup any of badass wrestlers like sid, lex luger sting or any sucussful wrestlers unlike little mike graham wrestlers like sid, lex luger chris beniot made it in pro wrestling in wcw, wwf.
@@MrDivalover1 big guy's like sid are phonies and you don't think mike being little could beat up sid well the diaz brother's in ufc 150 160 lbs would make those big wrestlers scream and cry uncle look at those phony marine movies with big guy's like cena haha then look at real life marines little thin guy's that will fight to the death it's little guy's you watch out for.
I believe him to a degree as bischoff over the years has proven himself 50xs over to be an absolute moron. a great on air character definitely but a great wrestling mind? clearly doesn't get it and never did. oblivious and very apparent if you ever listen to him talk wrestling. He's almost another Jim Herd. He clearly had to have gotten those great ideas back then from someone, there's no possible way he came up with them on his own. zero chance.
Best detailed in-depth prospective analysis of the corruption and the internal struggles within WCW during it's rise and fall I've heard yet in any shoot interview.
He explained it well. Unfortunately, it was all wrong. Dusty didn't take anyone away from Florida. Eddie Graham chased them away due to his crappy payouts. He was infamous for his greed. Jack Brisco himself called him the worst of all, even worse than Nick Gulas.
I used to call Mike Graham names like Ned Flanders in real life but I wish he was still around. It was all in a joking manner, never meant to be serious or mean.
Does Mike tell the story about slapping the Steiner Brothers around for their lunch money, and how Shamrock signed with WWF and not WCW because Ken was scared to be in the same locker room as Mike? This guy and Greg Gagne have as firm a grip on reality as Steven Seagal and Fran Dux.
True, but to be fair to Segal, he was one of the greatest Aikido practitioners around. Now, Aikido is total b.s., and doesn't actually work against anybody that knows what they are doing but Segal's skills in that area were 100% legit. And actually, Mike himself was a really great amateur wrestler.
Mike had all the answers and drew so much money. Should of given him the book and WCW would still be in business, rolling in cash with Brian Blair VS Kevin Sullivan on top and Bob Roop abusing people in the Powerplant.
As a kid we used to love watching Barry windom and Dustin Rhodes , they were massively unsung and underrated in the great history of wrestling, they could have been a massive draw as the tag team they were or even as singles without silly gimmicks in the wwf/wwe like goldust (which did get over but not for dustin)
I love how he and Greg Gange talk about how good they were running things before Bischoff is mind boggling. WCW was unwatchable in the early 90’s and before the NWO started. How were they ever in charge of anything? Lol The fact that he thinks Barry Windham should have been champion in WCW during the late 90’s is all you need to know about his booking….
Early on I never enjoyed Mikes arrogant rants on WWE on demand, but since listening to him in various shoots and reading about him. I appreciate his knowledge and his toughness, not just in physical terms, but attitude. So I was especially saddened by his death at his own hands. I truly fiery man who extinguished his own flame is heart wrenching.
Gram kinda has a point about Nancy that I never considered... Everyone paints Nancy and Benoit as the perfect happy family before the tragedy but they're relationship started with an affair... By Nancy sooo at the very least you can say she has a wild side. Probably lots of drama in that relationship.....
He reminds me of Ned Flanders."Never drew a dime diddly dime"
Ned Flanders drew money. Homer drew money. When Bart Simpsons was on they watched him. When Ralph Wiggum was on they watched him. Nelson! Nelson Muntz drew money. When Millhouse, Martin & Smithers were on people were changing the channel to watch something else.
Kombuchis Clay lmao diddly dime
@@robkearsy2995 Martin was a decent mid-carder
@@diggadirt393 Yeah didn't he win a couple of intercontinental titles. He just was bad on interviews.
Fk. Thanks dude. Now all i can think of is Ned Flanders when i see this guy. Ned didnt blow his brains out tho
Merry Christmas Mike Graham thanks for everything mate
His tattoo artist never drew a dime. RIP to Mike
Every baseball coach I had in the 90s looked like him.
🤣🤣🤣
He really does lol
Yup
aahahahahahahahaaha
Like an asshole ? Lol
Mike Graham was a gentleman and genuine nice guy. He would lend my uncle his car to go to doctor appointments and was a true friend
He's a lier and a looser
Did your uncle draw a dime?
@@jodyturner9330 He was a looser and you're a wiener
@@judahsoremy9857 not as many as your mother drew 😂
@@judahsoremy9857 Mike drew a bullet, but not a dime.
No matter how old you see adults turn back to small children when they talk of the day they lost their Dad & mom and then his children now know his pain very sad
I grew up in the neighborhood where the grahams lived..the fingers in sunset park tampa...Eddie was one of my childhood heros...we would go over to his home as kids and knock on his door..his wife would answer the door...we would shout out, is he home ? He never refused to see us.he was bigger than life..the scars on his forehead and the cauliflower ears were a testament of his battles in the ring. He was a kind man .. occasionally we see Mike come home from school...thank you Eddie and Mike...
Mike seemed like he was in a good place here but you never know what battles someone is facing on the inside. That was heart wrenching watching him talk about his dads last day.
His son committed suicide too
He didn't look or sound good at all. This is a classic example of a narcissistic, paranoid, and delusional individual. Within 5 minutes he contradicts himself multiple times. It's sad.
@@davidporter7051 Eric Bischoff recently described him as "an emotionally disturbed alcoholic."
His body language says he's full of stress. An important lesson to be learned here; don't let shit get to you and eat at you- let things go.
SupaStah01 yes great point. Studying his mannerisms is interesting and visceral tone at the Benoit story
I think losing his son to suicide sealed his fate. His dad killed himself, his uncle killed himself, and then most importantly, his son killed himself. Mike shortly followed.
I have heard that he internalized all of that. The man wondered aloud to many friends that he must have been a terrible father and a terrible son for them to have both committed suicide. I
Regardless of how any of us feel about Mike Graham, I can’t even imagine the pain inside of him. A truly tortured soul, and tortured entirely by the idea that it was his fault that his dad and son were driven to suicide.
Maybe he knew more to the benoit murders
This guy might as well have had a bullseye on his forehead. He's wearing "Distressed" all over him. Older age is VERY HARD for some of us to get through.......all I can do is say STEAL YOURSELF and get through day to day.
@@myquest666420 totally agree, to this day wrestling media people still shit on Mike, and have a weird kind of sympathy to Benoit.
The part where he talks about his dad and then to think he did it himself is really eerie and sad
It is tragic when uthink about it the man does chat some suit but is a characder
@iamsupernautthat’s what triggers it he killed himself just like his son did with his sons boots ok
When the Boogie Man goes to bed at night, he checks under his bed for Mike Graham
And yet he still couldn’t draw a dime
Just here for the "never drew a dime" comments
Came to make one.
Mike's bullet drew like 8 cents
@@joshhendryx5028 so just round up to a dime!
It’s really annoying
Mike taught everyone everything they ever knew
I'm sad he never lived long enough to tell the story of when he punked out Haku and beat up Billy Jack Haynes.
Just like Greg Gagne
Everybody knew I was coming to the Super Bowl, like he was Elvis, geez, he sucked himself off for almost an hour and a half, Mike taught me how to take a shit, watch him in ring
and they still couldn't draw a dime.
@@hw5091 lol
Mike could’ve took a job as an artist at the federal reserve and he still would’ve “never drew a dime”
His Dad certainly drew plenty of dimes, midget son Mike - not so much 🙄
He could be a heap of shit and wouldn’t draw flies.
Ned Flanders drew more dimes than this fool.
What about if he drew pennies
I see what coach isley meant by unemployed comedians
Man this guy went through so much, God bless him.
The majority of it the last 3+ decades of his life he brought upon himself.
Mike Graham is the man!!!!!
I've been misjudging Mike all of these years, the end of this interview broke my heart for him.
That's because at heart you're a scumbag
For some reason watching Mike talk about Chris and Nancy make me feel like the tragedy was deeper than we were told, my opinion
That whole situation has many unanswered questions
But honestly nobody will ever really know what happened. That’s probably how Chris wanted. Fuck him
Billy Jack Haynes said she slept with a lot of wrestlers when she got her start. He said she was in a limo and gave head to Vince and Hulk trying to get a job in the WWF.
It’s Billy Jack, so who knows if its true. But Im sure there were rumors out there that probably pissed off Benoit and led to a lot of arguments.
billy jack haynes is a loony toon trying desperately to get attention. as for mike graham.... he jumped to the wrong conclusion and as a result....threatened to kill someone. and he's oh so proud of this, what a shithead.
@Joe What are you talking about?
WWE forced Benoit and Nancy to come together? That happened in WCW and Kevin Sullivan booked it.
Ur confusing me.
Had mike graham stayed @ that super bowl, Dan Marino would've won a Superbowl
Dan Marino never drew a dime.
@@judahsoremy9857 tua never drew a dime
@@Jason-si8iu Your dime never drew a dime.
“I don’t care about my job but I’ll kill you if you mess with my job”
Dude is so FOS
He lived in a fantasy land.
Talk shit on the dead your a real bad ass right?
He made 6000 shoots, never drew a dime.
Bullshit- Graham wouldn't have been anything in the business if he weren't his father's son.
thievesarmy I the thing about a joke is being funny, not realistic...
Well he did draw blood.. from his last "shot".
Jeb Voorhees Lol
Jeb Voorhees that's why I say....HEY MAN NICE SHOT!!!
His rants are so addicting because he is so delusional it’s almost I can’t stop watching
He’s right about the radicalz tho
Grew up watching CWF and Mike Graham. He was an underrated wrestler and one of my favorite interviews. He knew the business. RIP Mike
Mike and Greg Gagne have almost same identical story when describing Hogan to WCW and giving Bischoff "the keys to success"
You know I can see it with both. With Greg working with Hogan and Bischoff. Mike obviously from Florida. Greg and Mike were both working with WCW at the time. I'm sure there's a $hit ton of embellishment, bit I bet there's a small piece of truth with each.
Great minds think alike. Would not be surprised if Easy E talked to both and took the best ideas of both. Although Mike has more credibility to me.
"I said 'You gotta bring in Hulk Hogan'"
Never. Drew. A. Dime… Not a dime!
not a single penny!
Vince dropped the ball with not having Mike Graham Vs Andre @ Wrestlemania 3
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Lmao
That’s cuz Vince knew Mike Graham could never draw a dime
Andre weighed 600 pounds, never drew a dime
@@youtubeistryingtocensormethats the funniest shit i ever heard 😂
I really enjoyed this video thank you. Took place a year before he lost his son and the beginning of what destroyed him. What a good guy, would have liked to have met him.
Big thanks for sharing the full interview
RIP to Mike Graham an amazing mind who understood the business and was a great storyteller. It's unfortunate that he took his life because of the ghosts he lived with. When he died, a world of knowledge left this earth.
Amazing talent for the business in the ring & behind the scenes tragic end. A very smart performer knew the business & had total dummies like Bischoff in charge.
Never drew a dime
I invented getting over. I threw a guy over a fence... He got over! The rest is history- Greg Gagne/Mike Graham
Lol Greg Gagne, should have been working at the Snack Bar, only had a job because his dad was Verne
LET'S ROLL TOUGH GUY!!!!
lmao!
On October 19, 2012, Graham was found dead by his wife of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at their residence in Daytona Beach, Florida. His father & son had committed suicide in similar manners on January 21, 1985 and December 14, 2010, respectively. His grandfather & uncle also committed suicide. His uncle was sick with cancer at the time.
Now that is so sad.
kind of like the von erichs
I wonder if his son had any kids especially sons. They may want to get him checked out. There seems to be alot of mental health issues running on that side of the family
Poor guy, I forgot who but one of the wrestlers said Mike once said something like 'I must be such a piece of shit person that my father killed himself AND my son killed himself. What does that say about me, I feel like if I don't kill myself, then I won't ever get respect' something to that effect, not exactly words
No but I think Mike has a daughter and believe or not that could be even more traumatic on her cuz the first man a woman trust and leans on is her father.. May God continue to bless the rest of the Graham/Gossett family. 🙏🙏💔💔
“…and than Thomas Alva Edison walks in and asks me - Mike, what should I do and I took a pity on him and told him - Thomas Alva Edison, here’s what I would do if I were you - And I told him about the whole light bulb idea and gave him some drawings. Because Thomas could not draw. The rest is history”.
Edison didn't invent the lightbulb so you're right, that story would be ridiculous.
So we know Mike Graham was a liar.
Hogan joined WCW in 1994. He claims that WCW stopped doing COTC right after that.
The final COTC was in 1997.
Hate to speak ill of the dead, but Graham really was a bitter old man. And for the record - I paid to watch Perry Saturn in ECW when he was part of the Eliminators, and I liked him in WCW. I wouldn’t have dropped a dime to see Mike Graham.
I wish I could've been fortunate enough to see the Graham family in person, wrestle. They had a "sound" product with all the crazy shanagins performances outside the ring. It drew ticket sales. Smart business. Great story lines and Kevin Sullivan, Dusty Rhodes, Mike's in ring fight with Dory Funk Jr, priceless ! R.I.P father & son. God bless you both.
Man, most wrestlers are full of shit...but Mike is on a special level: He gave Bischoff every idea, he got Hogan to WCW, he was the one Sid pulled a squeegee on, not Pillman
78bcat not that I'm defending this guy but Piper said in his book that Graham was the guy Sid pulled the squeegee on
It was Brian Pillman that Sid pulled the squeegee on, not Graham.
chris zaucha 8
Yeah Greg Gagne. did too lol. If there so great why didn’t Vince bring them in lol.
78bcat yeah I mean I’m not saying Eric Bischoff was perfect or Eric Bischoff had all the answers but this is one of those shoot interviews that came out in the mid 2000’s. Back then everyone and their brother was just trying to point their fingers and say they had the inside scoop on what happened to WCW. I think everyone with the brain who has been paying attention can clearly today in 2019 look back and say “ yes WCW sucked the last year it was in business but that’s not why it went away.” I’m sorry I just don’t buy this bogeyman theory and WCW when WCW was number two behind the WWF from 1989 till mid 1996 and they never went out of business but now I’m supposed to believe that just because they got behind in the ratings Turner closed up shop on them. Ted Turner lost control of his company and AOL didn’t want professional wrestling so they sold it. WCW Monday nitro when it was still on the air in 2000 and 2001 was still the highest rated show on TNT. It wasn’t because they weren’t beating WWF in the ratings. Anyone that believes that might as will carry around a certificate saying I believe anything a WWF documentary tells me.
hes smarter then everyone tougher then everyone yet NEVER DREW A DIME!!!!!!!!!!!
@bassclay100 he mike graham never made it in big leagues pro wrestling then wwf wcw nwa. rent ton old wwf wcw, nwa ppv tapes never saw him wrestling. he no different that internet tough guy. since mike graham couldn't make it like lex luger, sid, sting all big names in pro wrestling in wwf/E wcw. ask 100 people on street in big city in America who is mike graham no one would know. ask same 100 people who is hulk Hogan, lex luger, chris beniot, sting is 100 people would name lex luger, stingm hulk Hogan chris beniot is.
@@MrDivalover1 really?
Who wouldn't notice a guy standing over 6foot5 and 275lbs !!!!
Just because this guy doesn't fall into that category doesn't mean he wasn't someone who gave something to the business or did since he committed suicide if you didn't already know that!
@@richardmiller6422 I think you kinda missed what MrDiva is saying. Mike Graham was never anyone in the wrestling.
As small as he is, his weightlifting record that stood for 17 years in Florida proves that he absolutely was strong.
He does seem to lie a lot, but he will always get a free pass for me. Losing his uncle, father and son to suicide must have been extremely traumatizing. His friends say that he blames himself for his dad and sons suicide. To the point where he has said he must have been a shitty son and father.
It should come as no surprise
that someone who had these thoughts would eventually end
their own life. Truly sad.
The Graham name in Florida was pretty big. He was not the main guy but his family was well known
Muscle shirts on old dudes never drew a dime.
“What’s the thing you fill out when you try to get a job”
Resume?
RIP Mike Graham. I'll owe you for the rest of my bloody life for the "never drew a dime line" I use it often, I use it when it doesn't even apply and more when it does.
rick taylor I feel for him. His dad killing himself left a void. But losing his own son to suicide was the last straw.
Friends of his have mentioned that he often wondered aloud how he must have been a terrible son and father. He internalized his trauma. He blamed himself.
Even if he is the liar that everyone agrees he is, I can’t even imagine the mental state leading to his suicide.
It’s just fucking heartbreaking.
rick taylor His Death never drew a dime! Not a dime!
mike west He wondered aloud, if his daddy and son was watching over him, somewhere far abound, He had to reverse his life, he couldn’t live in the past. Then he had to kill himself to set his soul free, belong to him at last.
-Never Drew a Dime
Yakuza Ohtani are you singing Pantera to me? Lol
Yakuza Ohtani I feel like you’re singing cemetery gates but changing the lyrics to fit mike graham lol
“He never drew a dime! Not even one, penny!”
LMAO
Classic line lol
He talked a lot of shit and was maybe a bit full of himself but nobody deserves to lose their father and son by suicide. RIP Mike
NOBODY!! MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU A PIECE OF MIND.... SAD STORY
He was right on Bischoff & other things but Bischoff he was 100% right on.
@@patrickgray5633 Mike was a very smart man!!
“I loaned him a gun, and I thought we were friends”. Lol
Eric Bitchoff killed the company. Ric Flair, Jim Cornett, Kevin Sullivan, Mike Graham knew talent & Bishoff & the stooges destroyed it Vince Russo is about as smart as a 5th grader.
@@patrickgray5633 not true. Aol merger destroyed it
them fire tattoos never drew a dime
Not a dime
joe stowell not one single penny 😂😂😂
Those tats were pure comedy to be on such a pussy like Mike.
not one dime.
not a penny.
Knowing what happened to Mike after this, the end of the video is super sad.
I agree. Feel so sorry and bad for him. RIP
Never drew a dime
Greg Gagne and Mike Graham both gave Bischoff the recipe for success it must be something with sons of legendary promoters who didn't reach their fathers heights.
Mike Graham sounds like Ole Anderson everybody can't draw a dime Eddie, Benoit, basically everybody who became stars in the WWF was told by this guy they will never become a star wrong everytime
They never drew a dime moron
say what you want about Mike but he forgot more about the business than most people will ever learn
@Metropcs Metropcs people who use the word marks, but NEVER wrestled are in fact themselves, marks.
@Metropcs Metropcs hey mark.
Bro... he's lying, lol.
A racist
@Josh Hendryx 😂💀
Great interview. I don’t know why it wasn’t seen more.
Life is a game. Its can be good if you find a way to enjoy yourself while youre hear. Nothing matters that is behind you and the future is always open.
No need to kill yourself. This guy was hated because he is a natural heel. But with all the hate in wrestling, there is always love. Which is why cornette has a successful podcast today.
"Not a dime!!"
Mike never drew a dime
Not a dime
His grandfather, uncle, dad, son, and himself all committed sucide. Very sad watching these knowing what happened.
Really holy shit really I didn't know all wow so sad that breaks my Damn heart RIP
They say its hereditary, suicide .
I think the "heredity" angle comes from how the remaining family members justify it to themselves. "Dad did himself in because he was old and broke down. Couldn't work anymore and felt useless ". They explain it to the kids in the terms they have used to cope themselves.
One of my best friends did it, and his grandfather did to. When you justify to your kid someone doing that, someone that they would look up to, it will seem like a reasonable choice to them in their darkest hour.
He killed himself. Even as a hit man, he didn't draw a dime.
@@wookiepie2285 Introjection defence mechanism.
Met Mike at Ft Lauderdale National Guard Armory in 1970. He was f’n strong. Nice fellah. He n Kevin had it going on. I was just a 10 year old kid, but he was really cool.
LOL at Bill Watts stories!
Are you the piece of garbage that busted a glass frame over Terry Funk's head? If so then you are a complete FUCKING IDIOT
He worked em into his retirement plan, lol.
Leonardo DiCaprio is cool.
get off Hannibals nuts he the man keep coming with them shoots
FUCK YOU!
Rest In Peace can't believe suicide has taken him and his male family member...
His son did it to .i was steve gf .
@@ladyjay9482I’m so sorry that this happened to you. Was there ever a reason given for why he did it?
It's funny that Greg gagne has the same story about wcw
Mike Graham was a good, consistent interview. Very, very interesting. A very underrated scientific wrestler, in my opinion. Dont know if he ever had a series with "Superstar" Bill Dundee or "Nightmare" Dan Davis; but those are dream matches that if i was a booker i would have had them battle for 4 to 6 months for lightweight and Southern heavyweight gold. So sad to hear of the family tragedies. Legends in wrestling.
They were still doing clash of the champions even after Hogan signed.
So apparently, Greg Gagne, Mike Graham and Eric Bishoff all had the idea and were the reason Hogan came into WCW 🤣
Mike suggested they sign Hogan
Greg Gagne suggested they sign Hogan
Ric Flair suggested they sign Hogan
Larry the janitor suggested they sign Hogan
My childhood cat Bob god rest his soul suggested they sign Hogan
Too be fair, probably everyone would suggest that.
Stop being stupid, okay? We all know that it was Tom Zenk who brought Hogan into WCW.
Mike suggested Hogan be bass player for AC/DC
It's possible that they all suggested it and all took action to make it happen.
Billie Jean said Hogan was her lover, but she's just a girl that claimed that he was the one. But the kid was not his son, brother.
Thank You Rob Feinstein for this memory of my friend!
“Hey Mike, what would you do if you could run this company tomorrow? And I told him I’d get Hogan I’d go to Disney I’d start the NWO I’d buy stock in Time Warner, I’d bring in a guy name Goldberg and give him a winning streak” LMBO we get it Mike. You invented everything.
I think people classify Mike Graham as being a faulty storyteller, but imo I think his Sid Vicious story is prob very close to historically accurate.
I think what he’s referring to with Nancy is probably Borderline Personality Disorder. I don’t think that is too much of a stretch to be true.
This is same umbrella Tammy/Sunny would fall under.
Im sorry, I know he's no longer with us, but Mike Graham absolutely sucked. His matches were slow and boring. His promos were bland with no emotion. And he didn't even have a good look. Check out his matches in the ring, he had a small body with a big head. He's definitely a member of the George Gulas and Erik Watts camp.
Blaming Dusty for Barry Windham, Mike Rotundo, Ron Bass, and others for leaving FL for Crockett is complete horseshit. The reason they left, according to Black Bart, who also left with them, is because Eddie Graham screwed them on their pay for the Lords of the Ring show at the Orange Bowl. Dusty didn't "steal' them away. The one guilty of theft was Eddie Graham himself.
Mike was spot on about jim herd. When bischoff was in charge of the music everybody came out to 70's style Starsky & Hutch music, it was pitiful.
Scary to watch because 4 years after this interview he too was gone the same way like his father. So sad.
Or. Did Vince crew get to him after Benoit murders , cleaning up loose ends.
@@JefferyAshmorelikely.
I hear the criticisms,but to me Mike was always a straight shooter,and when he talks,i listen. He has the experience,knowledge,common sense and well adjusted for all his own faults or bitterness. Yeah,when he talks I can believe what he says. Rest in peace. Rest in peace to Kevin Sullivan also.
Man that story about his dad was sad.
1:05:20 man that’s rough. RIP
Mike
Nothing against Mike, but if him and Greg Gagne were flush with the ideas to turn WCW into a giant, why didn’t they do shit with their own territory?
R.I.P Dusty, but he was all about himself..
In 1979, a new pro wrestling publication hit newsstands and magazine racks across the nation. It was Pro Wrestling Illustrated. When the first issue went to press, Mike Graham was ranked at #9 in the National Wrestling Alliance, #7 in the Most Popular Wrestlers category, and at #6 in the Tag Team Division with Steve Keirn.
I’m
@Mac Peterson and still didn't draw a dime
@@kienpaulspicer1173 Got the push because he was Eddie's kid. Ditto when Bill Watts tried to make his little cub, Erik, the face of WCW. You were gonna make Papa Bear's beloved little cub look good or you were gone.
@mkl62 try and Eric watts sucked he couldn't draw a dime either.for every Bret, yoko, and Curt Henning , there's mike Graham, Eric Watts and David Flair
@@kienpaulspicer1173 And don't forget the second generations of Andersons. There was Gene's son, Brad, and there was Ole's son, Bryant. Plus there was also Mike & Chris Von Erich. And we know how that ended.
Mike could have saved WCW if he was able to run it from about 96 on. Like him or not the guy knew the business. I love his shoots personally, I enjoy listening to his stories. FCW was on fire back in the day.
I like and respect MG, but saved WCW......no way bro
Mike couldn't save his own ass
WCW would've been out of business sooner.
ladies and gentlemen i give you: the real life ned flanders
@the shoot interview man ned flanders drew a lot dimes in tv ratings. doubt this little old guy could beatup any of badass wrestlers like sid, lex luger sting or any sucussful wrestlers unlike little mike graham wrestlers like sid, lex luger chris beniot made it in pro wrestling in wcw, wwf.
Kick your ass punk
@@MrDivalover1 They're not actual real fights, dipshit.
@@MrDivalover1 big guy's like sid are phonies and you don't think mike being little could beat up sid well the diaz brother's in ufc 150 160 lbs would make those big wrestlers scream and cry uncle look at those phony marine movies with big guy's like cena haha then look at real life marines little thin guy's that will fight to the death it's little guy's you watch out for.
Mike was the forest Gump of the Monday night wars apparently. Between him and Greg gange. I don’t know who to believe.
So sad listening to Mike talking about his Father,real sad.And what's happened since with family matters,just so sad
I believe him to a degree as bischoff over the years has proven himself 50xs over to be an absolute moron. a great on air character definitely but a great wrestling mind? clearly doesn't get it and never did. oblivious and very apparent if you ever listen to him talk wrestling. He's almost another Jim Herd. He clearly had to have gotten those great ideas back then from someone, there's no possible way he came up with them on his own. zero chance.
Horseshit or not, Mike was entertaining to listen to.
It's a true story he really threatened Benoit
Mike seemed to be the most clear about what happened with the rise and fall of WCW. He also explained the fallout with Dusty and his dad Eddie.
Best detailed in-depth prospective analysis of the corruption and the internal struggles within WCW during it's rise and fall I've heard yet in any shoot interview.
He explained it well. Unfortunately, it was all wrong. Dusty didn't take anyone away from Florida. Eddie Graham chased them away due to his crappy payouts. He was infamous for his greed. Jack Brisco himself called him the worst of all, even worse than Nick Gulas.
Some of these questions, like "how did your mom take it?" are kind of unnecessary,
I heard this guy held the Florida State bench press record for 195 lb that lasted for 17 years.
If he filmed his suicide he wouldn’t even draw a dime!
And he beat Ricky the Dragon Steamboat for a state title
@@joeysbestfriend2614So bold…
I used to call Mike Graham names like Ned Flanders in real life but I wish he was still around.
It was all in a joking manner, never meant to be serious or mean.
i was gonna watch this but I am out of dimes..... 2 years late
Does Mike tell the story about slapping the Steiner Brothers around for their lunch money, and how Shamrock signed with WWF and not WCW because Ken was scared to be in the same locker room as Mike?
This guy and Greg Gagne have as firm a grip on reality as Steven Seagal and Fran Dux.
True, but to be fair to Segal, he was one of the greatest Aikido practitioners around.
Now, Aikido is total b.s., and doesn't actually work against anybody that knows what they are doing but Segal's skills in that area were 100% legit.
And actually, Mike himself was a really great amateur wrestler.
@@Rjensen2 both points are true. However, I've only ever heard 'Mike is a tough guy' stories from Mike himself.
Mike had all the answers and drew so much money. Should of given him the book and WCW would still be in business, rolling in cash with Brian Blair VS Kevin Sullivan on top and Bob Roop abusing people in the Powerplant.
Heh 😂😂😂😂😂
Actually it's probably true he would.......
As a kid we used to love watching Barry windom and Dustin Rhodes , they were massively unsung and underrated in the great history of wrestling, they could have been a massive draw as the tag team they were or even as singles without silly gimmicks in the wwf/wwe like goldust (which did get over but not for dustin)
Why does every word out of this little man's mouth seem like a complete work?
Because it was.
NO..... YOUR A MORON That's WHY .....
He worked the hell out of this.
No that's all a shoot what part is a lie? Substantiate it
MAY EDDIE, MIKE, AND MIKES SON ALL REST BEAUTIFULLY IN THE BIG SQUARED CIRCLE IN THE SKY.
Yes........ one of the great wrestling family's 😇😇😇😇😇 R.I.P.
@@richardcclark3696 That never drew a dime!
Good God, Mike is funny as fuck with his bullshit.
It's not bs
god help this man what he was put through , father , son suicide with gun then himself , so sad
I love how he and Greg Gange talk about how good they were running things before Bischoff is mind boggling. WCW was unwatchable in the early 90’s and before the NWO started. How were they ever in charge of anything? Lol The fact that he thinks Barry Windham should have been champion in WCW during the late 90’s is all you need to know about his booking….
He definitely knows wrestling!
Early on I never enjoyed Mikes arrogant rants on WWE on demand, but since listening to him in various shoots and reading about him. I appreciate his knowledge and his toughness, not just in physical terms, but attitude. So I was especially saddened by his death at his own hands. I truly fiery man who extinguished his own flame is heart wrenching.
Yeah...because you're an idiot...
You can't even spell...
come on man that's your come BACK is that he can't spell🤔
On everyone leaving Florida for the Mid-Atlantic, at Starrcade '84, Mike Graham did a pop-in taking on Mr. Ito.
Gram kinda has a point about Nancy that I never considered... Everyone paints Nancy and Benoit as the perfect happy family before the tragedy but they're relationship started with an affair... By Nancy sooo at the very least you can say she has a wild side. Probably lots of drama in that relationship.....
crazy how they asked him about his dad committing suicide then eventually would do that same thing
his brother did the same.
His dad, grandad, uncle and son, not his bro
He really doesn't look like someone who would take his own life. RIP Mike Graham. u were one heck of a wrestler.
How does people who take their own lives look like then?