I remember watching Superstar Billy Graham in Championship Wrestling from Florida in the '70s and '80s. He was entertaining, regardless of whether he was a face or a heel. It's too bad he got so deep into the steroids.
Don't forget how many wrestlers came from the NFL, not only lots of juice in that competition but taught how to use it in that team environment with support staff. Also ex -weightlifters and powerlifters. Ken Patera admitted to juicing but said his use was controlled and moderate, he said Rick McGraw's use was off the charts (draw your own conclusions on what that did to his health). It was not only the huge ripped muscle dudes like Hulk 'Vitamins' Hogan and the Anabolic Warrior, but lots of smaller guys like McGraw, the Dynamite Kid, Benoit who went overboard to get the size they thought they needed (three sad tales right there) And the Iron Sheik, not only roids but a very early example of 'bubble gut', usually associated with HGH. Everyone likes to laugh at the Iron Sheik's promos and stories of him, but how much of that was a change in behaviour from the juice, combined with other substances (the combination of juice and other drugs esp cocaine and painkillers makes things more volatile, see Randy Savage for instance). The Iron Sheik cut some great promos while juiced but if you see him before that, as Ali Rivazi, he had all the agility of the elite amateur wrestler he was and lots of great pro moves as well. Juiced up he had about as much mobility as his action figure And is Muraco implying that he was natural? Certainly didn't look like he was heavily juicing, but absolutely massive dude if he wasn't
The sheik was a solid 215 pounder as an amateur wrestler. He ballooned to 255 lbs when he got on the juice. Nearly all the wrestlers were on the juice back then, to various degrees of course. Some did small doses while others like Hogan, Wonderful, Graham, Road Warriors, Savage, Rude, Warrior, etc took steroids constantly.
Graham took steroids abuse to another level, compared to Ventura, Sammartino, Volkoff, Putski, Backlund, etc. The drugs destroyed his body relatively early in life. It's a miracle he lived as long as he did.
Wayne had been using steroids since the sixties though . His success in the late seventies is what inspired a lot of guys , Hogan and Ventura especially, to go the same route . But it was the early eighties when practically everyone was on it like Tito Santana and Roddy Piper . If he had a lot of stroke then people would have stopped because he was wrecked and everyone knew it was the roids causing it
You act like you know him. 😂 And other wrestlers quiting steroids because of the side effects is just ridiculous. Side effects of steroids were well known even in Graham's time.
The Superstar lived a Long life though. I remember when he came back with that karate gimmick. That was kind of strange. Also when they showed his hip surgery on tv that was gruesome 😮
@capacola262743 39 is old for any type of athletics/sports entertainment. People today don't think it is because they're delusional. Male life expectancy has been dropping steadily for 5 years now yet folks think they're more youthful
I remember watching Superstar Billy Graham in Championship Wrestling from Florida in the '70s and '80s. He was entertaining, regardless of whether he was a face or a heel. It's too bad he got so deep into the steroids.
Don't forget how many wrestlers came from the NFL, not only lots of juice in that competition but taught how to use it in that team environment with support staff. Also ex -weightlifters and powerlifters. Ken Patera admitted to juicing but said his use was controlled and moderate, he said Rick McGraw's use was off the charts (draw your own conclusions on what that did to his health). It was not only the huge ripped muscle dudes like Hulk 'Vitamins' Hogan and the Anabolic Warrior, but lots of smaller guys like McGraw, the Dynamite Kid, Benoit who went overboard to get the size they thought they needed (three sad tales right there)
And the Iron Sheik, not only roids but a very early example of 'bubble gut', usually associated with HGH. Everyone likes to laugh at the Iron Sheik's promos and stories of him, but how much of that was a change in behaviour from the juice, combined with other substances (the combination of juice and other drugs esp cocaine and painkillers makes things more volatile, see Randy Savage for instance). The Iron Sheik cut some great promos while juiced but if you see him before that, as Ali Rivazi, he had all the agility of the elite amateur wrestler he was and lots of great pro moves as well. Juiced up he had about as much mobility as his action figure
And is Muraco implying that he was natural? Certainly didn't look like he was heavily juicing, but absolutely massive dude if he wasn't
The sheik was a solid 215 pounder as an amateur wrestler. He ballooned to 255 lbs when he got on the juice. Nearly all the wrestlers were on the juice back then, to various degrees of course. Some did small doses while others like Hogan, Wonderful, Graham, Road Warriors, Savage, Rude, Warrior, etc took steroids constantly.
Graham took steroids abuse to another level, compared to Ventura, Sammartino, Volkoff, Putski, Backlund, etc. The drugs destroyed his body relatively early in life. It's a miracle he lived as long as he did.
Wayne had been using steroids since the sixties though . His success in the late seventies is what inspired a lot of guys , Hogan and Ventura especially, to go the same route . But it was the early eighties when practically everyone was on it like Tito Santana and Roddy Piper . If he had a lot of stroke then people would have stopped because he was wrecked and everyone knew it was the roids causing it
You act like you know him. 😂
And other wrestlers quiting steroids because of the side effects is just ridiculous. Side effects of steroids were well known even in Graham's time.
pudooski.
The Superstar lived a Long life though. I remember when he came back with that karate gimmick. That was kind of strange. Also when they showed his hip surgery on tv that was gruesome 😮
he was only 39 for the karate gimmick. he was already deteriorating by then.
@capacola262743 39 is old for any type of athletics/sports entertainment. People today don't think it is because they're delusional. Male life expectancy has been dropping steadily for 5 years now yet folks think they're more youthful