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Superstar Billy Graham Dies At Age 79

By Sondra Ruth • Published 17th May 2023
Superstar Billy Graham

TJRWrestling is sad to report that legendary veteran and WWE Hall of Famer Superstar Billy Graham has passed away at the age of 79.

Graham was hospitalized back in January with a number of health concerns, and his condition continued to worsen in the following months. Last week, his wife Valerie was told to prepare for the worst, and he had been placed on life support prior to his passing.

News of his death was confirmed by fellow WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, who took to Twitter to post the following:

“The Superstar Billy Graham Just Left Us THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFLUENCE On My Career!”

Flair has made no secret of the fact that he admired Graham, posting yesterday about his influence on a number of fellow legends including Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan, and more. Hogan’s use of the word “brother” is often attributed to Graham, and stars such as Steve Austin and Triple H have also taken inspiration from him. Flair said that Graham and Dusty Rhodes were his heroes in the wrestling business.

News of his passing was also mentioned during tonight’s broadcast of AEW Dynamite, with Excalibur sending condolences to Graham’s friends and family after news broke that the star had died.

Superstar Billy Graham was a huge star in the 1970s and into the 1980s thanks to his imposing figure. Graham has openly spoken about how steroids helped him with his physique along the way. In April 1977, Graham ended Bruno Sammartino’s long title reign to become the WWWF Champion before he lost the title to Bob Backlund in February 1978.

Though his relationship with WWE and the wrestling business eventually soured, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Triple H as part of the class of 2004.

Everyone at TJRWrestling sends our best wishes to Billy Graham’s wife Valerie as well as his family and friends during this difficult time.