Kevin Sullivan shoots on Superstar Billy Graham

[@keishamurrell3095]

As a kid I didn't know Superstar Billy Graham was a heel. He was really popular and loved. Rarely on but made such an impact even.

[@polopopolo2197]

Kevin Sullivan is a genius of the wrestling business. I love listening to him talk about the business. What a mind

[@davedeluca1049]

Started watching wwwf around 1972-73 Kevin sullivan was a guy who got beat up every time He disapeared and showed up in florida years later , i recognised him in magazines pro wrestling illistrated, the wrestler, inside wrestling etc Years later he popped up in nwa/world championship wrestling Hes a all time great , been around Hes got a mind for wrestling Great guy

[@bulldogbrower6732]

When Billy Graham lost to Backlund he used to come on TV interviews crying "I want my belt back", that was great.

[@odudi]

I can see why Billy lost himself and became very depressed. He worked hard for so many years and created a character so colorfull and entertaining. The crowds were getting hotter and hotter and the crowd was turning toward him. Then right when he was about to reach another level they made him drop the belt to howdy doodie a guy as entertaining as watching paint dry. Then so many wrestlers that took from Billy became a success, Vince starts calling all his wrestlers superstars, and Billy just didn't get the credit he deserved. Hell if that happened to me i would have gone postal.

[@just2fresh814]

😂

[@RaineRed]

Never liked kevin growing up but these interviews give me a new found respect for him and his impact on wrestling. Underrated.

[@machohogan]

Another awesome video Hannibal. You’re the king of these in 2019! I’m a HUGE Billy Graham fan, thanks for putting out so much cool content on him.

[@derekwinkler7414]

Love all these shoot interviews!

[@rickwpaperworkmakeschildsu4655]

In New York around 1984 I use to watch Kevin Sullivan and The Purple Haze on the Spanish Station I believe it was 41 and I loved it!

[@AdventuresWithMe00]

Me too!

[@kazar_redbull1]

The Undertaker took some moves from The Spoiler (walking the ropes angle) and Purple Haze (rolling the eyes, and the tombstone piledriver)

[@sportglidejim9001]

I remember Superstar in the Awa daddy! He was great

[@thenicklas615]

Superstar Billy Graham had it in his soul to create promos.

[@tacoma171]

So many talented minds are still out there including Kevin Sullivan and I’ve always wondered how the landscape of the industry would be today if they were somehow still involved. I know Vince McMahon’s ego (and now Stephanie’s) would never allow it in the WWE, but can you imagine if they had a guy like Kevin Sullivan or a Scott Hall or Jake Roberts working behind the scenes today? But no, we get writers who wrote scripts for Law and Order or The West Wing. I can’t even barely watch the product anymore.

[@UKHeihachi]

I didn't think WWE had writers from shows of the calibre of Law and Order, let alone The West Wing. I thought it was all wash outs from unfunny sitcoms that were cancelled after one series.

[@jarrodromanowski7559]

UKHeihachi These days. But back during Sullivans time it was people that knew what the fans wanted and how to draw and make the wrestlers seem larger than life. People that knew how the chemistry worked. Now it's artistic washouts.

[@OikPoinFive]

Gene Bone yea his dungeon of doom cartoon crap of 94 to 96 lol

[@pagosplace3065]

You cannot put Kevin Sullivan and "Talented" in the same sentence. The guy was a well liked jobber, nothing more.

[@johnreece5540]

I think the World of Bob Backlaund's Wrestling ability. However, by late 1980 or 1981 The Good Guy next door persona Backlaund that Vince Sr had Backlaund marketed was wearing thin.

[@ikill4klondikebars]

Backlund had no personality. Great technical wrestler.... Could wrestle circles around most of his peers, but you can't market someone with no charisma or mic ability.

[@RasslinRelics]

@@ikill4klondikebars Well,actually they did. The big difference was Billy didn't need a belt to draw, he had turned into an attraction like Andre or the original Sheik. When people paid to see Backlund, what they paid to see was the WWWF belt being defended. Bob wasn't much of a draw without the belt. Which is sad, as he was brilliant in the ring most nights. As it was, unlike someone like Bruno or Hogan, Bob being gone had little impact.

[@VegetabIeMan]

Everyone can say that but in reality Backlund’s youth only transcended because with the promo and look the wrestling business was headed to a new direction. Backlund was new to the old way.

[@battlestarmarc]

Sullivan was right. Superstar should have been the new Bruno. Superstar as the lead good guy in the wwwf. Superstar against Koloa would have been huge money.

[@bigconan]

I liked superstar as a bad guy...he could be a baby face but still be a bad ass...like stone cold was...

[@keithbarbaro7590]

I think part of the reason Graham drew so well is because the buzz was that Bruno would get the belt back in those rematches. Then the buzz was the Dusty was going to win. Fans want to see a title change and knew one was coming at MSG but we were wrong about who would get the title. Another interesting thing to me is that they never had Graham vs. Pedro Morales which would have drawn huge, but been a security nightmare and huge risk for Graham.

[@elvisparker4691]

Superstar Billy Graham had, arguably, the Best Build in Wrestling History.

[@MrDoneboy]

Sullivan is absolutely right about Billy being a face...BG would have drawn more fans to the Garden than Bruno did!

[@louierocco5349]

"Nobody looked like him until Scott Steiner." Didn't Tony Atlas win a few bodybuilding contests? Obviously Graham was the bigger draw, better on the mic, but Atlas' physique was just as good as Graham.

[@danieljoseph9439]

Louie Rocco Warrior had a phenomenal physique as well.

[@peterodriguez328]

Jimmy Snuka and Rick Steamboat were bodybuilders as well.

[@machohogan]

Atlas physique was better but he only really had his physique. I think when Sullivan says “look” he means the clothing, the accessories, the beard, the hair. Atlas was a plain trunk kind of guy.

[@machohogan]

Daniel Joseph Louie Rocco? I that an auto correct of Ultimate?

[@TheWhiterock38]

I think he just went for someone that looked very similar to Super Star Billy Graham and obviously Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner is very similar in look to Billy Graham

[@johnstrika9170]

I got to see every one of Superstar's title defenses at MSG. 10 years old with my grandfather. I HATED Bob Backlund and still do to this day, for beating Superstar.

[@eddietruly8807]

The Superstar was IMO the best from mid 70's to early 80's. He was the original, Hogan, Ventura, Austin Idol ect all stole his act and look ..Great heel but would've been a great Face champ bigger than hogan! !

[@chipdspenser]

The other 20 percent was Austin Idol.

[@go-goakins1489]

chip dspenser true Austin idol was great too!

[@eddietruly8807]

Superstar in the north and Austin in the south... would've been a great lock up !!! Definitely my 2 favorites of all time

[@jamesdouglas1580]

Austin Idol was a joke

[@timfrederick9305]

Idol didn’t have the bodybuilder look but was a great in ring wrestling worker

[@johnreece5540]

Vince Sr, was totally engulfed in Backlaund's Good Guy Persona. The smart money would have been "Superstar" and Backlaund constantly exchanging the title up to mid 1982. In between a World Title Reign with Muraco, Snuka, and Patera.

[@timfrederick9305]

John Reece today that’s what would happen back then the belt didn’t change hands on a regular basis . Yes in the smaller territories it was different but many World champions reigns lasted for years

[@ferox965]

I'm positive if Superstar had've stuck around, Vince jr would have made him face and his moneymaker.

[@ronnie1005]

Testify Sully.....TESTIFY MY BROTHA

[@ronnie1005]

As we look back we always figure that we should have done things differently.....but ones ego gets in the way and it taints the greater good

[@maxpuppy96]

McMahon did not wan the belt on Superstar because he could not control him, Backlund he could control.

[@davestuddaman8127]

Who was McMahon's highest grossing champion to that point

[@DavidSmith-fs6pi]

@@davestuddaman8127 Bruno

[@DixiePokerAce]

Hogan DEFINITELY got his act from Superstar Graham. Billy Graham was charisma personified. He was a true entertainer and WAY over with the fans. People came to the arenas to see Superstar. Hogan wasn't the only one that took things from Graham. Flair, Rhodes, Idol, and even The Rock took things from him.

[@MrGrxxx123]

Tha Supa Star! Billy Graham

[@johnathanclark79]

I think Vince senior was focused on pro wrestling as a sport over gimmick guys and wrestlers as entertainers like Super Fly Snuka jobbing to Backlund for the title and he fired Hulk Hogan for playing in Rocky 3. The reason Super Star isn’t used in the WWE for his history with the steroids. WWE is now scripted and censor wrestlers (superstars) form saying title shot.

[@JuniorLewingKoo]

Billy Graham is a natural heel. Why? Change him into a babyface.

[@aceldamas665]

Because when a heel gets over enough, they are no longer a heel. You want the fans liking the baby face, not the heel.

[@ferox965]

Stone Cold Steve Austin was a heel...and they changed him babyface...

[@TheHannibalTV]

Actually if you know him personally he's more of a babyface than heel. Very nice man as a person.

[@ferox965]

Christina Bako exactly. They had no choice. The fans spoke. Superstar as a face would have been even more game changing. Would have been cool to see where that went.

[@jlmartinez8482]

I love Superstar ! And yes he should've had a longer reign but having him babyface would've been difficult to accept considering how he beat Bruno . Bruno was a God and Billy cheated to win the belt . I don't think fans would've forgiven or forgotten .

[@elainafoust2154]

Kevin Sullivan is a pure lot of information.

[@timfrederick9305]

Here’s a thought I know Bob Backlund had the personality of Tim Horner but as a older wrestler in the mid 90s he was a entertaining heel and maybe he and Superstar should have switched roles

[@mox19380]

vince sr didn't want a non-shoot wrestler with the belt, from what i've heard and stands up based on who his champions tended to be. i just wish superstar had seen the value in chasing the title instead of melting down.

[@Keranu]

There are countless "what if scenarios" in sports, but their outcomes will never be known. With Supterstar, we know how big he could have been as the face for the WWWF/WWF because Hogan ran away with the gimmick and got more over than any wrestler in history. Billy could have been even bigger than Hulkamania.

[@shaneshrimp6519]

That was Vince Sr's missed opportunity . I think Vince Jr wasn't gonna make the same mistake and road the Hogan money making train ! Bob Backlund was so awful , I couldnt wait for him to lose and no way he could of done a Wrestlemania .

[@ronnie1005]

Sully is Sharp

[@motogig7803]

Everyone stole from Billy. He was the original.

[@scottlevison7994]

Biggest mistake WWWF ever did...giving Backlund the title. Worst mic skills ever. Superstar was the best on the mic and yes...as we saw later, he was a great face.

[@just2fresh814]

Unfortunately Superstar couldn't wrestle to save his life.💯

[@hubertvale5132]

SSBG stole his gimmick from Muhammad Ali.

[@pinfold1000]

look up SWEET DADDY SIKI he was OVER TOP before superstar

[@cmm98]

Fuck man how the fuck could Superstar drop the strap to Bob backlund

[@airemoutreigns6366]

i agree. vm sr is MY GUY but he dropped the ball on turning graham face. give graham the belt n roster of guys backlund fought: patera,patterson,zbysko,koloff,arion,hansen,steele,khan,mosca,valentine,orton,snuka,mulligan,studd,slaughter,ventura,adonis,masked superstar,sheik,HOGAN....pure $$$$$$$

[@johnreece5540]

It would have been awesome for Bruno to Turn Heel and Form a Stable with Superstar, Zbyszko, Muraco, and Snuka all dedicated in destroying Backlaund.

[@bgandjsco1]

Vince not promoting Graham was the biggest mistake in wrestling history. When he lost the belt I stopped watching

[@pulsarlights2825]

Billy Graham was way better than Hulk Hogan IMO

[@go-goakins1489]

Superstar was yoked.

[@blacquesjacques7239]

Superxtar was great but he stole his gimmick from Muhammad Ali whogot it from Gorgeous George .

[@arielsandoval3583]

Where did ali take it,i wouldn't say steal .i say borrow,ali took it from gorgeous George, he admits

[@arielsandoval3583]

Your right he did and he was white ,it makes a difference then

[@nickcapella2440]

Nice fake account bitch. You'd get your head stomped in the streets.

[@shakeandjake_1]

I made a song in ode to Superstar and I hope he hears it soon

[@spottss]

Backlund was so friggin dull. So much for trying to get the audience behind a guy with a personality

[@bgandjsco1]

He certainly would have been as big as Hogan

[@pinfold1000]

HOGAN jake the snake MACHO best promos. BILLY couldn't resurrect his superstar gimmick. He Ran out of steam after the NY run when Vince sr took the belt off him.

[@cryospiral]

Finland!

[@bigconan]

I have thought since i was a kid...the biggest mistake in all of wrestling, to this day..was allowing the red headed freckled asshole become champion...removing the superstar was the biggest mistake of wrestling...I don't think vince sr. realized what he had in graham..we know now...pretty much all the biggest names of the sport, have all copied superstar...just not as good...there was nobody like graham..nobody was built like him..nobody could talk like him...the one promo he gave with vince...is in my mind the greatest promo of all time...hogan didn't have nearly the charisma of graham...such a shame...

[@bradleylove8606]

Dusty and Hulk both copy cats got it from Superstar Billy Graham.

[@74superglide]

This guy murdered Benoit

[@SixShooterRC]

He's Catholic more than likely he got Altar Boy was he also in the Boy Scout