Superstar Graham

[Superstar Sleeze]

I cribbed the first half of my name from Graham (Sorry, Dundee). The second half of my name comes from my favorite genre of music: sleaze rock.

 

Well Titans of Wrestling inspired me to say why stop at 1979 why not go even further back.

 

WWF World Heavyweight Champion "Superstar" Graham vs Bruno Sammartino w/Arnold Skaaland - 6/77 MSG

 

This is a perfect match for podcast listening as not much happens but it is an enjoyable tit for tat match. I thought Graham was going to be Ventura-level shit in the ring, but he was not atrocious. His strikes are pretty weak and his bumping at the beginning is really goofy at the beginning. As the match progresses, he sells fatigue, punishment better through just collapsing. His physique would impressive in 2013 nevermind 1977 and Bruno is nothing to sneeze at either. Bruno is actually pretty good in this match even though his strikes are pretty weak, but he displays a lot better fire and energy than I expected. He was moving really well. Graham uses the ropes and the outside to break up Bruno's momentum until he is able to lock on a full nelson. Then in the theme of the match, Bruno says anything you can do I can do better. Bruno slaps on his own full nelson and Graham collapses onto the ropes. Graham then tries a surfboard, but in a spot that would make Baba proud, they do a surfboard test of strength with Bruno applying his own. This time when Graham makes the ropes Bruno delivers a nice knee. Graham actually gets some offense in after a thumb to the throat with some Irish whips and shitty kicks. He grabs a bear hug, but staying true to the match Bruno grabs his own. Bruno ends up on the outside they do a little King of the Mountain before Arnie Bar The Door There Is A Pier-Six Brawl A Brewing and the ref gets caught in the fracas before calling the match out. It was a pretty tepid melee as far as melee goes not that New York was every known for that.

 

Bruno actually looked decent here (dont remember liking Bruno all that much), Graham exceeded expectation of possibly being the shittiest wrestler ever. I like tit for tat matches, but this had absolutely no transitions in it whatsoever. They would just move in between segments as if they existed in a vacuum. Not a match, I would watch again.

[shoe]

I watched this match earlier in the day. I thought it was a fun match and exceeded my expectations. Superstar was awesome in his prematch. I dug Bruno's brawling start for the 1st few minutes. I thought Superstar's goofy bumping even added a little to the out of control element because he seemed out of control. Even his backdrop looked out of control. The mirror spots I thought were fun though they did lack transitions to them. I thought they had a great dynamic to each other that played well in the match. With these guys going 18 minutes I thought it would drag, but it really didn't. I liked this better than any Bruno match we've reviewed on Titans Of Wrestling so far.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I agree it was the best Bruno I have seen, but granted I have not seen a lot of them. I do want to eventually track down the Stan Hansen series. It was nothing I would go out of my way to see it again, but it was a decent match.

 

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Superstar Graham vs Dusty Rhodes - 9/77 MSG

 

This is NOT the match to show people to prove to them that 70s wrestling can be exciting and good. This is definitely one of worst matches I have seen in quite some time. The positives were both had tremendous outfits could draw great heat in their respective roles. Dusty's migrating and gyrating routine will always be over with me. I did like how they built the match around Dusty's elbow, but besides that this match just kept going and going. I have never seen a shittier lock-up in my life. It was just one shitty lock-up after another each time Dusty throwing him off and Graham bumping pretty well. You can tell Vince holds Dusty's character in disdain calling him rollie-polie and getting in other subtle digs. Dusty gives him a couple wags of the finger, before Graham gets him in a test of strength, but Dusty is able to stomp on his fingers. Grahma remains undeterred, if strength won't work then he will cheat. He gives him a couple fingers in the throat. There is early shades of "Karate" Billy Graham. Graham locks on a chinlock and then a bearhug here is where they really build the elbow as the devastating last resort that Dusty needs to apply. After a couple of teases, Dusty finally unloads the elbow, but misses the follow-up elbow. Graham in the most impressive spot of the match hoists Dusty up and applies an over-the-shoulder- backbreaker, but he can't hold him. So he unleashes a series of elbows, but finally misses one. Graham goes up top, but takes the Flair bump off the top and the a back body drop over the top to give the American Dream the countout victory. There is a pretty loud bullshit chant and Dust gets on the house mic to say "Superstar, I came along way to whip your ass!" TEXAS DEATH MATCH BABY!

 

Those lock-ups actually should be seen just to see how remarkably shitty they are. These two are not exactly offensive dynamos and it lends itself to a pretty boring match. You can get by on shtick pretty far with me, but you got to have some compelling work in there to build to the finish. Dusty was pretty bad at selling Superstar's shitty offense and Superstar moves around the ring in a very awkward manner. I plan on watching the Death Match and Bullrope match, but I do not have high hopes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Superstar Graham vs Dusty Rhodes - Texas Bullrope Match MSG 8/78

 

I have the American Dream's DVD from when I was in high school and I bought originally just for the promos. I do not think I have watched even half the matches on it. I remember this match piqued my interest and when I put it on it turned me off of 70s wrestling until recently. You know what, I still think it sucks. We are joined in progress, but thanks to Fink's announcement, we know we only missed at most 90 seconds off the beginning. This is does not stop Dusty from fibbin' saying "Remember this was JIP, we were going a lot longer before that". Always working. They establish early on Superstar has nowhere to run with the bullrope attached to his wrist. Graham is the absolute worst on transitions as he just starts choking Dusty and hits with the bell to bust him open. He goes up top and Dusty yanks him off. Now it is Graham's turn to bell getting smashed with the cowbell. After some unheated back and forth, Dusty hits a home run with bell and Strongbow (Parv's favorite wrestler) counts out Superstar. Superstar displays more fire in the post-match when he chases off Fink then he does in the whole match. There are no transitions, no heat, Graham is the among the worst control wrestlers. Even Dusty seemed off his game as he was not really hitting his spots with gusto. Lets see if the Death Match can save this series.

[Ricky Jackson]

Superstar/Dusty at MSG is one of my favorite guilty pleasures in wrestling. I think if you just sit back and soak in the atmosphere, the heat, and the sheer 70sness of the spectacle you may enjoy it more. These are not workrate matches. Same goes for the Bruno matches.

 

Edit: OK, the Bullrope match sucks, no doubt. The Death match was actually the earlier of the two matches in the series

[shoe]

Also that SBG / Bruno bout also has a Hogan/Warrior vibe to it.

[thebrainfollower]

It's sad to think but given their inclusion in the BG DVD, those two Dusty matches are probably the most seen matches of the 70's today.

[BrickHithouse]

Not for long.

 

Well, that's the hope anyway.

 

[Wolfman]

Even though he was pretty lame in the ring, SBG is the coolest looking wrestler ever.

[BrickHithouse]

I don't even think he was that bad in the ring. Certainly north of Putski and acceptable at worst.

 

I'm speaking of his 76-78 WWWF run and nothing after that whatsoever.

[JerryvonKramer]

Kung-Fu era Billy Graham is possibly the worst wrestler of all time. It's close between him and the likes of El Gigante or Zeus. What actually happened to Graham after his title run? Before I watch any of this stuff, how big is the gap between him in his prime and the god-awfulness of the pathetic figure we see in Crockett?

[victory]

Kung-Fu era Billy Graham is possibly the worst wrestler of all time. It's close between him and the likes of El Gigante or Zeus. What actually happened to Graham after his title run? Before I watch any of this stuff, how big is the gap between him in his prime and the god-awfulness of the pathetic figure we see in Crockett?

I had never seen the 70's version of Graham when he arrived in the AWA in late 83 with the Kung- Fu gimmick. I actually thought he was pretty cool back then and I was anticipating a showdown with Hogan. Now that I have seen all versions as an adult I realize how crappy that Kung-Fu gimmick was. Despite that I still like some of the Florida stuff promo wise with that gimmick.