WWE legend Billy Graham has died at the age of 79 after a months-long health battle, his family has confirmed.
The former WWWF Heavyweight Champion’s family told TMZ that he died Wednesday with his wife and daughter by his side.
ALSO READ: Who was Micky Geller and What was his cause of death?
Who is Billy Graham?
“Superstar Billy Graham, 79, whose real name is Eldridge Wayne Coleman, is a retired WWE wrestler.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 7, 1943, he became WWWF Heavyweight Champion in 1977-1978 and is a three-time world champion.
His real name is Eldridge Wayne Coleman. In 2004 Graham was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
He started out as a bodybuilder during the 1960s and trained with Hollywood megastar and fellow WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom he appeared on various front covers.
Beginning his wrestling career in 1969, Graham signed with various promotions before making his debut with the WWE – then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation – in 1975.
By that time, his in-arena look became influential to many of the most popular wrestlers of the time – including Austin Idol, Jesse Ventura, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair.
When wrestling surged in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, wrestlers such as Steve Austin and Triple H began adopting his look and mannerisms.
Over the course of his WWE career, he won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship once back in 1977. Graham was inducted alongside Ventura and Sgt. Slaughter in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2004.
ALSO READ: Who was Andy Smart and what was his cause of death?
But Graham was not without his controversies. He was a user of anabolic steroids, once claiming that he was ‘an innovator of steroid use’ in the WWE.
Graham went on to do a public awareness campaign regarding the dangers of the drug. Graham has been dealing with serious health issues over the course of two decades.
He’s had multiple issues with his liver – requiring transplants – eventually being diagnosed with third-stage liver disease and cirrhosis back in 2012.
Since then, he has been hospitalized for pneumonia, possible heart failure, liver complications, and internal bleeding.
Billy Graham health issues
Over the years, Graham’s body dealt with major health issues, starting in 2002 when he received a liver transplant after being diagnosed with cirrhosis.
Again, he was diagnosed with liver issues in 2010 and was told he would only have a year to live without another transplant.
On January 17, 2013, Graham was hospitalized with double pneumonia and possible heart failure. He was re-hospitalized for a liver complication in October 2014.
On August 2, 2016, Graham was hospitalized while undergoing a medical procedure due to internal bleeding; he underwent surgery on August 3 to identify the cause of the issues.
In August 2022, Graham had his toes amputated. In January 2023, Graham was hospitalized after being diagnosed with an ear and skull infection
Billy Graham death
Graham died on May 17, 2023, three weeks before his 80th birthday, after being put on life support the day before.
Superstar Billy Graham cause of death
The Former WWWF Heavyweight Champion “Superstar Billy Graham died on Wednesday at age 79 after a months-long health battle.
Graham’s family told TMZ that he died after being taken off life support with his wife and daughter by his side.
ALSO READ: Who was Anna Nicole Smith and what was her cause of death?
THANK YOU for constantly reading stories on AtinkaNews. You are free to share this story via the various social media platforms . Kindly follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.
