10 Great Wrestling World Title Reigns Marred By Bad Endings

When it comes to stars who changed the business, few have been as influential as Superstar Billy Graham. The jacked motormouth was a natural showman with sharp, witty promos and a physique unlike anything else in wrestling in the '70s.

With an exhausted Bruno Sammartino on the way out, Vince McMahon Sr. placed the belt on Graham as a transitional champ. The hope was that fans would love seeing conservative, blue chipper babyface Bob Backlund topple the vainglorious Superstar.

Instead, fans couldn't get enough of Graham, who was a one of a kind character and performer. His over the top fashion and posing routines were eye catching and he had his finger on the pulse of the counter-cultural zeitgeist of the era.

Business was booming as the big man’s brief run was extended to the nine-month mark. Nine months was unthinkable for a heel reign in the WWWF where babyfaces often ruled the roost for years at a time. Graham, desperate to keep going, suggested a babyface turn to cash in on his popularity. Vince Sr. didn't like the notion of such an edgy character at the helm and pushed ahead with the more old school Backlund.

While Bob Backlund was a phenomenal athlete, he did not light up arenas the way his predecessor had. Graham's belief in a persona like his taking off was proven true in the '80s when two of his proteges, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, carried the business to new heights. For the original Superstar, however, it was all too little too late.