10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Sept 8, 2017)

5. Steve Austin Views Billy Graham As The Original Stone Cold

Billy Graham WWE
WWE

The arrogant, bragging promos of 'Superstar' Billy Graham inspired everyone from Hulk Hogan to Scott Steiner. Another who studied Graham's work as the WWWF Champion was one Steve Austin. To Austin, Graham was actually the original 'Stone Cold', because he was a heel so good at his job that people started to root for him.

Austin described to Sean Waltman on the X-Pac 1, 2, 360 show that he often draws parallels between his own run and the career of Graham. Back then, Vince McMahon Senior didn't really know what to do with the 'Superstar' once fans began cheering his rule breaking and blowhard ways during promos. Austin had the same 'problem' in 1996.

Catching fire as Stone Cold, Austin appealed to fans because he was a departure from happy, smiling babyfaces of before. It's fascinating to learn that Steve Austin cites Billy Graham's trouble transitioning from heel to babyface as a road block he had to overcome in his own career, but doesn't claim he did so first.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.