ALTHOUGH WE ARE not always able to react to such sad events so soon after they occur, we felt it was important to commemorate the late “Superstar” Billy Graham, who passed away yesterday, May 17, 2023, at the age of 79.
Standing at 6’5” tall and weighing in at a muscular 275 pounds, Graham profoundly impacted the industry with his memorable promos and one-of-a-kind ring presence.
His big day came on April 30,1977 when he captured the title from Bruno in Balt. & afterwards Superstar rose to even greater heights. In his career Graham influenced countless stars & helped transform the sport into what it is today. RIP my friend. You’ll never be forgotten.
Reflections from PWI Contributing Photographer (and longtime friend of Graham’s) George Napolitano
Graham was a larger-than-life performer, both due to his physique and ability to draw thousands of paying fans all over the U.S. After holding championships for NWA Florida, NWA Texas, and the Japanese IWA promotion, the Arizona native defeated the legendary Bruno Sammartino on April 30, 1977, to win the WWWF World heavyweight championship. That title win—and subsequent 296-day reign as champion—defined Graham’s career.
“Superstar” Graham attempts to pin Bruno Sammartino’s shoulders to the mat. (PHOTO BY BILL APTER)
Able to draw the ire of fans like no one else, peak-era Graham similarly inspired strong reactions in his would-be peers. His persona, brightly colored attire, and flashy promos influenced the work of all-time greats including Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Dusty Rhodes.
Over the course of his career, Graham regularly graced the pages of publications such as PWI. He was a close friend of wrestling magazine giant George Napolitano, who, in an interview around his 2022 Stanley Weston Award acknowledgment, recalled being invited by Graham to a WWWF show in Baltimore. As fate would have it, that was the day when Graham unseated Sammartino as World heavyweight champ. Napolitano was on hand to photograph the unforgettable title change.
Today, the news of Billy Graham’s passing has been widely reported by most major news outlets, indicating the iconic grappler’s lasting impact on the world at large.
Simply put: “Superstar” Graham was one in a million. He will be missed.
A shirtless, musclebound Billy Graham looms large over this New York City street vendor and other customers as he pays for his food. (PHOTO BY BILL APTER)
Following her stay in WWE NXT, “Sarray” is gone … but Sareee has returned to Japan to rejoin the fight!
TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISSA MARIE
IN MARCH 2023, Sareee confirmed her departure from WWE, where she had competed on the NXT brand for the better part of three years under the name of “Sarray.” Now, she has returned to her original home of Japan with a reignited purpose: to show what pro wrestling, from her perspective, is all about.
Ahead of her much-anticipated produce show, Sareee took the time from her busy schedule to meet up with PWI Japan correspondent Issa Marie at TERA CAFÉ SHIEN ZOJOJI in Tokyo, for a special, in-person interview.
“Pro wrestling is a fighting art,” Sareee told PWI. “Strong showing between opponents. And, after two years of not being able to show it, my goal is to reintroduce the fans to my core fighting style.”
Though she impressed sizable, global audiences with her spirited performances on NXT, longtime fans of Sareee knew that she was not being utilized to her full potential. Prior to signing with WWE in early-2020, and relocating to the U.S. months later, this prodigy wrestler seemed destined to carry on the legendary, traditional Japanese style of All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling. She debuted at age 15 for World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana, the only organization to carry on All Japan Women’s training system under the tutelage of joshi greats Jaguar Yokota, Kyoko Inoue, Kaoru Ito, and Nanae Takahashi. She pushed her body to the limit, learning foundational pro wrestling moves that require long years of discipline to truly master.
In doing so, Sareee became “the last surviving hope” of joshi strong style wrestling. After six impressive years with Diana, including a tag title reign with Yokota, she joined up with Takahashi’s burgeoning SEAdLINNNG promotion. At Meiko Satomura’s Sendai Girls, she battled Chihiro Hashimoto in a series of hard-hitting and globally acclaimed matches. After returning to Diana in 2018, she finally claimed her home promotion’s top single championship … twice.
So impressive was Sareee that she was publicly applauded by her wrestling idol, Antonio Inoki, gifted a mask by Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask), and given the blessing of Masahiro Chono to use his STF hold. It is unsurprising, then, that Sareee was recruited by WWE, where she would spend two years of her career learning the entertainment aspect of the sport she held so dearly.
While signing a WWE contract is a lifelong goal for many grapplers, for Sareee, it was an exciting new challenge. “At the time I was recruited, I was unfamiliar with the company,” she admits. “I was told I would be able to be a similar version of the pro wrestler I was in Japan … however, it wasn’t long before everything changed.”
Often working alongside newer and less experienced talent, the NXT talent known as Sarray was notably more subdued than the fiery ring warrior who had initially grabbed the attention of the industry leader. Her look and on-screen persona also changed, much to the chagrin of longtime supporters.
“While it was not what I had expected, I have no regrets,” Sareee reflected. “That time in WWE, I was able to learn about the entertainment side of the ‘industry’ that is not as prominent in most Japanese promotions.”
Called “The Sun Goddess” for her explosiveness and charismatic in-ring presence, Sareee speaks kindly of her former coworkers. “I really enjoyed working with Zoey Stark and Tiffany (Stratton) during my time in NXT and training with Franky Monet (AEW’s Taya Valkyrie),” she said. “We (Franky and I) wanted to have a match on TV because we had great chemistry when we trained and practiced together. We even went to management to see if it would be possible, but it did not happen.”
Sadly, there were other matches Sareee looked forward to that were, for various reasons, not able to take place. “When I first learned about NXT, I saw a match of Ember Moon (AEW’s Athena), and I was amazed by her,” she recalls. “We were supposed to have a match, but it was canceled.”
Similarly, planned bouts with Toni Storm and Meiko Satomura were called off. If given the chance, Sareee would still like to wrestle these women. She also expressed interest in facing record-setting WWE Raw champion Bianca Belair. “I am very curious about her strength, testing her abilities and her limits,” said Sareee.
Considering that she had strayed away from the big promotions while in Japan, it seems reasonable to wonder whether competing at NXT was ever in Sareee’s best interests. On the other hand, the move made perfect sense, given her desire to showcase her vision of pro wrestling on a worldwide platform. After all the unique challenges she has faced, we had to ask: Does “The Sun Goddess” have any advice for her Japanese peers who might be considering training and wrestling overseas?
“If there’s an opportunity to go, go for it!” she says. “Opportunities are few and far between [for us], so take advantage of them! Go for the experience!”
And that experience has inspired the 12-year veteran to produce her own card, Sareee-ISM, taking place on May 16, 2023, at Shinjuku Face event hall in Tokyo. The event will feature joshi wrestlers carrying on the torch of the traditional fighting art of Japanese women’s pro wrestling.
“I want to thank all of the international fans gained for their support, by performing and fighting in the style of pro wrestling that I have always believed in and love,” said Sareee. But, above all, she wants to be able to meet the high expectations that have been set.
“I received a lot of support and encouragement from the fans during my time with WWE, which helped me pull through during the hardest of times,” she told PWI. “I really appreciate them all, and want to give back to those who supported me, by being the best version of myself. I am very grateful for you all and look forward to seeing everyone again!
If you are not in Japan to watch Sareee-ISM Chapter 1, fret not, as the event will be streamed LIVE at https://sareeelive.com/
Note: The English Language Option can be found in its drop-down menu, top right). Start time is 7:00 p.m. local time, (6:00 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, and 3:00 a.m. Pacific).
COURTESY OF SAREE/SAREEE-ISM
The match card for Sareee-ISM is as follows:
Opening Match Riko Kaiju (SEAdLINNNG) vs. Yurika Oka (Sendai Girls) 10-minute time limit
Second Match AKARI (Pure-J) & Arisa Nakajima (SEAdLINNG) vs. Ibuki Hoshi (Ice Ribbon) & Miyuki Takase (Freelancer) 20-minute time limit
Semi-Main Event Jaguar Yokota (Diana) & Nanae Takahashi (Freelance) vs. Kaoru Ito (Ito Dojo) & X [mystery competitor to be revealed at a later date] 30-minute time limit
Main Event Sareee vs Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls) 30-minute time limit
ON HEELS: Zicky Dice, Silas Mason, Dominik Mysterio
TEXT BY POLLO DEL MAR
SOMETIMES IT’S BEST to recognize you’re fighting a losing battle. Zicky Dice should have remembered this when our paths crossed recently in Connecticut.
On Sept. 22, Best Trivia Ever collected a mixture of today’s brightest talent and legends like Scott Steiner and Scotty 2 Hotty for SLAM 2, an unforgettable night of pro wrestling action in Milford. Seeking revenge for his humiliation at a SLAM event a year prior, Dice had the temerity to direct his anger toward me to begin the show.
The IMPACT Wrestling star’s callous and unwanted disruption turned me from the night’s emcee into an impromptu “general manager” and matchmaker of sorts. The grave error of threatening me if “appropriate opposition” was not offered did not end well for “The Outlandish One.”
Dice fell into a trap far too many do: underestimating the cunning and calculated “Manager Of Champions.” He also failed to recognize just how far my connections extend in the wrestling world.
Some 90 minutes later, when he returned to the ring to menace and intimidate, it was my turn to surprise. You should have seen Zicky’s expression when the music hit and Eddie Kingston came through that crowd!
Tonight @ZickyDice threatened to kick my ass if I didn’t find “appropriate competition” for him at #BTESlam2. Careful what you ask for, Zicky…Now THAT’s outlandish!
— Pollo Del Mar – Instagram.com/PolloDelMarFans (@TheGlamazonPDM) September 23, 2022
Fresh from devastating Sammy Guevara the night prior during an AEW Rampage taping, Kingston was all-too-ready to avenge that disqualification loss. Though I find no joy in siding with fans, I, like everyone in attendance, rejoiced as Eddie thoroughly trounced the former National Wrestling Alliance Television champion.
Yet again, Dice’s big mouth was temporarily silenced—thanks to my new buddy Eddie. Now that is “Outlandish”!
IT’S A THRILL RIDE!
Being forced to acknowledge one of the all-time great fan favorites galls me to no end. However, when Ricky Steamboat is right, he’s right—and the National Wrestling Alliance’s new “Steamboat Proclamation” is very, very right!
Returning for Season 10 of NWA Powerrr, the former World’s heavyweight champion immediately convinced NWA owner and president William Patrick Corgan to expand title opportunities for everyone in the company. That resulted in, among other things, a single elimination tournament to determine the #1contender to The Great Cyon’s National heavyweight title.
Pollo Del Mar poses with “The Thrillbilly” Silas Mason / Photo by Daniel Moore/Hardway Photo and NWA
The Hall-of-Famer Steamboat hand-selected 12 competitors of varying NWA tenure to compete for a title shot at the November 12 Hard Times 3 pay-per-view in New Orleans. With gentle persuasion, “The Thrillbilly” Silas Mason joined the likes of Jax Dane, “Magic” Jake Dumas, and more!
To the shock of apparently all except me, Silas “upset” former National champion Anthony Mayweather in the opening round. We then went on to face that demon-worshipping Judais in the semi-finals. I ran interference as that devilish garden gnome Father James Mitchell tried some shenanigans, allowing Silas to take “The High Priest Of Punishment” on a Thrill Ride he could not survive!
Soon, “The Thrillbilly” will face Chris Adonis and relative NWA newcomer Dak Draper in three-way finale. Adonis is a two-time National champion and Draper is a former Ring of Honor Top Prospects Tournament winner. However, neither has faced someone like Silas Mason—and certainly not with “The Lovely” Pollo Del Mar at his side.
Stay tuned to NWA’s weekly programming—NWA Powerrr every Tuesday on FiteTV and NWA USA Saturdays on YouTube—to catch this must-see match-up. Silas Mason’s ready to take the entire NWA on a Thrill Ride straight into New Orleans!
DADDY ISSUES
Poor Rey Mysterio! The man simply can’t control his family.
First, daughter Aaliyah seemingly strayed amidst his ongoing feud with Seth Rollins. Now, son Dominik has stabbed him in the back to join The Judgment Day.
Sure, becoming the first father/son team to hold WWE tag gold was cute, but did Rey expect that to satisfy Dom forever? How long could Daddy reasonably expect Dom to ride his coattails, treating him like a child when all he wanted was to his own man? Little Dom finally stepped from his father’s shadow—and all it took was Rhea Ripley’s encouragement.
As the nephew of a legend himself, surely Rey knows the pressures of following an icon’s footsteps. To ever be seen as more than “Rey Mysterio’s son,” Dominik needs to establish himself individually … and could never do that under his father’s thumb.
Now Dominik shows dastardly depth and determination at the sides of Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Ripley. He’s turned the page, and his back, on the past to forge his own legacy. And it’s clear fans like it no more than Rey does.
A recent Raw audience in California nearly booed Dominik and company of San Jose. Still, the smile on Dom’s face said it all. For perhaps the first time in his young career, he’s eliciting a crowd response entirely his own—and that’s presumably all he ever wanted.
SHELTON BENJAMIN MAY be considered a veteran, but it’s hard for the WWE superstar to wrap his head around the label. “I feel like I got here yesterday,” the accomplished athlete said during a press junket Royal Rumble weekend.
It’s a surreal feeling for someone who has spent 22 years in the pro wrestling ring after breaking out as an amateur in college at the University of Minnesota. The Golden Gopher even had a hand in honing the skills of one Brock Lesnar.
“When I think back, it was just yesterday I was doing dark matches against Justin Credible and William Regal. Many matches later I’m helping guys like Apollo [Crews] and Cedric [Alexander],” he said. “I’m looking at these talents who are doing things … I thought I was cool back then, but then I see guys like Ricochet doing things I wouldn’t even think of. It’s a good feeling to know I’ve lasted this long. Originally, when I got into pro wrestling, my thinking was, This will be something good to try for two or three years and then move on to something else … I’m still here.”
Benjamin returned to WWE almost six years ago, paired with Chad Gable. From there, a mutual friendship and love for the industry gave way to the Hurt Business. Bobby Lashley, MVP, Alexander, and Benjamin all wore gold and dominated Monday nights.
“When it ended, we were all not happy,” Benjamin added. “We were broken up about it. We thought this was the greatest thing about our career,”
When asked if we’ll ever see a true 2.0 version of The Hurt Business, Benjamin was somewhat noncommittal, but he remains open to the possibility of a spinoff. He and Alexander are keeping remnants of the name alive still teaming together. With “The Almighty” and MVP doing their own thing, the former world tag team champ does have a few ideas for potential recruits.
“The Gold Standard” addresses fans and opponents with the WWE United States title belt draped across his lap. (PHOTO BY GEORGE NAPOLITANO)
“Apollo would definitely be in consideration. Giant Omos. That would be a huge win, pun intended,” he said. “Believe it or not, we have toyed around (with) having a female member of The Hurt Business. Number one on our list is Trinity [Naomi]. ‘The Bloodline’ might have an unfair advantage in that [recruiting] department. She is definitely on our shortlist.”
Another who expressed interest in signing up with the group early on was Mia Yim. Although she has since been released from WWE and is preparing for her next chapter, her friendship with Shelton Benjamin remains strong—although you may not think that watching them banter and taunt each other on social media.
“She is like my best friend. She is like my little sister,” Benjamin clarified. “I met her back in 2011, I believe, at an independent show. She was wrestling Mickie James. We just struck up a friendship from there. I ran into her from Japan. Over the years, we just developed this big brother-little sister banter. We are pretty vicious with each other. It’s all in fun. It’s one hundred percent fun. There are times when I want to hundred percent roast her and ask ‘Are you okay if I said this,’ because we are friends and I don’t want to cross any lines.
“I have huge respect for her and her talent. So, anyone paying attention to us on social media, it’s all for fun. We will bark back at people who are disrespectful. This is how we entertain each other and, hopefully, you are getting entertainment out of it too.”
Benjamin poses backstage at a Ring of Honor event with former tag partner Charlie Haas. He says he’d be open to teaming with Haas again in the future, adding that he sees him not just as a friend, but as a brother. PHOTO BY STU SAKS
If The Hurt Business doesn’t pan out, longtime fans could still one day enjoy a “World’s Greatest Tag Team” reunion with Benjamin teaming with Charlie Haas. His former tag team championship partner recently returned to the ring at IMPACT and is building a run on the independent circuit. Benjamin is happy to see it.
“For fans, he disappeared, but I’ve known what Charlie has been going through. I’ve helped him deal with things and get through it,” he said. “Thankfully, he is back on the rise and making a lot of noise on the independent scene. I love the idea of reuniting with Charlie. He is one of my brothers. To see him back in shape and back at it, I think I would love it. I think the fans would love it, and it would be a lot of fun to see what a mature ‘World’s Greatest Tag Team’ would do versus the world.”
As for how the 46-year-old has maintained his youthful look and ability to compete at a high level, Benjamin jokes “about 20 years ago, I must have been bit by a vampire.” The tenured performer believes it really comes down to a tried-and-true healthy lifestyle.
“I don’t smoke, drink, other. I exercise regularly. I’m constantly competing with the people around me,” he said. “That helps me stay young. I’m still a big video game guy. Of course, you feel the bumps a little more. For the most part, I think my lifestyle alone keeps me healthy. I’ve had major injuries and always bounce back and still plan to. I still have a lot of years in this business.”
FROM THE VAULT: Baba and Vince Open the Forbidden Door (updated 11/19/21)
VINCE MCMAHON. GIANT Baba. Together in the same ring. The 2,350 FANS in attendance at Korakuen Hall on January 28, 1990, were in for a big surprise. As recently as the early-1980s, McMahon’s WWF had enjoyed a solid relationship with All Japan’s biggest competitor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Suffice to say, no one was expecting Vince McMahon and Giant Baba to show up on the final day of AJPW’s New Year Giant series.
But that’s exactly what happened. On a show that saw All Japan Pro Wrestling founder Giant Baba defeat American journeyman Rip Rogers in a singles bout—along with the swan song of The British Bulldogs—no less than Vincent Kennedy McMahon made his way to the ring to address the crowd.
Vince McMahon waves to the crowd at Korakuen Hall as Giant Baba looks on.
The above photo, along with the forthcoming photos in this entry, was sent to the Pro Wrestling Illustrated offices by a Japanese freelance photographer who asked us not to name them. This person specifically cited the fact that McMahon appeared in the photographs as the reason for their anonymity. Regardless, the veteran photographer seemed excited to share the photos in question.
As one might guess, Vince wasn’t simply in town as a tourist, opting to take in a show at one of Japan’s most historic combat sports venues. He was there on business. McMahon took the microphone and announced to the crowd that the WWF would be teaming up with not just AJPW, but NJPW, as well. The three promotions would come together to present the WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit.
From left to right: AJPW President Giant Baba, WWF President Vince McMahon, and NJPW President Seiji Sakaguchi pose together for a photo.
The event, which emanated from the Tokyo Dome on April 13, 1990, was attended by more than 53,000 people. Despite not being released officially in the U.S., it was voted Best Major Wrestling Show in that year’s Wrestling Observer Awards. With an undercard that included a bout between Bret Hart and Tiger Mask, the show featured Andre The Giant and Giant Baba teaming up to take on Demolition, and the main event pitting Hulk Hogan against Stan Hansen.
Backstage at Korakuen Hall, Vince McMahon shakes the hand of Giant Baba.
In 2021, promotions are increasingly working together for the greater good. From the contemporary IWGP Conception, which saw NJPW copromote with Ring of Honor and CMLL, to the current, extensive interplay between AEW, IMPACT, the NWA, and other companies, cooperation is arguably one of the most exciting things about today’s wrestling landscape. Given WWE’s history of partnering with promotions overseas—and, later, giving visibility to upstarts like ECW and EVOLVE—is it really so hard to imagine the industry leader doing so once again?
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