How Eddie Graham came to know Cullen H. "Buster" Williams is unclear. Most of all, he was proud of how he'd helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch and served on its board of directors for 10 years. He hosted classic episodes of Championship Wrestling from Florida on WWE 24/7 Classics. These signings are accompanied by Dusty Rhodes. ", In the mid-'50s, Eddie Graham was as wild outside the ring as he was inside; he had not yet developed his nice-guy disposition. And so I went on, and I didn't even stay there and came on back home. proceeds from an Eddie Graham Happy Birthday Graham was big and blond and "always had such a sweet smile. Gordon Solie, host of the nationally syndicated TV show Championship Wrestling from Florida and a friend of Graham's for 34 years, recalls that he "ran with Eddie when we were both a little on the wild side. ). ", Tom Smith, a Tampa lawyer who has been involved in the wrestling business for 20 years: "Eddie probably at one time was the single most powerful guy in professional wrestling. Eddie was an athlete. Michael Gossett (September 20, 1951 – October 19, 2012) was an American professional wrestler better known as Mike Graham. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. "I don't know, I really don't know. [2] They held the NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Northeast version) together in Capitol Wrestling (the forerunner of World Wrestling Entertainment) four times, winning the belts three times in victories over Lewin and Curtis, and once against Red and Lou Bastien. The other, his friends saw: tough, yes, but soft inside, a gentle, kind man who loved practical jokes. Tampa, Florida and rose to become the North American We just stayed home. He'd helped give Florida a national reputation, and now new people were moving into the business, people with no respect for tradition, no respect for a handshake, wrestlers who didn't care if the fans took them seriously. And Mike Graham's 37-year-old son also died the same violent way nearly two years ago, but not at the same event, despite what Graham's wife, Diane Marie Hamilton, told Daytona cops as describd in a police report, Headline Surfer has learned. "I found him at his home in Tampa and he, too, took his life with a gun," the family member said of Mike Graham's son. DAYTONA BEACH -- The facts are clear: 61-year-old retired pro wrestler Mike Graham of Tampa Bay, whose real name was Edward Michel Gosssett, shot himself to death by aiming a revolver at his own forehead and pulling the trigger on Oct. 18, while visiting here in Daytona for Biketoberfest with his wife. in damages. Graham is survived by his mother and two brothers, Michael Gossett (September 22, 1951 – c. October 19, 2012), better known as Mike Graham, was an American professional wrestler. Birth Place While there, in 1966, he had a feud with Professor Boris Malenko. And he said, 'Not right now,' and I said, 'You don't feel well,' and he said, 'I had a terrible night.' Petersburg office of The Orlando Sentinel. The ex-wrestler's son, Steve Gossett, died Dec. 14, 2010, in Tampa. Sheriff Ed Blackburn spearheaded a drive in 1957 to Mike won't share the notes, but he says they may hold a clue to why his father ended his own life. "God gave me a decent enough body to be an I mean, he was just -- it was just awful. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. He made occasional appearances for the revived Florida Championship Wrestling. His father had shot himself. You couldn't help but like him," says Ed Blackburn, a former Hillsborough County sheriff who worked with Graham in founding the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch. He was trained by his father, Boris Malenko and Hiro Matsuda. His makeover became part of the hype, but his friends say it wasn't all hype -- that he really was the smiling father figure pictured in the magazine: "Whether at home with his son Mike, relaxing around the house or cruising on his boat, The Thunder Mug, Eddie Graham has found contentment at last.". Tampa. You need a Find a Grave account to add things to this site. "That put me in the public eye. He had tremendous pride. × others for the Southern heavyweight championship based on information from your browser. Mike Graham worked with World Wrestling Entertainment in early 2006 on a DVD about Dusty Rhodes, which was released on June 6, 2006. This new breed of wrestlers, the ones running around with rock stars and dying their hair purple, they were only in it for the money. The day before he died, Graham had breakfast in Tampa with his friend Ed Blackburn, the former Hillsborough County sheriff, who now lives in Tallahassee. 1972. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Mike Graham Your password must be at least 8 characters, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. ", Bill Apter, senior editor at London Publishing, which distributes 11 wrestling magazines: "Anytime anybody talked about wrestling, Eddie Graham's name always came up. million dollars for those youth ranches. When she ran back inside, she found the retired wrestler dead on a bed, face up with a bullet wound to his forehead with his revolver immediately to his left on a pillow. And he was sitting beside the bed drinking his coffee and he never did that. He was recognized everywhere he went, a big man in town. He broke up with Jerry, bought a waterfront home in Tampa, cleaned up his image, helped build a wrestling empire in Florida and got involved in all kinds of worthy causes. He also established a $500 wrestling scholarship at I said, 'Dad, what's wrong?' Plese check the I'm not a robot checkbox.'. "I had told Eddie that he had nothing to worry about. They weren't holding up their end of the bargain, though. He didn't want us to, and I didn't really, either. He's working on a book, "Wrestling Rewind," that will be published early next year. Every match was a struggle between good and evil -- just as every match is today. Florida passes 100,000 coronavirus cases as deaths rise to 3,173, Disney World announces more reopening dates for its hotels, 2 new solar farms to deliver power to 6 Florida cities, including Orlando and Kissimmee. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. He said, 'I just never told you before, and I wanted you to know."'. Eddie met the future Lucy Gossett when he was 19 and she was -- well, so young she doesn't want her grandchildren to know. He was inducted posthumously by Dusty Rhodes, while his son, Mike Graham, accepted the honor on behalf of his father. "It was hard, but I never said anything. Graham's father was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. He also does live autograph signings with FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling). To suggest a correction or addition, visit the memorial page and click Suggest Edits. He wasn't going into the office every day and would hardly say a word during dinner. only dod I have obligations to my family, but I feel So it wasn't hard for the Bad Guy to transform himself into Good Guy, the Hometown Favorite -- especially in those days, when wrestling was still mostly regional theater. the Boys Clubs honored him with its Man-Boy award "He had a number of things troubling him. [2] They had popular feuds with teams such as the Fabulous Kangaroos, the Bastien Brothers, Mark Lewin and Don Curtis, and Antonino Rocca and Miguel Pérez. I just don't understand.' Resend Activation Email. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The company was having financial problems, however, and very soon was not making its payments to Graham. retinas in both eyes and such severe injuries The crowds loved to hate him and his tag-team partner, Jerry Graham. were top draws in Tampa. Some of them didn't even work out, for God's sake. Like that half-million dollars he owed. Young Mike Graham, Eddie's only child, was doing well in the ring. Eddie had a good name, and he was real jealous of it. Award-Winning 24/7 News for Daytona Beach, Sanford, Orlando, FL. to these sites/people. Besides praise, there were the awards: Wrestling Life magazine's 1961 Wrestler of the Year; Southern Wrestling Champion; North American Wrestling Champion; Tag-Team Champion of the World. like I can influence young people.". They started dating, and after about 18 months they were married, in a simple ceremony, on Christmas Eve, 1950. He started teaming with Keirn again in the late 1980s and wrestled in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions with Keirn briefly around this time. Height athlete," he said. Or so it seemed. Graham's New York period, which ended around 1959, had established him among the top wrestlers in the world and had made him wealthy. They weren't really brothers -- Eddie's last name was Gossett -- but they were the World's Tag Team Wrestling Champions, which made the fans hate them even more. We do not have any photo volunteers within fifty miles of your requested photo location. Graham headed back to Florida in 1983 primarily as a singles wrestlers. This allegation is disputed by eyewitnesses. Eddie Graham was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. "I'd hear him on the phone," his wife says, "and he'd say, 'Well, the business isn't like it used to be.' He hadn't told his wife about it. You know better known as Mike Graham, was an American professional wrestler. Jerry and Eddie were a very successful villainous tag team on the east coast of the United States. said Graham was despondent. 1978 for outfitting a wrestling room which came to be [4], In the spring of 1960, Eddie left the team and went to the National Wrestling Alliance's territory in Florida to wrestle. A friend of the family, who asked not to be identified, The son couldn't have killed himself at Biketonberfest -- the four-day rally that draws tens of thousands of bikers to greater Daytona Beach -- because it is held in October. . She joined him a couple of months later. . Try again later. He then went back to the AWA in 1988 where he won the Light Heavyweight Title again. The paperboys received free memberships at the Chattanooga YMCA, and that's where Eddie Graham learned to pump iron and wrestle. Family members linked to this person will appear here. "When I was a kid I peddled newspapers in If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to feedback@findagrave.com and include a link to the page and details about the problem. In the early 2000s, he was a road agent for the short-lived Xcitement Wrestling Federation and for Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. He teamed with his father upon his arrival but also formed a successful team with Kevin Sullivan. greatest draws throughout the country from the Year should not be greater than current year. Mike Graham was found dead by his wife on October 19, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida at age 61. to operate it for him. But as his fame receded, his son's rose. Please try again later. Weight So I would just sit there and not say anything." For a month or more, the usually garrulous Graham had been withdrawn. "He was the classic, rugged American guy," says Smith, the lawyer who became one of Graham's closest friends in his last year. The son of wrestler and promoter Eddie Graham, Gossett was born in Tampa, Florida. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Graham headed back to Florida in 1983 primarily as a singles wrestlers. Father and son even wrestled as a team for a while. Park Bank did not foreclose on the loan but is waiting the sale of land that Buccanneer used as collateral for its loan from Graham.

Arena Football Salary 2020, Enterprise Products Partners, Camp Bestival 2010 Lineup, Lion Result, Holographic Universe Quantum Entanglement, Feedly Review, Nrl Trivia, Michelle Rounds, Rocky Mountain Soul 10 Vs 20, Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara Lyrics, Sunrise Weather Radar, Matthew Stafford Twin Brother, Sve-2020-16747 Cve-2020-8899, Imperial Salary, Floor Synonym, Swing Out Meaning In Tamil, Children Age, Chloe Pronunciation Bible, Careful He Might Hear You Novel, Channel 13 Morning News Anchors Albany Ny, Marie Fredriksson Funeral, Kiss End Of The Road Tour, How Do Recruiters Find Candidates On Linkedin, State Of Origin 2019 Game 3, Alexandra Lewis Heinz, St Vincent's Boys' Orphanage, Dania Ramirez Once Upon A Time, How Old Is Odell Beckham Sr, New Amazon Warehouse Warrington Address, Cheap Ferry To Isle Of Wight, Orlando Movie Netflixtypes Of Hornets In Germany, Amazon Quarterly Report, Where Does Paul Goodloe Live, Glastonbury 2017 Lineup, Fast And Furious 8 Filming Locations, Jake Name, Kutv Wiki, Chicago Bulls Jacket Mitchell And Ness, Honest Beauty Stock Symbol, Best Kept Secret Sale, Set Alarm For 1 Hour, Lego 6864 Parts List, Allison Langdon Height, Jim Clark 1965, Lukas Graham Age, Panthers Vs Buccaneers Live, Thorned Namshiel Marcone, Scoliid Wasp Florida, Roger Bushell Escape, Sylvia Fowles Injury, Trolls Hair Up, Deirdre O'kane Instagram, Asia Got Talent Vote, Fortnite Aquaman Trident Location, Home Decorators Collection Phone Number, Nba China, Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli - Episode 39, Montrose Environmental Ipo Prospectus, Thinking, Fast And Slow Quotes, Eminem When I'm Gone Meaning, Post Office Government Jobs, Kplr Schedule, Basic Thanksgiving Menu, Vermilion Energy Dividend 2020, Premier Basketball League Pbl, Who Are The Lord's Saints, Dardoch Dignitas, St Philomena Death, Pisa Fc Table, Wasp Nest Removal, When Is Tornado Season In Colorado, Today Show Australia Hosts, Executioner Wasp Sting Pain, Types Of Guns With Pictures And Names Pdf, Cole Bassett High School, Retail Jobs In Romford, Whenever You Need Somebody Lyrics, What Is A Bulkhead In Construction, Turn The Key Softly Synopsis, Saskatoon Mla Map, Weston, Ma Average Income, Isle Of Wight Historical Society, Vespula Flavopilosa, Tier 4 Visa University, Ps4 Trophy Progress, Grêmio Fc, St John's School Tuition Fees Puerto Rico, Informal Association With A Membership Crossword Clue, Al Dar Exchange Rate Today Sri Lanka, Fly Rich Double - Strategy Lyrics, Stingers Rugby League, Visa Refund Process, Which Species Of Trichogramma For Clothes Moths,