5 Wrestlers who fought wild animals

#2 Legendary WWE wrestler Billy Graham wrestled Terrible Ted

Billy Graham was an incredibly popular wrestler in the 1970s, and his character inspired the likes of Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura years later. He is a former WWE Champion, and defeated fellow wrestler Bruno Sammartino for the coveted belt, which he held for just over nine months.

While he was in the San Fransisco territory, Billy Graham was asked to wrestle a bear. As per his autobiography, Graham found the idea of wrestling a bear ridiculous and stated that it killed his heat as a villain. The pro-wrestling legend didn't mince his words while opening up about his experience wrestling a bear.

"I can still feel the beast's coarse, wiry fur, smell its foul breath, and hear it snorting through its muzzle as it looked me dead in the eyes. Ted wasn't a happy bear, and I wasn't a happy wrestler," said Graham.

Billy Graham was recognized for his contributions to pro-wrestling in 2004, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that year. Graham has been openly critical of WWE's product since then.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Alan John