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Pro wrestling great Superstar Billy Graham, saying he is nearing the end of his “run on this earth,” is billing his next public appearance as his final one.
“This is officially my last-ever personal appearance at a wresting event in Los Angeles, or anywhere,” Graham said in statement released by his agent. Graham is scheduled to appear at the WrestleReunion event in Los Angeles on Jan. 29-31.
Graham, whose chiseled physique and unique gift of gab made him one of the most colorful personalities in the sport during the ‘70s and ‘80s, has suffered a number of health ailments over the past 25 years. He was on his deathbed eight years ago when he received a liver transplant from a 26-year-old woman who had died in a car crash.
The selfless act saved his life at that time. But now Graham, 67, is suffering from third stage liver disease, and the prognosis is bleak.
A liver biopsy earlier this year showed a major degree of cirrhosis, and a new medication that could have attempted to put his hepatitis C into remission isn’t expected to be approved by the FDA until at least late next year.
Graham, whose real name is Wayne Coleman, was hospitalized on Nov. 26 after his feet, ankles and calves became extremely swollen due to the scarring of his liver, the swelling of his spleen and an infection in one of his toes.
Graham says he already has made arrangements for a cemetery plot in Phoenix, in close proximity to that of longtime friend and former WWE champion Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005 at the age of 38.
“I have chosen music and am selecting certain paintings of mine and photos that I will want displayed,” says Graham. “One of the ministers from my church, Joe Jackson, a dear friend, will be conducting the service. He is not the senior pastor but a traveling evangelist who played pro ball with the Jets and Vikings.”
Graham, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, added that he harbored no grudges or resentment.
“This liver gave me an excellent additional eight-year run.”
Graham, who served as the prototype for such performers as Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan, noted at the conclusion of his 2006 autobiography, “Tangled Ropes,” that he had landed on solid ground after a lifetime of squandered probabilities.
“My story shows the power of the human spirit to triumph and rise like the Phoenix bird, out of the ashes and above the obstacles of life. The towering peaks and the hellish troughs of my life are proof that whatever a man sows, he will also reap.”
“This is officially my last-ever personal appearance at a wresting event in Los Angeles, or anywhere,” Graham said in statement released by his agent. Graham is scheduled to appear at the WrestleReunion event in Los Angeles on Jan. 29-31.
Graham, whose chiseled physique and unique gift of gab made him one of the most colorful personalities in the sport during the ‘70s and ‘80s, has suffered a number of health ailments over the past 25 years. He was on his deathbed eight years ago when he received a liver transplant from a 26-year-old woman who had died in a car crash.
The selfless act saved his life at that time. But now Graham, 67, is suffering from third stage liver disease, and the prognosis is bleak.
A liver biopsy earlier this year showed a major degree of cirrhosis, and a new medication that could have attempted to put his hepatitis C into remission isn’t expected to be approved by the FDA until at least late next year.
Graham, whose real name is Wayne Coleman, was hospitalized on Nov. 26 after his feet, ankles and calves became extremely swollen due to the scarring of his liver, the swelling of his spleen and an infection in one of his toes.
Graham says he already has made arrangements for a cemetery plot in Phoenix, in close proximity to that of longtime friend and former WWE champion Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005 at the age of 38.
“I have chosen music and am selecting certain paintings of mine and photos that I will want displayed,” says Graham. “One of the ministers from my church, Joe Jackson, a dear friend, will be conducting the service. He is not the senior pastor but a traveling evangelist who played pro ball with the Jets and Vikings.”
Graham, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, added that he harbored no grudges or resentment.
“This liver gave me an excellent additional eight-year run.”
Graham, who served as the prototype for such performers as Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan, noted at the conclusion of his 2006 autobiography, “Tangled Ropes,” that he had landed on solid ground after a lifetime of squandered probabilities.
“My story shows the power of the human spirit to triumph and rise like the Phoenix bird, out of the ashes and above the obstacles of life. The towering peaks and the hellish troughs of my life are proof that whatever a man sows, he will also reap.”
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