DVD Review:
Derek Burgan Reviews 20 Years Too Soon: The Superstar Billy Graham Story.

I have to admit that when starting my Billy Graham DVD, I was a little surprised to see that the first thing that came on the screen was an ad for the Billy Graham DVD. Yes, the very same DVD I was already watching. You'd think someone in production would have caught that along the way.

When the Billy Graham main feature started, we were immediately thrown into one of Billy's darkest hours. Filmed in black and white, in December 2001, Billy was at death's door. "They tell me, if I don't get a new liver I will surely die." Soon, the narration by THE VOICE began. You know THE VOICE. He's the guy that talks over all the DVDs and most of the PPV intros. He's like the guy who you hear in commercials trying to sell the latest and greatest movies. "In a world he didn't create…", "In a time no one could forget…" You know, that guy. Anyway, THE VOICE talked about Superstar's twenty years of drug use, his "vengeful crusade," and asked if we would all get a chance to see Billy get a second chance.

It should be noted that, like seemingly all WWE DVDs, this one is top notch. There are a ton of photos from Billy's personal collection used throughout and whenever there is talk about a particular wrestler or wrestling match, we get to actually see what the person is talking about. The DVD went back to Billy's humble origins, where Superstar talked about growing up in a less-than-ideal family situation. Not learning to walk until he was two years old, young Billy found himself often being beat by his father for being such a slow learner. While in the fifth grade, one of Billy's brothers started working out at a local gym and asked Billy to come along. Billy was mesmerized by the bodybuilder's physiques and thought to himself, "That's what I want to be." The first exercise Billy wanted to do was squats and started to immediately unload a squat bar that had 250 pounds loaded onto it. Not understanding you can't take all the weight off of one side, Billy proceeded to do just that, causing the bar to flip over and crash through the gym's window.

Billy's brother enlisted into the service, leaving Billy without a gym to go to, so Billy just created his own weights through the use of cement blocks and lead pipes. We're talking old school baby! In high school, Billy was able to take advantage of the school's gym to train. Billy was also an incredible athlete in track and field, claiming to be groomed for the Olympics in discus and the shot put. Falling into the wrong crowd, Billy dropped out of high school and that was the end of that dream. Around this time Billy also had his first religious experience. He was driving his dad to work each day and kept passing a gigantic tent that had a sign proclaiming YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. This sign intrigued Billy and one night he walked over to the tent and was able to witness a man who "preached Hell, fire, and brimstone." That day Billy "had a legitimate, legitimate born again experience" and asked Jesus Christ to forgive his sins.

Billy then became a preacher himself and, to help convert a younger crowd to the church, would bend pipes and rip phone books in half while giving sermons. Now that's my kind of church! Ripping up phone books FOR CHRIST~! Billy wanted the kids to realize you could be a good Christian and have a nice physique as well. Billy was also being encouraged to get married so he wouldn't be tempted by the girls at church. Billy did end up marrying a 19 year old girl, but the two didn't love each other and soon got a divorce. By this point Billy was petrified he was going to Hell until an evangelist showed up at his church and claimed to have the "Word of Knowledge." This man scanned his eyes across the room, stopped on Billy, and said, "Young man, your marriage has been forgiven as it wasn't ordained by God!" "HALLELUJAH!" yelled Billy. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, Honky Tonk Man was muttering "Oh, brother…."

Billy then went from his hometown in Phoenix out to Santa Monica, California, where he fell into the Muscle Beach crowd. Billy trained at the original Gold's Gym and there were some unbelievable pictures of an extremely young Arnold Swartzeneggar while Billy was talking. Billy said that he was able to train with Arnold for a while and it really helped him out. No doubt! Billy trained for the NFL but, like Brock Lesnar, realized that was a lot tougher than it looked, and soon found himself playing up in the Canadian Football League. After being traded from Calgary to Montreal, Billy realized football wasn't the career for him but he knew that something was his true calling. Along came wrestling as a friend asked Billy, "How would you like to become a wrestler? It's a lot of fun and easy money."

And don't forget, like Verne Gagne said, "You have to workout for six hours a day, every day, otherwise it's a snap!"

Billy went back to Calgary and spent two weeks in Stu Hart's dungeon and Billy said the word "dungeon" as if the experience still haunted him. "This man (Stu Hart) proceeded to abuse me. Stu Hart maimed me. He showed no mercy on me. I didn't know how to wrestle, and he knew it." Hart gave Billy an arm wrestling gimmick and sent Superstar around the loop to destroy babyfaces in arm wrestling contests. The fans ate it up. Well, next time around the loop Billy would then have to wrestle the very same babyfaces and this time the fans shit on him because, "Stu Hart forgot to really show me the finer points of having a wrestling match."

Superstar Billy Graham

Easter Eggs: We have to thank Bert Duckwall for sending these in. These are both available by going to the Chapters portion of the main menu.

Growing up: Double Click left- Billy talks about accidentally stabbing a kid with a pick axe as a kid.

AWA: Double click Right- Billy and Ric Flair talk about Billy and his wife giving Ric his first bleach job to his hair. WHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Overall Thoughts: Another top notch release from the WWE DVD division. When you have just about all conceivable video footage, you can put together one hell of a documentary on a wrestler's life. Both Superstar and his wife Valerie shine in this DVD, Superstar for his off the chart promo ability and unique look, to his long-suffering wife finally seeing a real man emerge from underneath years of lies and bitterness. This DVD can be purchased by Clicking HERE!

Don't forget to check out Derek's weekly Wrestling Enjoyment Index or his latest Opinion Piece.

Special Thanks to Superstar historian Keith Lipinski and OVW Specialist Mike Roe for their help with this review.