WWE Hall of Famer nearly dies; Bret Hart has interesting comments for Triple H/Undertaker

Billy Graham

In case you haven’t heard, the world nearly lost another wrestling legend as WWE Hall of Famer and former WWWF Champion “Superstar” Billy Graham nearly lost his life last year when he was struck with double pneumonia. He recently spoke with radio show host Arda Ocal and stated the following when faced with a life-threatening illness:

I was just released from the world famous Mayo Clinic Hospital just 2 days ago actually last Thursday from the flu which turned into double pneumonia, which is fluid in each lung and then congestive heart failure. I feel very good, excellent really. I’m back painting. (Doctors) told me about another 10 more days before I can get back in the gym.

Graham has had several health scares over the years, with many of them being the result of years of steroid abuse early in his career. Graham nearly lost his life several years ago when he had liver failure and had to get on a long waiting list to receive a new liver. He was at the top of the list but still close to death when an unfortunate accident left a donor killed, and her liver was a match for “Superstar”.

In other Hall of Fame news, former 5-time WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart had some very interesting comments about current COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque, as well as his 3-time Wrestlemania opponent, The Undertaker. On Wrestle Talk TV Extra, Hart had the following things to say:

I have a certain amount of respect for Triple H. I remember when he first came in, I remember commenting on stuff that he did. Because I’d usually give wrestlers my thoughts and try to help them on stuff… Triple H has always been a good wrestler. But great? What is he now, a 1,000 time world champion? How great really is he?

When I look at him — he’s always had a good look as far as his body went — he always had a pretty muscular physique. But you look at someone like Hunter and you wonder, what has he really done. One move that he ever created that nobody ever saw before or some highspots or an idea for a match… He’s mostly a guy that just showed up and they made him. He’s always been a decent wrestler — I would consider him a good wrestler and pretty talented. But great? I don’t know, I don’t think so.

What has he ever done that’s great? He’s never had a great match, I don’t think ever. Whenever I look at Triple H’s matches, including the last one he had with Undertaker — and I don’t really mean it as a knock — but I told myself before I watched it because I’m trying to like Paul now these days, that I want to see him do something to make me think he’s got greatness in him.

Before Triple H wrestled Undertaker last year, I remember watching it and going, ‘I can picture the whole match in my head, I can tell you exactly what this match is going to be like and how it’s going to go. And I remember watching it and it went exactly how I predicted it… I thought it was mediocre at best, maybe a 4 out of 10, or 3 out of 10.

“I think Paul is a little overrated… overrated for being great. I can sit here and tell you that there was one match that he ever had with anybody that I thought was great. It’s kind of a shame, he should have a great match somewhere with somebody. And you’d think that he would have had it by now, but I don’t think he’s a great wrestler.