CHAVO GUERRERO Sr.

　　MAGAZINE　ARTICLES　8　　

WHO DID THIS TO SUPERSTAR GRAHAM ?

( from 1978 Summer issue of VSS "Wrestling" magazine )

Superstar Billy Graham thought he would have an easy time when he battled Chavo Guerrero.

But the young wrestler surprised his opponent and in the process gained new glory for himself !

　Let no man ever again doubt the abilities of Chavo Guerrero.　After he so convincingly defeated Superstar

　Billy Graham, no man can underrate him.　He has proven his talents.

　Chavo Guerero is a young man with a vision : he wants to be the NWA champion.　It has been his goal since

　he made his debut as a professional wrestler a few years ago.　At times, he has been obsessed with the notion.

　At times, his dreams have interfered with his success.

　In hindsight, it is clear that Chavo allowed himself to be rushed.　He should have taken more time.　He entered

　title competition too early, and he paid dearly for this major blunder.　In battles against Terry Funk, and later

　Harley Race,　Chavo's inexperience led him into making too many significant errors.　At the time, no one said

　he was untalented, just inexperienced.　Experts　said there would come a day when Guerrero would be feared

　by wrestlers throughout the sport.　That time has come.

　It seemed like it would be an easy challenge for Superstar Billy Graham.　He has faced young wrestlers before.

　He has destroyed young wrestlers before.　They usually cannot stand up to him.　This wily veteran figured

　Chavo would be no exception.　He was wrong.　Chavo prepared very carefully for this match against Graham.

　Indeed, he treated this battle as if there was a championship at stake.　For even though Superstar Graham

　no longer held a belt, he was still an important opponent.

　This battle proved to be the most important one Chavo has had in a long time.　For the past year, his career

　seemed to have eclipsed.　It was as if he was falling from the top as rapidly as he had risen.　No one could

　explain why this seemed so, but it could not be denied.　Even the cartel of Mexican millionaires which backs

　Guerrero was beginning to worry.　Thay feared their hopes of winning a world wrestling championship for

　Mexico would never be realized.　

　Of course, self-doubt plagued Chavo himself.　For a time, he feared he had somehow lost the talent, drive,

　and hunger he once had for the title.　He was living comfortably, but he was going nowhere.

　It was one single event - one over which he had no control - that changed everything.　Bob Backlund won

　the WWWF belt from Superstar Billy Graham.　This was significant to Chavo.　Like everyone else in the

　wrestling community, Guerrero has watched the rapid rise of Backlund.　He feared Bob might end up facing

　a fate similar to his - a quick climb to near the top, then a sudden and dramatic decline.　But when Bucklund

　succeeded in winning the title, Guerrero found himself confronting a completely different emotion - envy.

　After all, a relative unknown had just taken a major title.　Why had it been Backlund and not Chavo ?

　Their styles and methods were comparable.　This quirk of fate prodded Guerrero into action.　He demanded

　from the promoters that they match him against high calibre opponents.　When Superstar Graham made it

　known he was available, the California promoters invited him to wrestle Chavo.　Graham quickly accepted,

　thinking he would have no trouble dealing with the young man.

　To understand what happened during this match, it is necessary to understand a bit about both men.

　Superstar Graham has been wrestling for several years now.　He is used to relying on his greatstrength to

　win his matches.　When his power fails him - as it sometimes does against scientifiic, innovative wrestlers -

　Billy will resort to brawling as a means of winning.　To him, this is the most effective way of wrestling.　He is,

　after all, the ex-champion of the WWWF.　That counts for something.　Chavo Guerrero takes a radically

　different approach to the sport.　He is strictly scientific.　He enjoys innovation.　he revels in using complex

　maneuvers which stretch his talents.　Of course, if forced he will brawl, but only on rare occasions.

　In many ways, this match was just like the match Graham had against Bob Bucklund.　It pitted Billy's older,

　brawling tactics against a young man's scientific, innovative methods.　But no one was prepared for this kind

　of result.　The match started as many expected it would.　Using a method which had been effective before,

　Superstar Graham applied a crushing series of bearhugs to his young opponent.　The purpose of this was to

　weaken Chavo early in the match.　It had worked on other young men.　It did not work on Guerrero.　Chavo

　proved too slippery for Graham.　He kept slipping from Billy's clutches.　This frustrated Graham.　This was

　not supposed to happen.　Still, for the first few minutes, it appeared Graham had control.　It quickly became

　Chavo's turn.　A very effective backdrop stunned Graham.　He hadn't expected it.　This was followed up by

　a series of holds which caught Billy off-ground.　Superstar Graham was being overwhelmed by Chavo

　Guerrero.　A small cut opened on Graham's forehead.　This was further aggravated when Chavo hurled Billy

　to the other side of the ring.　Graham's face landed on the ropes and the cut opened even wider.　It was a

　ghastly sight.　Superstar Graham was weakening quickly.　Chavo was winning, but he took little pleasure in

　the way this victory was coming about.　He asked the referee to stop the match.　Graham was too seriously

　injured to continue.　The official agreed.　Twenty seven minutes into the battle, the action was halted ;

　Graham had lost too much blood to go on.　The ex-champion was furious.　He wanted to continue.　But his

　protests went unheeded.　And he did require assistance getting back to his dressing room.

　The ovation for Guerrero was tremendous.　Every fan in the arena cheered his victory.　But the way in which

　he had won disturbed Chavo.　"I will give Superstar Graham a rematch if he wants one," said Guerrero later

　in the dressing room.　

　At nine o'clock the next morning, Chavo's promoters started receiving calls from many parts of the country,

　asking if Guerrero was available to wrestle many of the top men in the sport.　The news of his victory had

　traveled quickly.　Guerrero was suddenly in demand again.

　Let no man ever again doubt the abilities of Chavo Guerrero.　After he so convincingly defeated Superstar

　Billy Graham, no man can underrate him.　He has proven his talents.　Again, Chavo's goal is within his grasp.

　Look out, Harley Race, here comes Chavo Guerrero.