In the 1960's, Graham competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) for a brief stint.
From 1976 to 1978, Graham was the President of WCW, thanks in part to Gordon Solie and Dusty Rhodes. Graham was absent as WCW President in 1977 and 1978 due to serious health problems he suffered from, and was forced to step down as a result.
Graham passed away on January 21, 1985.
For his contributions to professional wrestling, he was posthumously inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame class of 1993.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 29, 2008. He was inducted posthumously by Dusty Rhodes, while his son, Mike Graham, accepted the honor on behalf of his father.