Bill Apter's relationship with "Superstar" Billy Graham goes back over twenty-five years, to the days long before the internet, pro wrestling radio shows, "dirtsheets" or hotlines, when the only outlet for wrestling news was through wrestling magazines....
Just like today, there were many magazines to choose from when wrestling fans went to their local newsstand. However, it was a given that the hottest, best-selling titles of the day (such as The Wrestler, Inside Wrestling and Sports Review Wrestling) invariably had Bill Apter on the staff. During a very "closed" era of the business, Bill's "What's Happening..." columns were a vital source of information for the wrestling fan who wanted to know what was taking place in other parts of the country. Furthermore, as a result of the magazines' wide distribution, Apter's columns and ghost-written stories served to get wrestlers over in places where they'd never even wrestled.
"Superstar" Billy Graham was a prime example of this, a man whose notoriety and fame was increased greatly in regions of the country where he never wrestled...in large part through the publications that eventually became known as "Apter mags." On the flipside, the magazines owned by London Publishing benefited substantially from the consistently high sales of the many issues that featured Apter-taken photos of Graham on the cover. Meanwhile, during the course of working together so frequently and for so long, Apter and Graham's relationship went from a mutually beneficial business association to a legitimate friendship, one that has lasted for decades.
Recently, www.superstarbillygraham.com's
Steve Slagle visited the W.O.W. headquarters, and spoke one on one with
the popular magazine's editor-in-chief. A man who truly has a million
different stories about a million different wrestlers, you'll hear Apter
as he recalls some of his good times with The Superstar and the Wizard,
and how the legendary Graham played such a big part in the success of Apter's
magazines back in the seventies. Plus, you'll find out Bill's thoughts
on the internet, the future of wrestling magazines, and much more!
To view exclusive photos of Bill Apter, Steve Slagle and the W.O.W. staff taken during Steve's recent trip to the W.O.W. offices, click here!