"Superstar" Billy Graham upset the World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight champion Bruno Sammartino for the title on April 30, 1977 in Baltimore, MD. and was subsequently defeated for the WWWF championship by Bob Backlund on February 20, 1978 on New York City.  For the ten and a half months he held the WWWF strap, Graham's character often seemed obsessed with his golden treasure.  He wore it for as long as possible before the start of his matches, demanded that it be handed to him immediately after each victory, and during his interviews, The Superstar would hold his prized possesion as if it was a recently excavated lost treasure.  After the loss to Backlund, Graham seemed even more obsessed with his championship belt, and tried every method at his disposal to regain it.  Of course, his efforts were in vain.

Flash forward to 1982, four years since Graham had held the title, and more than three years since he'd even wrestled in the WW(W)F.  During a televised bout between WWF Heavyweight champion Bob Backlund and rugged veteran Swede Hansen, "Superstar" Graham made his way to ringside as a stunned Backlund watched on from the ring.  As Backlund tried to make short work of the brawny Hansen, Graham picked up the WWF title belt (the same one pictured above) and made his way over to announcer Vince McMahon, Jr.  With McMahon exclaiming "What the hell are you doing?!?" Graham proclaimed that Backlund was a disgraceful, undeserving, incompetent champion.  Then, as the victorious Backlund tried to confront Graham, The Superstar slammed the object of his obesseion hard into the back of the champion's head, knocking him unconscious.  Proclaiming that "If I can't have this belt...no one can!" Graham then proceded to literally rip the gold plates off the belt, and tear the leather strap in half.  Throwing the remains of the WWF belt onto the floor, Graham spat at Backlund and then stormed out of the arena as the shocked audience fell silent.  Backlund awoke soon thereafter (convenient, eh?) and discovered his title belt, torn to pieces.  Emotionally devastated by the attack on both himself and his championship belt, Backlund began to weep while holding what was left of the WWF strap.  As the sobbing Backlund repeatedly shouted "WHY??? WHY???" at no one in particular, his sadness turned to rage, and he nearly attacked both McMahon and his longtime manager, Arnold Skoaland.  Just as he would "snap" a dozen years later against Bret Hart, the normally happy-go-lucky Backlund seemed to have an emotional breakdown right before the camera.  In a fit of anger, shock, and temporary insanity, he pushed McMahon down, nearly backhanded Skoaland, and stormed back to the dressing room, intent on destroying Graham once he found him.

Now that's how you get rid of the old title belt when you're ready to introduce a new one...