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=== Return to WWWF (1977–1978) ===
[[File:Bruno Sammartino vs. Billy Graham (1).jpg|thumb|200px|A bloody battle between Graham (left) and [[Bruno Sammartino]] (right), circa 1978]]
Graham returned to the WWWF in April 1977 after an agreement with promoter [[Vincent J. McMahon]]
During his reign, he wrestled across America and in Japan (February 1978), facing challengers such as former champion Bruno Sammartino, [[Jack Brisco]], [[Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)|Dusty Rhodes]], [[Pedro Morales]], [[Don Muraco]], [[Mil Mascaras]], [[Strong Kobayashi]], Carlos Rocha and [[Riki Choshu]].<ref name=OWOW/> He would also resume his feud with [[Ivan Putski]]. On 25 January 1978 in [[Miami]], [[Florida]] at the [[Miami Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] football stadium, Graham wrestled against then-[[NWA World Heavyweight Championship|NWA World Heavyweight Champion]] [[Harley Race]] in a WWWF World Heavyweight Championship vs. NWA World Heavyweight Championship unification match which ended in a one-hour time-limit draw.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/78.htm |title=1978 |website=thehistoryofwwe.com|date=16 January 2023 }}</ref><ref name=OWOW/><ref name=heels/> Although a defeat by [[Bob Backlund]], who was to embody the virtuous "all-American" wrestler, had been written into Graham's current contract with the WWWF, Graham suggested another outcome to McMahon: that [[Ivan Koloff]] should turn on him, thus starting a feud that would make Graham a [[Face (professional wrestling)|fan favorite]]. McMahon refused because of the handshake deal to make Backlund the new fan favorite champion and he did not want to go back on his word. It was also unheard of for a counter-cultural character like Graham to be a fan favorite, because McMahon and many old promoters saw Graham as a confirmed heel and therefore a negative role model. Graham eventually lost the title to Backlund on February 20, 1978.<ref name=OWOW/>
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