Bugsy McGraw


Michael Davis, best known as Bugsy McGraw, is a retired American professional wrestler. He also wrestled under the name The Skull. He is not to be confused with the other wrestler named Mike Davis. McGraw is known for his long beard and for his philosophical, crazed rants during wrestling interviews. He was a major star in significant territories during the 1970s and 1980s, including major runs in Vancouver, Australia, Florida, Dallas and Memphis.

Professional wrestling career

Career in the 1960s and 1970s

Davis started his career as The Big "O" in 1967 in Florida, Detroit, and Central Areas Wrestling, wrestling under a mask. In 1971, he competed in Florida as Beautiful Brutus, first managed by The Great Malenko, who he would go on to feud with after firing Malenko as his manager.
"Beautiful Brutus" went on to defeat Malenko for the Brass Knuckles title in the Florida territory. Their feud led to a bloody series of matches across the Florida territory.
Under the name Bugsy McGraw, he wrestled all over the world, including a brief stay in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. But his reputation was primarily built in Florida, where career highlights included beating Dusty Rhodes for the Florida TV title and Don Muraco for the Florida Heavyweight Championship in 1980. McGraw also feuded with major Florida stars Barry Windham, Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk.

Texas (1981–1982)

In late 1981, McGraw moved to Texas and World Class Championship Wrestling became a huge star there, first as a babyface feuding with The Great Kabuki and defeating him for the NWA American Heavyweight Championship. He also competed as a heel, feuding with Bruiser Brody, Kerry Von Erich, and Kevin Von Erich. He also wrestled in a Body Slam Battle Royal, losing to André the Giant at Texas Stadium in 1982. McGraw wrestled in Memphis in the early '80's in CWA mostly as a member of Jimmy Hart's heel First Family.
For part of his run as a heel, he was part of the heel stable of wrestlers managed by the managerial team of H&H Armand Hussein & Gary Hart. McGraw made a face turn once again after both of his H&H managers turned on him, later defeating them in a handicap match at Wrestling Star Wars in August 1982.

Jim Crockett Promotions (1983)

After leaving Texas, McGraw would go to several territories, finally settling in Jim Crockett Promotions in North Carolina. He feuded with The Assassins, teaming mostly with Rufus R. Jones. McGraw and Jones won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship and wrestled in the first Starrcade event, losing to The Assassins.

Return to Florida (1985–1987)

McGraw returned to the promotion he had the longest and most prominent run in, Championship Wrestling from Florida, and would start off in a big angle with The Fabulous Freebirds turning heel right away and jumping Mike Graham only to have him make the save and get the feud rolling often teaming with Mike Graham and Brian Blair and later Wahoo McDaniel. The Freebirds would eventually leave Florida and along with Blackjack Mulligan would feud with Percy Pringle, team of The Missing Link, The Assassin, and Abdullah the Butcher. He would have one more feud with Rip Rogers that would have Rip Rogers valet giving him a bottle with something in it to blind McGraw in early 1986. He would not be seen for over a year and would return in 1987 once again with Blackjack Mulligan feuding with Kevin Sullivan only to have Sullivan become a baby face to feud with Oliver Humperdink and Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk. Florida would later on merge and be absorbed by JCP and even with a brief teaming with Jimmy Valiant he would not be held on to by The Crocketts and would be let go.

End of career

He would show up for several Independent Promotions and would even join the reformed Florida Championship Wrestling as a heel and feud with old partner Blackjack Mulligan. He would retire from active competition in 1991. He would return to the ring a few times. On October 30, 2004 U of Virginia Children’s Medical Center Benefit Show Bugsy McGraw beat Masked Superstar. And January 29, 2005 at WrestleReunion participated in a Legends Battle Royal that was won by Greg Valentine.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2009)

On the June 18, 2009, edition of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Impact! television show Davis appeared as the new head of security hired by Mick Foley.

Autobiography

On March 26, 2019, the release of Bugsy McGraw's autobiography was announced through a partnership between WOHW Publishing and the Darkstream Press imprint. The book was coauthored by Ian Douglass, the writer of Dan Severn's autobiography and a contributing writer of Hornswoggle's autobiography. It also included a foreword by Rocky Johnson and an afterword from Brian Blair. Davis insisted on using the two-G spelling of his wrestling name on the cover of the book, which he said he always tried to use in place of the one-G spelling for the sake of "being different."
The book finished sixth in the voting for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Best Pro Wrestling Book of 2019. In the process, it received the highest number of votes of any independently published pro wrestling autobiography released during that year.

Personal life

After retiring from full-time wrestling, Davis enrolled in nursing school in 1988 and subsequently worked as a registered nurse for more than 20 years before retiring from nursing in 2014. While working as a nurse, he assisted with the care of Jack Brisco during the former world champion's health difficulties following open-heart surgery.

Championships and accomplishments