Mike Graham obit

Family member: Son of ex-wrestler Mike Graham killed himself in Tampa -- not Daytona

 He was not on the list.

DAYTONA BEACH -- The facts are clear: 61-year-old retired pro wrestler Mike Graham of Tampa Bay, whose real name was Edward Michel Gosssett, shot himself to death by aiming a revolver at his own forehead and pulling the trigger on Oct. 18, while visiting here in Daytona for Biketoberfest with his wife.

His wrestling-promoter father, Eddie Graham, killed himself the same violent way back in 1985. And Mike Graham's 37-year-old son also died the same violent way nearly two years ago, but not at the same event, despite what Graham's wife, Diane Marie Hamilton, told Daytona cops as describd in a police report, Headline Surfer has learned.

The son couldn't have killed himself at Biketonberfest -- the four-day rally that draws tens of thousands of bikers to greater Daytona Beach -- because it is held in October. The ex-wrestler's son, Steve Gossett, died Dec. 14, 2010, in Tampa.

The facts were confirmed by a family member who wrote to Headline Surfer by e-mail and asked not to be identified.

"I found him at his home in Tampa and he, too, took his life with a gun," the family member said of Mike Graham's son.

"I found him at his home in Tampa and he, too, took his life with a gun," the family member said of Mike Graham's son.

Where and when Mike Graham's son died is contrary to what his wife told Daytona Beach cops after she had walked outside of the beachside residence they were stayingh at and heard the gunshot. When she ran back inside, she found the retired wrestler dead on a bed, face up with a bullet wound to his forehead with his revolver immediately to his left on a pillow.

According to the report, "(Hamilton) stated (Graham) had threatened to commit suicide frequently ever since (his) committed suicide 2 year's prior during Biketoberfest."

The family member who reached out to Headline Surfer said Graham "obviously had a difficult time after Steven's passing but was doing really well these last several months."

The blood relative added, Graham's death "comes as a shock to me because we were emailing back and forth the day before he went to Daytona. "He was in a motorcycle accident coming back from Biketoberfest 2 years ago and he promised me he would be more careful this time. That's the last communication I had with him..."

The blood relative added, Graham's death "comes as a shock to me because we were emailing back and forth the day before he went to Daytona. "He was in a motorcycle accident coming back from Biketoberfest 2 years ago and he promised me he would be more careful this time. That's the last communication I had with him..."

The family member said Graham, 61, and his wife, 11 years younger, were married for eight years. Graham's widow could not be reached for comment.

Investigative series: Mike Graham's suicide in Daytona endemic of real-world tragedy in pro wrestling

Editor's Note: Frederick. who specializes in legal affairs investigative reporting, also is a fan of professional wrestling and has followed it from the age of 5. He's interviewed the likes of Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, George "the Animal" Steele, Diamond Dallas Page and many others. He's working on a book, "Wrestling Rewind," that will be published early next year.

Mike Graham was a Florida high school wrestling district champion his senior year in 1969 for Thomas Richard Robinson High School in Tampa, Florida. He became a three-time state AAU champion and a Junior Olympics champion at 198 pounds. Graham was a state champion in the 154-pound weight class and, as a sophomore, defeated senior Richard Blood (later to become Ricky Steamboat) in the finals of a district meet. He left the University of Tampa to turn professional against the wishes of his mother Lucy. Mike was also an accomplished powerlifter who set state records in the bench press.

Graham retired as an in-ring competitor in 1992. He became a road agent for World Championship Wrestling. Along with the likes of Paul Orndorff, Pez Whatley and DeWayne Bruce, Graham also worked as a trainer in WCW as part of the WCW Power Plant. At Slamboree 1993, Mike represented his deceased father when he was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame. He was reportedly responsible for causing Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn to leave the company for the WWF, granting their releases. In the early 2000s, Graham was a road agent for the short-lived Xcitement Wrestling Federation and for Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. Graham defeated his arch rival Kevin Sullivan at WrestleReunion 3 on September 10, 2005. He made occasional appearances for the revived Florida Championship Wrestling. Mike Graham worked with World Wrestling Entertainment in early 2006, on a DVD about Dusty Rhodes, which was released on June 6, 2006. He made several appearances on WWE 24/7's Legends of Wrestling series as part of a panel which discussed famous pro wrestlers of the 1980s. He also hosted classic episodes of Championship Wrestling from Florida on WWE 24/7 Classics.