Early career (1967–1981) Davis started his career as "The Big O" in 1967 in Florida, Detroit, and Central States 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
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship. Their feud led to a bloody series of matches across the Florida territory. In the mid 1970's he wrestled as The Brute in Gene Kiniski's All Star Wrestling in British Columbia and held their version of the Canadian Heavyweight title. 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
NWA Florida Television Championship and
Don Muraco for the
NWA 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
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 1980s in CWA mostly as a member of
Jimmy Hart's heel
First Family stable. 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 and
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.
Championship Wrestling from 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 babyface to feud with
Oliver Humperdink and
Dory Funk Jr. and
Terry Funk. Florida would later on merge and be absorbed by
Jim Crockett Promotions and even with a brief teaming with
Jimmy Valiant he would not be held on to by The Crocketts and would be let go.
Later career (1987–1991, 2004–2005) 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. ==Personal life==