Troy Graham

Troy Rolland Thompson Jr. (October 26, 1949 – March 7, 2002) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Troy Graham and The Dream Machine.[1]

Troy Graham
Birth nameTroy Rolland Thompson Jr.[1]
Born(1949-10-26)October 26, 1949
Memphis, Tennessee, United States[1]
DiedMarch 7, 2002(2002-03-07) (aged 52)
Cause of deathHeart attack[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Dream Machine[1]
Dr. Troy Graham
Randy Tyler
Troy Graham[1]
Troy T. Tyler
Billed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Billed weight233 lb (106 kg)
Trained byMemphis, Tennessee, United States[1]
DebutSeptember 1976
Retired1994

Professional wrestling career

Thompson was discovered by Jimmy Hart and first came into wrestling as Troy 'The Hippie' Graham. During his initial career, he fulfilled the role of a heel.

Wrestling as the masked Dream Machine, Thompson captured the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship in 1981 after defeating Steve Keirn in the final bout of a one-night tournament. Promoter Eddie Marlin awarded the belt to Dream Machine and his manager Jimmy Hart during an episode of Championship Wrestling that aired soon after the tournament. Also in 1981, Thompson held the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship title while teamed with "Superstar" Bill Dundee. They were defeated by Kevin Sullivan and Wayne Farris during a televised match on May 2, 1981.[2]

From 1982 to 1983, Thompson teamed with Porkchop Cash as The Bruise Brothers, as part of Hart's First Family stable. They defeated Dutch Mantell and Koko B. Ware for their first AWA Southern Tag Team Championship titles. They also went on to compete against the Rock and Roll Express, exchanging the Southern Tag Team Titles with them.

As the Dream Machine, Thompson (sans mask) was one-half of the tag team known as "The New York Dolls". The Dolls had a longstanding feud with the Fabulous Ones, Steve Keirn and Stan Lane.

In 1984 Troy Graham was replaced in the Bruise Brothers and left the Memphis territory.

Graham reappeared in the Memphis territory, in a wheelchair, as the manager of the Interns. The Interns feuded with the Dirty White Boys and Rock n Roll RPMs. The Interns won the Southern tag titles early in 1985.

In 1994, Graham returned to the Memphis territory, where he won a battle royal by eliminating Brian Christopher. This earned him a shot at the Unified World Heavyweight Championship held by Jerry Lawler.[3]

Troy Graham died on March 7, 2002, of a heart attack, leaving behind a seven-year-old daughter Charlie Sue, his mother and great grandmother.

Championships and accomplishments

References
  1. Harris M. Lentz III (1 January 2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed. McFarland. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-0-7864-1754-4.
  2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Bill Dundee, Dream Machine vs Kevin Sullivan, Wayne Farris - AWA Southern Tag Title Match (5-2-81). YouTube.
  3. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: DREAM MACHINE RETURNS -1994. YouTube.
  4. Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006) [2000.]. "(Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Waterloo, Ontario: Archeus Communications. pp. 185–189. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  6. Mike Rickard (1 December 2008). Wrestling's Greatest Moments. ECW Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-1-55490-331-3.
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