{{Short description|American professional wrestler (1949–2002)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox professional wrestler | name = Troy Graham | image =Troy Graham.JPG | birth_name = Troy Rolland Thompson Jr.<ref name="Lentz2003"/> | names = The Dream Machine<ref name="Lentz2003"/><br>Dr. Troy Graham<br>Randy Tyler<br>Troy Graham<ref name="Lentz2003"/><br>Troy T. Tyler | height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}} | weight = {{convert|233|lb|kg|abbr=on}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1949|10|26}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2002|03|07|1949|10|26}} | birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.<ref name="Lentz2003"/> | death_cause = Heart attack<ref name="Lentz2003"/> | billed = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.<ref name="Lentz2003"/> | debut = 1978 | retired = 1994 |}} '''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'''.<ref name="Lentz2003">{{cite book|author=Harris M. Lentz III|title=Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JyiSCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA92|date=1 January 2003|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-1754-4|pages=91–92}}</ref>

==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.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/cogK_eTJN8Q Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140105230827/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cogK_eTJN8Q Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cogK_eTJN8Q&index=35&list=PL3AAE006CB5F907C1| title = Bill Dundee, Dream Machine vs Kevin Sullivan, Wayne Farris - AWA Southern Tag Title Match (5-2-81) | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

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.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/tfMqDuT61QY Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200301050228/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfMqDuT61QY Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfMqDuT61QY| title = DREAM MACHINE RETURNS -1994 | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

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== *'''Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame''' **Class of 2022 *'''Continental Wrestling Association''' **AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (3 times)<ref name="Lentz2003"/> **AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Porkchop Cash (2 times) and Bill Dundee (2 times)<ref name="Lentz2003"/><ref name=SouthernTag>{{cite book | first1=Royal |last1=Duncan |first2=Gary |last2=Will | title=Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present |location=Waterloo, Ontario |orig-year=2000.|chapter= (Memphis, Nashville) Tennessee: Southern Tag Team Title [Roy Welsch & Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett from 1977] | pages= 185–189| publisher=Archeus Communications |year=2006 | isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref><ref name=SouthernTagWeb>{{cite web | url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/awa-s-t.html | title=Southern Tag Team Title | work=Wrestling-Titles | access-date=January 19, 2020}}</ref> *'''Southeastern Championship Wrestling''' **NWA Southeastern Television Championship (1 time) *'''United States Wrestling Association''' **USWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="Lentz2003"/> *'''World Wrestling Association''' **WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rick McGraw<ref name="Rickard2008">{{cite book|author=Mike Rickard|title=Wrestling's Greatest Moments|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDQQg4IBJPMC&pg=PT79|date=1 December 2008|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-331-3|pages=79}}</ref><ref name="Lentz2003"/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{professional wrestling profiles}} {{NWA Mid-America championship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Troy}} Category:1949 births Category:2002 deaths Category:American male professional wrestlers Category:First Family (professional wrestling) members Category:Graham family (professional wrestling) Category:Masked wrestlers Category:NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Champions Category:Professional wrestlers from Tennessee Category:Sportspeople from Memphis, Tennessee