[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/35308e2e4a4cdccfa5790e3aa7b26448_superstar_billy_graham_professional_wrestling.jpg]]

Eldrige Wayne Coleman (June 7, 1943 - May 17, 2023) was an American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er from Phoenix, UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}} who competed from 1970 to 1987 as '''"Superstar" Billy Graham.''' He debuted as '''Wayne Coleman''' in 1970 in the Stampede Wrestling promotion after training under Stu Hart. He would go on to compete for [[Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation the AWA]], Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, various Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, and, most famously, for Wrestling/{{WWE}}, then the WWWF. He is best known for introducing a heavily muscled appearance, from his [[UsefulNotes/{{Bodybuilding}} bodybuilding]] career, that had not previously existed in wrestling, colorful clothes and an over-the-top personality with rhyming promos. Unfortunately, the same steroids that helped give him his impressive physique ultimately wrecked his health, leading to his retirement in 1987. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE World Heavyweight Champion]], a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/cwa/tn-cwa-h.html CWA (Memphis) World Heavyweight Champion]], and a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-h.html NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion]]. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2004.

On May 17th, 2023, Wrestling/RicFlair announced on Twitter that Graham had passed away.

Not to be confused with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham the evangelist and occasional presidential adviser Billy Graham]].
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!! "These are the tropes of the hour, the tropes with the power, too sweet to be sour":
* ArchEnemy: Wrestling/BrunoSammartino, Wrestling/BobBacklund, Wrestling/DustyRhodes. In the case of Backlund, it didn't seem to be entirely {{Kayfabe}}, since, long into retirement, he called Backlund "boring."
%%* {{Biography}}: 2006's ''Tangled Ropes''
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.
%%* BadassesWearBandanas
%%* BaldOfEvil: Depending on his heel/face alignment at the time.
%%* CoolShades
* DentedIron: From the late 80's to his dying day, his body was a wreck. Graham is the earliest example of what [[DrugsAreBad doing drugs]][[note]]Let alone doing steroids.[[/note]] can do to a person.
* {{Expy}}: Wrestling/JesseVentura, Wrestling/HulkHogan and Wrestling/ScottSteiner all drew from him. After Scott's [=nWo=] heel turn in February 1998, he (Scott) dyed his hair white and first called himself "White Thunder" before changing to "Superstar", and then "Big Poppa Pump".
* FinishingMove: BearHug
* FluffyFashionFeathers: Would wear boas to the ring.
* HiddenDepths: He had artistic ability going back to his childhood but lacked the opportunity to study it due to coming from a poor background. In retirement, his paintings sold very well.
* HoaxHogan: An UrExample. Being the mentor and inspiration for Hulk Hogan, for those ones who don't know him before, he could be considered as a Hogan expy for them.
* TheMentor: Became one for a now-face Wrestling/DonMuraco in 1988.
* MusclesAreMeaningful: He had been a decorated bodybuilder and worked out with a then-obscure fellow who would go on to make a nice little career for himself in Hollywood. And in California politics. Who, you ask? Oh just this guy from Austria named... ''Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger.''
* PowerStable:
** (in Florida): [[Wrestling/SirOliverHumperdink The House of Humperdink]] and [[Wrestling/KevinSullivan The Army of Darkness]]
** (in Mid-Atlantic): [[Wrestling/PaulJones Paul Jones' Army]] (heel)
** Street People U.S.A., led by Jimmy Valiant (face)
* RedBaron: "Superstar"
* RealMenLoveJesus: Graham was a devout Christian, having taken the name of the famous preacher Billy Graham as his stage name, and spent his early career performing strong man feats to draw crowds to revival meetings.
* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: After losing the title in the late 70s, Graham took a hiatus from wrestling due to depression & drug issues, and rumor started to spread that he had died; it caught on enough that Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon reported on in in a magazine he was writing for at the time. So many people believed it that when he came back, having drastically changed his look & gimmick, many people didn't believe he was the real Billy Graham.
* RhymesOnADime: "The man of the hour/The man with the power/Too sweet to be sour"
** "I'm the ladies' pet and the men's regret"
* ShoutOut: Took his ring name in honor of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham the preacher]].
* TagTeam: The Golden Grahams, with his UnrelatedBrothers Dr. Jerry Graham, Wrestling/EddieGraham and "Crazy" Luke Graham.
* VocalDissonance: Despite being a towering mountain of muscle, Billy had a [[https://youtu.be/gKkZkyxChnA surprisingly high-pitched and nasal voice.]]