Then Vince McMahon came calling. That summer Valentine would wrestle three times on a July house show tour, facing Bob Backlund on each occasion.[15]. Making the most of their last title shot, the Bulldogs defeated Valentine and Beefcake in front of a capacity Rosemont Horizon crowd. After a lengthy hospital stay, Valentine passed away last night in a hospital just outside his home in River Oaks, TX. With his golden locks and trademark shin pad wrapped around his boot, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine made an impact in WWE rings for more than a decade. Im going to lead the match, and I just dont work that way.". However, later the duo separated after they lost their title in 1978. Bobby Mathews is a contributor for Pro Wrestling Stories as well as a veteran journalist whose byline has appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Birmingham News, The Denver Post, as well as other newspapers around the country. In a match that saw Davey Boy Smith defeat Dino Bravo, Valentine was again accidentally hit by Jimmy Hart's megaphone. They held the titles until May 8, 1977, when the Andersons defeated them in a steel cage match in the old Charlotte Coliseum. Santana initially thought he had the match won, but had in fact only achieved a two-count. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Greg Valentine Net Worth:The Hammer, Bio, Age, and Wrestling Career The WWE Hall of Famer, whose real name is Jonathan Anthony Wisniski, is at an age where he's almost a senior citizen. Date of Birth. And all the while, Valentine was learning. However, in 1985 Greg initiated the Dream Team, along with Brutus Beefcake and was managed by Luscious Johnny V. Eventually, the team defeated the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo) to claim the WWF Tag Team Championship. Since as far back as 1995, Greg has been married to Julie Wisniski. Johnny Valentine passes away | Slam Wrestling "I had my sights set on other things," said Valentine. ECPW - Event @ Franklin Elementary School in Franklin, New Jersey, USA. Valentine wrestled four times for the promotion in 1998 and was 31. Greg Valentine's Life Path Number is 9 as per numerology. This time Valentine attacked Jimmy Hart and turned face. Santana eventually healed and fought Valentine in many matches. We have estimated Im the heel, and Im the veteran. In late 2007, Valentine made an appearance in JCW or Juggalo Championship Wrestling reforming the Dream Team with Brutus Beefcake. Garvin then became a ring announcer, and began aggravating Valentine. Sadly, Vanessa later developed cancer and eventually died in 2015. Valentine would hold the United States Championship twice more, renewing his feud with Wahoo in 1982 and defeating him for the title on November 4 with the assistance of his manager, Sir Oliver Humperdink. Valentine went on to tour the independent circuit, wrestling in Japan, with the Hamilton based International Championship Wrestling promotion and with the American Wrestling Federation. Greg Valentine had two daughters, Vanessa and Romaine, from his first wife. 7 Unknown Facts About The Boxer. Sign up for Peacock to watch. View the profiles of people named Grg Valentine. On the October 19, 1992 taping of WCW Saturday Night he arrived to learn that he was to lose Sting on that night's taping. He made his debut on February 4, 1992 at a house show in Norfolk, Virginia. Bianca Carelli: 10 Fascinating Facts About Santino Marellas Daughter Who Is A Wrestler, Gunner Vincent Calaway Is The Undertakers Son 10 Unknown Facts, Dan Cena Is John Cenas Brother Also A Wrestler? Valentine wanted to wrestle. Progressively, Greg also featured in the 1993 Survivor Series; he actually came disguised as The Blue Knight, and on 1st July 1996 he also returned to the WCW where he faced Randy Savage in the WCW Monday Nitro, while he made many appearances in the WCW. The Hammer still spends a lot of time on the road as well, hosting seminars and getting in the ring with the stars of tomorrow at WWE's developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. He dropped the title to Dick Slater on December 14, just before leaving them for the World Wrestling Federation. Born in Seattle, Washington, Wisniski traveled around Texas in his teens with his father; Johnny Valentine. In 1976 he arrived in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and formed a successful tag team with Nature Boy Ric Flair. By now, Valentine was ready for his first marquee singles feud, taking on Wahoo McDaniel and, in a memorable angle, "breaking" Wahoos leg. However, before then, Greg had two daughters whose names are Vanessa and Romaine with his first wife. Honkytonk Man leaving the WWF cancelled the planned feud with Valentine. He continued to wrestle face opponents in his first month back. "I was pretty snug," Valentine said. Flair then set his sights on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, while Valentine held the NWA World Tag Team Championships once more with Baron von Raschke in 1978. Born Jonathan Anthony Wisniski, Jr., the younger Valentine didnt immediately capitalize on his fathers name. Valentine returned to the NWA in late 1979 and asked Flair to reform their tag team. Vanessa began training with the Hart Brothers in the late 1990s. Valentine started out as "Babyface Nelson" before getting an early opportunity to work as one of the Fabulous Fargo brothers, teaming with Don Fargo from 1971-74. But his stiff style had earned him the respect of fans and other wrestlers, and the clubbing elbow drop from Valentine was dubbed "the Hammer" for how hard he seemed to be hitting people. He eventually challenged WWWF champion Bob Backlund in Madison Square Garden, going to a one-hour draw. That summer Valentine would wrestle three times on a July house show tour, facing Bob Backlund on each occasion. Two weeks after WrestleMania V (where he teamed with the Jimmy Hart managed Honky Tonk Man in a loss to the now babyface Hart Foundation), he defeated Garvin in a retirement match on Superstars of Wrestling by reversing a small package and holding on to the ropes. He is 63-years-old (born on September 20, 1951, in Seattle, Washington) . However his stay in the UWF was technically only for that TV taping; as with Andre the Giant, Vince McMahon responded to Abram's announcement by luring Greg Valentine back to the WWF. 28.07.2019. Famously during the time of Rhythm and Blues, WWF announcer Gorilla Monsoon would proclaim every time Valentine got on the microphone and sang (while also attempting to play a guitar) that "if you hung The Hammer for being a good singer you would hang an innocent person". In a tag match against Jimmy Snuka and the Iron Sheik, Valentine abandoned Flair, leaving him outnumbered. Valentine would also (illegally) attach the shin guard to his arm in order to accentuate his elbow drops. While Santana got the victory to reclaim the title, Valentine retrieved the championship and destroyed the belt, beating it repeatedly against the cage and tearing the gold away from the leather. Managed by The Grand Wizard, he was given the gimmick of a methodical wrestler who broke the legs of all his opponents, including Chief Jay Strongbow. Hammer currently lives with his wife Julie. Who Is Desmond Banes Father, Etieno Ekiko? His brother Spencer also wrestled as "Scott Valentine". On March 13, 2004, Valentine was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004 by his former manager Jimmy Hart. Everyone has been so nice to me, and it's really been a great compliment. During a summer vacation, he decided to drop out of college and become a wrestler. On September 24, 1984 in London, Ontario Valentine defeated Tito Santana for the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, focusing on Santana's injured knee throughout the match. In the course of his career, which has spanned over four decades, Valentine has held more than 40 championships, including the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, NWA World tag team title, and WWF World Tag Team Championship. On January 29, 2011, Valentine was inducted into the Legends Pro Wrestling "Hall of Fame" by Jack Blaze in Wheeling, West Virginia, at their annual "LPW Over The Edge" event. Shortly thereafter, the WWE awarded Santana a new belt, the iconic Intercontinental design still in use by the WWE today. Johnny Valentine - Wikipedia This time Valentine attacked Jimmy Hart and turned face. In July, he became involved in an angle with Dusty Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes where he confronted the father/son duo on WCW Worldwide. Valentine was not successful in winning this title either, and in mid-1982 left the promotion. In the decades that would follow, The Hammer won numerous championships, competing with the best in the business along the way. Wahoo had cost Valentine and Flair their first tag team championships (Wahoo, the then-nemesis of Flair, had been the special referee in the steel cage match), so Valentine was eager for revenge. In May 2007, Valentine defeated Quinson Valentino to win the Canadian Grand-Prix Wrestling Championship in Morrisburg, Ontario. Valentine began working on a casual basis for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), then owned by Vincent J. McMahon, in November 1978. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. In April 1989 he began feuding with "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. in an 8 team elimination match for the then vacant JCW Tag-Team Titles. "Of course, I was always better than him at two things, the Figure Four, and falling on my face. 'Succession' Season 4, Episode 6 Recap: 'Living+' Read Also:Sara Del Rey Biography, Age, Married, Wrestler, WWE, Salary, Net Worth. The classic match between the two was a Dog Collar Match that happened at . Where Is Ezekiel Jackson Now And Who Is His Wife Jenn Stephens? Check out 100 hot photos of Stephanie McMahon 2023 Pro Wrestling Pix. He lasted forty four minutes. Gary Valentine - IMDb Valentine went back to the WWF in 1984, predicting that Vince McMahon's plan for national expansion would succeed. "When I got back to Seattle, I called my dad," recalled the Valentine. Four days after their victory, the promoter, David Crockett told Valentine and Stevens that he possessed film which proved that the illegal man had been pinned in the tag match, nullifying the win. Valentine agreed to a deal, and less than a month after Starrcade, Valentine dropped the U.S. title to Dick Slater and left for New York. When Crockett threatened to send the film to NWA president Bob Geigel who said he would overturned their victory, Stevens and Valentine attacked him and cut the film up with a pocketknife, destroying the evidence. He lasted forty four minutes. Later in 1988, Valentine feuded with "The Rock" Don Muraco, who had turned face a year earlier. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 20 September. He held the title until November 24, when he was beaten by Flair; Flair became one of Valentine's main opponents in the Mid-Atlantic territory. Greg Valentine height - How tall is Greg Valentine? The cast was rounded out with Michelle "Sugar Slam" Rapp, Kevin Gill, and Vampiro. A second-generation wrestler, Greg The Hammer Valentine would go on to compete in some of the most ferocious matches in the history of the sport. "I think folks are surprised when Im nice," he said, laughing. For around eight months Valentine resisted dying his hair black (an idea of Jesse "The Body" Ventura) but eventually relented and the team became known as Rhythm and Blues and were managed by Jimmy Hart. Vanessa died of cancer in 2015. His father was the legendary Johnny Valentine, who prior to a 1975 plane crash (which also involved Ric Flair) was one of the top stars in all of wrestling. He also feuded with Pedro Morales over the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, who he "injured" by suplexing him on the concrete floor of the arena. -Greg "The Hammer" Valentine" Nick Paglino Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York. They held the titles until April 7, 1986 when they were defeated at WrestleMania 2 by The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid). In July, he became involved in an angle with Dusty Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes where he confronted the father/son duo on WCW Worldwide. Valentine found himself the No. . He went on to win the title back on July 6, 1985 in a steel cage match in Baltimore, ending Valentine's 285-day reign, the fifth-longest in Intercontinental title history. He reappeared in the WWF at the 1993 Survivor Series under a mask as The Blue Knight in an elimination match pitting Shawn Michaels (who was substituting for Jerry Lawler) and his three "knights" (who also included Barry Horowitz as the Red Knight and Jeff Gaylord as the Black Knight) against the Hart Family. On Clash of the Champions XX, Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson defeated Slater and Valentine in a rare heel vs heel match. Valentine returned to the WWF, now known as the World Wrestling Federation, for a year in 1981 and continued to pursue the title. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! The duo wrestled The Freebirds and Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes. Do you know how much money I could have made with that belt now?". Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story In addition he was not scheduled to be booked at any upcoming events, and Valentine resigned from the promotion. Mini Bio (1) Gary Valentine was born Gary Joseph Knipfing in Mineola, New York, to Janet, an office worker, and Joseph Valentine Knipfing, Jr., an insurance agency owner. Professional wrestler often referred to as "The Hammer" who won more than forty titles in leagues like the NWA and WWF. He was 72. Greg Valentine is a Professional Wrestler who was born on 20 September, 1951 in United States. [Photo courtesy of @allan_cheapshot on Twitter]"Oh, Flair was great," Valentine said. Greg Valentine was born on 20 September, 1951 in Seattle, Washington, United States, is an American professional wrestler. He referred to the shin guard as the "Heartbreaker". An alumnus of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2004 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.[2]. They split in 1974 and Wisniski went to Florida, where he began performing as Johnny Valentine Jr., hopeful that he could live up to his father's legacy. Facebook gives people the power. "I'll never be able to do anything else," said Valentine. HOW FortuneBaynia II - Event @ Fortune Bay Resort Casino in Tower, Minnesota . [14], He reappeared in the WWF at the 1993 Survivor Series under a mask as The Blue Knight in an elimination match pitting Shawn Michaels (who was substituting for Jerry Lawler) and his three "knights" (who also included Barry Horowitz as the Red Knight and Jeff Gaylord as the Black Knight) against the Hart Family. Who Is Greg Valentine's Wife? Starting in the summer of 1996, Valentine made several appearances with WCW over the course of the next two years. Valentine got his start in show business on the stand up comedy stage. Initially reluctant to take his father's ring name, Wisniski wrestled as Baby Face Nelson before becoming Johnny Fargo, one half of the Fargo Brothers with Don Fargo between 1971 and 1974. The veteran told WWE.com that contributing to the future of the business is one of the most rewarding experiences of his career, and he hopes to continue doing so as long as he can. BEST OF GREG VALENTINE Disc 1 1. He has been in the game for more than four decades, and during this time, he has held more than 40 championships and has cemented his place as one of the most stirring men in the ring. Mystery of Missing Wrestling Championship Belts, Tim Storm: From Super Fan to NWA World Champion, Brad Armstrong Your Favorite Wrestlers Favorite Wrestler. Valentine and Jimmy Hart eventually demanded that Garvin be reinstated so that they could fight in the ring. He was present at the Retirement Ceremony of his long-time friend, Ric Flair, on the March 31, 2008 episode of WWE Raw. Working in Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York, the Fargo "brothers" would cut a swath of destruction. In this EXCLUSIVE bonus clip from WWE's Most Wanted Treasures, watch as the Dream Team, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, renew their wedding vows together! Upset because of a missed move by Beefcake during the match, Valentine left with Bravo and abandoned Beefcake, resulting in Brutus turning face later on in the night. But the feud with JYD was just to keep him busy until his feud with Santana resumed. Replacing Beefcake with Dino Bravo, Valentine formed The New Dream Team. Valentine would hold the United States Championship twice more, renewing his feud with Wahoo in 1982 and defeating him for the title on November 4 with the assistance of his manager, Sir Oliver Humperdink. So, how much is Greg Valentine worth at the age of 71 years old? Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine Rhythm and Blues (and Unkept Promises), Roddy Piper From The Streets to the Big Time, 2 Plane Crash Tragedies that Changed Wrestling Forever, 50 Greatest Fans Meeting Wrestlers Stories, Scott Steiner: The Secret History of Big Poppa Pump, A Ghost Story: How a Long-forgotten Territory Still Haunts WWE, Vince McMahon and His Wild Night Out in the 90s, The Secret History of Bad News Brown Allen Coage. He continued to wrestle face opponents in his first month back. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week . Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) Greg Derr/AP Show More Show Less 5 of 8 Brian Walshe, accused of killing wife Anna who disappeared on New Years Day 2023, enters the courtroom for his . Valentine returned to the NWA in late 1979 and asked Flair to reform their tag team. As a slap in the face to Beefcake, the team was called The New Dream Team. The two, managed by Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart, went by the name Rhythm and Blues. The feud was triggered when Valentine viciously attacked Muraco's manager, former WWF Heavyweight Champion Superstar Billy Graham. So when Greg Valentine and Tito Santana met on July 6th, 1985, in a steel cage in Baltimore, Maryland, it was a perfect opportunity to put the belt out to pasture. Valentine went back to the WWF in 1984, predicting that Vince McMahon's plan for national expansion would succeed. Greg Valentine was always an unforgiving and often ruthless opponent in the ring. "First, I thought Brutus was very good. Two weeks after WrestleMania V (where he teamed with the Jimmy Hart managed Honky Tonk Man in a loss to the now babyface Hart Foundation), he defeated Garvin in a retirement match on Superstars of Wrestling by reversing a small package and holding on to the ropes. On June 11, 1977 in Raleigh he defeated Wahoo, breaking his leg in the process. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The Nature Boy had already been part of a successful team with Rip Hawk, but the young team of Greg Valentine and Ric Flair was soon over with the crowd as well, winning the NWA Mid-Atlantic tag titles, as well as the world tag team championship twice. Garvin became a referee until Valentine and Hart managed to have him fired. The feud was abruptly halted when Muraco was dismissed by the WWF, despite Valentine's pleas for Muraco not to be fired so that the promising program could be allowed to run. On October 10, 1999 he appeared on the infamous Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view, pinning George "The Animal" Steele with the assistance of Sherri Martel. "I never wanted to follow him into the business, until I went on the road with him in '69. He finished his WCW run with a victory over Pat Tanaka on February 17, 1998.[17].
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