Few competitors throughout the long and illustrious history of professional wrestling have combined the clubbing strikes and ground-based mat work like Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.
A second-generation star, he was shorter and stockier than most of his peers but used his frame to punish anyone who stepped foot in the ring with him. Whether he was pummeling them with forearm smashes or working them over in preparation for the figure-four leglock, Valentine was one of the most physical competitors in the industry.
He was also one of its most decorated, capturing titles at every promotion for which he competed.
One of the great heels of the mid-to-late 1980s, at the height of Vince McMahon's national expansion, Valentine became a household name.
Whether he was teaming with Brutus Beefcake and Honky Tonk Man or using his Heartbreaker shin guard to damage the legs of his opponents, he managed to succeed in an industry that was rapidly changing from a more serious profession to an over-the-top cartoon, which was a testament to his ability to remain relevant.
While he was never the flashiest worker or most vivid character, Valentine was one of the most respected.
Find out why with this look back at his greatest matches and moments.
The NWA and Teaming with The Nature Boy
While some of today's brightest stars openly acknowledge their family's rich traditions, riding on the coattails of famous fathers or mothers, it was not always that easy for second- or third-generation competitors.
Despite the fact that his father was one of the most respected in-ring veterans, Valentine was incredibly reluctant to carry on the family name. After all, there would be unfair expectations on him to live up to the legacy of the great Johnny Valentine.
After kicking around the industry as Babyface Nelson and Johnny Valentine, he finally began competing under the name Greg Valentine and moved to the National Wrestling Alliance in 1976.
There, he partnered with the legendary "Nature Boy" Ric Flair to capture the NWA World Tag Team Championships. They held the gold on two separate occasions but split after their second reign.
It was in the NWA that Valentine rose to fame during his feud with Wahoo McDaniel over the Mid-Atlantic heavyweight title.
In one of the most notorious angles of the era, Valentine trapped McDaniel in a figure-four. In the process, he broke the veteran's leg, earning him the hatred of the territory's fans. Reveling in the heat that he generated, Valentine sported a T-shirt with the phrase, "I broke Wahoo's leg." It was a brilliant heel maneuver that enhanced the rivalry.
They would trade the title before departing for the World Wide Wrestling Federation, where he battled heavyweight champion Bob Backlund in a high-profile bout before returning to the NWA.
Feuding With Piper and the Dog Collar Match
Valentine was one of the greatest United States champions of all time, and his greatest rival was arguably "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
A vicious competitor, Valentine repeatedly targeted Piper's ear in an attempt to injure his enemy and put him out of action. But the tenacious Piper fought back, refusing to allow his injury to prevent him from achieving vengeance.
At the inaugural Starrcade, Piper defeated Valentine in a brutal, violent Dog Collar match. With blood pouring from his ear, Piper battered Valentine with the chain connecting the collars and pinned him for the victory.
On a night devoted to Ric Flair's quest for the NWA heavyweight championship and his match with Harley Race, it was Valentine and Piper who became the talk of the wrestling world thanks to their barbaric classic.
The Intercontinental Championship
Shortly after making his return to Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation, Valentine defeated Tito Santana to capture the promotion's Intercontinental Championship, igniting one of the greatest rivalries in that title's long history.
Through the end of 1984 and well into '85, the two waged war across the country as Santana chased the title that Valentine had taken from him. They competed in some classic bouts, both in traditional matches and gimmick bouts.
Valentine battled Santana in a Lumberjack match, but it was the steel-cage match that ended their rivalry that remains one of their greatest bouts. In that contest, Santana defeated The Hammer to regain the title.
One of the most underrated IC champions in recent memory, Valentine held the title for nearly an entire year. His reign helped establish him as one of the most hated villains in the industry and the backbone of a roster full of outstanding wrestlers whom McMahon had acquired from promotions all over the country.
The Dream Team
In 1985, Valentine partnered with Brutus Beefcake, and the team adopted Johnny Valiant as their manager. Together, they were known as The Dream Team, and that August they defeated Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda to capture the WWE Tag Team Championships for the first time.
Valentine had the experience and was a mat-based worker, while Beefcake was the power and youth of the tandem. Together, they defeated some of the top tag teams in the sport, leading to a historic showdown with The British Bulldogs at WrestleMania 2.
Despite an injury to Dynamite Kid, Davey Boy Smith was able to wrest the titles from the team, drawing one of the biggest pops of the night. They would meet numerous other times, with the former champions unable to regain the titles.
Feuding with Ronnie Garvin
Valentine's rivalry with Ronnie Garvin, who made the jump from NWA to WWE in 1989, was something completely different from anything fans of Vince McMahon's product had seen. Sure, the story was over the top, but the in-ring action was stiff, hard-hitting and brutal. There were no big leg drops or flying elbows.
Instead, the two old-school workers beat each other senseless between bells.
The rivalry intensified when Valentine defeated Garvin in a Retirement match, necessitating the departure of the Canadian competitor. But Garvin stuck around, both as a ring announcer and referee. In both instances, he found ways to interfere in Valentine's matches, costing him victories and infuriating him.
When Jimmy Hart finally convinced WWE President Jack Tunney to reinstate Garvin, a Submission match was booked for the 1990 Royal Rumble.
Countering Valentine's Heartbreaker shin guard with one of his own, Garvin was able to secure the victory with a Sharpshooter.
It was the end of the rivalry and the last time Valentine would be featured in a storyline of any real note.
For the remainder of his WWE days, he would compete as a babyface after dumping Hart but was essentially an enhancement talent for the younger generation of stars. He would make infrequent appearances all the way up to 1994, when he appeared in his final Royal Rumble match.
A jump to WCW in the second half of the 1990s earned him more money but little in the way of success.
Today, he continues to float around the wrestling business, signing autographs at conventions and appearing at the occasional independent event.
Legacy
Greg Valentine is one of the great heels in wrestling history.
Criminally underrated by historians, Valentine was a phenomenal worker who battled every major star of his generation in some extraordinary matches.
The above-mentioned series with Tito Santana helped bring legitimacy and credibility to the intercontinental title, and the matches he and Brutus Beefcake had with The British Bulldogs were key in getting the young Englishmen over with the large WWE audience.
Always low-key in his approach, Valentine was a wrestlers' wrestler, someone respected by his peers for his quality work even if he managed to fly under the radar.
One of the greatest champions ever, regardless of the title or promotion, Valentine was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2004, a well-deserved honor.
No comments:
Post a Comment