|
By Mark Nulty
Joe
Blanchard used to tell me that when he was promoting
fans would always come up to him and confess that they were
in on the secret. They would walk up to him when no one else
was around and quietly tell him, "I know this wrestling
is all a show."
But
there would usually be one caveat.
"But
that Johnny Valentine, now he's for real."
It was
an era when wrestling was promoted as a contest. In
wrestling's fight for credibility and respectability, Johnny
Valentine was its greatest champion.
Fans
and wrestlers alike loved him for it.
I did a
magazine article on Ric Flair in the 80s. It was the
first time I had ever met him and during the interview I naively
asked him about the influence Nature Boy Buddy Rogers
had on his style.
Flair
bristled. "Did I ever say that I modeled myself after
Buddy Rogers?," Flair demanded. "I never mentioned
Buddy Rogers. If I modeled myself after anyone, it's that
man right in there," Flair said pointing to the locker
room where Johnny Valentine was visiting.
The man
that is considered by many to be the greatest wrestler of
his era idolized Johnny Valentine.
We all
did.
Because
Johnny Valentine was real.
Please
enjoy this multi-media tribute to one of the greatest and
influential superstars of all time.
Peers,
Protégés, Promoters and Opponents
|
| Contemporaries that will explain why Johnny Valentine
left an indelible impression on professional wrestling that
will never be forgotten. Special thanks to Lou Thesz, Dory
Funk Jr., Brian Blair, Larry Matysik, Jose
Lothario, Ivan Koloff, Buddy Colt, Paul
Jones, Joe Blanchard, Skandar Akbar, Red
Bastien, Killer Karl Kox, and Wahoo McDaniel.
You
need the free Real Audio Player to access this special
edition of Ringside Live. |
|
|
|
| Click
here if you a high speed (DSL or Cable) connection. |
Click
here if you a dial-up connection. |
|
|
Johnny
Valentine's first East Coast Interview
|
| This
historical footage is Johnny Valentine's first
television appearance for Capitol Sports in the summer
of 1958. Capitol Sports would become the WWWF and later
the WWF.
Johnny's
persona wasn't just his ring style, it's the way he
projected his quiet confidence during interviews and
this is a prime example.
Special
thanks to Bob Barnett for donating this
historical footage. |
|
|
|
| Click
here if you a high speed (DSL or Cable) connection. |
Click
here if you a dial-up connection. |
|
|
Johnny
Valentine versus Paul Jones
|
| This
is a video clip of a match during the Johnny
Valentine-Paul Jones feud from the historic Homer W
Hesterly Armory in Tampa during the early 70s. Notice
the methodical way Johnny Valentine dismantles Paul
Jones. |
|
|
|
| Click
here if you a high speed (DSL or Cable) connection. |
Click
here if you a dial-up connection. |
|
|
Championship
History
|
| Johnny
Valentine may have won more different major
championships than any wrestler in history. In an era
when major territory titles meant something, Johnny
Valentine was the top man every place he went. |
World
tag team champion (Minneapolis version)
teamed with Chet Wallich to form the Atomic
Blondes |
| International
heavyweight champion (Montreal version) |
International
tag team champion (3) (Toronto and All
Japan versions)
teamed with Bulldog Brower, Beast,
(Toronto) and Killer Karl Krupp (All Japan) |
| North
American heavyweight champion (Cleveland) |
United
States heavyweight champion (8)
(Toronto, Detroit, and Mid-Atlantic versions) |
United
States tag team champions (4) (Capitol Sports/WWWF)
teamed with Jerry Graham, Buddy Rogers, Bob
Ellis, and Antonio Pugliese |
| American
heavyweight champion (3) (Texas version) |
American
tag team champion (3) (Texas version)
teamed with Wahoo McDaniel (twice) and Thunderbolt
Patterson |
| Canadian
heavyweight champion (Edmonton, Alberta) |
| United
National heavyweight champion (All Japan version) |
| Mid-Atlantic
heavyweight champion |
| Southern
heavyweight champion (Florida version) |
Southern
tag team champion (Florida version)
teamed with Boris Malenko |
| Missouri
heavyweight champion (St Louis) |
| Texas
heavyweight champion (8) |
Texas
tag team champions
teamed with Eddie Graham |
| Florida
heavyweight champion (3) |
| IWA
heavyweight champion |
| Texas
brass knux champion |
| Florida
brass knuc champion |
|
Johnny
Valentine in pictures
|
| Enjoy
these photos from the Paul
Jones CD-ROM Collection. Click the thumbnail image
for a larger version of the photo. |
Mark
Nulty is a professional
journalist that has been in the professional wrestling industry
since the mid-80s as an announcer, referee and promoter.
Back to Top of Page | Return to Features Home Page
|
