Since as far back as 1995, Greg has been married to Julie Wisniski. Born Jonathan Anthony Wisniski, Jr., the younger Valentine didnt immediately capitalize on his fathers name. Colt Cabana, Greg Valentine & The Honky Tonk Man defeat David Arquette, RJ City & The System. Later on, of course, they started paying by check, and that was kind ofI dont know. Now known as The Hammer, Valentine made his World Wrestling Federation debut in 1984 and began dropping a crushing elbow across the throats of his opponents. "Of course, I was always better than him at two things, the Figure Four, and falling on my face. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Roddy Piper began pursuing the title, and, after Piper gave Valentine a cake with a dog collar inside, the two had a series of brutal dog collar matches, most notably at Starrcade 1983, where Piper pinned Valentine in a non-title match after repeatedly whipping him with the steel chain. In September 1992 Valentine engaged in a house show feud with Van Hammer and was undefeated. [5] In January 1982, Valentine met Backlund yet again, this time in a steel cage, for the WWF Heavyweight Championship at the Philadelphia Spectrum, which Backlund won.[6]. Valentine was used primarily on television, facing The Giant, Harlem Heat, and Lex Luger. Where they were the first team to be eliminated after a slightly botched sunset flip from Necro Butcher. He is from . "When I got back to Seattle, I called my dad," recalled the Valentine. The Dream Team enjoyed a near seven-month title reign until they came up against a hungry British Bulldogs team at WrestleMania 2. 2 babyface, Chief Jay Strongbow, where he broke Strongbows leg. He referred to the shin guard as the "Heartbreaker". Both of us were young guys, and we were working hard every night. Valentine vs. Steamboat (Mid-Atlantic 70's) 6. The film served as the pilot for a comedy series that was not developed further. 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! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The duo wrestled The Freebirds and Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes. Greg Valentine is now 70 years old. "I called him and said that I didn't want to go back to school, and that I wanted to become a wrestler. 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. In August 1976, Valentine debuted in Jim Crockett Jr. and George Scott's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, an affiliate of the National Wrestling Alliance based in the Carolinas and Virginias. Valentine then found himself in an interesting position. Later, Greg advanced into the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in Carolinas and Virginias after being hired to replace his father who survived a life-threatening plane crash and suffered a broken back. Greg Valentine's net worth In the fall he continued to team with Slater in matches against The Steiner Brothers. Shortly after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Valentine dedicated the plaque he received to his late father by saying: "This one's for you pop, Johnny Valentine". Graham, walking with a cane, tried to intervene when Valentine held the figure-four leglock on jobber Ricky Ataki, after already winning the match. For weeks afterward, Valentine wore a T-shirt during all of his appearances that read: "I BROKE WAHOOS LEG" on the front and "NO MORE WAHOO" on the back. He had two daughters, Vanessa and Romaine, with his first wife, who once appeared on WWF TV in 1984 to give Valentine a back rub, which he claimed was the secret of his success. In April 1987, the two split, and Beefcake was replaced by Canadian strongman Dino Bravo. . Herb Abrams had aggressive plans for his Universal Wrestling Federation, announcing the signings of name wrestlers such as Andre the Giant, Steve Williams, The Killer Bees, and Bob Orton. "Really, listening to my dad and watching him was very important to me as I was about to break in," Valentine said during an exclusive interview with ProWrestlingStories.com. Then Vince McMahon came calling. Valentine returned to the NWA in late 1979 and asked Flair to reform their tag team. Sad Truth About Their Relationship, Darryl Baum: Shocking Details About Mike Tysons Bodyguard Who Shot 50 Cent, Latane Brown: Dale Earnhardt Met His Ex-wife As A Teenager, Kareem Abdul Jabbar Children: Meet The 5 Kids Of The Legendary NBA Star, Kollette Klassen Plummer Is Jake Plummers Wife: 10 Facts. 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. He later changed his ring name to Greg "the Hammer" Valentine, and was billed as Johnny Valentine's brother, not his son, because of fears that the elder Valentine would be thought of as too old to be a legitimate threat. The Hammer and Jimmy Hart eventually demanded that Garvin be reinstated so that they could fight in the ring. As of 2022, Greg Valentine's net worth is $100,000 - $1M. On February 15, 1992 he made his debut on television. On January 29, 2005 at WrestleReunion, Valentine won a seventeen-man battle royal to become the IWA Heavyweight Champion. Streaming now http://TitleMatchNetwork.com Find ou. 4 Greg Valentine Net Worth; 5 Greg Valentine Social Network; Age, Biography and Wiki. Where they were the first team to be eliminated after a slightly botched sunset flip from Necro Butcher. "I never wanted to follow him into the business, until I went on the road with him in '69. 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. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. 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. "The Fabulous Fargo Brothers Reunite! 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. Valentine then formed a tag team with Ric Flair, with whom he twice won the NWA World tag team title and held the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (between June 30 and August 22, 1977). "You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.". Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 72 years old? In January 1982, Valentine met Backlund yet again, this time in a steel cage, for the WWF Heavyweight Championship at the Philadelphia Spectrum, which Backlund won. He lasted forty four minutes. While Santana was sidelined having leg surgery, Valentine feuded with the Junkyard Dog, who he faced in an Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Title match at the very first WrestleMania held in Madison Square Garden. Valentine was hired to replace his father, who had been forced to retire after he broke his back in a plane crash in 1975. Valentine began working on a casual basis for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), then owned by Vincent J. McMahon, in November 1978. 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. . They first defeated Gene and Ole Anderson on December 26, 1976 (who nine years later would become in storyline Flair's "cousins") in Greensboro, injuring Gene so badly that he had to be stretchered out. Valentine was unhappy about teaming with Bravo, who he felt he had little chemistry with. Professional wrestler often referred to as "The Hammer" who won more than forty titles in leagues like the NWA and WWF. On June 11, 1977 in Raleigh he defeated Wahoo, breaking his leg in the process. On May 17, 1992 at WrestleWar 92 they lost the titles to The Freebirds. 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. Valentine would then form a tag team with Brutus Beefcake known as The Dream Team, managed by Luscious Johnny V. Initially the team was managed by both Jimmy Hart and Johnny V, but the WWF dropped Hart from the group and he went on to manage The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hitman" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart). Graham, walking with a cane, tried to intervene when Valentine held the figure-four leglock on jobber Ricky Ataki, after already winning the match. And, yes, he is a Raiders fan. Though Wahoo's legs were too thick for Valentine to apply his signature Figure Four leglock, he managed to break Wahoo's ankle using a leg/ankle suplex. People were able to believe in what I was doing.". Valentine lost to the Jimmy Hart managed Earthquake at WrestleMania VII, and was defeated again at SummerSlam 1991 by Irwin R. Schyster. After the WWF asked him to "kidnap" Matilda, the bulldog mascot of The British Bulldogs, Valentine resigned. Greg Valentine had two daughters, Vanessa and Romaine, from his first wife. Just how old is Greg "The Hammer" Valentine? 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. On August 24, 1985 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, the Dream Team defeated The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo) for the WWF Tag Team Championship when Beefcake (kayfabe) rubbed Johnny V's lit cigar in Windham's eyes allowing him to be pinned. They held the titles until May 8, 1977, when the Andersons defeated them in a steel cage match in the old Charlotte Coliseum. He was also involved with the short-lived X Wrestling Federation as an investor and as an in-ring performer. He has covered Division I college athletics and professional sports including MLB and NFL games. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. At Beach Blast, Valentine pinned Marcus Bagwell. 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. 2. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. In late 2007, Valentine made an appearance in JCW or Juggalo Championship Wrestling reforming the Dream Team with Brutus Beefcake. He was better than he gets credit for being. They first defeated Gene and Ole Anderson on December 26, 1976 (who nine years later would become in storyline Flair's "cousins") in Greensboro, injuring Gene so badly that he had to be stretchered out. Greg Valentine's Life Path Number is 9 as per numerology. In June 2014, it was reported by a wrestling news website that one of them had passed away that month, thus forcing him to miss a wrestling convention. Valentine and Raschke vs. Snuka and Orndorff (Mid-Atlantic 70's) 3. His first manager was Captain Lou Albano, and he was later managed by Jimmy Hart. Greg talks candidly about the outspoken comments he made about Women's Wrestling on "The View" presented by Filsinger . HOW FortuneBaynia II - Event @ Fortune Bay Resort Casino in Tower, Minnesota . 7 Unknown Facts About The Boxer. 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. On July 1, 1996 Valentine returned to WCW and faced Randy Savage on WCW Monday Nitro in Landover, Maryland. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). After a lengthy hospital stay, Valentine passed away last night in a hospital just outside his home in River Oaks, TX. Subsequently, the duo worked hard to defend their belt until it was ousted out from them by The Freebirds at the WrestleWar 92 on May 17th of that year. Join Facebook to connect with Grg Valentine and others you may know. I really do. Conscious of his diminishing status, Valentine left the WWF and signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1992. 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. "For a lot of years, I never got to meet my fans because I was so busy. He was 72. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine . Valentine would hold the title once more, defeating Wahoo again on September 10 and losing to Ken Patera on April 9, 1978. 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. In a tag match against Jimmy Snuka and the Iron Sheik, Valentine abandoned Flair, leaving him outnumbered.