Greg Valentine

2025-10-15T04:08:21Z

2605:8D80:6C26:755E:1509:EA58:FBDB:1784: /* Professional wrestling career */

{{Short description|American professional wrestler (born 1951)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}{{Infobox professional wrestler
| name = Greg Valentine
| birthname = Jonathan Anthony Wisniski
| image = 10.1.10GregValentineByLuigiNovi1.jpg
| caption = Valentine in 2010
| names = Baby Face Nelson<ref name="OWOW">{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/g/greg-valentine.html|title=Greg Valentine profile|date=April 27, 2008 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=2011-06-23}}</ref> The Blue Knight<ref name="OWOW"/> Boxcar Willie<ref name="OWOW"/> '''Greg Valentine'''<ref name="OWOW"/> Johnny Fargo<ref name="OWOW"/> Johnny Valentine Jr.<ref name="OWOW"/>
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}}<ref name="WWEBio"/>
| weight = {{convert|243|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name="WWEBio"/>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|9|20}}
| birth_place = [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], [[United States|U.S.]]<ref name="OWOW"/>
| billed = Seattle, Washington<ref name="WWEBio"/>
| trainer = [[Ed Farhat]]<ref name="OWOW"/> [[Stu Hart]]<ref name="OWOW"/>
| spouse = {{marriage|Julie Wisniski|February 14, 1995}}
| children = 2
| family = [[Johnny Valentine]] (father) [[Brian Knobbs]] (brother-in-law)
| debut = April 24, 1970
| retired = 2019
}}
'''Jonathan Anthony Wisniski''' (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]], better known as '''Greg''' "'''the Hammer'''" '''Valentine'''. He is the son of wrestler [[Johnny Valentine]].

Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 [[Championship (professional wrestling)|championships]], including the [[WWE United States Championship|NWA United States Heavyweight Championship]], [[WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship]], [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]], [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Championship]], and [[World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010)|WWF World Tag Team Championship]]. An alumnus of [[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling]], the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] and [[World Championship Wrestling]], he was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] [[WWE Hall of Fame (2004)|Class of 2004]] and the [[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]] in 2016.<ref name="WWEBio">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/gregvalentine|title=Greg Valentine|publisher=[[WWE]]|work=[[WWE]].com|access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>

==Early life==
Born in [[Seattle, Washington]], Wisniski traveled around [[Texas]] in his teens with his father; [[Johnny Valentine]]. During a summer vacation, he decided to drop out of college and become a wrestler. His father initially tried to deter him, but eventually ceded to his wishes and sent him to Canada in 1970 to train under [[Stu Hart]] in [[Calgary]].

==Professional wrestling career==

===Early career (1970–1976)===
Wisniski was trained to wrestle by [[Stu Hart]], wrestling his debut match in July 1970 against [[Angelo Mosca|Angelo "King Kong" Mosca]] (he lost in around five minutes).{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} Six months later, Wisniski relocated to [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]] to complete his training under [[Ed Farhat|the Sheik]].

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 Fargo Brothers initially competed in the [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] and [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]] based National Wrestling Federation before moving on to Texas. 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. 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. Valentine remained in Florida for a year while also working in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] and in Japan under [[Antonio Inoki]] in 1975 and early 1976.

===Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1976–1978)===
In August 1976, Valentine debuted in [[Jim Crockett Jr.]]'s [[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling]] and booked by [[George Scott (wrestler)|George Scott]], an affiliate of the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] based in the [[The Carolinas|Carolinas]] and [[The Virginias|Virginias]]. Valentine was hired to replace his father, who had been forced to retire after he broke his back in a [[Aviation accidents and incidents|plane crash]] in 1975. He immediately began [[Feud (professional wrestling)|feuding]] with [[Johnny Weaver]], who he "retired" with a [[Professional wrestling high-flying techniques#Diving elbow drop|top rope elbow drop]]. Valentine's elbow drop was promoted as a deadly move, with tapes of him breaking wooden boards with his elbow shown to the audiences before his debut.

Valentine then formed a [[tag team]] with [[Ric Flair]], with whom he twice won the [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|NWA World tag team title]] and held the [[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship]] (between June 30 and August 22, 1977). They first defeated [[Gene Anderson (wrestler)|Gene]] and [[Ole Anderson]] on December 26, 1976 (who nine years later would become in storyline [[Anderson family|Flair's "cousins"]]) in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], injuring Gene so badly that he had to be stretchered out. They held the titles until May 8, 1977, when [[Minnesota Wrecking Crew|the Andersons]] defeated them in a [[steel cage match]] in the old [[Cricket Arena|Charlotte Coliseum]].

Flair and Valentine regained the tag titles from the Andersons on October 30, this time leaving Ole unable to leave under his own power. The team split after they were stripped of the titles in April 1978 by NWA president [[Eddie Graham]] as a result of their "unprofessional conduct". 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.

At the same time, Valentine feuded with [[Wahoo McDaniel|Chief Wahoo McDaniel]] over the [[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship]]. 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. On June 11, 1977, in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] he defeated Wahoo, breaking his leg in the process. Though Wahoo's legs were too thick for Valentine to apply his signature [[Professional wrestling holds#Figure-four leglock|Figure Four leglock]], he managed to break Wahoo's ankle using a leg/ankle suplex. The [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] Valentine then began wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "''I broke Wahoo's leg''" on the front and "''No more Wahoo''" on the back. Wahoo returned on August 9, 1977, and took back the title. Valentine would hold the title once more, defeating Wahoo again on September 10 and losing to [[Ken Patera]] on April 9, 1978.

===World Wide Wrestling Federation (1978–1979)===
Valentine began working on a casual basis for the [[WWE#World Wide Wrestling Federation|World Wide Wrestling Federation]] (WWWF), then owned by [[Vincent J. McMahon]], in November 1978. Managed by [[Ernie Roth|The Grand Wizard]], he was given the [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick|gimmick]] of a methodical wrestler who broke the legs of all his opponents, including [[Chief Jay Strongbow]]. In February 1979, he wrestled then [[WWE Championship|WWWF Heavyweight Champion]] [[Bob Backlund]] to a one-hour time-limit draw at [[Madison Square Garden]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Professional Wrestling: The Results WWF 1963–1989|last=Cawthon|first=Graham|pages=262|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4928-2597-5}}</ref>

===Return to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1979–1981)===
Valentine returned to the NWA in late 1979 and asked Flair to reform their tag team. Flair, by then a [[Face (professional wrestling)|face]], declined. Valentine held the NWA World Tag Team Championship once more with [[Ray Stevens (wrestler)|Ray Stevens]] in 1980. Four days after their victory, the promoter, [[David Crockett (wrestling)|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. When Crockett threatened to send the film to NWA president [[Bob Geigel]] who said he would overturn their victory, Stevens and Valentine attacked him and cut the film up with a pocketknife, destroying the evidence.
[[File:Ric Flair performing an airplane spin on Greg Valentine, 1980.png|thumb|220x220px|[[Ric Flair]] performing an [[airplane spin]] on Valentine during a 1980 match]]
Valentine later claimed to have "seen the light", and re-formed his team with Flair, who believed that Valentine was now a face. In a tag match against [[Jimmy Snuka]] and [[the Iron Sheik]], Valentine abandoned Flair, leaving him outnumbered. Flair was beaten, and then Valentine snapped Gene Anderson's hickory cane over Flair's head, legitimately breaking his nose and splitting his lips. The former partners began feuding over Flair's [[WWE United States Championship|NWA United States Heavyweight Championship]], with Valentine finally defeating Flair for the title on July 26 in Flair's adopted hometown of [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]. 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.

===World Wrestling Federation (1981–1982)===
Valentine returned to the WWF, now known as the World Wrestling Federation, for a year in 1981 and continued to pursue the title. On October 19, he was pinned by Backlund, but then handed the title belt by the dazed referee.<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Professional Wrestling: The Results WWF 1963–1989|last=Cawthon|first=Graham|pages=346|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4928-2597-5}}</ref> The title was held up, and Backlund defeated Valentine cleanly in the November 23 rematch.<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Professional Wrestling: The Results WWF 1963–1989|last=Cawthon|first=Graham|pages=349|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4928-2597-5}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Professional Wrestling: The Results WWF 1963–1989|last=Cawthon|first=Graham|pages=353|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4928-2597-5}}</ref>

He also feuded with [[Pedro Morales]] over the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]], who he "injured" by [[suplex]]ing him on the concrete floor of the arena. Valentine was not successful in winning this title either, and in mid-1982 left the promotion.

===Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1982–1984)===
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 (professional wrestling)|manager]], [[Oliver Humperdink|Sir Oliver Humperdink]]. [[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 [[Professional wrestling match types#Names and Variations|dog collar matches]], most notably at [[Starrcade (1983)|Starrcade 1983]], where Piper pinned Valentine in a non-title match after repeatedly whipping him with the steel chain. The feud was intensified by Valentine's propensity to focus on Piper's ear, which had been injured earlier in his career and would bleed easily. Piper would eventually defeat Valentine on April 16, 1983, but Valentine regained the title on April 30 in Greensboro, NC; after the match, where he regained the US Title from Piper, Valentine hit Piper in the ear with US Title. He dropped the title to [[Dick Slater]] on December 14, just before leaving them for the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]].

=== World Wrestling Federation (1984–1992) ===

==== Intercontinental Champion (1984–1985) ====
Valentine went back to the WWF in 1984, predicting that [[Vince McMahon]]'s plan for national expansion would succeed. His first manager was [[Lou Albano|Captain Lou Albano]], and he was later managed by [[Jimmy Hart]].

[[File:Junkyard Dog Greg Valentine head to head Wrestlemania.png|thumb|Valentine (right) vs Junkyard Dog (left) at the first [[WrestleMania I|WrestleMania]] in 1985.
]]
On September 24, 1984, in [[London, Ontario]] Valentine defeated [[Tito Santana]] for the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]], focusing on Santana's injured knee throughout the match. Santana initially thought he had the match won, but had in fact only achieved a two-count. As Santana was celebrating, Valentine rolled him up for the pin and the title. Following the win, Valentine put Santana in the figure four leglock, reinjuring him. 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 (1985)|WrestleMania]] held in [[Madison Square Garden]]. Valentine pinned the JYD after using the ropes, but Santana came to ringside and informed the referee, who restarted the match. Valentine then walked out, losing the match by count-out but saving his title. Santana eventually healed and fought Valentine in many matches. He went on to win the title back on July 6, 1985, in a [[steel cage match]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], ending Valentine's 285-day reign, the fifth-longest in [[List of WWE Intercontinental Champions|Intercontinental title history]]. Valentine, incensed over losing the championship belt, destroyed it in the steel cage, forcing the WWF to get a new Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship belt (in reality, this was pre-planned as the WWF already had a newer, more modern Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship belt made and destroying the old title belt was seen as the perfect way to introduce the new one).

==== Dream Team; New Dream Team (1985–1987) ====
[[File:Greg Valentine as WWF Tag Team Champion in 1985 (cropped).png|thumb|Valentine as [[WWF Tag Team Champion]], {{circa|1985}}]]
{{See also|Dream Team (professional wrestling)||l1=Dream Team|New Dream Team}}

Valentine would then form a tag team with [[Brutus Beefcake]] known as [[The Dream Team (professional wrestling)|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]]. On August 24, 1985, at [[Spectrum (arena)|The Spectrum]] in [[Philadelphia]], the Dream Team defeated the [[U.S. Express]] for the [[WWF Tag Team Championship]] when Beefcake rubbed Johnny V's lit [[cigar]] in Windham's eyes allowing him to be pinned. 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]]). At [[WrestleMania III]], The Dream Team defeated the [[Rougeau Brothers]] as a result of interference by Johnny V and [[Dino Bravo]]. Upset because of a missed move by Beefcake during the match, Valentine left with Bravo and abandoned Beefcake, resulting in Brutus [[Turn (professional wrestling)|turning]] face later on in the night.

Replacing Beefcake with Dino Bravo, Valentine formed the [[New Dream Team]]. Valentine was unhappy about teaming with Bravo, who he felt he had little chemistry with. After the WWF asked him to "kidnap" Matilda, the [[bulldog]] mascot of The British Bulldogs, Valentine resigned. He was brought back soon after, with Jimmy Hart again as his new manager (while the "kidnap" angle was reassigned to [[The Islanders (professional wrestling)|The Islanders]]) but was used in a much diminished role between 1987 and 1990.

==== Feuds with Don Muraco and Ron Garvin (1988–1990) ====
Valentine was entered in the WWF World Heavyweight Championship tournament at [[WrestleMania IV]], where he defeated [[Ricky Steamboat|Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat]] in the first round before losing to [[Randy Savage|"Macho Man" Randy Savage]], the eventual winner of the tournament, in the quarter-finals.

In May 1988, Jimmy Hart fitted Valentine's left shin with a shin guard, citing a mysterious injury to his wrestler, and proclaiming the shin guard as Valentine's "road to the gold."

Later in 1988, Valentine feuded with [[Don Muraco|"The Rock" Don Muraco]], who had turned face a year earlier. The feud was triggered when Valentine viciously attacked Muraco's manager, former WWF Heavyweight Champion [[Superstar Billy Graham]]. Graham, walking with a cane, tried to intervene when Valentine held the figure-four leglock on jobber Ricky Ataki, after already winning the match. Valentine then put the figure-four leglock on Graham, who had a plastic hip. 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2017/0110/621078/greg-valentine-reveals-his-favorite-wwe-superstar/|title=Greg Valentine Reveals His Favorite WWE Superstar, Would His Stiff Style Work Today, Ronnie Garvin - WrestlingInc.com|work=WrestlingInc.com|access-date=2018-01-28|language=en}}</ref> ([[Kayfabe]] magazine ''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated|Inside Wrestling]]'' had run a story on the feud, conversely claiming that it was Muraco, yearning to personally avenge Graham's injuries, who had begged the WWF not to dismiss Valentine).<ref>Why Don Muraco BEGGED The WWF Not To Suspend Greg Valentine - ''Inside Wrestling'' November 1988)</ref>

In April 1989 he began feuding with [[Ron Garvin|"Rugged" Ronnie Garvin]]. Two weeks after [[WrestleMania V]] (where he teamed with the Jimmy Hart managed [[The Honky Tonk Man|Honky Tonk Man]] in a loss to the now babyface Hart Foundation), he defeated Garvin in a [[Streak vs Career match|retirement match]] on ''[[WWF Superstars of Wrestling|Superstars of Wrestling]]'' by reversing a [[Pin (professional wrestling)#Small package|small package]] and holding on to the ropes. Garvin became a referee until Valentine and Hart managed to have him fired. Garvin then became a ring announcer, and began aggravating Valentine. At ''[[SummerSlam (1989)|SummerSlam 1989]]'', for his match with [[Hercules (wrestler)|Hercules]], Garvin announced Valentine as being Hercules' "so-called opponent" and at 249 lbs looking to Garvin like he was "overweight by thirty pounds" as he approached the ring. Other insults by Garvin during the introduction included Valentine not knowing whether he was "coming or going" and being the only wrestler Garvin knew who had "two left feet" and that he had a "pipsqueak, poor excuse for a manager". Following the match, Garvin then announced Hercules as the winner when Valentine cheated to win, despite the referee declaring Valentine the winner. Valentine knocked Garvin out of the ring before having a further punching match with Hercules while Garvin climbed back in the ring and nailed Valentine. Valentine and Jimmy Hart eventually demanded that Garvin be reinstated so that they could fight in the ring.

For some time Valentine had been wearing a shin guard, which he would rotate (so it covered his calf, not his shin) in order to increase the pressure exerted by the Figure Four Leglock. He referred to the shin guard as the "Heartbreaker". Valentine would also (illegally) attach the shin guard to his arm in order to accentuate his [[elbow drop]]s. In the course of the feud, Garvin countered with a rotated shin guard of his own, which he dubbed "the Hammer Jammer". The feud culminated in a [[Professional wrestling match types#Submission match|submission match]] at the [[Royal Rumble (1990)|1990 Royal Rumble]]. Garvin utilized the "Hammer Jammer" during the match, using it to "counter" Valentine's figure-four leglock when Valentine applied it on Garvin during the match (rather than writhing in pain as normal during the hold, Garvin was smiling and making faces at Valentine). Jimmy Hart managed to remove the "Hammer Jammer" from Garvin's leg, after which Valentine systematically wore down Garvin's leg, but eventually lost after Garvin hit him with the Heartbreaker and applied a [[Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)|sharpshooter]], forcing Valentine to submit.

==== Rhythm and Blues (1990–1991) ====
{{See also|Rhythm and Blues (professional wrestling)||l1=Rhythm and Blues}}
[[File:Rhythm and Blues tag team.jpg|thumb|right|Valentine (left) with his [[Rhythm and Blues (professional wrestling)|Rhythm and Blues]] tag team partner [[The Honky Tonk Man]] (March 7, 1989)]]
Shortly after, Valentine formed a tag team with The Honky Tonk Man. For around eight months Valentine resisted dying his hair black (an idea of [[Jesse Ventura|Jesse "The Body" Ventura]]) but eventually relented and since Honky Tonk Man was an [[Elvis Presley]] look alike, Valentine became a [[Roy Orbison]] look alike and the team became known as [[Rhythm and Blues (professional wrestling)|Rhythm and Blues]] and were managed by Jimmy Hart. Rhythm and Blues feuded with [[The Bushwhackers]] ([[Butch Miller (wrestler)|Butch]] and [[Luke Williams (wrestler)|Luke]]) and The Hart Foundation against whom they received title shots, but were overshadowed by the [[The Road Warriors|Legion Of Doom]] ([[Road Warrior Animal|Animal]] and [[Road Warrior Hawk|Hawk]]), who were by then dominating the tag division, feuding with former champions [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]] in six man tag main events also featuring WWF World champion [[The Ultimate Warrior]] while the Harts' tag team title defences against Valentine and Honky were relegated to opening match status. 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 mid December his partner The Honky Tonk Man departed the World Wrestling Federation. An angle was recorded on December 28, 1990, at Madison Square Garden where he was defeated by [[Saba Simba]] after accidentally being hit by Jimmy Hart's guitar; afterwards he almost attacked his manager and began to be cheered by the fans.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-date=2019-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517181612/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> On January 7, 1991, the angle was furthered. In a match that saw Davey Boy Smith defeat Dino Bravo, Valentine was again accidentally hit by Jimmy Hart's megaphone. This time Valentine attacked Jimmy Hart and turned face. However, Valentine abruptly departed the company and along with the Honky Tonk Man's aforementioned departure from the WWF this effectively cancelled the planned feud with Valentine.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/91.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-date=2011-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003209/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/91.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== Babyface run (1991–1992) ====
On January 19, 1991, Valentine participated in the fourth annual Royal Rumble match. He lasted forty four minutes. On the February 17, 1991 edition of ''[[Wrestling Challenge]]'', the WWF aired footage from the incident with Jimmy Hart at Madison Square Garden at the end of 1990. This began the televised process of his face turn. Valentine lost to the Jimmy Hart managed [[John Tenta|Earthquake]] at [[WrestleMania VII]], and was defeated again at [[SummerSlam (1991)|SummerSlam 1991]] by [[Mike Rotunda|Irwin R. Schyster]]. He participated in the [[Royal Rumble (1992)|1992 Royal Rumble]] for the vacated WWF Championship, where he attacked his old rival Ric Flair before being eliminated by the [[Barry Darsow|Repo Man]]. Later that month he finished his run with the company, defeating [[Skinner (wrestler)|Skinner]] at a house show on January 25, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/92.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-date=2016-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321151814/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/92.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Universal Wrestling Federation (1991) ===
[[Herb Abrams]] had aggressive plans for his [[Universal Wrestling Federation (Herb Abrams)|Universal Wrestling Federation]], announcing the signings of name wrestlers such as [[Andre the Giant]], [[Steve Williams (wrestler)|Steve Williams]], [[The Killer Bees (professional wrestling)|The Killer Bees]], and [[Bob Orton]]. Added to this list was Greg Valentine, who joined the company on January 9, 1991. He made his debut that night at a television taping in the Penta Hotel in New York City, defeating Sonny Blaze.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/indy/uwf/uwfcards.html#120690|title=Herb Abram's Universal Wrestling Federation Cards|website=www.prowrestlinghistory.com}}</ref> He later defeated [[Mike Durham]] at the same taping, and was interviewed by Albano, his former WWF manager in the "Captain Lou's Corner" segment on UWF television. 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. In an interview in 2000, Valentine stated that Abrams retaliated by withholding payment for his appearances in the UWF.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/greg-valentine-shoot/|title=Kayfabe, Lies and Alibis: Greg Valentine Shoot Interview|date=August 1, 2013|website=CXF | Culture Crossfire | culturecrossfire.com}}</ref> During this period, Valentine also visited Egypt where he challenged local champion [[:ar:ممدوح فرج|Mamdouh Farag]].

=== World Championship Wrestling (1992) ===
Conscious of his diminishing status, Valentine left the WWF and signed with [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW) in 1992. He made his debut on February 4, 1992, at a house show in Norfolk, Virginia. Teaming with [[Terry Taylor]], the duo defeated [[Marcus Alexander Bagwell]] and [[Tom Zenk]]. On February 15, 1992, he made his debut on television. Two weeks later, he teamed again with Terry Taylor to defeat [[Ron Simmons]] and [[Big Josh]] to win the [[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]. Throughout the spring the duo successfully defended the belts against Zenk and Bagwell on various house shows. On May 17, 1992, at [[WrestleWar (1992)|WrestleWar 92]] they lost the titles to [[The Freebirds]]. At [[Beach Blast (1992)|Beach Blast]], Valentine pinned Marcus Bagwell. In July, he became involved in an angle with [[Dusty Rhodes]] and [[Dustin Rhodes]] where he confronted the father/son duo on ''[[WCW Worldwide]]''. Both Rhodes attacked Valentine, only to then be retaliated upon by Dick Slater and [[The Barbarian (wrestler)|The Barbarian]].

Valentine faced Dustin Rhodes on multiple house shows that summer and was winless. While in this series, Valentine also began to regularly team with Dick Slater. The duo wrestled The Freebirds and Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes. On [[Clash of the Champions XX]], Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson defeated Slater and Valentine in a rare heel vs heel match. In September 1992 Valentine engaged in a house show feud with [[Van Hammer]] and was undefeated. In the fall he continued to team with Slater in matches against [[The Steiner Brothers]]. On television, Valentine's fortunes continued to wane. On the October 11, 1992 edition of ''[[WCW Pro]]'' he was defeated by [[Shane Douglas]]. On the October 19, 1992 taping of ''[[WCW Saturday Night]]'' he arrived to learn that he was to [[Job (professional wrestling)|lose]] to [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]] on that night's taping. In addition he was not scheduled to be booked at any upcoming events, and Valentine resigned from the promotion.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw92.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-date=2019-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609211409/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw92.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== World Wrestling Federation (1993–1994) ===
He reappeared in the WWF at the [[Survivor Series (1993)|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 ([[Bret Hart]], [[Owen Hart]], [[Bruce Hart (wrestler)|Bruce Hart]] and [[Keith Hart (wrestler)|Keith Hart]].) He would return again, as Greg Valentine, at the [[Royal Rumble (1994)|1994 Royal Rumble]], lasting over twenty minutes before being eliminated by [[Rick Martel]]. That summer Valentine would wrestle three times on a July house show tour, facing [[Bob Backlund]] on each occasion.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/94.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-02-22 |archive-date=2020-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112032556/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/94.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Independent circuit (1994–1996)===
Valentine went on to tour the [[independent circuit]], wrestling in Japan, with the [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]] based International Championship Wrestling promotion and with the [[American Wrestling Federation]].

===World Championship Wrestling (1996–1998)===
Starting in the summer of 1996, Valentine made several appearances with WCW over the course of the next two years. He was used on a pay-per-appearance basis, but was rarely utilized and was allowed to continue wrestling on the independent circuit. On July 1, 1996, Valentine faced Randy Savage on ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[Landover, Maryland]]. Valentine was used primarily on television, facing [[Big Show|The Giant]], [[Harlem Heat]], and [[Lex Luger]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw96.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-02-22 |archive-date=2019-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509040707/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw96.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following year he was used sparingly as well, again on television but had a 6–2 record, defeating [[Mike Enos]], [[Bobby Eaton]], and [[Billy Kidman]]. Valentine wrestled four times for the promotion in 1998 and was 3–1. He finished his WCW run with a victory over [[Pat Tanaka]] on February 17, 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw98.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-02-22 |archive-date=2018-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014055150/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/wcw98.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Late career (1998–2019)===
On October 10, 1999, he appeared on the infamous [[Heroes of Wrestling]] pay-per-view, pinning [[George Steele|George "The Animal" Steele]] with the assistance of [[Sherri Martel]]. He wrestled on the 2000 tour of the [[United Kingdom]] for [[All Star Wrestling]] in which [[Yokozuna (wrestler)|Yokozuna]] died. He was also involved with the short-lived [[X Wrestling Federation]] as an investor and as an in-ring performer. In the 2000s, he began reducing his independent dates in order to pursue a career in [[real estate]].

On March 13, 2004, Valentine was inducted into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]] [[WWE Hall of Fame (2004)|class of 2004]] by his former manager Jimmy Hart. The following night, at [[WrestleMania XX]] at [[Madison Square Garden]], Valentine received loud applause when the class of 2004 was introduced. 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]]".

[[File:Greg Valentine & Reid Flair.jpg|thumb|Valentine (right) in the ring with [[Reid Flair]] in 2009]]
On January 29, 2005, at ''[[WrestleReunion]]'', Valentine won a seventeen-man [[Battle royal (professional wrestling)|battle royal]] to become the IWA Heavyweight Champion. He lost the title to [[Tito Santana]] at ''WrestleReunion #2'' on August 27 of that year. Valentine also wrestled for several independent promotions, including [[American Wrestling Association|AWA Superstars of Wrestling]], which toured [[New England]]. In AWA Superstars of Wrestling, Valentine regularly wrestled [[Tony Atlas]].

On October 3, 2005, Valentine made an appearance at [[WWE Homecoming]], and on October 23 he was defeated by [[Rob Conway]] (then using a [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick|gimmick]] similar to that of [[Randy Orton]]'s gimmick of "the legend killer") on an episode of [[WWE Heat]] after [[Nick Dinsmore|Eugene]] interfered on his behalf, causing the referee to award a victory via disqualification to Conway.

In May 2007, Valentine defeated Quinson Valentino to win the Canadian Grand-Prix Wrestling Championship in Morrisburg, Ontario. On August 24, 2007, Valentine returned to Ontario to defend the CGPW Championship against [[Koko B. Ware]] in Cornwall, after Koko defeated Valentine in a non-title match, on the previous night, in Ottawa. Valentine was successful in defeating Koko in Cornwall, though the title was vacated due to inactivity.

In late 2007, Valentine made an appearance in [[Juggalo Championship Wrestling|JCW]] or [[Juggalo Championship Wrestling]] reforming the Dream Team with [[Brutus Beefcake]]. in an 8 team elimination match for the then vacant [[JCW Tag Team Championship|JCW Tag-Team Titles]]. Where they were the first team to be eliminated after a slightly botched sunset flip from [[Necro Butcher]].

Valentine was present at the retirement ceremony of his long-time friend, [[Ric Flair]], on the March 31, 2008 episode of ''[[WWE Raw]]''.

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. Valentine competed in two matches during 2018, both being tag team matches.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=104&page=4| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150425145922/http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=104&page=4| archive-date = 2015-04-25| title = Matches « Greg Valentine « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Greg married Julie on February 14, 1995. 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. Vanessa began training with the Hart Brothers in the late 1990s. Vanessa died of cancer in 2014.<ref>[http://www.prowrestlingdigest.com/2014/06/01/stratoti-greg-valentine-speaks-his-mind-at-pwhof/ "The Fabulous Fargo Brothers Reunite!", by Paul Stratori, ''Pro Wrestling Digest'', June 1, 2014]</ref> He is a [[Born again (Christianity)|born again Christian]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://midatlanticgateway.com/resourcecenter/interviews/valentine/valentine04.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520023801/http://midatlanticgateway.com/resourcecenter/interviews/valentine/valentine04.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 20, 2011|title=Mid-Atlantic Gateway | Greg Valentine Interview Part 4|date=May 20, 2011}}</ref> and occasionally speaks at [[Secondary school|high schools]] and [[college]]s with [[Ted DiBiase]]. He is also a part of Christian wrestling organization, World Impact Wrestling. He is the brother-in-law of wrestler [[Brian Knobbs]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database|url = http://wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=294|website = wrestlingdata.com|access-date = 2015-11-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesportster.com/wrestling/top-15-wrestlers-you-didnt-realize-were-related/|title=Top 15 Wrestlers You Didn't Realize Were Related|date=5 January 2016|access-date=2016-07-16}}</ref>

==Media==
Valentine has appeared on an episode of ''[[Hogan Knows Best]]'' as one of Hulk's party guests. He also co-starred in [[Fuse (TV channel)|Fuse]]'s ''[[Insane Clown Posse]] Theater'' along with [[Insane Clown Posse]] members [[Violent J]] and [[Shaggy 2 Dope]]. The cast was rounded out with Michelle "Sugar Slam" Rapp, Kevin Gill, and [[Vampiro]]. Valentine played an usher who ejected guests from the theater when their time is up on the show.

He appeared as a playable character on ''[[Legends of Wrestling]]'', ''[[Legends of Wrestling II]]'', ''[[WWE Day of Reckoning]]'', ''[[Showdown: Legends of Wrestling]]'' and ''[[WWE Legends of WrestleMania]]''. He was also downloadable content in ''[[WWE 2K17]]'' and also appears in ''[[WWE 2K18]]'' along with Brutus Beefcake as The Dream Team. He also appears in ''[[WWE 2K19]]''.

In 2008 Valentine co-starred with [[George Steele|George "The Animal" Steele]] in a short film entitled ''Somethin Fishy'', in which the two former wrestlers purchase a fishing camp. The film served as the pilot for a comedy series that was not developed further.<ref>{{cite web|title=Somethin Fishy Film Pilot| date=June 25, 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AoJWUo2FDc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/0AoJWUo2FDc| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|publisher=YouTube.com|access-date=2017-06-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Legacy==
British wrestler Steve Crabtree (the son of promoter [[Max Crabtree]] and nephew of headline star [[Shirley Crabtree|Big Daddy]]) was billed as "Greg Valentine" while wrestling for [[Joint Promotions]] in the 1980s. He won the 1986 televised "Golden Grappler" trophy tournament.<ref>[https://itvwrestling.co.uk/86.html ITV Wrestling 1986, JN Lister retrieved 2023-12-10]</ref> His brother Spencer Crabtree also wrestled as "Scott Valentine".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/the-crabtree-family/ |title=The Crabtree Family |website=Wrestling Heritage |accessdate=March 20, 2024}}</ref>

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''Alabama Wrestling Federation'''
**AWF Heavyweight Championship
**AWF Tag Team Championship - with [[Brutus Beefcake]]<ref>{{Citation|last=littlebub65|title=WWE LEGENDS GREG VALENTINE & BRUTUS BEEFCAKE JULY 20 2103 PROMO FOR AWF MOBILE ALABAMA|date=2013-07-21|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBl88tGDWuA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/jBl88tGDWuA| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=2018-06-09}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
*'''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''
**[[AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship]] ([[AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship#Title history|2 times]]) - with Jerry Miller<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ne/awa-mw-t.html AWA Midwest Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''[[American Wrestling Federation]]'''
**[[American Wrestling Federation#AWF Tag Team Championship|AWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)]] - with [[Tommy Rich]]
*'''Bad Boys of Wrestling'''
**BBOW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="Titles">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}</ref>
*''' Canadian Grand-Prix Wrestling'''
** CGPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*'''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Men's Wrestling Award (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/greg-valentine-to-receive-a-2018-mens-wrestling-award/|title=Greg Valentine To Receive a 2018 Men's Wrestling Award {{!}} Cauliflower Alley Club|website=www.caulifloweralleyclub.org|access-date=2018-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053520/http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/greg-valentine-to-receive-a-2018-mens-wrestling-award/|archive-date=2017-12-22|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*'''[[International World Class Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[IWCCW Heavyweight Championship]] ([[IWCCW Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/newengland/icw/icw-h.html ICW/IWCCW Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''International Wrestling Association'''
**IWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="Titles"/>
*'''Legends Pro Wrestling'''
**LPW Hall of Fame (Class of 2011)
*'''[[Maple Leaf Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version)|NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship ''(Toronto version)'']] ([[NWA Toronto Canadian Heavyweight Championship#Title History|1 time]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/on/nwa/on-can-h.html NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title (Toronto) history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''[[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling]] / [[World Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/ma-h.html NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with [[Ric Flair]]<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/ma-t.html NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[WCW World Television Championship|NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Television Champions|2 times]])<ref name="wrestling-titles.com">[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/ma-tv.html NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Title history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412062225/http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/ma-tv.html |date=2008-04-12 }} At wrestling-titles.com</ref><ref name=Jan19F4W>{{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/daily-pro-wrestling-history-0119-ric-flair-wins-wwf-title-1992-royal-rumble-302116 | title=Pro wrestling history (01/19): Ric Flair wins WWF title in 1992 Royal Rumble | date=January 19, 2019 | access-date=January 18, 2019 | work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter|Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]] | first=Brian | last=Hoops}}</ref>
**[[WCW World Television Championship|NWA Television Championship]] ([[List of WCW World Television Champions|2 times]])<ref name="wrestling-titles.com"/>
**[[WWE United States Championship|NWA United States Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of WWE United States Champions|3 times]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'']] ([[List of WCW World Tag Team Champions|4 times]]) - with [[Baron von Raschke]] (1), [[Ray Stevens (wrestler)|Ray Stevens]] (1), and [[Ric Flair]] (2)<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/ma-nwa-t.html NWA World Tag Team Title (Mid-Atlantic/WCW) history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]] ([[WCW United States Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with [[Terry Taylor]]<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-t.html NWA/WCW United States Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''
**[[NWA North American Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA North American Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])<ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/others/na-h.html NWA North American Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref><ref>Wrestle America Magazine, spring 1995 issue, p.55.</ref>
*'''[[NWA Hollywood Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-h.html NWA Americas Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship]] ([[NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship#title history|2 times]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-tv.html NWA Beat the Champ Television Title (Los Angeles) history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''New England Wrestling Alliance'''
**NEWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)
*'''North State Wrestling Alliance'''
**NSWA Great Lakes Television Championship (1 time)
**NSWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with [[The Honky Tonk Man]]
*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance|NWA Texas]]'''
**[[NWA North American Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA North American Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
*'''[[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|NWA Tri-State]]'''
**[[NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)|NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Tri-State version)'']] ([[NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)#Title history|2 times]]) - with [[Bill Watts]] (1) and Gorgeous George Jr. (1)<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midsouth/nwa/tri-us-t.html NWA United States Tag Team Title (Tri-State version) history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''[[National Wrestling Federation]]'''
**[[NWF World Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWF World Tag Team Championship#Title history|4 times]]) - with Don Fargo<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/oh/nwf/nwf-t.html NWF World Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''Prime Wrestling'''
**Prime Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jim Neidhart<ref name="Primetag">{{cite web|url=http://www.primewrestling.com/title-tag.php|title=Title History: Prime Tag Team Championship|access-date=August 31, 2013|publisher=Prime Wrestling}}</ref>
*'''[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum|Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
**Class of 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/97943/professional-wrestling-hall-of-fame-moving-from-upstate-new-york-to-texas.html?p=1|title=PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS|date=November 20, 2015|access-date=2015-11-20|work=PWInsider}}</ref>
*'''Portland Wrestling'''
**Portland Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times)<ref name="Titles"/>
*'''Professional Wrestling Federation'''
**PWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="Titles"/>
*'''''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''''
**[[PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year]] (1975, 1979, 1983)
**Ranked No. 49 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the [[Pro Wrestling Illustrated|''PWI 500'']] in 1992<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theturnbucklepost.com/information/pwi-500-annual-listings/pwi-500-1992/|access-date=2012-08-27|title=PWI 500 1992|publisher=The Turnbuckle Post|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726014138/http://theturnbucklepost.com/information/pwi-500-annual-listings/pwi-500-1992/|archive-date=2012-07-26}}</ref>
**Ranked No. 119 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "[[PWI Years]]" in 2003<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi500yr.htm |title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years |access-date=2010-09-15 |publisher=Wrestling Information Archive |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014091213/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi500yr.htm |archive-date=2009-10-14 }}</ref>
*'''Pro Wrestling Ohio'''
**PWO Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with [[Jim Neidhart]]
*'''Pro Wrestling Revolution'''
**PWR Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwrwrestling.net/ResultsofShows/May%2017%2C%202008.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526093802/http://www.pwrwrestling.net/ResultsofShows/May%2017,%202008.htm |archive-date=May 26, 2009 |title=PWR Battle Zone 2008 |work=Pro Wrestling Revolution |date=May 17, 2008 |access-date=February 18, 2023}}</ref>
* '''[[St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
:* Class of 2025
*'''[[Western States Sports]]'''
**[[NWA Western States Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Western States Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with Don Fargo<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/amarillo/ws-t.html NWA Western States Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''Windy City Pro Wrestling'''
**WCPW League Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="Titles"/>
*'''[[World Wrestling Council]]'''
**[[WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship]] ([[WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/carib-h.html Caribbean Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship]] ([[WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pr/wwc/wwc-h.html WWC Universal Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
*'''[[WWE|World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment]]'''
**[[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of WWE Intercontinental Champions|1 time]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWF/WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010)|WWF Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010)|1 time]]) - with [[Brutus Beefcake]]<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-t.html WWWF/WWF/WWE World Tag Team Title history] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>
**[[WWE Hall of Fame]] ([[WWE Hall of Fame (2004)|Class of 2004]])<ref>[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/hof.html WWF/WWE Hall of Fame Inductees] At wrestling-titles.com</ref>

==See also==
*[[The Dream Team (professional wrestling)|The Dream Team]]
*[[Rhythm and Blues (professional wrestling)|Rhythm and Blues]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0884233|name=Greg Valentine}}
* {{Professional wrestling profiles}}

{{Navboxes|
|list1=
{{NWA North American Heavyweight Championship}}
{{WWE United States Championship}}
{{WCW World Television Championship}}
{{World Tag Team Championship (WWE)}}
{{WCW United States Tag Team Championship}}
{{WCW World Tag Team Championship}}
{{WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship}}
{{WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship}}
{{WWE Intercontinental Championship}}
{{WWE Hall of Fame}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, Greg}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American people of Polish descent]]
[[Category:ICW/IWCCW Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:NWA Americas Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions]]
[[Category:NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:NWA North American Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:NWA/WCW United States Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:NWA/WCW World Television Champions]]
[[Category:NWF World Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Seattle]]
[[Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni]]
[[Category:WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010)]]
[[Category:WWC Universal Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:WWE Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions]]
[[Category:WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champions]]

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Greg Valentine