Biggest Fan: Jane Picard "He made my list because he’s my mom’s favorite. And if an 88 year old lady has an opinion about a wrestler it needs to make the list."
This WWF Hall of Famer's career has been long and distinguished. He debuted in 1970, initially reluctant to wrestle under his eventual Greg Valentine name. His father, Johnny Valentine, had already established the name with his own successful career. But eventually he did brand himself Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and began wrestling as his father's tag team partner (although, he was purported to be Johnny's brother instead of his son).
Between 1970 and 1984, Greg Valentine shuffled between various independent promotions, the NWA and the WWWF. He feuded with Wahoo McDaniel (breaking his leg) over the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship, held the NWA Tag Team Titles (with Ric Flair), feuded with Chief Jay Strongbow (breaking his leg), and battled WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund to a one-hour draw.
In 1984, Valentine landed in the WWF once again and quickly became the eighth ever Intercontinental Champion, a title he would put on the line at the very first WrestleMania. Altogether, Valentine's reign as the champ was the fifth-longest in the history of the title and the first to end in a steel cage match.
"The Hammer" soon developed a reputation for being a "slow-starter". He didn't get warmed up until the match had been going for fifteen minutes but he possessed unparalleled stamina, giving him an advantage the longer the match would last. Additionally, Valentine's specialty was going to work on the legs and ankles of his foes, crippling them with his figure four leglock routinely. The combination of these unique skills made Valentine a force to be reckoned with in the WWF for nearly an entire decade.
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine is exactly the type of superstar who deserves to be on this list, probably even a little bit higher than he is. He had success that most wrestlers could only hope for, he had a unique style that made him stand out amongst his peers, he joined the WWF at the perfect time to become a superstar, and that's just what he did.
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