Johnny Valentine
During his first few years in the Carolinas, he made major changes in the promotion including changing its focus from traditional tag team wrestling to singles competitors by bringing Wahoo McDaniel, The Super Destroyer and Johnny Valentine, with Valentine being the top wrestler in the territory. Although fans were slow to respond to the sudden shift, Valentine had become one of the most popular wrestlers in the region within several months. He also signed younger wrestlers such as "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, and became a major influence during their early careers.