Greg Valentine John Anthony Wisniski Jr . ( September 10 , 1950 ) is an American professional wrestler , better known as Greg " The Hammer " Valentine . He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine . Career . Training . Born in Seattle , Washington , Valentine traveled around Texas in his teens with his father . 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 . Wisniski remained in Canada for a year , wrestling his debut match in July 1970 against Angelo " King Kong " Mosca ( he lost in around five minutes ) . Six months later , Wisniski relocated to Detroit to complete his training under The Sheik . Early years ( 1970 - 1976 ) . 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 and 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 and in Japan under Antonio Inoki in 1975 and early 1976 . National Wrestling Alliance ( 1976 - 1978 ) . 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 was hired to replace his father , who had been forced to retire after he broke his back in a plane crash in 1975 . He immediately began feuding with Johnny Weaver , who he " retired " with a 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 NWA World Tag Team Championships and held the NWA Mid - Atlantic Tag Team Championship ( between June 30 and August 22 , 1977 ) . They first defeated Flair ' s " cousins " Gene and Ole Anderson on December 26 , 1976 in Greensboro , injuring Gene so badly that he had to be stretchered out . They held the titles until May 8 , 1977 , when the Andersons defeated them in a steel cage match in the old 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 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 he defeated Wahoo , breaking his leg in the process . 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 . The 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 - 1981 ) . Valentine began working on a casual basis for the World Wide Wrestling Federation , then owned by Vincent J . McMahon , in November 1978 . 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 . In 1979 , he faced WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund and fought him to a one - hour draw . Valentine returned to the WWWF , 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 . The title was held up , and Backlund defeated Valentine cleanly in the November 23 rematch . He also feuded with Pedro Morales , who he " injured " by suplex ing him on the floor of the arena . National Wrestling Alliance ( 1979 - 1984 ) . Valentine returned to the NWA in late 1979 and asked Flair to reform their tag team . Flair , by then a face , declined . Valentine held the NWA World Tag Team Championship once more with Ray Stevens in 1980 . Four days after their victory , the promoter , 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 Bob Geigel ( then the NWA President ) who would overturn their victory , Stevens and Valentine attacked him and cut the film up with a pocket knife , destroying the evidence . Valentine later claimed to have " seen the light " , and reformed 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 his head , legitimately breaking his nose and splitting his lips . The former partners began feuding over Flair ' s NWA United States Heavyweight Championship , with Valentine finally defeating Flair for the title on July 26 in Flair ' s adopted hometown of 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 . 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 , 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 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 . 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 nailed Piper in the ear with US Title . He dropped the title to Dick Slater on December 14 , just before leaving the for the World Wrestling Federation . World Wrestling Federation ( 1984 - 1992 ) . Valentine went to the WWF in 1984 , predicting that Vince McMahon ' s plan for national expansion would succeed . His first manager was Captain Lou Albano , and he was later managed by Jimmy Hart . On September 24 , 1984 in London , Ontario Valentine defeated Tito Santana for the WWF Intercontinental 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 Junkyard Dog , who he faced in a title match at WrestleMania . Valentine pinned Junkyard Dog 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 ( after he returned to the ring at Wrestlemania ) . He went on to win the title back on July 6 , 1985 in a steel cage match in Baltimore , ending Valentine ' s reign of more than 9 months . Valentine , incensed over losing the belt , destroyed it in the steel cage , forcing the WWF to get a new Intercontinental title belt . Valentine would then form a tag team with Brutus Beefcake known as The Dream Team , managed by Johnny V . On August 24 , 1985 the Dream Team defeated the U . S . Express ( Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda ) for the WWF World Tag Team Championship . They held the titles until April 7 , 1986 when they were defeated at WrestleMania 2 by the British Bulldogs . At WrestleMania III , the Dream Team defeated Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau 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 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 as his new manager , but was used in a much diminished role between 1987 and 1990 . In 1988 , Valentine feuded with newly turned face Don " The Rock " Muraco , after Valentine viciously attacked Muraco ' s manager , former WWF World 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 on Graham , who had a plastic hip . Valentine was entered in the World Heavyweight Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV , where he defeated Ricky Steamboat before losing to Randy Savage , the eventual winner of the tournament . In April 1989 he began feuding with " Rugged " Ronnie Garvin . Two weeks after WrestleMania V , he defeated Garvin in a retirement match on " Superstars of Wrestling " by reversing a 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 he announced Valentine as being " thirty pounds overweight " as he approached the ring for his match with Hercules , and then announced Hercules as the winner when Valentine cheated to win . Valentine 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 drops . 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 submission match at the 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 . Valentine managed to remove the " Hammer Jammer " from Garvin ' s leg with help from his manager Jimmy Hart after which Valentine systematically wore down Garvin ' s leg , but eventually lost after Garvin hit him with the Heartbreaker and applied a sharpshooter , forcing Valentine to submit . Shortly after , Valentine dyed his hair black and formed a tag team with The Honky Tonk Man known as Rhythm and Blues that was managed by Jimmy Hart . Rhythm and Blues feuded with The Bushwhackers and The Hart Foundation , but were overshadowed by the Legion Of Doom , who were by then dominating the tag division . Valentine turned on Honky Tonk Man and became a face in December 1990 . On January 19 , 1991 Valentine participated in the fourth annual Royal Rumble match , where he lasted forty four minutes . He was to feud with his former partner , the Honky Tonk Man , but Honky left the WWF before the feud could begin . Valentine lost to Earthquake at WrestleMania VII , and was defeated again at SummerSlam 1991 by Irwin R . Schyster . He participated in the 1992 Royal Rumble , where he attacked his old rival Ric Flair before being eliminated by Repo Man . World Championship Wrestling ( 1992 ) . Conscious of his diminishing status , Valentine left the WWF and signed with World Championship Wrestling in 1992 . He formed a tag team with Terry Taylor for six months and the duo went on to win the WCW United States Tag Team Championship . After Taylor was fired , Valentine was left without an angle , and eventually resigned in late 1992 when he was asked to lose to Sting . World Wrestling Federation ( 1993 - 1994 ) . He reappeared in the WWE at the 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 . He would return again , as Greg Valentine , at the 1994 Royal Rumble . Independent circuit ( 1994 - present ) . Valentine went on to tour the independent circuit , wrestling in Japan , with the Hamilton based International Championship Wrestling promotion and with the American Wrestling Federation . 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 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 . He wrestled on the 2000 tour of the United Kingdom in which 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 January 29 , 2005 at " WrestleReunion " , Valentine won a seventeen - man 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 AWA Superstars of Wrestling , which toured New England . In AWA Superstars of Wrestling , Valentine regularly wrestled Tony Atlas . In Late 2007 Greg Valentine made an appearance in 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 Titles . Where they were the first team to be eliminated after a slightly botched sunset flip from Necro Butcher . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2004 - 2008 ) . On March 13 , 2004 , Valentine was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 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 " . On October 3 , 2005 , Valentine made an appearance at WWE Homecoming , and on October 23 he was defeated by Rob Conway ( then using a gimmick similar to that of Randy Orton ' s gimmick of " the legend killer " ) on an episode of WWE Heat after Eugene interfered on his behalf , causing the referee to award a victory via disqualification to Conway . He was present at the Retirement Ceremony of his long - time friend , Ric Flair , on the March 31 , 2008 episode of WWE Raw . Pro Wrestling Ohio ( 2009 - present ) . Currently , Valentine makes appearances and wrestles for the Independent promotion Pro Wrestling Ohio , based out of Cleveland , Ohio . He is a former PWO Tag Team Champion with Jim " The Anvil " Neidhart . On the November 8 , 2009 episode of PWO on SportsTime Ohio , Valentine reunited the Dream Team with Brutus " The Barber " Beefcake . Valentine recently wrestled at a Midsouth show in Chackbay Louisiana in a benefit show . Personal life . Greg married Julie on February 14 , 1995 . He has 2 daughters , Vanessa and Romayne , from a previous marriage to 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 . He is a born again Christian , and occasionally speaks at high schools and colleges with Ted DiBiase . He is also a part of Christian wrestling organization , World Impact Wrestling . He is the brother - in - law to wrestler Brian Knobbs . Valentine once appeared on an episode of " Hogan Knows Best " as one of Hulk ' s party guests .