WRESTLER PROFILES

[Johnny Valentine Gallery]	Wrestler: Johnny Valentine Real Name: John Theodore Wisniski Sr. Birthday: September 22, 1929 Hometown: Washington, DC Marital Status: Married to Sharon Height & Weight: 6'4" - 250 lbs Trained by: Stanislaus Zbyszko Wladek Zbyszko Debut: 1947 Previous Names: Rocky Valentine Johnny "The Villain" Valentine The Bad Man from the Badlands The Big O (Georgia) Finishing Move: The Brainbuster Favorite Moves: Human Torture Rack The Elbow Smash Notable Feuds: Fred Atkins Bull Curry Steve Stanlee Bill Miller The Golden Terror Danny Miller Crusher Lisowski Antonino Rocca Tim Woods Wild Bull Curry (1969) Seiji Sakaguchi (1973) Buddy Rogers Wahoo McDaniels
NWA (Florida) Southern Heavyweight title defeating Danny Dusek (July 17, 1950); NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating Joe Christie (1954); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Ed Francis (August 1954); NWA (Minneapolis) Tag Team titles w/Chet Wallich defeating Joe Brunetti & Guy Brunetti (December 10, 1957); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Bill Melby (January 21, 1958); NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Rip Rogers (aka Eddie Graham) defeating Enrique & Albert Torres (April 22, 1958); NWA (Chicago) United States Television title winning a Tournament (1958); (Alberta) Canadian Heavyweight title (1959); WWWF United States Tag Team titles w/Jerry Graham -Johnny replaces Eddie Graham- (November 14, 1959); WWWF United States Tag Team titles w/Buddy Rogers defeating The Fabulous Kangaroos (November 19, 1960); WWWF United States Tag Team titles w/Bob Ellis defeating The Fabulous Kangaroos (January 11, 1962); NWA (Toronto) United States Heavyweight title defeating ???? (November 1962); NWA (Toronto) United States Heavyweight title defeating Bruno Sammartino (December 14, 1962); (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/Bulldog Brower defeating Whipper Watson & Bruno Sammartino (February 28, 1963); (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/The Beast defeating Art Thomas & John Paul Henning (August 1963); NWA (Chicago/Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Fritz Von Erich (October 19, 1963); NWA (Toronto) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Beast (November 1963); (Toronto) International Tag Team titles w/Jim Hady defeating Jerry Graham & Bulldog Brower (December 5, 1963); WWWF United States Tag Team titles w/Antonio Pugliese defeating Dan Miller & Dr. Bill Miller (February 21, 1966); NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating Fritz Von Erich (June 9, 1966); NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Boris Malenko (August 26, 1967); NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Joe Scarpa (December 27, 1967); NWA Florida Brass Knuckles title defeating ????? (April 23, 1968); NWA (Georgia) Wildside Heavyweight title -as the Big O- defeating Mr. Wrestling (May 10, 1968); NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Red Bastien (June 27, 1968); NWA (Florida) Southern Tag Team titles w/Boris Malenko defeating Jose Lothario & Joe Scarpa (August 6, 1968); NWA (Georgia) Wildside Heavyweight title defeating The Professional (Doug Gilbert) (November 8, 1968); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Dan Miller (February 28, 1969); NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating Fritz Von Erich (May 2, 1969); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Jose Lothario (August 29, 1969); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Wahoo McDaniel (October 29, 1969); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Wahoo McDaniel (April 1970); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating George Scott (November 1970); NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Pepper Gomez (March 1971); NWA Texas Brass Knuckles title defeating Killer Kowalski (July 1971); NWA American Tag Team title w/Wahoo McDaniel defeating Chris Markoff & Bronco Lubich (September 1971); NWA American Tag Team title w/Wahoo McDaniel defeating Chris Markoff & Bronco Lubich (1971); NWA American Tag Team title w/Thunderbolt Patterson replaced Toru Tanaka with Thunderbolt (January 1972); NWA (Texas) American Heavyweight title defeating Billy Red Lyons (July 8, 1972); NWF North American Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Powers (September 1, 1972); IWA (Montreal) International Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Rougeau (October 1972); NWF Heavyweight title defeating Abdullah the Butcher (October 19, 1972); NWF North American Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Powers (November 23, 1972); NWA Missouri Heavyweight title defeating Harley Race (January 19, 1973); JWA International Tag Team titles w/Killer Karl Krupp defeating Kintaro Ohki & Seiji Sakaguchi (February 22, 1973); JWA United National Heavyweight title defeating Seiji Sakaguchi (March 2, 1973); NWA (Florida) Southern Heavyweight title defeating Ron Fuller (June 26, 1973); NWA (Chicago/Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (July 7, 1973); NWA (Chicago/Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (August 1973); NWF Heavyweight title defeating Jacques Rougeau Sr. (August 1973); NWA Hawaiian Tag Team titles w/Ripper Collins defeating Sam Steamboat & Peter Maivia (November 28, 1973); NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title awarded after Jerry Brisco went to Japan (January 1974); NWA American Tag Team title w/Tex McKenzie defeating Blackjack Lanza & Blackjack Mulligan (September 23, 1974); NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Sonny King (November 4, 1974); NWA (Mid-Atlantic) United States Heavyweight title defeating Harley Race (July 3, 1975);
In The Beginning: Johnny Valentine is the father of WWF Hall of Famer Greg "The Hammer" Valentine.. Getting Started in the Business: 1947: Johnny Valentine wrestled his first match against Karl Nowena in Buenos Aires, Argentina.. January 1, 1950: Buddy Rogers defeated Johnny Valentine in the Finals of a United States Title Tournament.. November 1, 1956: Johnny Valentine vs Chet Wallick was stopped due to escessive blood loss in Regina, Saskatchewan.. Johnny Valentine formed a tag team with Chet Wallich known as the Atomic Blonds in the National Wrestling Alliance.. Chicago: 1958: Johnny Valentine won a Tournament to capture the NWA United States Television title in Chicago, Illinois.. World Wide Wrestling Federation: November 14, 1959: Jerry Graham chose Johnny Valentine to be his tag team championship partner when Eddie Graham was injured.. April 2, 1960: Red & Lou Bastien defeated Johnny Valentine & Jerry Graham to win the United States Tag Team titles! November 19, 1960: Johnny Valentine & Buddy Rogers defeated The Fabulous Kangaroos to win the United States Tag Team titles! November 26, 1960: The Fabulous Kangaroos beat Johnny Valentine & Chief Big Heart (sub for Rogers) for the US Tag Team titles! January 11, 1962: Johnny Valentine & Bob Ellis defeated The Fabulous Kangaroos to win the United States Tag Team titles! July 5, 1962: Buddy Rogers & Johnny Barend defeated Johnny Valentine & Bob Ellis to win the United States Tag Team titles! February 21, 1966: Johnny Valentine & Antonio Pugliese beat Dan Miller & Dr. Bill Miller to win the US Tag Team titles! September 22, 1966: Baron Mikel Scicluna & Smasher Sloan beat Johnny Valentine & Antonio Pugliese for the US Tag Team titles! Toronto: February 28, 1963: Johnny Valentine & Bulldog Brower beat Whipper Watson & Bruno Sammartino to win the Inter'l Tag Team titles.. July 25, 1963: Art Thomas & John Paul Henning beat Johnny Valentine & Bulldog Brower to win the International Tag Team titles.. August 1963: Johnny Valentine & The Beast beat Art Thomas & John Paul Henning to win the International Tag Team titles.. September 19, 1963: Art Thomas & John Paul Henning beat Johnny Valentine & The Beast for the International Tag Team titles.. December 5, 1963: Johnny Valentine & Jim Hady beat Jerry Graham & Bulldog Brower to win the International Tag Team titles.. Johnny Valentine left the territory before dropping the titles...... Florida: August 26, 1967: Johnny Valentine defeated Boris Malenko to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight title! December 5, 1967: Joe Scarpa defeated Johnny Valentine to capture the NWA Florida Heavyweight title.. December 27, 1967: Johnny Valentine defeated Joe Scarpa to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight title! April 30, 1968: Red Bastien defeated Johnny Valentine to capture the NWA Florida Heavyweight title.. June 27, 1968: Johnny Valentine defeated Red Bastien to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight title! September 23, 1968: Nick Kozak defeated Johnny Valentine to capture the NWA Florida Heavyweight title.. Georgia: May 10, 1968: Johnny Valentine (as The Big O) defeated Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods) for the NWA Georgia Heavyweight title! June 14, 1968: Tarzan Tyler defeated Johnny Valentine to capture the NWA Georgia Heavyweight title! November 8, 1968: Johnny Valentine defeated The Professional (Doug Gilbert) for the NWA Georgia Heavyweight title! November 29, 1968: The Georgia title was held up by referee Joe Louis after a match between Valentine and The Professional.. December 6, 1968: The Professional defeated Johnny Valentine in a rematch to win the NWA Georgia Heavyweight title.. Missouri: December 16, 1972: Harley Race's Missouri Heavyweight title was held up after a match against Johnny Valentine.. January 19, 1973: Johnny Valentine defeated Harley Race in the rematch to capture the NWA Missouri Heavyweight title.. Montreal: October 1972: Johnny Valentine defeated Johnny Rougeau to win the International Heavyweight title.. January 1973: Johnny Valentine was stripped of the International Heavyweight title after no-showing the rematch.. Japan Wrestling Association: February 22, 1973: Johnny Valentine & Karl Krupp beat Kintaro Ohki & Seiji Sakaguchi to win the International Tag titles.. March 2, 1973: Johnny Valentine defeated Seiji Sakaguchi to capture the United National Heavyweight title in Yokohama.. March 6, 1973: Kintaro Ohki & Umanosuke Ueda beat Johnny Valentine & Karl Krupp to win the International Tag Team titles.. March 8, 1973: Akihisa Takachiho defeated Johnny Valentine to win the United National Heavyweight title.. National Wrestling Federation: September 1, 1972: Johnny Valentine defeated Johnny Powers for the NWF North American Heavyweight title! September 22, 1972: The North American Heavyweight title is held up after a match that saw Powers pin Valentine! October 1972: Johnny Powers defeated Johnny Valentine in the rematch to capture the North American title! October 19, 1972: Johnny Valentine defeated Abdullah the Butcher for the NWF Heavyweight title in Cleveland.. ~~~The title was eventually stripped from Valentine following a match against Johnny Powers.. November 23, 1972: Johnny Valentine defeated Johnny Powers for the NWF North American Heavyweight title! January 1973: Karl Von Krupp defeated Johnny Valentin to win the North American Heavyweight title! August 1973: Johnny Valentine defeated Jacques Rougeau Sr. for the NWF Heavyweight title! Late 1973: Johnny Powers defeated Johnny Valentine to capture the NWF Heavyweight title.. Mid Atlantic: January 1974: Johnny Valentine was awarded the Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title when Jerry Brisco went to Japan.. May 13, 1974: Bearcat Wright defeated Johnny Valentine in a Boxing match by ref stoppage when JV was cut over the eye.. October 28, 1974: The Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title was held up after a match between Valentine and Sonny King.. November 4, 1974: Johnny Valentine defeated Sonny King in the rematch to reclaim the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title.. July 3, 1975: Johnny Valentine defeated Harley Race to capture the United States Heavyweight title.. October 4, 1975: Johnny Valentine was involved in a plane crash with Ric Flair, Bob Bruggers and "Mr. Wrestling" Tim Woods.. ~~~The accident left Johnny Valentine permanently disabled and effectively ended his wrestling career.. ~~~Due to this ending of his career, Johnny Valentine was forced to forfiet the United States title.. Retirement: April 24, 2001: Johnny Valentine passed away at the age of 72.. Johnny Valentine was cremated. His widow Sharon keeps his urn in their bedroom..