The Valiant Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Valiant Brothers were a professional wrestling
tag team
of storyline
brothers "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant
, "Luscious" Johnny Valiant, and "Gentleman" Jerry Valiant. The team wrestled for National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA), World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation
(WWWF/WWF) and World Wrestling Association
(WWA).
and Johnny Valiant
formed a tag team
in World Wrestling Association
as storyline
brothers. They began wrestling together as heels
. They debuted as a team on 5 January 1974 when they defeated Dick the Bruiser
and Bruno Sammartino
to win the WWA World Tag Team Championship
. The titles were held up after a match against Bruiser and Sammartino on 25 January. On 7 February, they defeated Bruiser and Sammartino in a rematch to win the titles, a second time. They became the most popular heel tag team in WWA during their second reign. Their tenure with WWA ended after they lost the tag titles to Wilbur Snyder
and Pepper Gomez on 4 May.
's World Wide Wrestling Federation
(WWWF) in May 1974 and debuted there around that same time. Their biggest success as a tag team came when they defeated Tony Garea
and Dean Ho
to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on 8 May 1974 edition of All Star Wrestling. Valiants quickly became a dominant heel
tag team as they went on to successfully defend their titles throughout the entire year. They held and defended the titles for over a year before losing them to Dominic DeNucci
and Victor Rivera
on 13 May 1975. This made Valiant Brothers, the longest reigning champions of their era with a reign of 370 days before the record was broken, fourteen years later by Demolition
(Ax
and Smash
), who reigned as tag team champions for 470 days. After losing the titles, Valiants battled against the likes of Tony Garea, Dean Ho, Chief Jay Strongbow
and Haystacks Calhoun
.
(NWA) where they toured NWA territories. They debuted in Georgia Championship Wrestling
(GCW) in the summer of 1976. On 16 July 1976, they defeated Dean Ho
and Ken Mantell to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
. On 10 September, they lost the titles to Porkchop Cash and Tom Jones. They joined San Francisco, California based NWA San Francisco
where they defeated Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd
and Norman Frederick Charles III) on 4 December 1976. They lost the titles to Pat Patterson and Pepper Gomez on 9 February 1977. Later that same year, they joined Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). In January 1978, they were awarded the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship
. On 25 January 1978, they lost the titles to Florida natives Mike Graham and Steve Keirn
.
division while Jimmy became their manager
. In March 1979, the promotion was renamed World Wrestling Federation, dropping 'Wide' from the name. On 24 March 1979 edition of Championship Wrestling
, Jerry and Johnny defeated Larry Zbyzsko and Tony Garea to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. This second version of Valiant Brothers was also successful but Jerry could not achieve the popularity which Jimmy had achieved. Jerry and Johnny lost the titles to Ivan Putski
and Tito Santana
on 22 October. After unsuccessful attempts in winning back the titles from Putski and Santana, Valiant Brothers broke up in the new year 1980, putting an end to the team.
during the 2000s.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
of storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
brothers "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
, "Luscious" Johnny Valiant, and "Gentleman" Jerry Valiant. The team wrestled for National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA), World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWWF/WWF) and World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
The World Wrestling Association was an Indianapolis-based pro wrestling promotion which was operated by Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder. The WWA was affiliated with the larger American Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, though the WWA also had its...
(WWA).
World Wrestling Association (1974)
Jimmy ValiantJimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
and Johnny Valiant
John L. Sullivan (wrestler)
John L. Sullivan is a retired professional wrestler better known as Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , which became the World Wrestling Federation during his time with the promotion. He won the World Tag Team Championship two times...
formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
in World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
The World Wrestling Association was an Indianapolis-based pro wrestling promotion which was operated by Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder. The WWA was affiliated with the larger American Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, though the WWA also had its...
as storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
brothers. They began wrestling together as heels
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
. They debuted as a team on 5 January 1974 when they defeated Dick the Bruiser
William Afflis
William Fritz Afflis , best known as Dick the Bruiser, was an American football player and professional wrestler.-Early life:...
and Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
to win the WWA World Tag Team Championship
WWA World Tag Team Championship
The WWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team title in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1964 until the late 1980s when the promotion closed.-Title history:...
. The titles were held up after a match against Bruiser and Sammartino on 25 January. On 7 February, they defeated Bruiser and Sammartino in a rematch to win the titles, a second time. They became the most popular heel tag team in WWA during their second reign. Their tenure with WWA ended after they lost the tag titles to Wilbur Snyder
Wilbur Snyder
Wilbur Snyder was an American football player and professional wrestler.-Wrestling career:Snyder's wrestling debut occurred during the 1953 offseason. He was trained by Sandor Szabo and Warren Bockwinkel in Southern California. In 1954, Snyder retired from football completely to pursue a full-time...
and Pepper Gomez on 4 May.
World Wide Wrestling Federation (1974–1975)
Jimmy and Johnny signed with Vincent J. McMahonVincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...
's World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWWF) in May 1974 and debuted there around that same time. Their biggest success as a tag team came when they defeated Tony Garea
Anthony Garcia
Anthony "Tony" Garcia is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tony Garea, who wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation , spending thirty-two of his thirty-five year career in the promotion...
and Dean Ho
Dean Higuchi
Dean Higuchi is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Dean Ho, who competed in North American regional promotions including Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the Hawaii-based Big Time...
to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on 8 May 1974 edition of All Star Wrestling. Valiants quickly became a dominant heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
tag team as they went on to successfully defend their titles throughout the entire year. They held and defended the titles for over a year before losing them to Dominic DeNucci
Dominic DeNucci
Dominic DeNucci is an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is also an accomplished trainer, counting former World Heavyweight champions Mick Foley and Shane Douglas, as well as referee Brian Hildebrand, among his students.-Early career:...
and Victor Rivera
Victor Rivera
Víctor Rivera is a volleyball player from Puerto Rico, who was a member of the Men's National Team that ended up in sixth place at the 2007 FIVB Men's World Cup in Japan. In the same year the wing-spiker was named Best Spiker at the NORCECA Championship in Anaheim...
on 13 May 1975. This made Valiant Brothers, the longest reigning champions of their era with a reign of 370 days before the record was broken, fourteen years later by Demolition
Demolition (professional wrestling)
Demolition is a professional wrestling tag team most prominent during the late 1980s / early 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation made up of Ax , Smash , and later Crush . In WWF, Demolition were three-time Tag Team Champions, and hold the records for both the single longest tag title reign...
(Ax
Bill Eadie
Bill Eadie is a professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar...
and Smash
Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully...
), who reigned as tag team champions for 470 days. After losing the titles, Valiants battled against the likes of Tony Garea, Dean Ho, Chief Jay Strongbow
Joe Scarpa
Joseph Luke Scarpa is a former professional wrestler who was best known by his famous ring moniker, Chief Jay Strongbow...
and Haystacks Calhoun
William Calhoun
William Dee Calhoun was a professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun. The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry’s “Golden Age” of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and...
.
National Wrestling Alliance (1976–1978)
In 1976, Jimmy and Johnny left WWWF and joined National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) where they toured NWA territories. They debuted in Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
(GCW) in the summer of 1976. On 16 July 1976, they defeated Dean Ho
Dean Higuchi
Dean Higuchi is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Dean Ho, who competed in North American regional promotions including Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the Hawaii-based Big Time...
and Ken Mantell to win the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
The NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
. On 10 September, they lost the titles to Porkchop Cash and Tom Jones. They joined San Francisco, California based NWA San Francisco
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
where they defeated Royal Kangaroos (Jonathan Boyd
Jonathan Boyd
Jonathan Barry Boyle was an Australian professional wrestler who is known worldwide under the name "Lord" Jonathan Boyd. Initially Boyd competed both in North American and international promotions as part of the Royal Kangaroos with his cousin Norman Frederick Charles III...
and Norman Frederick Charles III) on 4 December 1976. They lost the titles to Pat Patterson and Pepper Gomez on 9 February 1977. Later that same year, they joined Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). In January 1978, they were awarded the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship
NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship
The Florida version of the United States Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team championship. The title was defended sporadically in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1961 to 1962, 1978 to 1980, and then 1983 until 1986...
. On 25 January 1978, they lost the titles to Florida natives Mike Graham and Steve Keirn
Steve Keirn
Stephen "Steve" Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting alligator hunter from...
.
World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation (1978–1979)
In 1978, Valiant Brothers returned to WWWF but Jimmy retired and was replaced by "brother" Jerry Valiant. Jerry and Johnny began wrestling in the tag teamTag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
division while Jimmy became their manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
. In March 1979, the promotion was renamed World Wrestling Federation, dropping 'Wide' from the name. On 24 March 1979 edition of Championship Wrestling
WWWF Championship Wrestling
WWF Championship Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired from 1978 to 1986 and was the original television show of the WWF...
, Jerry and Johnny defeated Larry Zbyzsko and Tony Garea to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. This second version of Valiant Brothers was also successful but Jerry could not achieve the popularity which Jimmy had achieved. Jerry and Johnny lost the titles to Ivan Putski
Ivan Putski
Józef Bednarski , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power"....
and Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
on 22 October. After unsuccessful attempts in winning back the titles from Putski and Santana, Valiant Brothers broke up in the new year 1980, putting an end to the team.
Aftermath
Jimmy and Johnny were inducted into the 1996 Hall of Fame by Owen Hart and British Bulldog. All the three Valiant Brothers, have reunited one time in the independent circuitIndependent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
during the 2000s.
Jimmy and Johnny Valiant
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version)NWA Florida United States Tag Team ChampionshipThe Florida version of the United States Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team championship. The title was defended sporadically in the National Wrestling Alliance affiliated Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1961 to 1962, 1978 to 1980, and then 1983 until 1986...
(1 time)
- Georgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(1 time)
- NWA San FranciscoNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)The San Francisco, California version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1950 until 1961, and then from 1968 until 1979.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)The World Wrestling Association was an Indianapolis-based pro wrestling promotion which was operated by Dick "The Bruiser" Afflis and his business partner Wilbur Snyder. The WWA was affiliated with the larger American Wrestling Association and recognized its champions, though the WWA also had its...
- WWA World Tag Team ChampionshipWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team title in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1964 until the late 1980s when the promotion closed.-Title history:...
(3 times)
- World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
(Class of 1996) - WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1974.
Jerry and Johnny Valiant
- World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)