Greg Valentine on His Career and the Tragic Fate of His Ruined Title

Talking Wrestling with Greg Valentine

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With a growing reputation as a tough, hard-nosed wrestler, Greg Valentine went into Jim Crocket Promotions in North Carolina and was teamed with another promising young heel: Ric Flair.

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It was in the WWF that Greg Valentine rose to his greatest fame, defeating Tito Santana for the Intercontinental title in September of 1984.

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[{"selector":"#anim-4f04a55e-da71-4abc-aeb0-1756673bed19","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":450,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a99f346-c4a7-4578-b40b-53ad37653c40","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 222.06008%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":450,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c36e1280-3e81-4202-b3f9-d794dab492f5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 1.5521564710302942e-14%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Valentine found himself the No. 2 heel in the company, just as he had been for Crockett. But this time, the company was much bigger. Read More

[{"selector":"#anim-d8f4c521-1758-4739-8505-a1b1d49f5b04 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-26.168118942534026%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c197de24-6c2f-4990-a7f9-0342bfc55ac6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":450,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9daba925-3118-4938-91a7-36d8a343de06","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 190.00773%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":450,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] When Greg Valentine and Tito Santana met on July 6, 1985, in a steel cage in Baltimore, Maryland, Santana got the victory to reclaim the title. Valentine responded by retrieving the championship and destroying the belt, beating it repeatedly against the cage and tearing the gold away from the leather. Read More

“I had to give the belt back to Tito after that angle,” Valentine said. “And one day, when I saw him a few years ago, I asked whatever became of that belt, because Tito kept it after that angle. What he responded with broke my heart."

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Greg Valentine on His Career and the Tragic Fate of His Ruined Title

Read More

His skill and attitude made him one of the top heels in wrestling, whether as a part of a tag team or solo act.

Talking Wrestling with Greg Valentine

With a growing reputation as a tough, hard-nosed wrestler, Greg Valentine went into Jim Crocket Promotions in North Carolina and was teamed with another promising young heel: Ric Flair.

Read More

It was in the WWF that Greg Valentine rose to his greatest fame, defeating Tito Santana for the Intercontinental title in September of 1984.

Read More

“I had to give the belt back to Tito after that angle,” Valentine said. “And one day, when I saw him a few years ago, I asked whatever became of that belt, because Tito kept it after that angle. What he responded with broke my heart."

Read More

Swipe up to read the full story!

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