Jimmy Valiant
Acting
Biography
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as "The Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant. Fanning started wrestling in 1964 as "Big Jim Vallen". He went to the WWWF in the 1970s as "Handsome Jimmy Valiant" and formed a team with Johnny Valiant that would dominate the tag team scene for a while as WWWF Tag Team champions. In the later 1960s in the WWA, they were managed by Bobby Heenan. Valiant had entered the WWWF in 1971 as a babyface, originally known as "Gentleman Jim Valiant," but quickly switched to heel. He had title matches against champion Pedro Morales in secondary arenas, such as Philadelphia, and feuded with short-term tag partner Chief Jay Strongbow. Jimmy and his kayfabe brother Johnny held the tag belts from 1974 to 1975 and main evented Madison Square Garden against Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino. During the late 1970s – early 1980s, Valiant was a central player in the Memphis, Tennessee wrestling scene. He feuded regularly with Jerry Lawler and teamed with Bill Dundee to dominate the tag team matches of that time. Despite the Memphis promotion desperately wanting to keep him in Memphis full-time, even offering to buy him a house in Memphis according to Jerry Lawler's biography, Valiant decided to move on after holding the AWA Southern Heavyweight title for roughly a year. In the early 1980s, Valiant returned as a babyface to NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. January 1984, Valiant was attacked by Paul Jones and The Assassins. They tied him to the wrestling ring ropes so that Jones could cut his beard off. This led to a grudge match with hyped supershow called 'Boogie Man Jam '84' in Greensboro, North Carolina. For this match, Dusty Rhodes was in Valiant's corner and tied by a rope to Paul Jones. Valiant defeated Assassin II, who was unmasked and revealed as Hercules Hernandez. Due to the beard cutting attack, he feuded heavily with Paul Jones and his army of wrestlers, from 1984 through to late 1986. This army of wrestlers included The Barbarian, Baron von Raschke, Teijo Khan, and The Assassins. During this three-year feud, Valiant received help from Héctor Guerrero and Manny Fernandez. Although Jimmy Valiant would lose a Loser Leaves Town Tuxedo Street Fight to Paul Jones at Starrcade 1984 in Greensboro, North Carolina the feud with many from the Paul Jones stable continued, which would come to include Abdullah The Butcher. In 1985, Valiant and Ragin' Bull Manny Fernandez formed a team called B and B Connection. During The Great American Bash 1986 summer shows, Paul Jones adopted a military style look in his long feud with Valiant and labeled his stable of wrestlers The Army. Valiant would beat Shaska Whatley in a hair vs hair match, but with outside interference lost a hair vs hair match to Paul Jones only weeks later. In the fall of 1986, The Ragin Bull Manny Fernandez, Valiant's best friend accepted Jones' money and turned on Valiant, starting a feud between the two. Paul Jones at this point shortened his army to his newly acquired tag team of Ragin Bull and Rick Rude. The war between Valiant and Paul Jones climaxed at Starrcade 1986 with Valiant putting up the hair of his valet Big Mama against the hair of Paul Jones in a No DQ Match which Valiant won.
Known For
The greatest WWE Superstars of the 1975s & 1982s, including Andre the Giant, Bob Backlund, and Bruno Sammartino compete in exciting matches.
WWF All-Star Wrestling
Showcasing incredible in-ring action and unforgettable interviews, this weekly television series features a who's who of WWE Hall of Famers.
NWA World Championship Wrestling
Hosts Vince McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes welcome the popular WWE Superstars and feature entertaining segments in WWE's original talk show.
Tuesday Night Titans
Relive the glory days of the National Wrestling Alliance through Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling's weekly television show.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jerry Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Assocation (CWA) Wrestling show on WMC-TV, later renamed to "Championship Wrestling Association" and keeping the same CWA name around the time Jerry Lawler joined Jerry Jarrett in running the show. After Jarrett and Lawler purchased the rights to World Class Wrestling Association's "World Class Championship Wrestling" shows in the Dallas area, both the Dallas shows and the CWA show were rebranded under the "United States Wrestling Association" name. This show was rebranded to "USWA Championship Wrestling." The show ended in 1997.
USWA Championship Wrestling
The first nationally syndicated WWE television series, Championship Wrestling features numerous WWE Hall of Famers and Legends in action.
WWF Championship Wrestling
The American Wrestling Association takes its unique brand of sports-entertainment to locations around the world; these classic AWA events feature the top competitors in the Minnesota-based territory, and many were never broadcast on television.
AWA Arena Shows
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Ohio Valley Wrestling TV
WCW Arena Shows takes you into the heart of classic professional wrestling, featuring intense matches, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable moments that defined a golden era of the sport.
WCW Arena Shows
At long last the WWE Falls Count Anywhere DVD and Blu-ray match listing has arrived! The full content comes to us courtesy of Shock Entertainment.
WWE: Falls Count Anywhere: The Greatest Street Fights and Other Out of Control Matches
Jim Crockett Promotions used "The Great American Bash" as the name for a tour that had several PPV caliber shows around the country. In 1986, there were 13 Great American Bashes and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defended his title at each one against Ricky Morton, Road Warrior Hawk, Ron Garvin, Nikita Koloff, Robert Gibson, Road Warrior Animal, Magnum T.A., Wahoo McDaniel and Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes defeated him for the title at the July 26 Bash. Flair challenged for it on the last Bash on August 2. Nikita Koloff and Magnum T.A. were involved in a best of seven title match series throughout the Bash for the U.S. Title.
NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
Follow Mark Torgl star of 1984's The Toxic Avenger who played "Melvin The Mopboy" and transforms into Toxie, as he attends the Monster Convention circuit for the first time. Discover the convention world through Torgl's eyes, and learn a deep dark secret that has kept Torgl in hiding for 30 years.
Toxic Tutu
Ric Flair puts the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Ricky Morton in a Steel Cage Match as the Bash rolls into Charlotte.
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
The first ever Starrcade features Ric Flair battling Harley Race in a Steel Cage Match for NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Roddy Piper takes on Greg Valentine in a brutal Dog Collar Match. Plus, Abdullah the Butcher, Wahoo McDaniel, Ricky Steamboat, The Brisco Brothers, and more.
NWA Starrcade 1983
The second Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament was held over two nights, April 10 and 11, 1987. The tournament included 24 tag teams.
The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
This was the first use of the WarGames: The Match Beyond match conceived by Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes was on the winning side in both events along with the Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff and Paul Ellering. Koloff, Rhodes and J.J. Dillon sustained serious injuries in the first encounter. The Bash series took place in numerous venues all July long, starting in Landover, Maryland at the Capital Centre on July 2.
NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
Ric Flair takes on Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. A Brutal Steel Cage "I Quit" Match for the United States Championship pits Magnum T.A. against Tully Blanchard. The Rock 'n' Roll Express battle The Koloffs and much more.
NWA Starrcade 1985
One million dollars is on the line as NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair takes on Dusty Rhodes with legendary boxing champion Smokin' Joe Frazier as special guest referee. Tully Blanchard faces Ricky Steamboat for NWA World Television Championship. Jimmy Valiant takes on Paul Jones in a Loser Leaves Town Tuxedo Match and much more.
NWA Starrcade 1984
The National Wrestling Alliance invades the 'Big Apple' with an all-star card featuring a main event of Ricky Steamboat coming out of retirement for one last shot at the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship, held by old rival "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair!
NWA Night of Champions
AWA World Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lawler puts his title on the line against Kerry Von Erich's WCWA World Heavyweight Championship in a Title Unification Match main event. Plus, King Parsons defends the Texas Heavyweight Title against Brickhouse Brown, The Rock 'n' Roll Express battles The Stud Stable, and much more.