Johnny Valentine

This week, the wrestling world lost another great ring general. Johnny Valentine was 72 and had been in the hospital following a fall from his porch last August.

He fought a long, hard battle to survive in elements that would have taken most men way earlier. He had a broken back, among other things wrong, when they took him to the hospital, and the doctors had given up on him countless times. Their diagnosis was very grim, and they had told his wife Sharon many times that there was nothing more they could do for him.

She did not give up on him and stayed by his bedside and worked with John and exercised him to the point that she nearly succumbed to the pain. She brought John back to a more stable condition and amazed doctors who just stood by and looked with open mouths at her tenacity.

Sharon is a very deeply religious person and, many times, was on her knees in the hospital beside her husband. She prayed that she would have the strength to pull John through this episode of pain and torment that he was going through.

John began to respond to the movements that she did with him and actually started to recover on his own. The body has a remarkable resiliency to heal itself with a little help. John was not a quitter, as he showed in his days following the horrific plane crash that broke his back and put him in a wheelchair in the mid 70's.

He fought back at the prognosis the doctors gave him and continued to be a part of the wrestling business as a booker. At one point, John got out of the wheelchair and, taking crutches in both hands, began to take steps on his own. He lay to rest the option of confinement in a chair the rest of his days.

He went to various benefits and get-togethers where he was the star of the party. He became an elder statesman following a tremendous career. He exemplified the spirit of tough guys in our business.

I had the opportunity to wrestle Johnny a few times on television when he came to the old Detroit territory and a few times in Milwaukee when I went there for the Detroit office. I can only think of one guy that was any tougher than Johnny Valentine was, and that was Reggie "Crusher" Lisowski.

When you left the ring after this gentleman had beaten on your body, you knew that you had been in with the best the business had to offer. Reggie and Johnny had quite a feud going in the old AWA territory and sold out many buildings and caused a lot of riots when they appeared.

Many members of the current business have paid tribute to John, and I would like to share one of them with you. Thanks to Slam Wrestling and Greg Oliver for giving us this report.

RODDY PIPER REMEMBERS VALENTINE
By Greg Oliver, SLAM! Wrestling, April 28, 2001

Rowdy Roddy Piper is a busy man. He's finishing off his book, promoting a show in May in Oregon, pushing a video on his web site and preparing to introduce comedian Norm MacDonald at a concert.

Yet he takes the time to talk about one of his heroes, one of the men who shaped his wrestling career -- Johnny Valentine.

Piper turns it down a notch, and is reflective when talking about Valentine, who died Tuesday.

"The man said one sentence to me that I based my whole career on," Piper told SLAM! Wrestling. "He said, 'I can't make you believe that professional wrestling is for real, but I sure as Hell can make you believe that I am.' Not to take that out of context, as far as 'I'm a tough guy.' That's not what he was saying. He was saying that when Johnny Valentine gets out there, he's snug, he's rough and he can back up any kind of statement he gives."

JOHNNY VALENTINE MEMORIAL SET

Obituary notice, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Sunday, April 29, 2001

Johnny T. Valentine

RIVER OAKS -- Johnny T. Valentine, 72, a retired professional wrestler, died Tuesday, April 24, 2001, at a hospital.

Memorial service: 3 p.m. Tuesday at Castleberry Baptist Church.

Memorials: Johnny Valentine Memorial Fund, Bank of America, Acct. No. 004793093281.

The legendary Johnny T. Valentine, a world-renowned professional wrestler for 28 years, was born Sept. 19, 1928, in Hobart, Wash.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Holly Valentine.

Survivors: Wife, Sharon Valentine; sons, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and his wife, Julie, and John Anthony Valentine; daughters, Brandon Valentine, Tracy Hwidi; sisters, Virginia Wasilchen, Francie Fay; sister-in-law, Brenda Starns; grandchildren, Romaine and Vanessa Valentine, Jayson, Amber, and Tiffany Sparks; and nephew, Dan Starns.

Cards or letters of condolences may be sent to Sharon Valentine at 5016 White Oak Lane, River Oaks, TX, 76114 or at P.O. Box 10792, River Oaks, TX, 76114.

The Johnny Valentine Memorial Fund has been set up by the Bank of America, and the family respectfully requests that anybody who is interested should make a donation that will go towards expenses in lieu of sending flowers.

I would like to thank Sharon for taking the time to drop me a card following the CAC. She spoke of her love for this man we called a friend. She talked of beating the odds and taking John home someday. She held her head up high and wouldn't take bad news as the only option. She is a wonderful lady that has shown me courage beyond expectation. I can only imagine what she is experiencing with the loss of John. My heart is very heavy and it goes out to you and the entire Valentine family.

Rest in Eternal Peace, John.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers