Discuss here.

I LOVE THE HAMMER!!!!! Nobody was better in the 80s WWF midcard in getting a guy out of his comfort zone and making a match interesting. He worked such a different style than everyone else in WWF at the time and at the very least it led to unique matches for his opponent.

 

This is a list of must-see matches after he lost the IC Title:

 

The Dream Team vs Tito Santana & Ricky Steamboat - MLG 4/85

WWF World Tag Team Champions US Express vs Dream Team - MSG 9/85

WWF World Tag Team Champions Dream Team vs British Bulldogs - Wrestlemania II

WWF World Tag Team Champions British Bulldogs vs Dream Team - SNME 10/86

Survivor Series '87

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine vs Tito Santana - MSG 11/88

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine vs Blue Blazer - Boston 4/89

The New Dream Team vs The Rockers - 6/89

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine vs "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin - MLG 10/89

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine vs "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin - Royal Rumble '90

And here is a shit ton of post-IC Title run matches: http://ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-best-of-dream-team-hammer-swings.html

The Hammer didn't make my Smarkschoice 100. He will easily make my new 100. Him and Ron Garvin will probably be side by side now that I think of it.

I think he has to be in my Top 100. The Garvin series basically did it for me on him, and I got a chance to see some of his Mid-Atlantic stuff, too. He'll be in there.

Valentine was really really great when he made tape from 83 onwards. There is an issue with a lack of footage and no tape of his real prime (except maybe vs Backlund). The stuff we do have is enough to easily make my list and do well on it. I'd have him above DiBiase.

The Hammer didn't make my Smarkschoice 100. He will easily make my new 100. Him and Ron Garvin will probably be side by side now that I think of it.

 

Valentine v. Garvin is a really interesting comp. For great feuds what do you value more the Flair v. Garvin feud or Valentine v. Tito?

 

The Hammer didn't make my Smarkschoice 100. He will easily make my new 100. Him and Ron Garvin will probably be side by side now that I think of it.

 

Valentine v. Garvin is a really interesting comp. For great feuds what do you value more the Flair v. Garvin feud or Valentine v. Tito?

 

 

Valentine vs. Tito is the better feud. Garvin vs. Flair may have the better matches overall, match for match.

He bored me to tears as a kid... How things cam change :-) ... I love The Hammer and will have him pretty high. Of the great stuff people reference, like others I really like the Piper and the Garvin matches. But my favorite part of his career has to be the Tito feud.

Valentine has really blown up as a great worker over the years. He's emerged as Backlund's best opponent. Great feud with Piper. His Flair matches are tremendous. Fun matches with Pedro. The crown jewel is his feud with Tito. A good house show run with the Blue Blazer. A lot of good matches with Ronnie Garvin. The Dream Team produced tons of good matches with the Bulldogs. A guy with great story telling and snug work.

His Flair matches are tremendous.

Oooh not seen these Pete. Dates?

I'm having a beer at a bar will give them to you when I get home. One is from 1980 for the U.S. Belt.

So, I've heard a lot about Valentine as a great worker, especially his series with Tito Santana. Does anyone know where I can find those matches? I'd be interested in his Flair matches too.

I made a Tito-Greg comp. PM me for details.

 

1. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (Spectrum 3/31/1984)
2. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (Spectrum 5/5/1984)
3. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (MSG 6/16/1984)
4. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (MSG 8/25/1984)
5. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (Title Change) (MLG 9/24/1984)
6. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (MSG 10/22/1984)
7. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (MSG 11/26/1984)
8. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (MSG 1/21/1985)
9. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship (MSG 3/17/1985)
10. Ricky Steamboat & Tito Santana vs. Brutus Beefcake & Greg Valentine (Prime Time Wrestling 4/21/1985)
11. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine - WWF Intercontinental Championship - Steel Cage Match (Baltimore 7/6/1985)
12. Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine (MSG 11/26/1988)

Valentine is a shoo in. One of the most impressive guys as I slowly discovered the 80s.

 

I am super high on the Piper Dog Collar match, like Top 5 match of the 80s high. There's also the amazing Garvin match from 1989. Plus really good matches with Backlund, Tito, Flair, and tag matches vs the Bulldogs and that crazy Steamboat/Santana match. He's so very manly, stiff as hell and really knows how to rumble.

Are people really high on that Garvin match then? Like where do people go star rating wise?

 

I assume we are talking Rumble 90 right. If not and it's an MSG one or something I don't think I've seen it. Might affect his G rating.

Not the Rumble one, the one at MSG in 1989.

 

Found the date: September 30 1989.

 

You should definitely watch it.

Thanks. This might also affect Garvin whose score is pretty low as things stand, so can't wait. Must go teach for five hours now though, fml.

A thing I'm interested in for 2026 is seeing if there is any good Greg Valentine indie stuff. His 80s stuff is great and the bulk of his case, anybody who can get a good match out of Jay Strongbow in the era that Valentine did is nothing short of miracle worker. He's so great in that period, that I'm surprised that pretty much from 1992, and I think that might be generous, there isn't anything of note, even though he kept working for another 15 years in some capacity. 

Another 1983 Valentine vs. Piper match has surfaced in the past five years. I believe it was a house show match a couple months prior to the famous dog collar match. It's legitimately great.

I'm tempted to say it might be better than the starrcade match, a legit hidden gem. 

9 minutes ago, Reel said:

I'm tempted to say it might be better than the starrcade match, a legit hidden gem. 

 

That was my immediate reaction when I first saw it. A second viewing has not discouraged this view. I think this just emphasizes the elite level Valentine was at during his peak.

I really liked the babyface match vs Slater we got too.

Well that's some of the most exciting news I've gotten from GWE yet. Valentine's one of those guys that just keeps going up for me. One of the most consistent workman like efforts. The question of his stuff in later years having anything worthwhile or not is an interesting one though.

I ranked Greg Valentine 54th in 2016 and I feel pretty good about that. Honestly Greg might belong like 20 spots higher. At his best he was really great. He might have the best feud in WWF history (vs Tito) and JCP history (vs Piper). Managed to make a team with Brutus Beefcake not only work but be actively good. Great offensive wrestler. Everything Greg did looked great. But he was also an awesome seller. He's someone I thought was really dull as a kid but as an adult he's a damn near perfect wrestler. 

I had the Hammer at number 63 in 2016 and I'm happy enough with that. That said, while we haven't had a TON of new Valentine footage over the last five years, some of what we've gotten has been amazing and could probably bump him a few spaces. The Piper feud is just incredible and the July '83 match is a legit classic to add to his resume. I've also re-watched the Starrcade match since the last poll and its gone from a top 50 match in US history to a top 10 match in US history so that as well might bump him up. The Slater cage match is a cool look at him as a babyface (and another great match into the bargain). None of the singles matches against babyface Flair from 1980 have blown me away, but there's a tag match with Valentine and Hussein Arab/Iron Sheik against Flair and Angelo Mosca from Toronto that's completely fucking awesome (though Flair was the star of it). Obviously the Tito feud is outstanding. Him and Wahoo shredding each other to bits is everything I could've hoped for from reading DEAN gush about it in the old DVDVRs. Awesome mid-80s WWF tag wrestler and made Brutus Beefcake sort of compelling for a while there. Surly as the surliest bastard you've ever seen, strong hold worker, has the elite matches to his name...the Hammer ruled. 

 

GREG VALENTINE YOU SHOULD WATCH

v Bob Backlund (WWWF, 2/19/79)

v Roddy Piper (JCP, 7/9/83)

v Roddy Piper (JCP Starrcade, 11/24/83)

v Dick Slater (JCP Boogie Jam, 3/17/84)

v Tito Santana (WWF, 1/21/85)