Johnny Valiant

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas Sullivan
Data
Ring name Johnny Valiant
Luscious Johnny V
John L. Sullivan
height 183 cm
Fighting weight 111 kg
birth Pittsburgh November 25, 1946
death April 4, 2018
Ross Township
Announced from New York City , New York
Trained by Al Costello
debut 1967

Johnny Valiant (born November 25, 1946 in Pittsburgh , † April 4, 2018 in Ross Township ; real name: Thomas Sullivan ) was an American wrestler and wrestling manager who, through his time in the WWWF (the forerunner of the WWE ) and the WWF became known.

Life

Sullivan grew up in the North Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh, in the neighborhood of Bruno Sammartino . As a child he was fascinated by wrestling. He later asked Sammartino for advice. The two became friends and he referred him to The Sheik , who let him train with Al Costello and gave him his first matches. Sullivan made his ring debut in 1967. He then toured the various regional territories .

From 1969 to 1973 he appeared as John L. Sullivan for the WWWF. He was booked as a midcard baby face and competed against Killer Kowalski and Toru Tanaka , among others .

At one gig he met Jimmy Valiant , who took the man under his wing. He referred him to the World Wrestling Association , where Dick the Bruiser took over the booking. He teamed him up with Jimmy Valiant and renamed him Johnny Valiant. The two brothers were in the storyline and appeared as The Valiant Brothers. They were able to win the WWA World Tag Team Championship four times. In addition, both won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version). In 1974 both became WWWF World Tag Team Champions . In the WWWF he was together with another storyline brother named Jerry Valiant in 1979 tag team champion again.

In 1981 he ended his active wrestling career and became a wrestling manager. There he performed under the pseudonym Luscious Johnny V on. In the early 1980s he managed the early Hulk Hogan in the AWA . He then returned to WWF, as the WWWF called itself, and managed Brutus Beefcake there . Together with this he appeared at Wrestlemania I , where Beefcake played a match against David Sammartino , who was accompanied by his father Bruno. Valiant and Beefcake also appeared regularly on WWF's WWF Championship Wrestling .

May 1985 he formed a tag team with Jimmy Hart called The Dream Team, consisting of Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine . The two WWF Tag Team Champions appeared with their managers at Wrestlemania 2 , where they lost to The British Bulldogs Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid . Before Wrestlemania III he "signed" Dino Bravo , who betrayed Beefcake to become a new member of the Dream Team.

In addition to working as a manager, he was also used as a commentator on WWF Wrestling Challenge , where he stood in for Bobby Heenan when he appeared as a manager. He was also the first manager of Demolition before Mr. Fuji took the job.

In 1987 he made his last appearance as a manager on the first Survivor Series . he started as a jobber a few more times before he was active as a manager at the AWA for about a year. In 1996 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame along with Johnny Valiant .

Sullivan later appeared as an actor and had several appearances on The Sopranos , where he played the bodyguard of Carmine Lupertazzi, and Law & Order , also there under his wrestler name. He also hosted the short-lived night show An Evening with Johnny Valiant .

On April 4, 2018, Sullivan died in an accident when he was hit by a pickup truck in the early hours of the morning . He died on the way to the hospital.

Titles and honors

Filmography

  • 2012: Thumbs Up (documentary)
  • 2008: The Wrestler - Fame, Love, Pain (The Wrestler)
  • 2006: The Absolute Truth About Pro Wrestling (documentary)
  • 2005: Luscious Johnny: The Wrestler (documentary)
  • 2002–2007: The Sopranos (Sopranos)
  • 2000: Mahnhattan Chase
  • 1999: Kill by Inches

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Solomon, Brian: The Valiant Brothers . In: WWE Legends . Pocket Books, 2006, ISBN 0-7434-9033-9 , pp. 180-184.
  2. ^ A b Royal Duncan & Gary Will: Indianapolis: WWA World Tag Team Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , pp. 96-97.
  3. ^ Wrestler Johnny Valiant, 71, who appeared in 'Sopranos,' dead after being hit by truck . In: NJ.com . ( nj.com [accessed October 4, 2018]).
  4. ↑ Template error: The title parameter is required. 
  5. ↑ Maas, Jennifer; Maglio, Tony: WWE Hall of Famer 'Luscious' Johnny Valiant Dies at 71 . The wrap. 5th April 2018.
  6. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will: San Francisco: NWA World Tag Team Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , pp. 307-308.
  7. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will: Florida: NWA Florida Tag Team Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , pp. 160-161.
  8. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will: NWA United States Tag Team Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , p. 163.
  9. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will: NWA Georgia Tag Team Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , pp. 142-143.
  10. ^ Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Tag Team of the Year . Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2008.
  11. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will: WWF World Tag Team Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , p. 24.
  12. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will: Indianapolis: WWA World Title . In: Wrestling Title Histories , 4th. Edition, Archeus Communications, 2006, ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 , p. 96.
personal data
SURNAME Valiant, Johnny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sullivan, Thomas (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American wrestler and wrestling manager
DATE OF BIRTH November 25, 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH Pittsburgh
DATE OF DEATH 4th April 2018
Place of death Ross Township