WWE Hall Of Famer Says He's Still Feuding With Jerry Lawler, Talks Getting Heat In Memphis, More
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling recently interviewed WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Valiant. You can download and listen to the full interview by clicking here, they sent us these highlights:
Can he single out one era of his 50+ year career as a high mark:
"I started wrestling in 1964 and I'm still lacing the boots up 51 years later and believe or not God has really helped me continue with this. It's the only thing I've ever done. What I want to do is just be a good-will ambassador for professional wrestling because it's been so good to myself and to my family. I had over 10,000 matches, drove over 4 million miles on US highways, flew all over the world and to pinpoint an era that I could pick as my favorite would almost be impossible."
The Valiant Brothers working the New York Territory:
"The Valiant Brothers Luscious Johnny and Handsome Jimmy we took the titles, those WWWF world tag team titles from (Tony) Garea and (Dean) Ho and kept them for over a year. At that time it was the longest run ever but it's the timing and everything is about timing in life. Of course, Vince McMahon he had the best territory in the world. We had the whole East Coast and the whole population was there. The "big" arenas were there, Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden and it was something that will never happen again. It was a once in a lifetime dream that it happened to be that we were so hot."
Teaming with Johnny V:
"Johnny and myself parlayed that into a five year run. We went to Indianapolis with Dick The Bruiser and then to Minneapolis for Verne Gagne, then went to San Francisco with (Roy) Shire, went to Atlanta, Georgia to the NWA with (Jim) Barnett and we were tag team champions everywhere we went and we set everything on fire. Not to put a feather in my cap but we really were red-hot and Johnny was such a character and did some great interviews. We were both big blonde headed bombers and both 240-50 pounds and muscled up, tanned and strutting around and it was just all at the right time and we were the right combination."
His singles feud with Jerry Lawler and coming to Memphis:
"I've said that me and Paul Jones had one of the longest running feuds in our history, well I mis-spoke because that feud is with me and The King because we are still feuding. It's gone on for thirty years and is still going on. Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler and Superstar Bill Dundee, myself, Austin Idol we rocked that place. Jerry Jarrett wanted me so bad to get out of the Mid-Atlantic he bought me a house and that was the first time in our business that anyone has ever done that. Lawler tells it in his book about the house. I really loved the Tennessee territory."
Getting heat in Memphis:
"I would go into Memphis as a heel, Handsome Jimmy and I'd knock all the Southern people and say that they were all tobacco chewing and food stampers and just put them down and say that I was a New York City man and just here to take your money and take your women and go back to New York City with the title. They didn't know that I was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It was so funny that they hated Jimmy Valiant but they didn't know the love that I have for the Southern people."