Johnny Valiant

John L. Sullivan (Thomas Sullivan) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), which became the World Wrestling Federation during his time with the promotion. He won the World Tag Team Championship two times. The first run (which lasted over a year) was with his first and most famous storyline brother Jimmy Valiant over Tony Garea and Dean Ho on May 8, 1974; his second title run was with his second storyline brother Jerry Valiant over Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko on March 6, 1979.

Sullivan grew up in Pittsburgh's North Hills suburb, not far from wrestling champion Bruno Sammartino. After asking for advice on how to become a professional wrestler, Sullivan became close friends with Sammartino and began his career in the Detroit territory wrestling, refereeing and working the ring crew for the notorious wrestling villain The Sheik. Kangaroo Al Costello trained Sullivan in the mat wars and soon he began traveling the twenty-five regional territories throughout the U.S, Puerto Rico and Canada. From 1969 through 1973, he enjoyed a protracted stint in the WWWF as a mid-card babyface, losing to top-tier heels like Killer Kowalski and Toru Tanaka, but repeatedly holding the notorious Baron Mikel Scicluna to a draw, and regularly defeating jobbers like Angelo Savoldi and Johnny Rodz. On one of his visits to Ontario working for "Bearman" Dave McKigney, Sullivan met "Handsome Jimmy Valiant". Jimmy took a shine to the young, enthusiastic Sullivan and shortly thereafter, brought him to the World Wrestling Association, where Dick the Bruiser teamed up Sullivan with Jimmy Valiant as the Valiant Brothers. A victory for the WWA tag team titles over Dick the Bruiser and Bruno Sammartino put the name of the Valiant Brothers on the marquee and the Valiants proceeded to have a five-year run which fans still talk about to this day.

Managerial career

After he retired from active competition, Valiant went on to a successful career as a manager. He managed Hulk Hogan as a face in the AWA in the early 1980s and soon moved back to the WWF to manage Brutus Beefcake. The pair appeared at the inaugural Wrestlemania event with Beefcake battling David Sammartino (seconded by his father Bruno Sammartino) to a double disqualification after Valiant slammed David on the floor before being attacked by Bruno who threw him into the ring where all 4 continued the fight. Valiant and Beefcake were also regulars on other WWF television shows including the weekly syndicated WWF Championship Wrestling.

Soon after in May 1985, Valiant and fellow heel manager "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart put together "Dream Team" with Beefcake teaming with then Intercontinental Champion Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. After initially feuding with Tito Santana (who would reclaim the IC title from Valentine in July) and the Junkyard Dog, The Dream Team began to challenge The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo) for the WWF World Tag Team championship after Valentine had lost the IC title to Santana in July. On August 24, 1985 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Valiant led the Dream Team to the Tag Team championship, when they defeated The U.S. Express after Beefcake rubbed Johnny V's (Kayfabe) lit cigar in Windham's eyes. The Dream Team held on to the titles for 8 months, facing challenges from teams such as the U.S. Express and The Killer Bees ("Jumping" Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair) before losing them to the British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith) in the Chicago segment of WrestleMania 2. The Dream Team would chase the Bulldogs for the next few months but were unsuccessful in regaining the championship belts.

Johnny V added Canadian strongman Dino Bravo to his stable in early 1987. At WrestleMania III in front of 93,173 at the Pontiac Silverdome, Valiant, Valentine and Bravo abandoned Beefcake in the ring after the Dream Team had defeated The Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond) and the New Dream Team of Valentine and Bravo was born. Not as successful as the first incarnation, this Dream Team had a lengthy feud with the scorned Beefcake, now known as Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, in which Beefcake famously cut Johnny V's hair on an episode of Superstars of Wrestling when an overly confident Luscious had given the New Dream Team the night off. The New Dream Team would initially feud with The Islanders (Haku and Tama) as well as continuing the feud with the Rougeau's. The Dream Team also had a couple of unsuccessful Tag Team Championship matches against the then champions The Hart Foundation (Brett "Hitman" Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart). These matches were actually unusual for the time as both teams were heels with The Hart Foundation managed by Jimmy Hart.

Also in this stint in the WWF, Johnny V was known to do commentary on matches from time to time (filling in on Wrestling Challenge for fellow heel manager/commentator Bobby "The Brain" Heenan when he had to leave the broadcast booth to manage one of his wrestlers) and introduced the team of Demolition (Ax and Smash before the original Smash (Moondox Rex) was replaced by Barry Darsow due to fans recognizing him as one of The Moondogs). After a few months Demolition would be managed by Mr. Fuji.

After leaving the WWF in early 1988 (one of his last televised appearances being the 1987 Survivor Series), Valiant returned to the AWA and led the Destruction Crew (Wayne Bloom and Mike Enos) to the AWA World Tag Team Championship in 1989 (defeating Greg Gagne and Paul Diamond in a tournament final).

After wrestling

Sullivan still goes by the moniker of Johnny Valiant as an actor and comedian. He has appeared on multiple episodes of The Sopranos and Law & Order. He also has several feature films on his resume. His one-man show "An Evening with Johnny Valiant" has garnered critical praise from "Time Out New York," "The Village Voice" and WBAI Pacifica Radio. He was remarried in 2004 and lives in Queens, New York City.

A documentary and sequel featuring Johnny Valiant, Jimmy Valiant, and indy wrestlers Sky Hosoya and Larry Brisco called "The Absolute Truth About Pro Wrestling (Parts 1 and 2)" was released in 2008.

• Wrestlers managed

• Brutus Beefcake
• Hulk Hogan
• The Spoiler
• Greg Valentine
• Dino Bravo
• Demolition
• The Destruction Crew

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• Wrestling Classics, Jan 1992 issue, p.17
• ^

• Championship Wrestling from Florida

• NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jimmy Valiant
• NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Jimmy Valiant

• Georgia Championship Wrestling

• NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jimmy Valiant

• NWA San Francisco

• NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) - with Jimmy Valiant

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1974 - with Jimmy Valiant

• World Wide Wrestling Federation

• WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
• WWWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Jimmy Valiant (1) and Jerry Valiant (1)

• World Wrestling Association

• WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• WWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Jimmy Valiant

• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Florida: NWA Florida Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 160–161. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA United States Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 163. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA Georgia Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "San Francisco: NWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 307–308. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
• "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Tag Team of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-05-31. 
• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "WWF World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 24. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Indianapolis: WWA World Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 96. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
• Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Indianapolis: WWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 96–97. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.