Greg “The Hammer” Valentine is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his hard-hitting style and over 40 championships across multiple promotions.

Born in Seattle, Valentine spent his youth traveling with his father, the legendary wrestler Johnny Valentine. A summer road trip in 1969 with Johnny sparked his interest in wrestling. After dropping out of college, he trained under Stu Hart in Calgary, Canada, and later worked with the Sheik in Detroit.

Valentine debuted in July 1970 as Baby Face Nelson, later becoming Johnny Fargo with Don Fargo before splitting to form Johnny Valentine Jr. in Florida. He adopted the ring name Greg “The Hammer” Valentine to distance himself from his father’s legacy.

Throughout the 1970s–1990s, he competed in NWA, WWF (WWE), and WCW, winning:

• NWA United States Heavyweight Championship

• WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship

• NWA World Tag Team Championship (with Ric Flair)

• WWF World Tag Team Championship (with Brutus Beefcake) Wikipedia+1

He is notable for:

• Winning the NWA’s first Starrcade (1984) in a Dog Collar Match vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper Fox Sports.

• Winning the first WrestleMania (1985) by defending the Intercontinental Title against Junkyard Dog Fox Sports.

• Helping popularize the figure-four leglock in professional wrestling.

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Valentine wrestled under several ring names, including The Blue Knight and Johnny Valentine Jr. He worked in NWA territories, WWF, WCW, and even Japan under Antonio Inoki.

Retired in 2019, Valentine now lives in Clearwater, Florida, where he enjoys gardening, weightlifting, boating, and occasional appearances on TV, including VH1’s Hogan Knows Best.