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Legends of Wrestling Piledrive Into the Cove

Posted: Jul 27th 2007 By: CMBurnham

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine remembers professional wrestling's good old days.

All it took to dispose of an opponent was an elbow off the top rope, a figure-four leglock or the dreaded piledriver.

"Now they toss bathroom sinks into the ring," Valentine says from his cell phone while conveniently driving through "parts unknown." "What we did in the '80s is a lost art. ... We're bringing the magic back."


By "magic" Valentine means some good, old-school, no- nonsense professional wrestling -- where a poke in the eye happens only when the referee's back is turned.

Valentine will team up with Brian "The Crippler" Costello in a tag team match against fellow '80s icons "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake on Saturday when "Clash at the Cove" returns to Coveleski Stadium in South Bend.

"Besides (Hulk) Hogan, two of the most recognizable names in wrestling are 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine," "Clash" organizer Costello says. "They're definitely legends in the sport. They've done everything that can be done."

The 56-year-old Valentine, born John Anthony Wisniski Jr., was one of the most hated heels during wrestling's meteoric rise in the mid-1980s.

Valentine, the son of pro wrestler Johnny Valentine, "won" titles ranging from the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship to the Intercontinental Championship. He perhaps is best remembered for teaming up with Beefcake (whose real name is Edward Harrison Leslie) to win the World Wrestling Federation World Tag Team Championship in 1985.

Valentine rose through the ranks feuding with stars such as Chief Wahoo McDaniel, Ric Flair and Tito Santana, but it was a series of "dog-collar" matches with Piper that cemented his celebrity.

In 1983, the two wrestlers famously battled each other while wearing dog collars connected by a steel chain.

"They don't call me 'The Hammer' for helping little old ladies across the street," Valentine says.

Despite his rough wrestling persona, it was Valentine who helped Costello (whose family name is Woodworth) land Beefcake and Piper for the main event. He may not admit it, but Valentine remains close with his former friends, er, nemeses.

"They're friendly enemies more than old friends," Valentine says. "It's still a business, and we'd all love to win this match."

When Valentine called the now 50-year-old Beefcake, he agreed right away.

"First, he wanted to be my partner," Valentine says, "but I said, 'No, this time you're going to wrestle against me.' "

Getting Piper to agree to return to the ring, however, was a bit of a coup.

"I had to pull some strings," Valentine says. "I went after him and after him and finally got an e-mail that he was going to be Beefcake's partner."

Piper (who was born Roderick George Toombs), 53, became famous for his wrestling interview segment known as "Piper's Pit." The segment, which featured Piper interviewing other wrestling superstars, frequently ended in a fight and fueled many feuds.

Arguably the greatest feud in wrestling history was between Piper and Hulk Hogan. Their matches became a pop culture spectacle, involving everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Mr. T and appearances on "Saturday Night Live." It also led to the creation of the highly successful pay-per-view events dubbed "WrestleMania."

Piper now mostly works in television and film, acting in such gems as "They Live" and "Blind Eye."

Since leaving mainstream wrestling, both Valentine and Piper have been inducted into the WWE (formerly WWF) Hall of Fame.

"This is our WrestleMania," Costello says. "(Piper) doesn't do any independent shows like this, so it's kind of a special night."

All four wrestlers in Saturday's main event have a history with one another.

In addition to his matches with Piper, Valentine also feuded with Beefcake after losing the tag team championship.

"Brutus likes to put you in a sleeper hold and cut your hair," Valentine says. "How scary is that? And Piper, his mouth outweighs the rest of him, but he's a lot tougher than he looks."

Piper and Beefcake also fought for a time. Costello, a 1982 Mishawaka High School graduate, meanwhile, has wrestled with and against both Valentine and Beefcake.

"Will anybody be able to trust anybody?" Costello says. "Who will turn on each other first?"

That may make for a good story line for the choreographed violence that will ensue, but in truth, there is a tight-clasp fraternity among these veterans.

"These guys who wrestled during (the '80s) really paved the way for the guys today," Valentine says. "I think that's why people like to see us in person again."

The ninth installment of "Clash at The Cove" also will include a retirement match (the loser must hang up his tights) between International Association of Wrestling's TV Champion Andy Chene and Cousin Bubba.

"It's something you don't see every day," Costello says. "One will continue to wrestle, one will end their career."

The remainder of the IAW card features Dr. Love vs. Mr. Smiley, The Ripper vs. Rodney "Pitbull" Fultze, and Pastor Pain vs. C.R. Rage.

But the draw for most wrestling fans will be seeing such legends as Valentine, Piper and Beefcake together again.

"Each year, we try to get bigger and better," Costello says. "They don't get much bigger than this."

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Clash at the Cove
International Association of Wrestling's Clash at the Cove 9 begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Coveleski Stadium, 501 W. South St., South Bend. The main event features World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake vs. WWE Hall of Famer Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brian "The Crippler" Costello. Other scheduled matches include IAW TV Champion Andy Chene vs. Cousin Bubba in a retirement match, Dr. Love vs. Mr. Smiley, The Ripper vs. Rodney "Pitbull" Fultze, and Pastor Pain vs. C.R. Rage. Tickets are $20-$10. For more information, call (574) 235-9988.