Jimmy Valiant Movies, TV Shows, and Filmography
Jimmy Valiant
Acting
Biography
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as "The Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant. Fanning started wrestling in 1964 as "Big Jim Vallen". He went to the WWWF in the 1970s as "Handsome Jimmy Valiant" and formed a team with Johnny Valiant that would dominate the tag team scene for a while as WWWF Tag Team champions. In the later 1960s in the WWA, they were managed by Bobby Heenan. Valiant had entered the WWWF in 1971 as a babyface, originally known as "Gentleman Jim Valiant," but quickly switched to heel. He had title matches against champion Pedro Morales in secondary arenas, such as Philadelphia, and feuded with short-term tag partner Chief Jay Strongbow. Jimmy and his kayfabe brother Johnny held the tag belts from 1974 to 1975 and main evented Madison Square Garden against Chief Jay Strongbow and Bruno Sammartino. During the late 1970s – early 1980s, Valiant was a central player in the Memphis, Tennessee wrestling scene. He feuded regularly with Jerry Lawler and teamed with Bill Dundee to dominate the tag team matches of that time. Despite the Memphis promotion desperately wanting to keep him in Memphis full-time, even offering to buy him a house in Memphis according to Jerry Lawler's biography, Valiant decided to move on after holding the AWA Southern Heavyweight title for roughly a year. In the early 1980s, Valiant returned as a babyface to NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. January 1984, Valiant was attacked by Paul Jones and The Assassins. They tied him to the wrestling ring ropes so that Jones could cut his beard off. This led to a grudge match with hyped supershow called 'Boogie Man Jam '84' in Greensboro, North Carolina. For this match, Dusty Rhodes was in Valiant's corner and tied by a rope to Paul Jones. Valiant defeated Assassin II, who was unmasked and revealed as Hercules Hernandez. Due to the beard cutting attack, he feuded heavily with Paul Jones and his army of wrestlers, from 1984 through to late 1986. This army of wrestlers included The Barbarian, Baron von Raschke, Teijo Khan, and The Assassins. During this three-year feud, Valiant received help from Héctor Guerrero and Manny Fernandez. Although Jimmy Valiant would lose a Loser Leaves Town Tuxedo Street Fight to Paul Jones at Starrcade 1984 in Greensboro, North Carolina the feud with many from the Paul Jones stable continued, which would come to include Abdullah The Butcher. In 1985, Valiant and Ragin' Bull Manny Fernandez formed a team called B and B Connection. During The Great American Bash 1986 summer shows, Paul Jones adopted a military style look in his long feud with Valiant and labeled his stable of wrestlers The Army. Valiant would beat Shaska Whatley in a hair vs hair match, but with outside interference lost a hair vs hair match to Paul Jones only weeks later. In the fall of 1986, The Ragin Bull Manny Fernandez, Valiant's best friend accepted Jones' money and turned on Valiant, starting a feud between the two. Paul Jones at this point shortened his army to his newly acquired tag team of Ragin Bull and Rick Rude. The war between Valiant and Paul Jones climaxed at Starrcade 1986 with Valiant putting up the hair of his valet Big Mama against the hair of Paul Jones in a No DQ Match which Valiant won.
Filmography Movies
Acting
I Never Quit: The Magnum T.A. Story
At his apex, Magnum TA was a professional wrestling phenomenon, the biggest star in the National Wrestling Alliance in the mid 80s. After having troubles getting into the profession, Magnum TA persevered and when given his chance to shine he vaulted to the top of the professional wrestling world but in an instant on October 14, 1986 Magnum's life was changed forever in a near fatal car accident. While many would have given up and quit at the age of 27, Magnum TA never quit and reclaimed his life with the same motivation and determination that made him a wrestling superstar. Many in the world of wrestling ask what if this never happened to Magnum TA? This documentary takes you back to the scene where Magnum's life changed and you hear his breathtaking recollection of the accident and Magnum answers the question of what if. Also the documentary provides a career retrospective on the man who changed professional wrestling in a short period of time and a look into his life today.
WrestleCade 2016 - The Final 3 Count
This is the 2nd ever Showcase of Champions event featuring wrestlers from the top promotions across the country!
Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin'
Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin' is the definitive documentary about the history of Memphis wrestling from the 1950's with legendary battles between Sputnik Monroe and Billy Wicks, the 1960's with strutting Jackie Fargo, & the glory days of the '70s with Jerry "the King" Lawler, Tojo Yamamoto, "Superstar" Bill Dundee, & Jimmy Hart.
NWA Starrcade 1984
One million dollars is on the line as NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair takes on Dusty Rhodes with legendary boxing champion Smokin' Joe Frazier as special guest referee. Tully Blanchard faces Ricky Steamboat for NWA World Television Championship. Jimmy Valiant takes on Paul Jones in a Loser Leaves Town Tuxedo Match and much more.
NWA Starrcade 1983
The first ever Starrcade features Ric Flair battling Harley Race in a Steel Cage Match for NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Roddy Piper takes on Greg Valentine in a brutal Dog Collar Match. Plus, Abdullah the Butcher, Wahoo McDaniel, Ricky Steamboat, The Brisco Brothers, and more.
NWA Starrcade 1985
Ric Flair takes on Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. A Brutal Steel Cage "I Quit" Match for the United States Championship pits Magnum T.A. against Tully Blanchard. The Rock 'n' Roll Express battle The Koloffs and much more.
NWA The Great American Bash 1985
The Great American Bash: Freedom Challenge took place on July 6, 1985 at the American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The main event was a steel cage match for the NWA World Television Championship with Tully Blanchard defending the title against Dusty Rhodes. Nikita Koloff challenged for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Ric Flair with David Crockett as the special guest referee. Magnum T.A. defended the NWA United States Championship against Kamala, while the NWA World Tag Team Champions Krusher Khrushchev and Ivan Koloff fought the AWA World Tag Team Champions, The Road Warriors. 4 other matches took place on the undercard.
NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
Jim Crockett Promotions used "The Great American Bash" as the name for a tour that had several PPV caliber shows around the country. In 1986, there were 13 Great American Bashes and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair defended his title at each one against Ricky Morton, Road Warrior Hawk, Ron Garvin, Nikita Koloff, Robert Gibson, Road Warrior Animal, Magnum T.A., Wahoo McDaniel and Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes defeated him for the title at the July 26 Bash. Flair challenged for it on the last Bash on August 2. Nikita Koloff and Magnum T.A. were involved in a best of seven title match series throughout the Bash for the U.S. Title.
NWA Starrcade 1986
Only one team will survive the "Night of the Skywalkers" as The Road Warriors and Midnight Express clash high atop a 25 foot scaffold! Ric Flair defends the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against The Russian Nightmare Nikita Koloff. The Rock 'n' Roll Express defend the NWA Tag Team Championship against Ole & Arn Anderson in a Steel Cage Match.
NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
This was the first use of the WarGames: The Match Beyond match conceived by Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes was on the winning side in both events along with the Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff and Paul Ellering. Koloff, Rhodes and J.J. Dillon sustained serious injuries in the first encounter. The Bash series took place in numerous venues all July long, starting in Landover, Maryland at the Capital Centre on July 2.