PART FOUR

 


PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

PART FOUR


 


Chappell: The Charlie Brown angle went through to the end of 1983, and in 1984 you were involved in something really unique…the ‘Boogie Man Jam ’84.’ Tell us about that concept.

 

Valiant: Dave, that was just sort of a natural. I had a run with the Assassins. I wore them out and kicked their cans the entire matches…but I could never take their masks off. Finally, Paul Jones and the Assassins got to me, tied me up in the ropes, and cut my beard off. I got down real low after they cut my beard.

 

Man, I was so low after that I was just sitting out there on the curb. I mean, they took something really personal that belonged to me.

 

Chappell: Then, the Boogie Man Jam ’84 really allowed you the chance to get revenge against the Assassins and Paul Jones?

 

Valiant: What I did, was I put my hair up against the mask of the Assassins. So we signed the deal…if I lost they shaved my head completely bald. If I won, I could hold their mask up in my right hand.

 

Chappell: And these matches were in a number of different cities, correct?

 

The Boogie Man chokes Paul Jones.

 

Valiant: We went everywhere with Boogie Man Jam ‘84…around the loop. Richmond, Greensboro, Asheville, Charlotte…everywhere.

 

The way we did it, was that one of the Assassins was barred from the building…and I took the mask off of the other Assassin.

 

Chappell: You unmasked Assassin # 2, which I believe was Hercules Hernandez under the hood.

 

Valiant: Yes.

 

Chappell: The Boogie Man Jam ’84 was the first big blowup of your feud with Paul Jones. That feud seemingly went on forever, but few seemed to tire of it. How do you explain the longevity of your running feud with Paul Jones?

 

Valiant: Well, you know, he had an Army!

 

Chappell: Just the variety of the different guys he had in his stable?

 

Valiant: I think that was a large part of it. He had the Barbarian, Superstar Billy Graham, Shaska Whatley, Raschke, Abdullah The Butcher, (Manny) Fernandez…I mean, they just kept on coming.

 

Chappell: I remember there were several more “Hair Matches” over the years between you and Jones and members of his Army.

 

Valiant: I shaved Shaska Whatley’s hair. Then finally, it ended up with me and Paul Jones himself…just us two. This was after I shaved his Army’s hair, and went through all his guys.

 

Chappell: Even though it took quite a while to happen, the buildup was always geared towards you against Jones personally?

 

Valiant: The way it was set up, everybody knew we were going to have a Hair Match against each other. And because Jones wasn’t a wrestler anymore, everybody thought I would easily take his hair. I mean, Jones was a great wrestler, but at that time he was only a manager.

 

So what [the promotion] did at first was to do a swerve…Jones and the Army cheated and screwed me, and I ended up losing MY hair instead! I sat there and let them take my hair off.

 

Chappell: But you eventually got the last laugh!

 

Valiant: Yes. The big blowoff, finally, was Hair Against Hair…and I took Paul Jones’ hair then. Eventually, all of us lost our hair! But that ended the run with Jones.

 

Chappell: When did you leave Jim Crockett Promotions?

 

Valiant: It wasn’t all that long after the run with Jones ended. It was when Turner (Broadcasting System) bought out Crockett…we’re talking around late November of 1988.

 

David , we all still had jobs then. We all could have gone to Atlanta with Turner. We were all under contract…the top boys.

 

A number of the older guys…myself, Wahoo, Paul Jones, Ivan Koloff…we all chose not to go to Atlanta. Turner wanted everybody to move to Atlanta. Turner owned all of the major sports teams in Atlanta, and they didn’t want the wrestlers to be based in Charlotte. So, everybody had to move.

 

Chappell: Everybody but Flair, I guess?

 

Valiant: Yeah, and there were a couple of others. If you stayed in Charlotte, they said you had to fly yourself to Atlanta. Because the hub there was for Delta Airlines, and Turner flew his other teams by Delta and wanted to do the wrestlers the same way. Turner got a really good deal based on how many of his sports players and wrestlers flew through Delta. It was all economics, but it made sense from [Turner’s] point of view.

 

Chappell: Well, that certainly sheds a lot of light on why we stopped seeing many of our old favorites, all of a sudden, at that juncture.

 

Valiant: It was up to us then. It was our decision. Everybody probably made their own decisions for different reasons, but in my case I was going through a divorce and it was tough, and I just wanted to move on from there.

 

Chappell: What did you do when you decided not to go to Atlanta?

 

Valiant: I went onto the independent circuit, and I also remarried. I have been married for thirteen years now to my wife Angel, and we’ve built my Hall of Fame Museum in Shawsville, Virginia right from the ground up.

 

Chappell: I want to get into your Wrestling Camp and Hall of Fame Museum and your current endeavors in a second, but do you have any closing thoughts on your fondest memories from the Mid-Atlantic days?

 

Valiant: Oh, I’ve had so many brother. My goodness. I tell you one thing…I’ve been around the world everywhere with wresting, and I’m telling you brother…Mid-Atlantic wrestling fans and the people here are the greatest in the world.

 

Chappell: You seemed to really enjoy yourself when you wrestled for Jim Crockett Promotions? Was that an act, or did you really enjoy what you did that much?

 

Valiant: It was no act, man. I loved every second of it! It was great!

 

Chappell: I know everyone is interested in what you are up to now. Tell us what is going on with the Boogie Man presently.

 

Valiant: I’m glad you brought that up, David . I run ‘Boogie’s Wrestling Camp,’ in Shawsville, Virginia. Also on site there is my Hall of Fame Museum that I just mentioned a minute ago. The Hall of Fame Museum is really something special.

 

David , I really want to invite all the fans to come to my Camp and spend the day with me…there is no charge or any fees whatsoever. This is my way of giving back to the fans that have supported me all these years. Come spend the day with me, and watch the kids train.

 

We’re open fifty-two Sundays a year from twelve noon until four o’clock in the afternoon. They’re the only hours we’re open. I’ve got so much great memorabilia in there that everyone is welcome to see.

 

Chappell: Tell us about some of the items folks will see when they come to Shawsville.

 

Valiant: Lots of great stuff! I have the ‘Boogie Wagon’ that’s been in the videos. I have a couple of Harleys, and the 3 x 3 wheeler that’s also been in some videos. There’s a dune buggy…and you know, the Valiant Brothers’ limousine is in there too.

 

Chappell: That sounds great. And I’m sure you have a lot of smaller items in your Museum as well! (laughs)

 

Valiant: (laughs)  Honestly, I have thousands of pictures and collages! I have the mask of Charlie Brown under glass there. But there is one more big item that I want to mention. I also have an eight-foot tall replica of the Statute of Liberty…and it has on it ‘The Boy From New York City.’

 

The Museum is really something special. As I said, me and my lovely wife Angel have been working on it for thirteen years. We’ve finally finished it…we’re done!

 

Chappell: I’m sure fans can read a lot about the Hall of Fame Museum on your website?

 

Valiant: Yes, just go to jimmyvaliant.com, and there’s a lot of information about the Camp and the Hall of Fame Museum right on there. There is also a map on my website that gives you good directions to my Camp and the Hall of Fame Museum.

 

Chappell: I’ve heard that your in-ring career will end later this year. Please tell us about that.

 

Valiant: I’m on my farewell tour. I started wresting in 1964. It’s been 40 years, so this year is my farewell tour.

 

I’m also writing a book, David .

 

Chappell: Really?

 

Valiant: Yes. And after I retire from wrestling, the Hall of Fame Museum will still be open every Sunday, but I look forward to also touring with the book.

 

When I retire, what I want to do is to be a good will ambassador for wrestling…you know, do whatever I can to help in any way. God has been good to me…helped me and has taken care of me. I just want to try and give back. Because when I retire, I’ll have the time to devote to that cause. And I want to help with various charities, and to just help people. I’m a people person, man.

 

 

Chappell: Do you have your final match booked yet as part of your farewell tour?

 

Valiant: Yes. My last match is already booked…it will be in the Spartanburg/Greenville, South Carolina area. It’s going to be on Christmas Day, December 25, 2004.

 

I’m going to shave my beard…move on from the Boogie Woogie Man and go back to Handsome Jim my! (laughs)

 

Chappell: Well, whether you’re Handsome Jim my or the Boogie Man, Mid-Atlantic fans will always remember you fondly. You clearly still have much to offer wrestling after your in-ring career ends at the end of the year. The very best of luck on all your future endeavors, and we look forward to seeing you in the weeks and months to come.

 

Thank you Boogie so much for doing a little reminiscing with the Gateway tonight.

 

Valiant: Thank you David …I appreciate everything. Hope to see you again soon.

 

 

 

 

 


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