How On Earth Could You Trust Him...Again?!!!
#PWHS #Article #HowOnEarthCouldYou #TrustHim
October 10, 1968 - Orlando Sentinel
On this date (January 15) in Professional Wrestling History: 1962 - Cowboy Bob Ellis and Johnny Valentine defeat The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan) to win the Northeast United States Tag Team Title, ending the Kangaroos' third reign.
Although I was still two years from being born when this event happened, it was one of the more retold tales from people with whom I traded wrestling knowledge and trivia when I was first learning about the business side of professional wrestling. Ellis and Valentine were huge fan favorites of the aficionados of Capitol Wrestling Corporation (the predecessor to the WWWF). Their defeat of the original Fabulous Kangaroos was impressive enough (The 'Roos had already established themselves as legends-nearly unbeatable-by the time the 1960's were in full swing), but the way that the fans flocked to this team made them even more impressive. For Johnny Valentine, it was a measure of redemption. He had (as a heel) held the titles with Buddy Rogers before Rogers deserted him in a match against the Fabulous Kangaroos-leading to Valentine's loss of the titles and face turn.
Which is why it was so much more astounding that six months later, Valentine turned on Ellis, causing them to lose the titles to The Great Scott and….Buddy Rogers!!! Unlike the convoluted turns of today with more unfathomable plot twists than sense, Valentine turned on Ellis simply because he was…a bad guy at heart. Valentine did not make up with Rogers and continued to feud with him while simultaneously feuding with Ellis and any other face that happened to be in his way.
Move forward three years. Capitol Wrestling Corporation had officially become a sanctioning body and had incorporated under the name World Wide Wrestling Federation. Their mainstay and cash cow was their World Champion, Bruno Sammartino. Bruno had several friends with whom he teamed. One of them was…Johnny Valentine! Valentine mainly teamed with Bruno's storyline "cousin" Antonio Pugliese (Tony Parisi later). Together they won the (you guessed it!) United States Tag Team Title, and sure enough-Valentine turned on Pugliese, which ignited a feud between himself and Sammartino.
All of this happened in a period of four years. The fans were the same fans in 1966 as they had been in 1962. They all remembered Valentine's many turns and returns from heel to face to heel. Yet, they cheered him with gusto! Simple question:
How on Earth Could You Trust Him Again?!!!!!
Turning from heel to face or vice-versa is nothing new in professional wrestling. Ever since there have been established heroes and villains, there have been turns. When done correctly and with proper build up (Spiros Arion turning on Chief Jay Strongbow, or Killer Karl Kox turning on Jimmy Garvin come to mind), they are a thing of beauty to behold. When done haphazardly with little rhyme nor reason (see Luger, Lex), they are merely confusing or annoying. Turns done well in wrestling do not make the head spin. But…
How can you suspend your disbelief enough to support a guy who not many years, not a decade, but only two years prior had been traitorous? Yet, there were masters of the trade-such as Johnny Valentine-who knew the psychology of professional wrestling so well, that they indeed could turn back and forth on a continual basis, and most of the fans would never see it coming! At least not at the time that it happened. In retrospect, maybe things were clearer.
Who were others in the history of our business? Who could seemingly make endless turns and never lose support, popularity or drawing power? Let's see…Terry Funk immediately springs to mind. Killer Karl Kox, Dick Murdoch, Paul Jones, Tommy Rich, Austin Idol, Norvell Austin, The Fuller Brothers, and of course the turning twins-Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee.
What did all of these wrestlers share in common? They knew psychology; they knew how to effectively work a babyface or a heel style; and most importantly-they knew their audience. All of these common characteristics are sadly becoming lost to time. Today's Sports Entertainers know how to do routines, but they do not know how to read an audience. One pop or any heat to them is all the same. Psychology? They barely can pronounce the word, much less understand what it is and how to use it. Saddest of all is that because of the Barnum and Bailey-like touring schedule, these wrestlers will never have an opportunity to know an audience. In Colorado, for example, the WWE hosts a show (usually in Denver, or Colorado Springs) once or twice a year. To the performers in the WWE, people who attend are a WWE Audience. No attention is given to the fact that a Colorado audience will probably have different tastes and preferences than an audience in Texas, Japan, Vancouver, BC, or New York. The very skills that kept fans returning week-after-week to the arenas have been lost. Now, with the wrestling cards coming to towns once every six months or so, today's crop of performers still find it hard to sell out an arena.
But enough of that sad state of affairs. Back to the topic at hand. Can you think back and recall which wrestlers from your era and territory were perennial turn machines? If so, why did you give them the benefit of the doubt, time-after-time-after time? Something to ponder….
Although I was still two years from being born when this event happened, it was one of the more retold tales from people with whom I traded wrestling knowledge and trivia when I was first learning about the business side of professional wrestling. Ellis and Valentine were huge fan favorites of the aficionados of Capitol Wrestling Corporation (the predecessor to the WWWF). Their defeat of the original Fabulous Kangaroos was impressive enough (The 'Roos had already established themselves as legends-nearly unbeatable-by the time the 1960's were in full swing), but the way that the fans flocked to this team made them even more impressive. For Johnny Valentine, it was a measure of redemption. He had (as a heel) held the titles with Buddy Rogers before Rogers deserted him in a match against the Fabulous Kangaroos-leading to Valentine's loss of the titles and face turn.
Which is why it was so much more astounding that six months later, Valentine turned on Ellis, causing them to lose the titles to The Great Scott and….Buddy Rogers!!! Unlike the convoluted turns of today with more unfathomable plot twists than sense, Valentine turned on Ellis simply because he was…a bad guy at heart. Valentine did not make up with Rogers and continued to feud with him while simultaneously feuding with Ellis and any other face that happened to be in his way.
Move forward three years. Capitol Wrestling Corporation had officially become a sanctioning body and had incorporated under the name World Wide Wrestling Federation. Their mainstay and cash cow was their World Champion, Bruno Sammartino. Bruno had several friends with whom he teamed. One of them was…Johnny Valentine! Valentine mainly teamed with Bruno's storyline "cousin" Antonio Pugliese (Tony Parisi later). Together they won the (you guessed it!) United States Tag Team Title, and sure enough-Valentine turned on Pugliese, which ignited a feud between himself and Sammartino.
All of this happened in a period of four years. The fans were the same fans in 1966 as they had been in 1962. They all remembered Valentine's many turns and returns from heel to face to heel. Yet, they cheered him with gusto! Simple question:
How on Earth Could You Trust Him Again?!!!!!
Turning from heel to face or vice-versa is nothing new in professional wrestling. Ever since there have been established heroes and villains, there have been turns. When done correctly and with proper build up (Spiros Arion turning on Chief Jay Strongbow, or Killer Karl Kox turning on Jimmy Garvin come to mind), they are a thing of beauty to behold. When done haphazardly with little rhyme nor reason (see Luger, Lex), they are merely confusing or annoying. Turns done well in wrestling do not make the head spin. But…
How can you suspend your disbelief enough to support a guy who not many years, not a decade, but only two years prior had been traitorous? Yet, there were masters of the trade-such as Johnny Valentine-who knew the psychology of professional wrestling so well, that they indeed could turn back and forth on a continual basis, and most of the fans would never see it coming! At least not at the time that it happened. In retrospect, maybe things were clearer.
Who were others in the history of our business? Who could seemingly make endless turns and never lose support, popularity or drawing power? Let's see…Terry Funk immediately springs to mind. Killer Karl Kox, Dick Murdoch, Paul Jones, Tommy Rich, Austin Idol, Norvell Austin, The Fuller Brothers, and of course the turning twins-Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee.
What did all of these wrestlers share in common? They knew psychology; they knew how to effectively work a babyface or a heel style; and most importantly-they knew their audience. All of these common characteristics are sadly becoming lost to time. Today's Sports Entertainers know how to do routines, but they do not know how to read an audience. One pop or any heat to them is all the same. Psychology? They barely can pronounce the word, much less understand what it is and how to use it. Saddest of all is that because of the Barnum and Bailey-like touring schedule, these wrestlers will never have an opportunity to know an audience. In Colorado, for example, the WWE hosts a show (usually in Denver, or Colorado Springs) once or twice a year. To the performers in the WWE, people who attend are a WWE Audience. No attention is given to the fact that a Colorado audience will probably have different tastes and preferences than an audience in Texas, Japan, Vancouver, BC, or New York. The very skills that kept fans returning week-after-week to the arenas have been lost. Now, with the wrestling cards coming to towns once every six months or so, today's crop of performers still find it hard to sell out an arena.
But enough of that sad state of affairs. Back to the topic at hand. Can you think back and recall which wrestlers from your era and territory were perennial turn machines? If so, why did you give them the benefit of the doubt, time-after-time-after time? Something to ponder….
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
How On Earth Could You Trust Him...Again?!!!
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: March 1, 2015.
Article: #82.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
How On Earth Could You Trust Him...Again?!!!
Author: Harry Grover.
Published: March 1, 2015.
Article: #82.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Harry can be Read Here.