May 7, 2001 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Career of Johnny Valentine
The plight of Hall of Fame wrestler Johnny Valentine, with his death in the early morning hours of 4/24, and legendary rival Wahoo McDaniel, brought home to many of their contemporaries the lack of care the profession takes to its own.
McDaniel, 63, one of the biggest stars from the late 60s through the mid 80s, has been in poor health the past few years, nearly passing away at one point and needing regular kidney dialysis. While a huge star in his day, with his name coming up a lot over the past week with people’s memories of Valentine, he’s largely been forgotten in his profession, which except for the few older fans who have stuck around for the long haul and a very tiny percentage of current fans, have no interest in history of knowledge of wrestling’s past. His few older fans left in the Carolinas were saddened the last time McDaniel appeared in front of the public at a major wrestling show, when Ricky McDaniel was getting a try-out for the WWF and Wahoo was in his corner at the Greensboro Coliseum, a building he headlined for years, that he went almost totally unnoticed by the audience.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.