Rhythm and Blues (professional wrestling)

Rhythm & Blues was a tag team composed of The Honky Tonk Man and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine[2] in the World Wrestling Federation from 1989 to 1991 and later on in the independent circuit for a short run.

Rhythm and Blues
Greg Valentine (left) and The Honky Tonk Man
Tag team
MembersThe Honky Tonk Man
Greg Valentine
Name(s)Double Trouble
Rhythm and Blues
Billed heightsHonky Tonk:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Valentine:
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Combined
billed weight		514 lb (233 kg)[1]
Debut1988
Disbanded1991
Years active1988-1991

History

Background

Both the Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine were a part of manager Jimmy Hart's stable of wrestlers in the WWF, and both had previously held the WWF Intercontinental Title.[3] Greg Valentine had also held the WWF Tag Team Championship with Brutus Beefcake as one half of The Dream Team.[3]

Team

In 1988, The Hart Foundation turned face and started a feud with former manager Jimmy Hart for picking The Fabulous Rougeaus over them. Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine teamed up (under the team name of “Double Trouble,“ though the announcers rarely used this name) to defend Jimmy Hart through the early parts of 1989 with the two teams facing off at WrestleMania V with the Hart Foundation winning the match.[4] After the loss Honky Tonk Man and Valentine focused on singles feuds with "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and ”Rugged” Ronnie Garvin respectively.

After the Fabulous Rougeaus left the WWF, Jimmy Hart reunited the Hammer and the Honky Tonk Man, gave them the team name “Rhythm and Blues,” and made changes to Greg Valentine’s appearance. Valentine had always been a blonde, ungimmicked wrestler who favored the traditional wrestling robe, but when teamed with the Honky Tonk Man, Valentine’s hair got dyed jet black, he was given Elvis style shades, a white jacket and a guitar[1] he quite obviously did not know how to play. Commentator Gorilla Monsoon nicknamed Greg Valentine “Boxcar” when he saw his changed appearance (most likely after Blues singer “Boxcar Willie”).[5] As a commentator, Roddy Piper once opined "Elvis would be turnin' over in his grave if he was dead." In an interview for World Wrestling Insanity, the Honky Tonk Man states the team name was a suggestion made by Rick Rude.

Perhaps their most memorable moment came at WrestleMania VI when they were driven to the ring in a pink Cadillac driven by the then unknown Diamond Dallas Page. In the ring, they debuted their new song, "Hunka Hunka Honky Love"; the song was interrupted by The Bushwhackers who attacked them and broke their guitars much to the delight of the fans.[6] The two teams had a lengthy feud over the summer of 1990 before Rhythm and Blues challenged the tag team champions the Hart Foundation for the titles during the fall.[7] The team had several shots at the gold but came up short every time.

At the 1990 Survivor Series, Rhythm and Blues partnered with Ted DiBiase on his "Million Dollar Team" along with the debuting Undertaker, taking on Dusty Rhodes' "Dream Team" of the Hart Foundation and Koko B. Ware. DiBiase would go on to be the only survivor for his team.[8]

Break up

Near the end of 1990 the Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine started arguing when Greg Valentine got tired of Jimmy Hart’s interference in their matches.[9] This was supposed to lead to a feud between Greg Valentine and the Honky Tonk Man but the Honky Tonk Man left the federation in January 1991[5] thus nullifying the feud.

At some point after both men left the WWF the team reunited in the Northern States Wrestling Alliance where they won the tag team titles once.[3]

Championships and accomplishments
  • Northern States Wrestling Alliance
    • NSWA Tag Team Championship
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See also
  • The Blond Bombers

References
  1. Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  2. Rhythm & Blues: Greg Valentine attempts to duplicate Honky Tonk Mania and falls short.
  3. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  4. prowrestlinghistory.com. "WWF WrestleMania Results (V)". Retrieved April 21, 2007.
  5. Brian Shields (2006). Main event – WWE in the raging 80s (4th ed.). Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-3257-6.
  6. prowrestlinghistory.com. "WWF WrestleMania Results (VI)". Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  7. Graham Cawthon. "WWF Show Results 1990". Retrieved 2007-04-21. (December 1, 1990) WWF Tag Team Champions Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated Greg Valentine & the Honkytonk Man
  8. prowrestlinghistory.com. "WWF Survivor Series Results (1990)". Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  9. Graham Cawthon. "WWF Show Results 1990". Retrieved 2007-04-21. (December 28, 1990) Saba Simba defeated Greg Valentine (w/ Jimmy Hart) via disqualification at 8:29 after Valentine pushed the referee; after the bout, Hart hit Valentine with his own guitar when Simba moved out of the way, busting him open in the process, when Valentine came around, he almost attacked Hart after the crowd began cheering Valentine to do so but Hart was able to escape before anything could happen
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