James Harold Fanning (born August 6, 1942) is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.
Jimmy Valiant was born in Franklin County, Tennessee, near Tullahoma as the youngest of five children of James and Effie Fanning. He later incorporated the names of his four sisters - Louise, Christine, Charlena and Patrica - into the spider web tattoo on his upper arm.
He later moved to Willingboro, New Jersey. He married Clara, with whom he fathered three children: Robin, Rhonda, and Dana. With Felicia, he has his youngest son Handsome. He is now married to Angel. He has 6 grandchildren: Lonna, Jenae, Beau, Chassie, Clarissa, and Delilah.
He started wrestling in 1964 as Big Jim Vallen. He went to the World Wide Wrestling Federation 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.
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. He even recorded a song, "The Ballad of Handsome Jimmy" that began, "I've been rolling into Mempho ... TWA ... [T]ell all the women Handsome Jimmy's on the way..." The song was used in wrestling arenas as his entry music, and it became a mainstay on some Memphis radio stations for a few years. 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. Valiant also spent a brief amount of time in Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1970s as the heel King James Valiant managed by Lord Alfred Hayes.
Jimmy Valiant gets punk slapped by Jerry Lawler (11-11-78) Classic Memphis Wrestling Promo
Jimmy Valiant remembers Dusty Rhodes
WPCQ-TV Jimmy Valiant confronts the Great Kabuki
DUSTY RHODES VS JIMMY VALIANT
Jim Cornette Talking Sense On Iron Sheik and Jimmy Valiant
NWA wrestling Jimmy Valiant
WWW - Jimmy Valiant vs Tully Blanchard - Abdullah The Butcher Attacks! Magnum TA Makes The Save!
Remember When - Jimmy Valiant
WWC: Kamala vs. Jimmy Valiant (1985)
Handsome Jimmy Valiant Interview Classic Memphis Wrestling 1978
"The Boogie Woogie Man" - Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant 'Rocker & Roller' LIVE Classic Memphis 1978
Pez Whatley turns on Jimmy Valiant
Jerry Lawler Calls Jimmy Valiant A Fag (Gratuitous Replay) Classic Memphis Wrestling Moment
Jimmy Valiant gets punk slapped by Jerry Lawler (11-11-78) Classic Memphis Wrestling Promo
Jimmy Valiant remembers Dusty Rhodes
WPCQ-TV Jimmy Valiant confronts the Great Kabuki
DUSTY RHODES VS JIMMY VALIANT
Jim Cornette Talking Sense On Iron Sheik and Jimmy Valiant
NWA wrestling Jimmy Valiant
WWW - Jimmy Valiant vs Tully Blanchard - Abdullah The Butcher Attacks! Magnum TA Makes The Save!
Remember When - Jimmy Valiant
WWC: Kamala vs. Jimmy Valiant (1985)
Handsome Jimmy Valiant Interview Classic Memphis Wrestling 1978
"The Boogie Woogie Man" - Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant 'Rocker & Roller' LIVE Classic Memphis 1978
Pez Whatley turns on Jimmy Valiant
Jerry Lawler Calls Jimmy Valiant A Fag (Gratuitous Replay) Classic Memphis Wrestling Moment
Jimmy Valiant vs. Adrian Street
Turnbuckle Tales "Handsome"Jimmy Valiant 2012 Shoot Interview
Jimmy Valiant - The Handsome Boogie Woogie Man
Manny Fernandez turns heel on Jimmy Valiant
If he wants to act like a clown...
Jimmy Valiant music video
1981 Jerry Lawler & Jimmy Valiant FEUD HISTORY MEMPHIS WRESTLING
Jimmy Valiant Documentary Preview 9
Handsome Jimmy Valiant - NWA MID SOUTH - Hall of Champions Tribute
Jimmy Valiant Boogie Woogie Man Interview
WrestleReunion Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant The Boogie Woogie Man interview
Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant In Your Head Wrestling Shoot Interview
Big Mama Jimmy Valiant Valet Wrestling Shoot Interview
Jimmy Valiant interview
Jimmy Valiant Interview!!!
Jerry Lawler interview with Jimmy Valiant
Definitive Jimmy Valiant Shoot Preview
The Boogie Woogie Man Handsome Jimmy Valiant Audio Interview TWH Retro
Memphis - Jimmy Valiant vs The Invader / Evansville Promo / Iron Mike S Interview and Match
Jimmy Valiant Disses Jerry Lawler's Hillbilly Music (CWA 11-11-78) Classic Wrestling Angle
Jimmy Valiant Dundee & Lawler Interview Classic Memphis Wrestling 1978
CWA MEMPHIS Jimmy Valiant Interview WRESTLING 1979
1980 CWA Jimmy Valiant Feb '80 Interview MEMPHIS WRESTLING
Prof Big Daddy DISSES Jimmy Valiant on the IWX Show
Ep 22 WGD Weekly with Steve & The Scum with Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant talks about Rock-N-Roll Express