It was only weeks after Starrcade '83 and a matter of months before Greg Valentine would eventually leave Jim Crockett Promotions for good for the WWF - -
32 years ago today -- December 14, 1983 -- Dick Slater defeated Greg Valentine for the United States heavyweight championship at a television taping in Shelby, NC. The title change wouldn't air right away. The taping took place in advance of the annual Jim Crockett Promotions Christmas break and the company would not run shows again after that weekend until Christmas night.
Details of the angle between Slater and Valentine that played out over that entire December 1983 TV taping that eventually resulted in the babyface turn of Greg Valentine can be found in the detailed account of the history of the United States title found in the full-color book "Jim Crockett Promotions' United States Championship", on sale now on Amazon.com.
Valentine and Slater are both featured in the collage of championship photos at the bottom of this post. All of those photos are included in the book (along with dozens of others), full color, and many full page.
Valentine and Slater are both featured in the collage of championship photos at the bottom of this post. All of those photos are included in the book (along with dozens of others), full color, and many full page.
