In 1970, Scarpa began working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation as Chief Jay Strongbow, a Native American gimmick complete with a traditional headdress and Native themed wrestling moves. Name: Joseph Luke Scarpa Preferred Name: Chief Jay Strongbow Date Of Birth: Oct 4th 1928 Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Nationality: USA Gender: Male Matches: 119 (0 Pay Per View) Date Of Death: Apr 3rd 2012 Place of Death: Atlanta, Georgia, United States Ring Name(s): Chief Jay Strongbow, Jay Strongbow, Joe Scarpa Check-in Ric Flair & Greg Valentine in 1976, after defeating Gene and Ole Anderson to win the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Titles in Greensboro, North Carolina, ending the Andersons fourth reign. Strongbow also engaged in a notable feud with "The Big Cat" Ernie Ladd in the WWWF, a feud that carried over to the NWA's Georgia Championship Wrestling a few years later. Anthony Bowens AKA The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Chief Jay Strongbow | Wrestlingfigs.com WWE Figure Forums Wrestlingfigs.com WWE Figure Forums WFT: Mattel WWE Chief Jay Strongbow Chief Jay Strongbow Actions Prev 1 2 Next Use of this site signifies your acceptance of the Privacy Policy & Terms of Use. STICK TO WRESTLING! Arion, a popular and seemingly unbeatable babyface, returned to the WWWF after an absence and teamed with Strongbow. Working with the Bulldogs could be a challenge, becauseespecially at the timethey were one of the newer breeds of teams who wanted to plan spots out in advance. With an assist from fellow fan favorite Mark Lewin, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious. 2 babyface, Chief Jay Strongbow, where he broke Strongbow's leg. community magazine serving the residents of Nutley, N.J. Trivia. Bet youve heard of him Later, Scarpa excelled in two of the NWAs top promotions, the Georgia and Florida territories, winning the NWA World Tag Team championship (Florida version) with Don Curtis in 1962, the Florida Heavyweight title in 1967, plus the Florida Brass Knuckles championship and the Southern Tag Team championship (w/Jose Lothario), both in 1968. Strongbow could also brawl with the best of them, especially once his fiery temper had been ignited. One performer he fought with is actually the grandfather of one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Valentine found himself the No. Truly, "Chief" Jay Strongbow was a consummate wrestlerStrongbow began his career in the mid-1960s, and worked primarily for Vince McMahon Sr. and the World Wide Wrestling Federation. OnApril 3, 2012, he died in his home in Griffin, Georgia. Historical Society, Email His first WWWF Tag Team title came on May 22, 1972 when he teamed with Sonny King to defeat Baron Mikel Scicluna & Curtis Iaukea at New Yorks Madison Square Garden. But if the Bulldogs wanted to work spots, they would get with [Brutus] to do it, because I wasnt going to. Strongbow and Kent fought inside of a small shark cage, with the first man to escape being declared the winner. A man who truly loved the wrestling business, when his ring career ended, Strongbow . the educational, cultural and historical needs of our At 6`2 and weighing 260, Strongbow was a formidable opponent for anyone who faced him in the ring. Still one of the more popular wrestlers in the World Wrestling Federation, in the eyes of the fans, Strongbow was now an elder statesman for WWF wrestlers, having been with the promotion for so long. Still one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWF, in the eyes of the fans, Strongbow was now the "elder statesman" for WWF wrestlers, having been with the promotion for so long. Strongbow also competed for The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. Wrestling legend Chief Jay Strongbow, whose real name was Joseph Scarpa, died on Tuesday at the age of 83, according to ProWrestling.net. hometown of Nutley and who later went on to win his first title on April For those of you who only saw the Valentine feud, it's pretty hard to imagine "Strongbow" hitting flying head and body sciissors, monkey flips, missle and flying dropkicks and somersaults off the turnbuckle. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It was different. Clearly WWE was willing to give back to its talent as Strongbow wound up working as an agent for WWE for a while. The story line didnt pan out, but the wrestling world didnt forget him. home. name. Lou Albanos rule breaking team quickly regained the title, though, on July 13, 1982. Strongbow was an accomplished grappler, as his career . Eventually, Greg Valentine would be brought back, but he was moved down the card, even though he still had entertaining feuds with Don Muraco and Ron Garvin. Strongbow picked up a win at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1970, shortly after he entered the WWWF, pinning top contender Crusher Verdu, who was managed by Lou Albano. Four and a half years later, on December 7, 1976, Strongbow won his second WWWF World Tag Team Championship, this time with partner Billy White Wolf. Swede Hanson gets a main event in Madison Square Garden, Pat Patterson gets an unprecedented four match series against Bob Backlund, and Roddy Piper gets the shaft. Chief Jay Strongbow is a Wrestler, zodiac sign: Libra. Wrestling Legend Chief Jay Strongbow Dead at 83. photo: wwe.com. By now, Valentine was ready for his first marquee singles feud, taking on Wahoo McDaniel and, in a memorable angle, "breaking" Wahoos leg. Actor: Spectrum Wrestling. He was buried in Griffin, Georgia. -The Greg Valentine vs Chief Jay Strongbow feud, which started with Strongbow writhing in agony with a broken leg at ringside while the matches went on as scheduled with the heels taunting him. What went wrong? 50 Years of Nutley Wrestling guest speakers included In 1982, they won the WWWF tag team It makes some wonder how much more success he would have had if he took up the Native American character much sooner. A Great Female Inventors Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat The Story Behind The Magic, Roddy Piper on the Very Beginnings of Professional Wrestling, Nikolai Volkoff and Tito Santana A Side Not Often Seen, Titanes en el Ring Argentinas Crazy Wrestling Show, Brad Armstrong Your Favorite Wrestlers Favorite Wrestler, Blackjack Mulligan Fist Fighting with Andre, Harley, and Ole, Interview with Pro Wrestling Storiess Javier Ojst and Benny Scala, Kevin Von Erich: The Lesser-Known Tale of His Final Match, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka on Pipers Pit Coconut Incident, Kayfabe in Wrestling 8 Stories Fans Shouldnt Know, Hulk Hogan and Iron Sheik Feud that Kick-Started Hulkamania, PLANE RIDE FROM HELL! Meet Chief Jay Strongbow, Nutleys Most Famous Pro Wrestler. A man who truly loved the wrestling business, when his ring career ended . "Back when I started (with WWE), they were paying us in cash," he said. He golfed and fished and lived a peaceful life on his farm in Griffin, Georgia. His skill and attitude made him one of the top heels in wrestling, whether as a part of a tag team or solo act. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. It wouldn't be unfair to credit Strongbow with the advent of such a concept. Many people have wondered about his heritage over the years, and unfortunately he wasn't native at all. He didnt care for a lot of the ga-ga that the WWE was putting on TV at the time. In 2009 he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. [1] He won the NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team titles with Chief Little Eagle in Georgia Championship wrestling in 1965. 2 heel in the company, just as he had been for Crockett. Native American? A memorable match against "Iron" Mike McCord featured Strongbow applying his sleeper hold. -The Valiant Brothers main evented Madison Square Garden in 1974 and 1975, then finally returned in 1979but things just weren't the same. persona of Jules Strongbow. He was inducted into Jim Crockett always paid by check, but in the early WWF, they always paid cash. A memorable match against "Iron" Mike McCord featured Strongbow applying his sleeper hold . Although he was billed for the majority of his career as being a native of Pawhuska, Oklahoma., "Chief" Jay Strongbow was actually born Luke Joseph Scarpa on October 4, 1928 in . Some people have their careers cut short due to injury or waning fan popularity, while others work for decades. where he was advised to adopt the identity of Chief Jay Strongbow. Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the World Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame. Despite that and despite the general stereotypes involved with his gimmick, it could be said that Strongbow did bring a more positive perception on Native American culture than most people likely had at that time. "His legs were so thick that I couldnt get the figure-four on him, so I kind of scissored his leg and fell backward, and that worked.". Like Ricky Steamboathe was tremendous. I never got to work a program with him, but we had some house show matches, and he was terrific to work with. The thing that makes the two famous gimmicks that took place before and after him different were that they were actually Native American. 10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About Chief Jay Strongbow, his gimmick is definitely a relic of the era, 10 Things Fans Should Know About Butch Reed, no slouch when it came to picking up championships, the general stereotypes involved with his gimmick, but he commited to it in and out of the ring, 10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About Lou Thesz, mostly forgettable despite him seeing plenty of tag team success, 10 Women Who Held The NWA Women's Championship, far above the worst performers of the era, 10 Things We Miss About Classic NWA Wrestling, 10 Things Fans Should Know About The Mickey Rourke Movie, The Wrestler, 10 Cringey Moments From Ric Flair's Career Fans Should Know, 10 WCW Wrestlers Whose Careers Ended In The Worst Way, Top 10 What If Scenarios Involving The Undertaker. Without question, Chief Jay Strongbow was a consistent box office draw and, arguably, the most famous and beloved Native American wrestler of all time. This time, the Native American duo held on to the title belts, and defended them against the WWF's best teams. 0:00 / 13:27 WWF Classics from MSG- Chief Jay Strongbow Vs Greg Valentine 1,044 views Nov 12, 2018 WWE 2K17 https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-u. Nutley wrestling coach Mike DiPiano, and former Nutley While a lot of fans look back fondly on the career of Chief Jay Strongbow, it is fair to say that his gimmick is definitely a relic of the era. The Native American duo of Strongbow & White Wolf held the title for over 8 months before being forced to vacate the championship when White Wolf's neck was "broken" by Ken Patera's devastating finisher, the Swinging Neckbreaker. Contact - Nutley Historical Society. However, "The Chief" did venture outside the parameters of the WWWF on occasion, and was (for a time) a high-profile figure on TBS's NWA Georgia Championship Wrestling, the predecessor of WCW Saturday Night. Before Scarpa even became Strongbow he had carved out an incredible career for himself. He also had a program with Greg's dad, when he was Joltin' Joe. In 1975, he began feuding with Spiros Arion. With that said, there has also been other similar gimmicks both before and after Strongbow. He died in that hospital on April 3, 2012, at the age of 83. Jimmy Fallon. His age was listed as 79 0r 83 and his family declined to say how he died nor provide a cause. Valentine then found himself in an interesting position. There may not yet be a physical Hall of Fame, but enshrinement still means a lot, as it places a performer among the immortals. Strongbow understood how the wrestling business works, and was never above "doing the job" in order to help "the team." Valentine agreed to a deal, and less than a month after Starrcade, Valentine dropped the U.S. title to Dick Slater and left for New York. Nevertheless, as both a main-event and mid-card attraction, in the ring and at the box-office, Strongbow was one of the most popular and reliable workers in Vincent J. McMahons World Wide Wrestling Federation. Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine Their Lauded Feud & Dog Collar Match, Championship Belt Maker Dave Millican Shares His Pieces of History, Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine | Rhythm and Blues (and Unkept Promises, Too! Greg Valentine is one of several veteran superstars who appears in the 350 Days documentary, which details what it was really like to live life on the road as a professional wrestler in the 1980s. Instead, Greg got his start training in Stu Harts dungeon, in addition to timely advice from his father. While Strongbow was at odds with plenty of iconic performers, many of the men who clashed with were performers that modern fans may not recognize at all. Back then, many pro wrestlers adopted ethnic personas. But his stiff style had earned him the respect of fans and other wrestlers, and the clubbing elbow drop from Valentine was dubbed "the Hammer" for how hard he seemed to be hitting people. 973-667-1528 Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. It's likely that he was best suited as a talent since he was constantly brought back to help the newer stars. Follow/Like Us on Both of us were young guys, and we were working hard every night. "I was pretty snug," Valentine said. Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network. He was also admitted to the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011, but it seems he was not well enough to attend that event. Chief Jay Strongbow. As both a main event and mid-card performer, Strongbow was one of the most reliable, professional wrestlers of his, or any, day. I dont know about you, but give me cash every time!". 2007) and won more than 100 matches. wrestling team (1962) and head coach for the NHS wrestling team (1994 to Arion turned on Strongbow, destroying his headdress on Philadelphia television after he had tied Strongbow in the ropes, and rubbed the feathers in his face. What are you waiting for? Many people have wondered about his heritage over the years, and unfortunately he wasnt native at all. For a short period of time in 1994, he was involved with a WWF story line that had him serving as a mentor for a Native American wrestler named Tatanka. [9] They defeated the team of Baron Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea. ), Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. It may not be utilized much anymore, but Strongbow was a huge reason for the popularity of the Indian Strap match. Chief Jay Strongbow: 1994 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee | WWE This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser Error Code: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED Technical details : The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. With an assist from fellow fan favorite Mark Lewin, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious. Arion turned on Strongbow, destroying his headdress on Philadelphia television after he had tied Strongbow in the ropes, and rubbed the feathers in his face. Then Vince McMahon came calling. Copyright 2022 Wrestlingfigs.com. Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in a famous match in Madison Square Garden. CopyrightNutley While it didn't translate into all that many championships at that point, he was still considered one of the greatest stars of that decade. Just a tremendous babyface.". Only sparse details about the death of Chief Jay Strongbow have been made known to the public. Do you know how much money I could have made with that belt now?". After several years of traveling to various promotions and gaining experience, he first made his mark in the business while competing in the southern portion of the country, namely, Alabama and Tennessee. 65 Church After seeking revenge on Patera over the intentional injury of his partner, Strongbow then went on to face the reigning WWWF Heavyweight champion Superstar Billy Graham in a top-drawing feud. development & maintenanceprovided at no cost to Nutley Historical Strongbow picked up a win at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1970, shortly after he entered the WWWF, pinning top contender Crusher Verdue, who was managed by Lou Albano. If the Chief started his War Dance, the fans in attendance knew the end was near because no one could (or, perhaps more appropriately, was allowed to) stop him once a fired-up Strongbow began circling his opponent. All Rights Reserved. DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY! Taking on the persona of Chief Jay Strongbow, he quickly became one of the WWWFs top attractions and was in high demand all across the multi-state territory. Chief Jay Strongbow is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame (1994), the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (2009) and the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame (2011). born right here in Nutley on If the Chief started his War Dance, the tens of thousands of fans in attendance knew the end was near, because no one could (or, perhaps more appropriately, was allowed to) stop him once Strongbow began circling his opponent with his "ancient tribal dance. Just as Don Fargo had been his mentor early in his career, Valentine was teamed with Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake as a top heel team in the company, defeating the U.S. Express of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo for the WWF world tag team titles in August of 1985 and holding those belts until losing them to the British Bulldogs at WrestleMania II in April of 1986. He was well enough to appear at the event, but he was only able to give a brief speech due to his poor health. His best accomplishments are in WWWF where he was a 4-time World Tag-Team Champion. It seems clear that the Chief Strongbow gimmick was a flashy idea to bring more attention to Scarpa, but it doesn't seem like it was one that was all that necessary. Chief Jay Strongbow Luke Joseph Scarpa [2] (October 4, 1928 - April 3, 2012) was an American professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow. On the table this week: Pat Patterson wins the North American title, and then wins the Intercontinental Title. He also participated in a 1994 storyline in which he mentored Tatanka. Read He was 83 years old at the time. Valentine started out as "Babyface Nelson" before getting an early opportunity to work as one of the Fabulous Fargo brothers, teaming with Don Fargo from 1971-74. Although his Native American persona was fictional, as a role model for people of all races, there were none better and The Chief proudly wrestled his entire career as a beloved fan favorite. It was just a basement in Stu Harts house with wrestling mats on the floor. leg broken in one match, and he broke the arm of at least one other While today's comeback sequences aren't as pronounced as Strongbow's, John Cena and many other top stars employ a signature move sequence that they use every match. But the feud with JYD was just to keep him busy until his feud with Santana resumed. Welch was actually from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. [12], Strongbow retired in 1986, but would still step back into the ring from time to time, most notably for a legends battle royal in East Rutherford, New Jersey in 1987. On the table this week: Pat Patterson wins the North American title, and then wins the Intercontinental Title. Strongbow settled the score in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden, beating Captain Lou Albano convincingly. In 1982, Strongbow formed a tag team with his on-screen brother, Jules Strongbow. Reprint Information Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network. Then, on June 28, 1982, Strongbow again brought home the gold, teaming with his "nephew" Jules Strongbow to defeat the Japanese tandem of Fuji & Saito. Im going to lead the match, and I just dont work that way.". Scarpa got his He had a memorable feud with "Bulldog" Don Kent, which culminated in a "shark cage match"[2] in 1976. Society, In 1981 he went to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Kevin Sullivan.
Is Paul Sorvino Deaf, Premier Business Solutions, Inc, Articles C