He also had a program with Greg's dad, when he was Joltin' Joe. [9] The team won the title in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff and Tor Kamata. Strongbow aka Joe Scarpa, achieved fame in his persona of a Native-American grappler during the 1970s and 1980s, whose war dance foretold the downfall of his opponents, died last Tuesday. With that said, there has also been other similar gimmicks both before and after Strongbow. Hawaiian who wore a derby and took on a Japanese persona (Mr. McCord was disqualified, but Strongbow was cut wide open by Albano's blows. In 1982, they won the WWWF tag team sponsored by: [3] Strongbow's last appearance in WWE was a brief appearance on the November 17, 2008 episode of Monday Night Raw when Stephanie McMahon introduced him to the audience in Atlanta.[1][14]. 10/10 He Wasn't Actually Native American. (vitag.Init = window.vitag.Init || []).push(function(){viAPItag.display("vi_937032466")}). Standing 6`0 and weighing 245 lbs., Strongbow was a formidable challenge for anyone who faced him in the ring and he often served as a roadblock for future opponents of WWWF champion Bruno Sammartino. Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in a famous match in Madison Square Garden. The former wrestler was laid to rest in Griffin, Georgia. 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. Strongbow and Kent fought inside of a small shark cage, with the first man to escape being declared the winner. There may not yet be a physical Hall of Fame, but enshrinement still means a lot, as it places a performer among the immortals. Anyone can have their own opinions on the Strongbow character, but it's hard to say that it wasn't incredibly popular. Sound off in the comments section below. In retirement, Strongbow became a WWF road agent and worked in the company's front office. 65 Church On April 3, 2012, Joe Chief Jay Strongbow Scarpa passed away at the age of 83. Strongbow was the man when it came to Indian Strap matches, however, and when you consider how prominent strap matches once were, he deserves plenty of recognition. Although winning titles was never the primary goal for Strongbow, especially during his latter years in the ring, a wrestler as popular as Jay Strongbow couldnt help but pick up a fair share of championship gold. . As Chief Jay Strongbow, Scarpa wore a feathered headdress, smeared on But Lou Albano, McCord's manager, interfered by smashing a cast on the Chief's forehead. wrestling team (1962) and head coach for the NHS wrestling team (1994 to Oftentimes when a heel was getting the better of him, Strongbow would "go on the warpath." The first thing that should be known to just about everyone is that Strongbow wasn't actually Native American. 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. Apparently, the former professional wrestler fell sometime at the end of 2011 and had to be hospitalized. "He knew what to do and when to do it, and he was incredibly tough, so I learned just by being around him the Dungeon was different. hometown of Nutley and who later went on to win his first title on April During this time, Strongbow was seemingly impervious to pain as he would absorb strikes, but continue to dance around the ring before finishing off his opponent. Mini Bio (1) "Chief" Jay Strongbow was arguably the most famous, beloved Native American wrestler of all time, and a consistent box office draw. Soon, he found the moniker that stuck: Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. Im the heel, and Im the veteran. On June 28, 1982, Strongbow again brought home the WWF tag team gold, teaming with his nephew Jules Strongbow to defeat the Japanese tandem of Mr. Saito & Mr. Fuji. 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. The most notable is Hulk Hogan, as he would end most of his matches by "hulking up" as he would no-sell his opponent's punches and ultimately end the match with a big boot and a leg drop. After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded. He was even considered to be a relatively hot fan-favorite of the '50s and '60s. Founded 1945 If Stu got ahold of you, hed try to make you scream.". "Chief" Jay quietly faded away, while Joe Scarpa settled into his new life as a WWF "suit. Native American? "I had to give the belt back to Tito after that angle," Valentine said. Officers Lou Albano's rulebreaking team quickly regained the title, though, on July 13, 1982. [10][11], In 1979, he feuded with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, who broke Strongbow's leg. He was inducted into Chief Jay Strongbow. brought lots of memorabilia; All Rights Reserved. Email The thing that makes the two famous gimmicks that took place before and after him different were that they were actually Native American. In 1981 he went to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Kevin Sullivan. In retirement, Strongbow became a WWF road agent and worked in the company's front office. 2007) and won more than 100 matches. Nationality: United States. Born Jonathan Anthony Wisniski, Jr., the younger Valentine didnt immediately capitalize on his fathers name. Sal Scarpa, brother of Joe AKA Chief Jay Strongbow, who Jules Strongbow was hired by the WWF in 1982, and formed a tag team with his on-screen brother, Chief Jay Strongbow. Related: 10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About Lou Thesz. 65 Church In case Wrestling Legend Chief Jay Strongbow Dead at 83. photo: wwe.com. Finally, after nearly half a year as champions, The Strongbows were defeated by another Lou Albano-led teamthis time the impressive and dangerous Wild Samoans.After losing the title, The Strongbows remained a top WWF tag team, until Jules left the promotion. 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. And, like all great wrestlers, past and present, he never allowed his ego to get the best of him. Strongbow retired in 1985, 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. 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. 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. But if the Bulldogs wanted to work spots, they would get with [Brutus] to do it, because I wasnt going to. 12, 2014; the Nutley Hall of Fame in 2013. "Vigilante" who wrestled his first match on April 13, 2013, in his Do you know how much money I could have made with that belt now?". That may lead many people to not know that Strongbow was a bonafide legend of NWA. Friends and fans have left tributes about his time both in and out of the ring online on many websites. On this weeks Stick To Wrestling podcast we continue our Summer Series as we take a look at the Summer of 1979 in the WWF as John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by fellow old school WWF fanatic Randy Barrier. Net Worth 2020 . He eventually challenged WWWF champion Bob Backlund in Madison Square Garden, going to a one-hour draw. "Back when I started (with WWE), they were paying us in cash," he said. Just like with Wahoo, Valentine did an angle with the territorys No. -The Valiant Brothers main evented Madison Square Garden in 1974 and 1975, then finally returned in 1979but things just weren't the same. 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. Follow/Like Us on How He died in that hospital on April 3, 2012, at the age of 83. On the July 13 episode of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the titles back to Fuji and Saito, but on the October 26 episode of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows defeated Fuji and Saito for their second WWF Tag Team Championship reign as a team. After seeking revenge on Patera for the loss of his partner, Strongbow then went on to face the WWWF World Heavyweight champion "Superstar" Billy Graham in a top-drawing feud. Arion was now a heel, and pinned Strongbow in eastern arenas as he went on to challenge champion Bruno Sammartino. Vince Russo mentioned him recently on Austin's show. When you think about it, though, there haven't been many wrestlers in WWE history who have been attached to a certain match type. In 2009, Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Famein Texas. The Nature Boy had already been part of a successful team with Rip Hawk, but the young team of Greg Valentine and Ric Flair was soon over with the crowd as well, winning the NWA Mid-Atlantic tag titles, as well as the world tag team championship twice. Strongbow and King held the title for a month before losing it to the team of Mr. Fuji and Professor Toru Tanaka on June 27. [3] In October 1978, Strongbow came to blows with his tag-team partner, 'High Chief' Peter Maivia in a match with The Yukon Lumberjacks, both of them feuding over who should start the match. "[Wahoo] was rough," Valentine said. He achieved great success in matches in Georgia and Florida. Grappling great CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW has died of unknown causes. He also participated in a 1994 storyline in which he mentored Tatanka. to change. His first run with the company was almost a decade in length, and during that time, Strongbow was one of the top faces in the industry, far above the worst performers of the era. He also has a daughter Connie Pacheco of Portland, Oregon. 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. 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. He was 83 years old at the time. 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. Facebook By now, Valentine was ready for his first marquee singles feud, taking on Wahoo McDaniel and, in a memorable angle, "breaking" Wahoos leg. With a growing reputation as a tough, hard-nosed wrestler, Greg Valentine went into Jim Crocket Promotions in North Carolina and was teamed with another promising young heel: Ric Flair. "I never wanted anybody to be able to see through any of my stuff, so when I threw something, I threw it hard. Read On the March 8, 1983 episode of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the titles to the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika). He currently lives in suburban Birmingham, Alabama and can be reached on Twitter @bamawriter. Net Worth: Undisclosed. Sal Scarpa, brother of Joe AKA Chief Jay Strongbow, who Working in Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York, the Fargo "brothers" would cut a swath of destruction. [9] During the match, special guest referee Ivan Putski counted the winning fall, but did not see Fuji's foot draped over the bottom rope. A memorable match against "Iron" Mike McCord featured Strongbow applying his sleeper hold. Many people spoke fondly of Luke Scarpa after the news of his death was released. 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. [3] After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded. 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. Fuji). He had a memorable feud with "Bulldog" Don Kent, which culminated in a "shark cage match"[2] in 1976. Chief Jay Strongbow character is often seen as a bit of a misstep in terms of respect for cultures due to Scarpa not actually being Native American, but he commited to it in and out of the ring. Instead, Greg got his start training in Stu Harts dungeon, in addition to timely advice from his father. He golfed and fished and lived a peaceful life on his farm in Griffin, Georgia. Links are subject Strongbow also competed for The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. 12, 2014; He feuded with the likes of "The Golden Greek" Spiros Arion, "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant, and "Superstar" Billy Graham, nearly winning the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. October 4, 1932, "club" wrestling team at Nutley High School (1961) the first varsity Strongbow was inducted by Tatanka, who Strongbow was managing at the time. After losing their belts, the Strongbows remained a top WWF tag team, until Jules left the promotion. Wrestling mania seized Nutley. Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serve A man who truly loved the wrestling business, when his ring career ended . Web site The brutality of the feud was brought home during the first Starrcade in 1983, when Valentine and Piper worked a "dog collar" match, with each man chained to the other by the neck. -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. community magazine serving the residents of Nutley, N.J. Strongbow may be gone, but he most certainly won't be forgotten. John shares his theory of how Hanson got that spot. championship title from. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. When things seemed to settle, Maivia came up behind Strongbow and clubbed him on the back of the head before walking off back to the dressing room leaving Strongbow to be assaulted by the Yukon Lumberjacks. 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. "You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.". He was one of the greats. "And one day when I saw him a few years ago, I asked whatever became of that belt, because Tito kept it after that angle. 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). "But he liked it if you gave it back to him, he respected you. Strongbow won his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on May 22, 1972 with partner Sonny King. the educational, cultural and historical needs of our dance, and applying an Indian Death Lock hold to an opponent. As both a main event and mid-card performer, Strongbow was one of the most reliable, professional wrestlers of his, or any, day. [9], 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. 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 Sal Scarpa, brother of Joe AKA Chief Jay Strongbow, who In 1975, he began feuding with Spiros Arion. The Valiant Brothers main evented Madison Square Garden in 1974 and 1975, then finally returned in 1979but things just werent the same. His career started in 1947, and he wouldnt get the Strongbow character until 1970. A man of both character and talent, the Ring Chronicle is proud to induct this important figure from wrestling history into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. 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 Nutley, New Jersey, The Italian-American made his professional debut in 1947, wrestling as Joe Scarpa, a variation of his real name. 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. He defended the title against the Junkyard Dog at the first WrestleMania, taking a count-out loss and keeping the championship. Late in his career, he took on a tag team partner who had adopted the Born Luke Joseph Scarpa, he was an Italian-American man from New Jersey. Valentine works a lot of autograph and convention shows these days. brought lots of memorabilia; Reprinted from Nutley Neighbors, May 2017; Best Version Media For over 30 years, Strongbow has been a role model for his fans, a teacher and friend to his co-workers, and a fair and respected boss to the wrestlers on the road. About And despite working heel for almost the entirety of his career, Valentine has a smile and friendly word for everyone. Just a tremendous babyface.". Strongbow understood how the wrestling business works, and was never above "doing the job" in order to help "the team." Perhaps the greatest Native American to lace up a pair of boots, Chief Jay was one of sports-entertainment's most influential and popular grapplers for almost 40 years. "I think folks are surprised when Im nice," he said, laughing. 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! 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. His Tomahawk Chop was a weapon to be feared and led to many victories, as did his Sleeper hold and several variations of the suplex. In 2010, Scarpaattended a wrestling convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, where reportedly he was tired and largely unable to interact both with friends and with fans. In 1985, Chief Jay Strongbows career was still going well, but Luke Scarpas health was on the decline. coach Carmen LoRe who resides in Nutley and was a member of the original The thing is, Strongbow didn't end up helping Tatanka find any success during his run with the company. However, he remained very much involved with professional wrestling and, over the course of the following decade, Strongbow worked in the WWFs front office and served as road agent, helping to lay out matches, coaching the performers and supervising live events. Many people have wondered about his heritage over the years, and unfortunately he wasn't native at all. Ask him about the 1980s WWE wrestling scene, and Valentine will tell you that life on the road was difficult, but the money often made up for it. community magazine serving the residents of Nutley, N.J. Read Born October 4, 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Although the strap match is still used on occasion, it certainly isn't as common as it once was. Say what you will about the WWE Hall of Fame being a joke due to the inclusions of Koko B. Ware, Pete Rose and Drew Carey, but the fact of the matter is that it is a tremendous honor to be inducted. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Luke Joseph Scarpa (October 4, 1928 - April 3, 2012) was an American professional wrestler who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow.Scarpa portrayed a Native American wrestler, who wore a war bonnet to the ring and would "go on the warpath" when the fans started cheering him against an opponent. [13] Strongbow was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame class of 1994 by Gorilla Monsoon. 973-667-1528 On the table this week: Pat Patterson wins the North American title, and then wins the Intercontinental Title. The Nutley DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY! 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. Chief Jay Strongbow (Joe Scarpa) was born on 4 October, 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, is an Actor. Shortly after this angle, Valentine started doing shots for the WWWF (the precursor of todays WWE) as a wrestler who broke the leg of each opponent. While Strongbow won plenty of titles that most people have forgotten about, he did actually challenge for one of the most famous championships in all of wrestling. Bobby Mathews is a contributor for Pro Wrestling Stories as well as a veteran journalist whose byline has appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Birmingham News, The Denver Post, as well as other newspapers around the country. During his matches, his fans would whoop for him to go on the warpath
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