As both a main event and mid-card performer, Strongbow was one of the most reliable, professional wrestlers of his, or any, day. Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serve On April 3, 2012, he died in his home in Griffin . 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. Join NHS Now 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. Grappling great CHIEF JAY STRONGBOW has died of unknown causes. His larger than life persona as a Native American wrestler ran from 1947 to 1985. While he was able to be released from the hospital, he never really recovered from the incident. Many people have wondered about his heritage over the years, and unfortunately he wasn't native at all. coach Carmen LoRe who resides in Nutley and was a member of the original born right here in Nutley on Valentine works a lot of autograph and convention shows these days. 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. Bet youve heard of him Together, they defeated Nicolai Volkoff & Tor Kamata in the finals of a tournament for the then-vacant WWWF Tag Team championship. In 2009 he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 1982, Strongbow formed a tag team with his on-screen brother, Jules Strongbow. STICK TO WRESTLING! Still, a wrestler as popular as Jay Strongbow couldn't help but pick up a fair share of championships. Historical Society Its a fascinating story. sponsored by: Email Scarpa suffered a fall at his home in late 2011 and was hospitalized. This time, the Native American duo held on to the title belts and defended them against the WWFs best teams until, after nearly a half-year as champions, The Strongbows were defeated by another Albano-led team, this time the impressive and dangerous Wild Samoans. He also has a daughter Connie Pacheco of Portland, Oregon. His son, Joe Jr. wrestled in the 1980s and early 1990s mainly as Mark Pyle and Mark Young in the WWF from 19861990 and Vince Young in WCW. coaches and student wrestlers from Nutley High School, and much more. Check-in With an assist from fellow fan favorite Mark Lewin, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious. On June 28, the Strongbows won the tag team championship from the team of Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in New York City's Madison Square Garden. 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. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Born Luke Joseph Scarpa, he was an Italian-American man from New Jersey. As both a main event and mid-card performer, Strongbow was one of the most reliable, professional wrestlers of his, or any, day. Street, Nutley N.J. 07110973-667-1528 But with the creation of Titan Sports, and the transfer of the WWF from Vince Sr. to Vince Jr., Strongbow decided to pursue new challenges in the wrestling business. One presented himself as an Arab (The Iron Sheik), and another was a Officers Street, Nutley N.J. 07110973-667-1528, Contact Room Rental, via phone, not email, Call [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. I never got to work a program with him, but we had some house show matches, and he was terrific to work with. Valentine, with his work ethic and history in the business, just wanted to go out and call it in the ring. "Don was good because he could lead the match while I was learning in the ring," Valentine said. It makes some wonder how much more success he would have had if he took up the Native American character much sooner. After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded. A Many of today's wrestling fans may not know much about Strongbow, but he had a hand in the development of many legendary wrestlers and did many things in the ring that are still being done today. 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. 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. Just a tremendous babyface.". Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel, he 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. His best accomplishments are in WWWF where he was a 4-time World Tag-Team Champion. 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. A word about "the Hammer": Valentines finishing move was the figure-four leglock. Valentine again won the world tag titles, this time with Baron Von Rasche. passed away in Georgia on April 3, 2012. These days, Valentine still wrestles fairly regularly while also working the convention and autograph circuit. From that point forward, it was back to singles wrestling for Jay. Scarpa got his leg broken in one match, and he broke the arm of at least one other wrestler. 50 Years of Nutley Wrestling guest speakers included The Yukon Lumberjacks", "High Chief Peter Maivia and Chief Jay Strongbow", "Raw: Lumberjacks bring predictable chaos", "NWA Tri-State Heavyweight Championship (Alabama version)", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners Inspirational Wrestler of the Year", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chief_Jay_Strongbow&oldid=1129368666, This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 23:54. Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network. And at this time, the title was a coveted item. [3][8] 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. Without question, Chief Jay Strongbow was a consistent box office draw and, arguably, the most famous and beloved Native American wrestler of all time. 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. 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. Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the World Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame. "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.". Sal Scarpa, brother of Joe AKA Chief Jay Strongbow, who When he was ready to fly on his own, Valentine went to Florida and changed his ring name to Johnny Valentine, Jr., but soon scrapped the name. But Strongbow & Sonny would only hold the belts for a short time, as they were defeated by the powerful duo of Prof. Tanaka & Mr. Fuji on June 27, 1972. Chief That match type was used quite often to settle scores in the 1970s and 1980s, and it involved two wrestlers being tied together by a strap, with the main goal of the match being to drag your opponent around the ring in order to touch all four corners. Wahoo McDaniel for example, was of both Choctaw and Chickasaw descent, and was the first famed man to use the Native American gimmick long before Strongbow came around. In 1982, they won the WWWF tag team actor. October 4, 1932, Mini Bio (1) "Chief" Jay Strongbow was arguably the most famous, beloved Native American wrestler of all time, and a consistent box office draw. If that quote is true, WWE Hall-of-Famer the status of Greg Valentine as a performer inside the squared circle is unquestionable. -The Valiant Brothers main evented Madison Square Garden in 1974 and 1975, then finally returned in 1979but things just weren't the same. He laughs, but its easy to see hes only half-kidding. And all the while, Valentine was learning. During the decades before the gimmick, Scarpa wrestled under his real name and saw a lot of success with championships. Both of us were young guys, and we were working hard every night. McCord was disqualified, but Strongbow was cut wide open by Albano's blows. 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 . After wrestling in the WWF for 9 years, Strongbow went to work for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Get the occasional email with the latest wrestling tributes and memorials, Search by ring name, real name, cause of death, organization, time period (2000s, etc) or specific year, WWE Hall of Famer Ravishing Rick Rude was an amazing individual in and out of the ring. Born Jonathan Anthony Wisniski, Jr., the younger Valentine didnt immediately capitalize on his fathers name. 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. Clearly WWE was willing to give back to its talent as Strongbow wound up working as an agent for WWE for a while. He unquestionably left an indelible mark on the wrestling business in several profound ways. 2 heel in the company, just as he had been for Crockett. All Rights Reserved. -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. The team won the title in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff and Tor Kamata. Their brief argument was enough for Maivia to turn on Strongbow, leaving him to take a serious beating from their would-be opponents that night. CopyrightNutley Late in his career, he took on a tag team partner who had adopted the persona of Jules Strongbow. Working for NWA for over two decades, he managed to pick up nearly 20 championships across the various areas that NWA ran. By 1970, Scarpa was working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation and was now known as Chief Jay Strongbow. Strongbow also competed for The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. [9] Their reign was cut short in August 1977 when the belts were vacated due to White Wolf suffering a neck injury at the hands of Ken Patera's Swinging Neckbreaker. 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. Also learn how He earned most of Chief Jay Strongbow networth? Be it as a performer or as part of the management team, Strongbow made many sacrifices, and selflessly gave himself to the "sport." Strongbow would win more championships in the future, but a challenge for that title is his biggest claim to mainstream fame outside of his WWE Tag Team Championship wins. But, Strongbow & King would only hold the belts for a short time, as they were defeated by the devious tandem of Prof. Tanaka & Mr. Fuji on June 27, 1972. 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. The pair made their debut on June 5, 1982, defeating Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura.After making their debut, The Strongbows had a number of opportunities to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito, but were unsuccessful. In 1981 he went to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling where he feuded with Kevin Sullivan. Born Luke Joseph Scarpa, he was an Italian-American man from New Jersey. Ironic, because Strongbow didnt have a drop of Native American DNA in his blood. Strongbow's career started in 1947, using his given name Joe Scarpa. He was one of the greats. "I never wanted anybody to be able to see through any of my stuff, so when I threw something, I threw it hard. What he responded with broke my heart. In case Strongbow enjoyed a successful career and even after his retirement, remained connected to professional wrestling. 973-667-1528 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. Net Worth: Undisclosed. Still, getting the rub from past Native American characters likely helped Tatanka even if the moments were brief. He was born in Philadelphia in 1928, but moved to Nutley with his 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. Scarpa was a standout in the Georgia and Florida territories of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout the 1950s and 1960s, winning several championships and becoming a fan favorite. 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. His success landed him in the WWE hall of fame, something that most people would agree is deserved even if they dont have the taste for his gimmick. Members of the Wu-Tang Clan like him. In fact, he once resigned because the WWE wanted to involve him in an angle where Valentine and Dino Bravo would "kidnap" the Bulldogs mascot, Matilda. Even if fans didn't have the pleasure of seeing him wrestle, they can come to appreciate his immense accomplishments. John shares his theory of how Hanson got that spot. Do you know how much money I could have made with that belt now?". 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. sponsored by: did a Nutley guy named Luke Scarpa come to wrestle professionally as 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. 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. 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. In 1947, he signed with [1] He was trained by legendary second generation Native American wrestler Chief Don Eagle. Soon, he found the moniker that stuck: Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. Welch was actually from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. "Chief" Jay Strongbow was arguably the most famous, beloved Native American wrestler of all time, and a consistent box office draw. Approx. Society, Web site Chief Jay Strongbow: Profile & Match Listing - Internet Wrestling Database (IWD) Chief Jay Strongbow Profile & Match Listing Facts & Stats PWI Ratings Opponents & Partners Win/Loss Record Star Ratings Win Types Relations PPV WWWF matches wrestled by Chief Jay Strongbow Promotion Search: All MLW (Canada) NJPW NWA WWF WWWF And despite working heel for almost the entirety of his career, Valentine has a smile and friendly word for everyone. History. community magazine serving the residents of Nutley, N.J. Read I made sure he respected me!". 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. 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