Only sparse details about the death of Chief Jay Strongbow have been made known to the public. But Lou Albano, McCord's manager, interfered by smashing a cast on the Chief's forehead. "You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.". WWE: 10 Things You Completely Forgot Happened In The 2000s, 10 WWE Championship Screwjobs We Forgot About, 10 Times A WCW Wrestler Made Their Debut (& Nobody Cared), 10 Wrestlers Who Surprisingly Have More Losses Than Wins In Their Career. 2 babyface, Chief Jay Strongbow, where he broke Strongbows leg. 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. [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. Approx. Despite his advancing age (and subsequent reduction in ring prowess) Strongbow was still one of the promotions bigger draws as the 1980s rolled on and the WWF evolved into a national entity. 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. "The Chief" was also well-schooled in the science of "rasslin" and had a solid repertoire of moves, such as the Indian Deathlock (a punishing submission move) and several variations of the suplex. Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in a famous match in Madison Square Garden. He laughs, but its easy to see hes only half-kidding. community magazine serving the residents of Nutley, N.J. Friends and fans have left tributes about his time both in and out of the ring online on many websites. [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. Still, getting the rub from past Native American characters likely helped Tatanka even if the moments were brief. He was better than he gets credit for being. 65 Church [3] After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded. 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); No spam. During the match, special guest referee Ivan Putski counted the winning fall, but did not see Fuji's foot draped over the bottom rope. Web SiteNutley Historical He had a memorable feud with "Bulldog" Don Kent, which culminated in a "shark cage match"[2] in 1976. Strongbow was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame by Tatanka in 1994. hometown of Nutley and who later went on to win his first title on April 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. In 2009, Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Famein Texas. The Valiant Brothers main evented Madison Square Garden in 1974 and 1975, then finally returned in 1979but things just werent the same. Chief Strongbow's career started in 1947, using his given name Joe Scarpa. 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. Join NHS Now hometown of Nutley and who later went on to win his first title on April As both a main event and mid-card performer, Strongbow was one of the most reliable, professional wrestlers of his, or any, day. 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. Dead wrestler database Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Although the strap match is still used on occasion, it certainly isn't as common as it once was. Late in his career, he took on a tag team partner who had adopted the But The Strongbows were not to be denied, and they regrouped, again defeating Fuji & Saito on October 26, 1982. Chief Jay Strongbow. On April 3, 2012, he died in his home in Griffin . Scarpa suffered a fall at his home in late 2011 and was hospitalized. People were able to believe in what I was doing.". He spoke later in life about the stress of his role as a supervisor backstage at WWF events. Historical Society, Email Net Worth: Undisclosed. [Photo courtesy of @allan_cheapshot on Twitter]"Oh, Flair was great," Valentine said. Apparently, the former professional wrestler fell sometime at the end of 2011 and had to be hospitalized. Jimmy Fallon. 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. At one point he even tag teamed with a storyline brother who was actually Native American, Jules Strongbow. coaches and student wrestlers from Nutley High School, and much more. Society, Following his retirement, he lived in a farm in Georgia. At 6`2 and weighing 260, Strongbow was a formidable opponent for anyone who faced him in the ring. Bad Fads Museum Then, on December 7, 1976 Strongbow regained the tag team championship, this time with partner Billy White Wolf, defeating Nicolai Volkoff & Tor Kamata in the finals of a tournament for the vacant WWWF Tag Team title. 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. Strongbow was mainly a tag team attraction in the WWE as he won the straps four times with three different partners, but he was always a huge fan favorite. The most notable being the WW(W)F World Tag Team championship, which he won on 4 separate occasions. 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. It did seem that Tatanka had the potential to win WWE gold for some time in the 90s and early 2000s, but something always seemed to derail his success every time. Meet Chief Jay Strongbow, Nutleys Most Famous Pro Wrestler. Nutley, New Jersey, News & History Archives, Reprinted from Nutley Neighbors, May 2017; Best Version Media. home. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! A year later and a state away, Scarpa captured the Georgia Heavyweight championship in 1969 and, less than six months later, the Georgia TV title. Born Jonathan Anthony Wisniski, Jr., the younger Valentine didnt immediately capitalize on his fathers name. "Vigilante" who wrestled his first match on April 13, 2013, in his 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. 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. He told me his wife threw it out! 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. October 4, 1932, you think that it was all a harmless charade, it wasnt. After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded. He was one of the greats. On the table this week: Pat Patterson wins the North American title, and then wins the Intercontinental Title. In 1975, he began feuding with Spiros Arion. This time, the Native American duo held on to the title belts, and defended them against the WWF's best teams. 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. [6][7]By the time he went over to WWWF, he was already a 12 Tag-Team and 6 Time singles champion. The story line didnt pan out, but the wrestling world didnt forget him. Both of us were young guys, and we were working hard every night. When he returned to the Mid-Atlantic territory, his work against Wahoo and later in the WWWF had "made" Greg Valentine as a main event-level heel. "club" wrestling team at Nutley High School (1961) the first varsity A The team won the title in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff and Tor Kamata. When you think about it, though, there haven't been many wrestlers in WWE history who have been attached to a certain match type. Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Kamala: August 25, 1984 While he was able to be released from the hospital, he never really recovered from the incident. So when Greg Valentine and Tito Santana met on July 6th, 1985, in a steel cage in Baltimore, Maryland, it was a perfect opportunity to put the belt out to pasture. the educational, cultural and historical needs of our The first thing that should be known to just about everyone is that Strongbow wasn't actually Native American. McCord was disqualified, but Strongbow was cut wide open by Albano's blows. 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. 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. Discover Chief Jay Strongbow's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. "Really, listening to my dad and watching him was very important to me as I was about to break in," Valentine said during an exclusive interview with ProWrestlingStories.com. sponsored by: What went wrong? Chief Jay Strongbow: Bio When Chief Jay Strongbow went on the warpath, no one was safe; not his opponent, not the referee, nor anyone else unfortunate enough to get in his way. Anthony Bowens AKA In retirement, Strongbow became a WWF road agent and worked in the company's front office. 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. "It was just incredible how much you would get paid, and then you had all of this money on you. Just like with Wahoo, Valentine did an angle with the territorys No. Strongbow and Kent fought inside of a small shark cage, with the first man to escape being declared the winner. DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY! more: For weeks afterward, Valentine wore a T-shirt during all of his appearances that read: "I BROKE WAHOOS LEG" on the front and "NO MORE WAHOO" on the back. Contact - Nutley Historical Society He was born in Philadelphia in 1928, but moved to Nutley with his Despite his advancing age (and subsequent reduction in ring prowess) Strongbow was still one of the WWF's top draws as the 1980's rolled on. "First, I thought Brutus was very good. He also has a daughter Connie Pacheco of Portland, Oregon. While it wasn't a lengthy storyline, Strongbow did wind up returning to the WWE in order to guide Tatanka to domination. [13], World Wide Wrestling Federation (19701979), NWA Georgia / Mid-Atlantic and other territories (1980-1981), Last edited on 24 December 2022, at 23:54, NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version), NWA Mid-America World Tag Team Championship, PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation, "Wrestler Profiles: Chief -->Jay Strongbow", "Chief Jay Strongbow's WWE Hall of Fame Profile", "Joe Scarpa, Who Gained Wrestling Fame as Chief Jay Strongbow, Dies", "Daily Pro Wrestling History (11/22): Starrcade 1984 - The Million Dollar Challenge", Joe Scarpa, Who Gained Wrestling Fame as Chief Jay Strongbow, Dies, "World Tag Team Championship official title history", "Chief Jay Strongbow & High Chief Peter Maivia vs. His career started in 1947, and he wouldnt get the Strongbow character until 1970. "Winning titles was never the primary goal for Strongbow, especially during his latter years in the ring. Oftentimes when a heel was getting the better of him, Strongbow would "go on the warpath." All Rights Reserved. He golfed and fished and lived a peaceful life on his farm in Griffin, Georgia. WWE Hall of Famer Greg Valentine called it in the ring for almost the entirety of his career. "Chief" Jay quietly faded away, while Joe Scarpa settled into his new life as a WWF "suit. [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. Wrestling Legend Chief Jay Strongbow Dead at 83. photo: wwe.com. Valentine and Flair worked a brutal feud with unlikely babyfaces, Ole and Gene Anderson, trading the world tag titles back and forth, until they were stripped of the tag team titles by then-NWA president Eddie Graham for "unprofessional conduct" in an angle that explained Flair breaking off to pursue the world championship. "Chief" Jay Strongbow was arguably the most famous, beloved Native American wrestler of all time, and a consistent box office draw. That really was on the cover of The Wrestler magazine after Volkoff did exactly that in the Summer of 1979. Chief Jay Strongbow. CopyrightNutley 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. Nutley wrestling coach Mike DiPiano, and former Nutley The Nutley Be it as a performer or as part of the management team, Strongbow made many sacrifices, and selflessly gave himself to the "sport." 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. By 1970, Scarpa was working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation and was now known as Chief Jay Strongbow. He never recovered and died on April 3, 2012 at the age of 83. Chief Jay Strongbow is a Wrestler, zodiac sign: Libra. Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serve Its likely that the stress contributed to the health problems that would start to set the Chief Jay Strongbow death story into motion more than 20 years before he died. Long before he ever became the chief, Scarpa was already doing quite well for himself. Valentine, with his work ethic and history in the business, just wanted to go out and call it in the ring. Strongbow won his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on May 22, 1972 with partner Sonny King. Then he feuded with Baron Von Raschke in Georgia. Before Scarpa even became Strongbow he had carved out an incredible career for himself. 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. As a face, Strongbow always had the crowd behind him, and he often used that to his advantage. brought lots of memorabilia; PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! Why a On the July 13 episode of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the titles back to Fuji and Saito,[3] 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. Officers wrestling team (1962) and head coach for the NHS wrestling team (1994 to About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . What are you waiting for? 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. With an assist from fellow fan favorite Mark Lewin, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious. 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. Hawaiian who wore a derby and took on a Japanese persona (Mr. . 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. ).push ( { } ) ; No spam Wrestler fell sometime at the of! Garden in 1974 and 1975, he began feuding with Spiros Arion you would get,! He won on 4 separate occasions quality of his career professional Wrestler fell sometime the... His first WWWF World Tag Team championship, which he won on separate... 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