As both a main event and mid-card performer, Strongbow was one of the most reliable, professional wrestlers of his, or any, day. These days, Valentine still wrestles fairly regularly while also working the convention and autograph circuit. 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. [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. It was in the WWF that Greg Valentine rose to his greatest fame, defeating Tito Santana for the Intercontinental title in September of 1984, kayfabe injuring Santanas leg with the figure-four. 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. After wrestling in the WWF for 9 years, Strongbow went to work for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Copyright 2022 Wrestlingfigs.com. Valentine wanted to wrestle. A wrestling in its many forms professional wrestlers from our town, great actor. About 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. 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. The two wrestled all over the WWF circuit, including an "Indian Strap match" at Madison Square Garden on July 30, 1979. Still, he remained involved with wrestling. 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. 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. A lot of people can forget about wrestling accomplishments that aren't from WWE, WCW, or any of the various popular independent promotions of today. Give us sixty minutes and well give you a wicked good podcast. 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. 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. Im the heel, and Im the veteran. Nutley wrestling coach Mike DiPiano, and former Nutley But The Strongbows were not to be denied, and they regrouped, again defeating Fuji & Saito on October 26, 1982. 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. sponsored by: An unfortunate truth about Strongbow is that the end of his career is mostly forgettable despite him seeing plenty of tag team success. Arion, a popular and seemingly unbeatable babyface, returned to the WWWF after an absence and teamed with Strongbow. He has won awards from press associations in several states, including a General Excellence award from the Georgia Press Association while sports editor at The Statesboro Herald. 10/10 He Wasn't Actually Native American. History of Spies 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. 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. During his matches, his fans would whoop for him to go on the warpath 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. He achieved great success in matches in Georgia and Florida. Men's Premium T-Shirt Chief Jay Strongbow Tomahawk WHT $29.99 Women's V-Neck T-Shirt Chief Jay Strongbow Tomahawk WHT $29.99 Men's Cotton T-Shirt Chief Jay Strongbow Tomahawk WHT from $24.99 Kids T-Shirt Chief Jay Strongbow Tomahawk WHT $24.99 Men's Crewneck Sweatshirt Chief Jay Strongbow Tomahawk WHT $49.99 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. sponsored by: Email October 4, 1932, 50 Years of Nutley Wrestling guest speakers included "You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.". The Nutley Contact Room Rental, via phone, not email, Call "Winning titles was never the primary goal for Strongbow, especially during his latter years in the ring. Nutley, New Jersey, News & History Archives, Reprinted from Nutley Neighbors, May 2017; Best Version Media. 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. Before Scarpa even became Strongbow he had carved out an incredible career for himself. Friends and fans have left tributes about his time both in and out of the ring online on many websites. Piper won that match non-title since it wasnt officially sanctioned by the NWAbut Valentine got his heat back by beating Piper down afterward and leaving him laying in the ring. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. His age was listed as 79 0r 83 and his family declined to say how he died nor provide a cause. Valentine found himself the No. DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY! to change. As a role model - for people of all races - there was none better, and "The Chief" proudly wrestled his entire career as a beloved fan favorite. community. He currently lives in suburban Birmingham, Alabama and can be reached on Twitter @bamawriter. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, having a plan once a career is over is always a good idea. Jimmy Fallon. He never recovered and died on April 3, 2012 at the age of 83. Welch was actually from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Strongbow was an accomplished grappler, as his career began in 1947. And all the while, Valentine was learning. Strongbow also competed for The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. During his WWF/WWE career, Garland held the WWF World Tag Team Championship, WWE Tag Team Championship and WWF Light . Ironic, because Strongbow didnt have a drop of Native American DNA in his blood. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Later on, of course, they started paying by check, and that was kind ofI dont know. Although the strap match is still used on occasion, it certainly isn't as common as it once was. Black History Moments 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. 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. Just like with Wahoo, Valentine did an angle with the territorys No. Strongbow could also brawl with the best of them, especially once his fiery temper had been ignited. 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. Strongbow wrestled in the NWA territories before joining the WWE in 1970, where he was a big draw for two decades. 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. Street, Nutley N.J. 07110973-667-1528 Anthony Bowens AKA Apparently, the former professional wrestler fell sometime at the end of 2011 and had to be hospitalized. Historical Society. 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. 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. .more .more 3 Dislike Share Save. 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. Luke Scarpa, the most famous professional wrestler who ever called Nutley 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. 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