Chief Jay Strongbow
Joe Scarpa was a professional wrestler who was best known by his famous ring moniker, Chief Jay Strongbow. Scarpa portrayed a Native American wrestler who wore a traditional headdress to the ring, and would "go on the warpath" when the fans started cheering him on against an opponent. He was one of the popular wrestlers of the 1960's and 1970's.
Profile
- Height: 6 ft
- Weight: 265 lb
- Birthday: 1928
- Hometown: Pawhuska, Oklahoma
- Trained by: Don Eagle
- Professional debut: 1947
- Previous identities: "Joltin'" Joe Scarpa
- Finishing/signature move(s): Tomahawk Chop, Indian Deathlock
Career
His career started in 1947, using his given name Joe Scarpa. Scarpa was a standout in the Georgia and Florida territories of the National Wrestling Alliance throughout the '50s and '60s, winning several championships and becoming a solid fan favorite. By 1970, he was working for Vincent J. McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation, and was now known as Chief Jay Strongbow. Strongbow's greatest success was found in the tag team ranks of the WWWF. Strongbow held the World Tag Team Championship a total of four occasions. The first came on May 22, 1972, when Strongbow partnered with Sonny King to take the titles from the team of Baron Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea. Strongbow & King held the titles for about a month.
Four and a half years later, on December 7, 1976, Strongbow again won the World Tag Team Championship, this time with partner Billy White Wolf. The team won the titles in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff & Tor Kamata. The team of Strongbow and White Wolf was one of the most popular of the era, but their reign was cut short in 1977 due to White Wolf suffering a neck injury at the hands of Ken Patera's Swinging Neckbreaker.
Strongbow's last two World Tag team title reigns came with his "nephew", Jules Strongbow. On June 28, 1982, the Strongbows won the titles from Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito in New York's Madison Square Garden. The match was controversial at the time; special guest referee Ivan Putski counted the winning fall, but did not see Fuji's foot draped over the bottom rope. Fuji and Saito would regain the titles a short time later, but would lose them back to the Strongbows on October 26.
The Chief also had a storied singles career in the WWWF. He feuded with the likes of "The Golden Greek" Spiros Arion, "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant, and Superstar Billy Graham. His most famous feud was against Greg Valentine, who broke Strongbow's leg in 1979. The two waged war all over the WWF circuit, most famously in a violent "Indian Strap Match" in Madison Square Garden, on July 30, 1979.
Strongbow also competed for Ed Farhat's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. He had a memorable feud with "Bulldog" Don Kent, which culminated in a bizarre "shark cage match" in 1977. Strongbow and Kent fought inside of a small shark cage, with the first man to escape being declared the winner. With an assist from fellow fan favorite Mark Lewin, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious.
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. In retirement, Strongbow became a WWF road agent and worked in the company's front office. He also participated in a 1993 storyline in which he mentored Tatanka, in his feud with Irwin R. Schyster. Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994.
Titles and accomplishments
- 1-Time NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion
- 1-Time NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion
- 1-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (Florida version) (with Don Curtis)
- 3-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (Mid-America version) (with Lester Welch twice and Alex Perez once)
- 3-Time NWA Florida Southern Tag Team Champion
- 1-Time NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion
- 2-Time NWA (Florida) Brass Knuckles Champion
- 2-Time WWWF World Tag Team Champion (with Sonny King and Billy White Wolf)
- 2-Time WWF World Tag Team Champion (with Jules Strongbow)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 214 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003. Scarpa also won two PWI Awards. He won 1973 Most Popular Wrestler and 1979 Most Inspirational Wrestler.