Joe Scarpa
Encyclopedia
Joseph Luke Scarpa is a former professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

 who was best known by his famous ring moniker, Chief Jay Strongbow. Scarpa portrayed a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 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.

National Wrestling Alliance (1947–1970)

Strongbow's 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
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...

 throughout the 1950s and 1960s, winning several championships and becoming a solid fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...

.

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1970–1977)

By 1970, he was working for Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...

's World Wide Wrestling Federation and was now known as Chief Jay Strongbow. He feuded with the likes of "The Golden Greek" Spiros Arion
Andres Labrakis
Andres Labrakis is a Greek retired professional wrestler who had extensive and successful careers in both Australia and the United States. Known as Spiros Arion and The Golden Greek, he debuted in 1961 and retired in 1978.- Europe :...

, "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...

, and "Superstar" Billy Graham nearly winning the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...

. A memorable match against "Iron" Mike McCord featured Strongbow applying his sleeper hold. But Lou Albano
Lou Albano
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995....

, "Iron" Mike McCord's manager, interfered by smashing a cast on the Chief's forehead. It was alleged that Strongbow had previously jumped Albano in the locker room breaking his arm. McCord was disqualified, but Strongbow was cut wide open by Albano's blows. Strongbow settled the score in front of a sold out Madison Square Garden, beating Captain Lou Albano convincingly.

Strongbow picked up a huge 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.

The 1975 feud with Spiros Arion was very memorable. Arion, a very popular and seemingly unbeatable babyface returned to the WWWF after an absence, and teamed with Strongbow. Arion turned on Strongbow, destroying his headdress on Philadelphia TV after he had tied Strongbow in the ropes, and rubbed the feathers in his face. Arion was now a heel, and pinned Strongbow in eastern arenas as he went on to challenge champion Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...

.

Strongbow won his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on May 22, 1972 with partner Sonny King
Larry Johnson (wrestler)
Larry Johnson was a professional wrestler better known as Sonny King. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , where he won the WWWF Tag Team Championship.-Professional wrestling career:...

. They defeated the team of Baron Mikel Scicluna
Mikel Scicluna
"Baron" Mikel Scicluna was a Maltese-born professional wrestler who gained his fame during the 1960s and 1970s.-Professional wrestling career:...

 and King Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...

. Strongbow and King held the title for a month before losing it to the team of Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...

 and Professor Toru Tanaka
Charles Kalani, Jr.
Charles "Charlie" J. Kalani, Jr. was an American professional wrestler, professional boxer, college football player, soldier, actor, and Martial Artist who, in fighting rings, was also known as Professor Toru Tanaka, or simply, Professor Tanaka.-Early life:He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son...

 on June 27.

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
Adnan Al-Kaissie
Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie , better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former iraqi professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan...

. The team won the title in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...

 and Tor Kamata
Tor Kamata
McRonald Kamaka was an American/Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several Heavyweight and Tag Team championships, including one World Tag Team title. He was a classic "bad guy" wrestler...

. 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
Ken Patera
Ken Patera is a former professional wrestler, Olympic weightlifter, and Strongman competitor.-Weightlifting/Strongman career:Patera is a former Olympic weightlifter and American powerlifter...

's Swinging Full Nelson.

Big Time Wrestling (1977)

Strongbow also competed for The Sheik's
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...

 Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. He had a memorable feud with "Bulldog" Don Kent
Don Kent (wrestler)
Leo Joseph "Joe" Smith Jr. was an American professional wrestler who wrestled as Don Kent and also as The Black Dragon, Doug Kent, Joe Smith and Super Medico III during his 20 years in professional wrestling.Don Kent is one half of The Fabulous Kangaroos alongside partners Al Costello, Bruno...

, which culminated in a "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
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...

, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious.

World Wrestling Federation (1979–1983)

In 1979, he feuded with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
Greg Valentine
John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...

, who broke Strongbow's leg. The two waged war all over the WWF circuit, including an "Indian Strap match" in Madison Square Garden on July 30, 1979.

In 1982, Strongbow formed a tag team with his on-screen brother, Jules Strongbow
Jules strongbow
Frank Hill is a former professional wrestler, who is best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Federation , where he used to wrestle as Chief Jules Strongbow or simply Jules Strongbow, the brother of Chief Jay Strongbow.-World Wrestling Federation :Jules made his wrestling debut in the 1970s...

. On June 28, the Strongbows won the tag title from the team of Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito
Masa Saito
is a former Japanese professional wrestler better known as Mr. Saito or . He wrestled for several years in various promotions operated by the National Wrestling Alliance . He later joined the World Wrestling Federation , where he teamed with Mr. Fuji to hold the World Tag Team Championship twice...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

's Madison Square Garden. During the match, special guest referee Ivan Putski
Ivan Putski
Józef Bednarski , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power"....

 counted the winning fall, but did not see Fuji's foot draped over the bottom rope. On the July 13 edition of Championship Wrestling
WWWF Championship Wrestling
WWF Championship Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired from 1978 to 1986 and was the original television show of the WWF...

, the Strongbows lost the title back to Fuji and Saito, but on the October 26 edition of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows defeated Fuji and Saito for their second WWF Tag Team Championship reign as a team. On the March 8, 1983 edition of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the title to the Wild Samoans
Wild Samoans
The Wild Samoans was the professional wrestling tag team of Afa and Sika in Mid-South Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation . The Samoans held 21 tag team championships around the world.-Gimmick:...

 (Afa
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...

 and Sika
Sika Anoa'i
Leati "Sika" Anoa'i is a former professional wrestler and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:Sika teamed with his brother Afa to form the tag team the Wild Samoans. They teamed in various promotions including WWF and Mid-South. In 1979, they signed with the World Wrestling Federation...

). After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded.

Retirement (1985–1994)

Strongbow retired in 1985, but would still step back into the ring from time to time, most notably for a legends battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...

 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....

 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
Chris Chavis
Christopher "Chris" Chavis , is a Native American professional wrestler best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007...

, in his feud with Irwin R. Schyster
Mike Rotunda
Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R...

. Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...

 by Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...

 in 1994. Strongbow also made a brief appearance on the November 17, 2008 edition of Monday Night Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...

 when Stephanie McMahon introduced him to the audience in Atlanta.

Personal life

Scarpa has a son, who wrestled as Mark Young. He made a cameo appearance in the 1984 movie Micki and Maude
Micki + Maude
Micki + Maude is a 1984 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Dudley Moore. It co-stars Tony-award winning actress and dancer Ann Reinking as Micki and Amy Irving as Maude....

, starring Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...

. He was also referenced, along with his sleeper hold, in the 1999 movie Big Daddy, and the 2004 comedy 50 First Dates
50 First Dates
50 First Dates is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by George Wing. The film stars Adam Sandler as a woman-chasing veterinarian and Drew Barrymore as an amnesiac, along with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd.Most of the film...

. As well as Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...

 in an episode where Denny and Alan wrestle over Shirley and Alan enters the ring dressed as Chief Jay Strongbow

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Tomahawk Chop (Overhead chop)
    • Indian deathlock

  • Signature moves
    • Armbar
    • Bow and arrow stretch
    • Inverted atomic drop
    • Knee drop
    • Lou Thesz Press
    • Running knee lift
    • Sleeper hold

Championships and accomplishments

  • Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (2 times)
  • NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
    NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship
    The NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship was a major title in Championship Wrestling from Florida, USA and is now the major title in NWA Florida. It started in 1937 and was abandoned in 1949. It was picked back up in 1966 by CWF and lasted until 1987 when the company was purchased by Jim Crockett...

     (1 time)
  • NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
    NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
    The Florida version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a top tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Florida territory, Championship Wrestling from Florida. It existed from 1960 until 1971, when the title was abandoned.-Title history:...

     (3 times) - with Jose Lothario
    Jose Lothario
    Guadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career...

  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
    NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)
    The Florida version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1961 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Florida Championship Wrestling...

     (1 time) - with Don Curtis
    Don Curtis
    Don Curtis, legally changed from Don Beitelman, , was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tag team with Mark Lewin in the 1950s and 1960s. During his teaming with Lewin they won the NWA World Tag Team Championship...


  • Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling
    Continental Championship Wrestling
    Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...

  • NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Gulf Coast version) (1 time) - with Lee Fields

  • NWA Mid-America
    National Wrestling Alliance
    The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...

  • NWA Mid-America World Tag Team Championship
    NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)
    The Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 until 1977. It was defended primarily in Tennessee and Alabama.-Title history:...

     (3 times) - with Lester Welch (2) and Alex Perez (1)

  • Mid-South Sports
    Georgia Championship Wrestling
    Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...

  • NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship
    NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship
    The NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Georgia Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. It started in 1964 and was unified in 1981 with the NWA National Heavyweight Championship....

     (1 time)
  • NWA Macon Tag Team Championship
    NWA Macon Tag Team Championship
    The NWA Macon Tag Team Championship was a tag team professional wrestling championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling, defended exclusively on events held at the Macon City Auditorium and Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia. The title lasted from 1969 to 1975....

     (1 time) - with El Mongol
    El Mongol
    Raul Molina is a Mexican-born former professional wrestler better known by his ring name of El Mongol. He was most famous in the Georgia territory during the late 1960s and early '70s.-Career:...

  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)
    NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)
    The Georgia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1954 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Georgia Championship Wrestling...

     (1 time) - with Don Curtis
    Don Curtis
    Don Curtis, legally changed from Don Beitelman, , was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tag team with Mark Lewin in the 1950s and 1960s. During his teaming with Lewin they won the NWA World Tag Team Championship...


  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...

  • PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1973)
  • PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1979)
  • PWI ranked him # 214 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
    • (Class of 2009)

  • World Wrestling Council
    World Wrestling Council
    The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....

  • WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
    WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
    The WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council ....

     (1 time)

  • World Wide Wrestling Federation - World Wrestling Federation
    World Wrestling Entertainment
    World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

  • WWWF - WWF Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Sonny King
    Larry Johnson (wrestler)
    Larry Johnson was a professional wrestler better known as Sonny King. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , where he won the WWWF Tag Team Championship.-Professional wrestling career:...

     (1), Billy White Wolf
    Adnan Al-Kaissie
    Adnan Bin Abdulkareem Ahmed Alkaissy El Farthie , better known professionally as Adnan Al-Kaissie, is a former iraqi professional wrestler and a manager best known as Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissy, Billy White Wolf, or General Adnan...

     (1), and Jules Strongbow
    Jules strongbow
    Frank Hill is a former professional wrestler, who is best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Federation , where he used to wrestle as Chief Jules Strongbow or simply Jules Strongbow, the brother of Chief Jay Strongbow.-World Wrestling Federation :Jules made his wrestling debut in the 1970s...

     (2)
  • WWF Hall of Fame
    WWE Hall of Fame
    The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...

     (Class of 1994)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK