Title History
- NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight title defeating Joe McCarthy (May 3, 1960);
- NWA (Mid America) World Tag Team titles w/Lester Welch defeating Don and Al Greene (Febuary 29, 1961);
- NWA (Mid America) World Tag Team titles w/Lester Welch defeating Joe and Jackie Fargo (May 29, 1961);
- NWA (Florida) World Tag Team titles w/Don Curtis defeating Karl and Kurt Von Brauner (March 29, 1962);
- NWA (Georgia) World Tag Team titles w/Don Curtis Billed as champions (June 1962);
- NWA (Gulf Coast) Southern Tag Team titles w/Lee Fields defeating Don and Al Greene (April 10, 1963);
- NWA (Gulf Coast) Southern Tag Team titles w/Lee Fields defeating Pancho Villa and Tiger Tomasso (May 3, 1963);
- NWA (Mid America) World Tag Team titles w/Alex Perez defeating Karl and Kurt Von Brauner (October 15, 1964);
- NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team titles w/Chief Little Eagle defeating Corsica Jean and Corsica Joe (June 4, 1965);
- NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Valentine (December 5, 1967);
- NWA (Florida) Southern Tag Team titles w/Jose Lothario defeating Aldo Bogni and Bronko Lubich (April 23, 1968);
- NWA Florida Brass Knuckles title defeating Boris Malenko (July 30, 1968);
- NWA (Florida) Southern Tag Team titles w/Jose Lothario defeating Boris Malenko and Johnny Valentine (August 31, 1968);
- NWA (Florida) Southern Tag Team titles w/Jose Lothario defeating The Blue Infernos (October 8, 1968);
- NWA Florida Brass Knuckles title defeating Boris Malenko (April 23, 1969);
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeating Paul DeMarco (September 19, 1969);
- NWA Georgia Television title defeating Assassin #2 in a tournament (November 22, 1969);
- NWA Macon Tag Team titles w/El Mongol defeating Buddy Colt and Homer O` Dell (March 17, 1970);
- WWWF Tag Team titles w/Sonny King defeating Curtis Iaukea and Baron Mikel Scicluna (May 22, 1972);
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1973).
- WWWF Tag Team titles w/Billy White Wolf won a tournament (December 7, 1976);
- PWI Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1979).
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight title defeating Luke Graham (October 11, 1980);
- WWF Tag Team titles w/Jules Strongbow defeating Mr. Saito and Mr. Fuji (June 28, 1982);
- WWF Tag Team titles w/Jules Strongbow defeating Mr. Saito and Mr. Fuji (October 26, 1982);
Career Highlights [parts courtesy of wikipedia.com]
- Joe Scarpa started wrestling in the late 40s using his real name “Joe Scarpa” before becoming known as Jay Strongbow.
- September 1969: Joe Scarpa beat Assassin 1, Aldo Bogni and Assassin 2 in a Tournament to become the 1st GA TV Champion ever!
- 1969: Joe Scarpa defeated Paul Demarco for the Georgia Heavyweight Title.
- 1960s: Chief Jay Strongbow started wrestling primarily for Vince McMahon Sr’s World Wide Wrestling Federation.
- Chief Jay Strongbow made frequent appearances in NWA: Georgia Championship Wrestling’s TBS program.
- Chief Jay was known for his famous Tribal War Dance, which was equal, if not more electrifying that Hulk Hogan’s ‘hulking up’.
- In 1975, Jay Strongbow began feuding with Spiros Arion. Arion, a 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 television 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.
- Jay Strongbow won his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on May 22, 1972 with partner Sonny King. They defeated the team of Baron Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea. 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.
- Four and a half years later, on December 7, 1976, Jay Strongbow won his second WWWF World Tag Team Championship, this time with partner Billy White Wolf. The team won the title in a three-team tournament, defeating The Executioners and Nikolai Volkoff and Tor Kamata. 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 Full Nelson.
- Jay Strongbow also competed for The Sheik’s Big Time Wrestling promotion in Detroit. He had a memorable feud with “Bulldog” Don Kent, 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, Strongbow was able to escape the shark cage victorious.
- In 1979, Jay Strongbow feuded with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, who broke Strongbow’s leg. The two wrestled all over the WWF circuit, including an “Indian Strap match” at Madison Square Garden on July 30, 1979.
- In 1982, Jay Strongbow formed a tag team with his on-screen brother, Jules Strongbow.
- 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. During the match, special guest referee Ivan Putski counted the winning fall, but did not see Fuji’s foot draped over the bottom rope. On the July 13 episode of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the titles back to Fuji and Saito,[2] 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.
- On the March 8, 1983 episode of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the titles to the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika).
- April 6, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Charlie Fulton.
- June 5, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Ron Shaw.
- June 16, 1984 – MSG Network: Bob Orton defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- July 17, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Ken Jugan.
- July 23, 1984 – The Brawl To End It All: Paul Orndorff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- August 4, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Butcher Vachon.
- August 10, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Rene Goulet.
- August 11, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated John Savage.
- August 12, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Tiger Chung Lee.
- August 25, 1984 – House Show: Kamala defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- September 14, 1984 – House Show: Iron Mike Sharpe defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- September 20, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Guy Lambert.
- September 22, 1984 – MSG Network: Nikolai Volkoff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- October 5, 1984 – House Show: Roddy Piper defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- October 19, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Jay York.
- November 10, 1984 – House Show: Ken Patera defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- November 15, 1984 – House Show: Nikolai Volkoff defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- November 16, 1984 – House Show: Brutus Beefcake defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- November 17, 1984 – House Show: Big John Studd defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- November 18, 1984 – House Show: Mr. Fuji defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- December 2, 1984 – House Show: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Jerry Valiant.
- January 2, 1985 – House Show: Buddy Rose defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- January 8, 1985 – House Show: Bob Orton defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- January 15, 1985 – House Show: David Schultz defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- February 13, 1985 – House Show: Moondog Rex defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- February 15, 1985 – House Show: Adrian Adonis defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- April 30, 1985 – House Show: Jim Neidhart defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- May 2, 1985 – House Show: The Magnificent Muraco defeated Chief Jay Strongbow.
- January 7, 1989 – AWA: Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Mike Enos.
- After failing in regaining the belts, the Strongbows disbanded.
- Chief Jay Strongbow worked as a road agent in the WWF during the 1990s.
- Chief Jay Strongbow was inducted into the World Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame.
- Chief Jay Strongbow is now retired and living on a farm in Georgia.
- November 17, 2008 – RAW: Stephanie McMahon introduced legendary Chief Jay Strongbow to the live audience!
- Jay Strongbow suffered a fall at his home in late 2011 and was hospitalized. He never recovered and died on April 3, 2012 at the age of 83.
Robert L. Howell wrote: Joe Scarpa and Paul Demarco had a rough main event match which Scarpa won with the sleeper. Demarco was injured by the hold because Scarpa had applied too much pressure. This resulted in one of the roughest feuds in Atlanta history. It also resulted in the barring of the sleeper for a few months in the State of Georgia.
October 1969: Joe Scarpa received a shot at the World’s title for winning the first Georgia TV title tournament. Paul Demarco, who was claiming the Worlds title changed Scarpa, agreed to wrestle him for the shot at World Champion Dory Funk Jr. By special dispensation the sleeper which had been banned was reinstated for 1 night. It would be made permanently legal at the opening of 1970. The match was an extremley rough one hour draw. Both Scarpa and Demarco wanted 5 more minutes. Homer O’Dell wanted to flip a coin. Demarco went along and Scarpa agreed. Demarco lost. Demarco jumped Scarpa and stomped him out of the ring. O’Dell argued with referee Leo Garibaldi all the way up the aisle finally knocking him over 3 chairs. Scarpa went in the next week as a favorite having previously held Funk to a draw in Augusta. Funk won. The Scarpa vs Demarco feud continued.