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Nutley looks back at 60 years of pro and high school wrestling

Nutley looks back at 60 years of pro and high school wrestling

Posted: May 27th 2017 By: Northjersey.com

World Wrestling Federation’s Chief Jay Strongbow was an Italian-American who hailed from Nutley.

During his career, Joseph Luke Scarpa was called the Rebel and Joltin’ Joe Scarpa, but he was best known as the professional tag-team wrestler Chief Jay Strongbow.

Sal Scarpa recently talked about his late brother’s career at a Nutley Museum program. The event gave accounts of Nutley’s ties to professional wrestling, along with the
history of Nutley High School wrestling.

Among the Chief’s memorabilia on display were a tag-team championship belt, headdress, tomahawk and action figure. The model wrestling ring, which was the table centerpiece at
his WWF Hall of Fame induction in 1994, was also featured.

The wrestler was inducted into the Nutley Hall of Fame in 2013, a year after his death.

Called Luke by his family, Scarpa graduated from NHS in 1951, his brother said.

“He was always strong,” Sal said. “He used to rip a phone book like it was a piece of paper.”

For a promotion, Scarpa was asked to tear apart a rubber basketball to prove Wilson’s leather basketball was better. When he did, a wrestling agent took notice.

His first match was a tag-team event on Jan. 7, 1956, at the then-Laurel Garden sports arena in Newark, noted Sal. “He wrestled 118 times in the Garden, more than any other
wrestler,” his brother recalled.

Early in Scarpa’s career, when offered 10 cents on the dollar, he opted to get paid a straight fee for matches, Sal said. “He always regretted it because he would have been on
'high street' had he taken a percentage, but that’s the way things go.”

Fellow wrestler Gorilla Monsoon helped Scarpa come up with the Native-American ring persona, which would have prompted some PC pushback these days.

Chief Jay Strongbow competed in Vincent McMahon’s WWF in the 1970s and 1980s. He wrestled off and on until 1999, his brother said. Out of the ring, he served as a wrestling
agent the following 10 years, before retiring.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Champion
  • 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion

Week of Sun 04-28 to Sat: 05-04

  • 04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Champion
  • 04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 1955 Ricki Starr became the TSW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
  • 04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Champion
  • 04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
  • 05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
  • 05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
  • 05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-02 1964 Mike Clancy & Al Lovelock def. Karol Krauser & Stan Pulaski for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Champion
  • 05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
  • 05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Champion
  • 05-03 1973 Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan def. The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Dale Valentine) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 05-03 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 05-04 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1968 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar became the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1969 Jerry Miller & Jim Osborne def. Danny Little Bear & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Champion
04-28
  • Siva Afi Apr 28th Today!
  • Chance Snodgrass Apr 28th Today!
  • Ichiban [2nd] Apr 28th Today!
  • Sunshine Apr 29th
  • Billie the Kiid Apr 30th
  • Dustin Tibbs Apr 30th
  • Joe McCarthy Apr 30th
  • Anarchy [2nd] Apr 30th
  • Prince Maivia May 1st
  • Kari Wright May 2nd
  • Americos May 2nd
  • Barrett Brown May 2nd
  • Don Fields May 2nd
  • Big Bossman May 2nd
  • Nightmare [1st] May 2nd
  • Lily McKenzie May 3rd
  • Lester Welch May 3rd
  • Johnny Humble May 3rd
  • Bull Schmitt May 4th
  • Malik Mayfield May 4th
  • El Hijo del Mascara Sagrada May 4th
  • El Matador Dos May 5th
  • Bill Watts May 5th
  • El Gallardo May 5th
  • Olivier Vegos May 5th
  • Pat O'Dowdy May 5th
  • Maria Brigitte May 5th
  • Shane Rawls May 5th
  • Princess Victoria May 5th
  • Miss Diss Lexia May 5th
  • Zane Morris May 5th
  • Claire Watson May 6th
  • Hercules May 7th
  • Richie Adams May 8th
  • Jake Danielsson May 9th
  • Billy Brown May 10th
  • Sunny War Cloud May 10th
  • Rook Tyler May 10th
  • Tito Santana May 10th
  • Jerry Brown May 10th
  • Charming Charles May 11th
  • Big J May 11th
  • Psycho May 11th

More Look Back In History

Current Champions

New Class Wrestling Organization

Tino Valentino

Oklahoma Champion
Tino Valentino

 
  • Heavyweight Champion: The Gatekeeper
  • Women's Champion: Olivier Vegos
  • Tag Team Champions: Stage Dive Mafia
  • Choctaw Nation Champion: Malik Mayfield
  • United States Champion: Dominik Whiteheart