The squared circle in the sky is about to be smack dab in the middle of a warpath.
WWE Hall of Famer 'Chief' Jay Strongbow -- real name Joseph Scarpa -- passed away earlier this week at the age of 83 years old. It was reported he suffered a fall in his home last year and had been hospitalized ever since. He finally succumbed to the injury on Tuesday.
With his colorful headdress and larger than life personality, Strongbow easily became a huge fan favorite, drawing cheers from the crowd wherever he went. It was even enough to earn him a mention in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. His sleeper hold was pretty sweet, to be fair.
Strongbow made his wrestling debut over six decades ago, making a name for himself in the various promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance. He found a more permanent home in Vince McMahon Sr.'s World Wide Wrestling Federation. There, he famously feuded with the Cyndi Lauper, Mario-doppelganger Lou Albano before returning to the newly renamed World Wrestling Federation, now under Vinne Mac Jr.'s watch.
He had an infamous Indian Strap Match with Greg Valentine, the first match of Strongbow's I ever watched -- albeit two decades or so after the fact. I didn't actually see him live until he began to mentor Tatanka in the mid-1990s right around his Hall of Fame induction.
Being a dumb kid, I assumed Strongbow was Tatanka's dad. Still, I liked the Native American wrestler so his "dad" was cool in my book too.
On behalf of Cageside Seats, I would like to offer my condolences to Strongbow's friends and family. If you have any memories of the legend, feel free to leave them in the comments section.
A tribute video from WWE and the aforementioned bout with "The Hammer" follow after the jump.