Chief Jay Strongbow

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[JerryvonKramer]

Anyone who listens to Titans knows that Strongbow is probably my least favourite wrestler of all time. I like him even less than I like Jimmy Jam Garvin or Tom Zenk.

 

So why the nomination?

 

Well, a few things:

 

- Before Putski, the #2 guy for WWF behind Bruno was Strongbow. He seems to have a genuinely special place in the fans from the North East from that period. Not just Jon Stewart, but like ANYONE who watched wrestling in the North East from that time frame. After Bruno, they will probably mention Strongbow in the next breath. He even gets shout outs regularly from the Wu-Tang Clan who were clearly wrestling fans in the 70s. I don't know what that *counts* for, but that and the HUGE pops he gets means that with the exception of one or two people (Bryan?), he was arguably more over and connected more closely with the audience than any performer in Modern WWE since Steve Austin. That's a huge statement, but one I think that would be backed up if there were more 70s fans around here.

 

- Even more than Putski, Strongbow was limited. In the footage we have, he's old, he does very few moves, he's saggy and fat and horrible. And yet ... his mastery of crowd control and timing is something that most modern performers could only marvel at. He has MSG or Philly crowds eating out of the palm of his hand every single match up.

 

Here's a match Kelly would point to as an "anti-workrate classic".

 

 

Now, sure, it bored the SHIT out of me with my eyes more accustomed to 80s NWA and a higher workrate.

 

But watch how the crowd reacts to every single little thing. Watch how much leverage Fuji and Strongbow get out of the first chop. If you *seriously* advocate the idea of "less is more" and the idea of maximising tools, I don't see how Strongbow can't be a posterboy for your campaign.

 

The crowd is in a virtual frenzy by the time he makes his comeback against Fuji.

 

I have argued many times that it's because I think the MSG crowd are just idiots, but I'm being knowingly facecious when I say that. It's one argument where, honestly, Johnny Sorrow is absolutely on the money.

 

And, well, if psychology and crowd control are about getting fans to buy tickets and cheer as loudly as they humanly can. Who am I to deny Strongbow?

 

- And ... AND ...

 

As much as I hate him, Strongbow DOES have good matches.

 

The match with Greg Valentine is legit about ***1/2 if not more. It blew us away because we just weren't expecting anything, but he sold the beating of a lifetime.

 

He has a similarly memorable one with Ernie Ladd in GCW when he gets his feathers shoved down his throat. Again, strip away my bias, and what you see is a babyface who knew how to generate maximum sympathy and response. He understood that way way better than someone like Triple H ever will or could.

 

AND ...

 

He was a very good tag worker, his run in 1977 against Fuji and Tanaka and SURPRISINGLY his run in 1982 tagging with Jules Strongbow (utterly worthless worker) against Fuji and Saito has been -- considering who is involved -- just blow away good and a revelation. No sarcasm or snideyness from me either when I say that.

 

This is an argument from someone who genuinely despises Strongbow with considerable passion. If I can see the good there, then if you don't hate him as much as I do and claim to value psychology, think about him.