Francis Huntington (born November 29, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the early 1980s under the ring name Jules Strongbow,[a] where he held the WWF World Tag Team Championship on two occasions with his kayfabe brother, Chief Jay Strongbow.[1][3][4]

Jules Strongbow
Strongbow, c. 1983
Birth nameFrancis Huntington[1]
Born (1952-11-29) November 29, 1952 (age 71)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
  • Bruce Huntington
  • Chief Frank Hill
  • Chief Jules Strongbow[1]
  • Chief Running Hill
  • Frank Hill
  • Frankie Hill
  • Frank Running Hill
  • Jules Strongbow[1]
Billed height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Billed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Debut1973
Retired2001[1]

Professional wrestling career

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Early career (1973–1982)

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Huntington debuted in 1973 as "Frank Hill", wrestling for professional wrestling promotions such as the American Wrestling Association.

In late 1979, he teamed with Wahoo McDaniel in the All Japan Pro Wrestling World's Strongest Tag Determination League tournament.

World Wrestling Federation (1982–1983)

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In 1982, Huntington was hired by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He was renamed "Jules Strongbow" and placed into a tag team with Chief Jay Strongbow, who was billed as his brother.[4] They formed a noted tag team, known as the Strongbows.[4] On June 28, 1982, the Strongbows defeated the team of Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito for their first WWF Tag Team Championship.[5] On the July 13 edition of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows lost the belts back to Fuji and Saito.[5] On the October 26 edition of Championship Wrestling, the Strongbows defeated Fuji and Saito for their second tag title reign.[5] They were defeated for the belts in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on the March 8, 1983, edition of Championship Wrestling by the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika).[5] Shortly after losing the title, Huntington left the WWF.

Later career (1983–2001)

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After leaving the WWF, Huntington later competed on the independent circuit for several years, most notably in top independent promotions such as the Pennsylvania-based National Wrestling Federation and Ohio's International Wrestling Alliance. He even wrestled in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) for a while. He retired in 2001.

Personal life

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Unlike Joe Scarpa, an Italian-American who wrestled as Chief Jay Strongbow, Huntington is an actual Native American and enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.[6]

Following his retirement from professional wrestling, Huntington volunteered with the Native American Students Association at Missouri State University.[1]

Championships and accomplishments

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Notes

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  1. ^ There was an earlier "Jules Strongbow"—John Ralph Bilbo (1906–1975), who wrestled in the 1930s and, later, promoted in California through the 1950s.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Davidson, Jennifer (April 24, 2009). "Former Pro-Wrestler Reflects on Career, Film "The Wrestler"". KSMU. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  2. ^ "John Ralph Bilbo". IMDb. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Wrestler Profiles: Jules Strongbow". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c "Chief Jay Strongbow's WWE Hall of Fame Profile". WWE. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e "World Tag Team Championship official title history". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
  6. ^ Greer, Jamie (November 26, 2020). "Indigenous Warriors: History Of Native American Pro Wrestlers". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
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