Mark Young (wrestler)
| Mark Young | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Luke Joseph Mark Scarpa Jr. |
| Born |
April 23, 1967 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | February 25, 2016 (aged 48) |
| Family | Chief Jay Strongbow (father) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
Mark Young Private Mark Pyle Vince Young Mark Scarpa |
| Billed height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Billed weight | 105 kg (231 lb; 16.5 st) |
| Billed from |
Atlanta, Georgia Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Trained by | Stu Hart |
| Debut | 1986 |
| Retired | 1993 |
Luke Joseph "Joe" Scarpa Jr. (April 23, 1967 – February 25, 2016) [1] was an American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Mark Young, who competed in the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980's and early 1990's, World Championship Wrestling, and many independent promotions. He was the adopted son of WWE Hall of Famer Chief Jay Strongbow.
Early life
Scarpa is a second generation wrestler, his father was Chief Jay Strongbow who wrestled in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970's.
Career
Stampede Wrestling (1986–1987)
He was trained by Stu Hart and made his professional wrestling debut in 1986 for Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, wrestling as Mark Scarpa. He left the promotion in January 1987.
World Wrestling Federation (1986–1990, 1992–1993)
Scarpa signed with the World Wrestling Federation as a wrestler in star spangled banner trunks to represent his country. In his debut he lost to Steve Lombardi on November 11, 1986 in Spokane, Washington. He would wrestle with the company off and on from 1986-1990. He would lose to heels like Bad News Brown, Earthquake, Mr. Perfect and Rick Martel and even had a few wins over The Brooklyn Brawler, Pete Doherty, Bob Bradley and Frenchy Martin. Sometimes Young would compete in tag team matches. By September 1990, Young left the company. He made a brief return in 1992 and his last match in the WWF was a loss to Owen Hart on February 16.
Pacific Northwest Wrestling (1987)
In February 1987, Scarpa would join Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Portland, where he remained until June.
Continental Championship Wrestling / Continental Wrestling Federation (1988)
In April 1988, Scarpa joined Continental Championship Wrestling. By this time, they were transitioning away from the National Wrestling Alliance and became the Continental Wrestling Federation. While there, he was forced into D.I. Bob Carter's Honor Guard after losing a match to Tony Anthony. He also changed his name to Mark Pyle. He would assist Carter and Detroit Demolition to win the NWA Southeast Continental Tag Team Championship from The Nightmares, who would also implode as Nightmare Ken Wayne turned on Nightmare Danny Davis, on May 29.
World Championship Wrestling (1989, 1992)
In February 1989, Scarpa, as Vince Young, would join World Championship Wrestling, but would leave after a month with the company to return to the WWF. He would make a one-off return to WCW in August 1992 in Baltimore for a WCW Worldwide TV taping.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (1990)
In May and June 1990, Scarpa joined All Japan Pro Wrestling on their Super Power Series tour. Throughout the tour, he would team up with the likes of Abdullah The Butcher, Dusty Rhodes, Jr., Johnny Smith, Terry Gordy, and Ranger Ross.
Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (1993)
Scarpa retired in 1993. His last match on record occurred on May 8 for the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation, teaming with Trent Young (no relation) in a loss to Joe Thunder and Johnny Blaze.
Later years and death
On April 3, 2012, his father died from complications from a fall.
On February 25, 2016, Scarpa died at the age of 48. His cause of death is unknown.