Stephen Cepello (born June 29, 1949) is an American artist and former
professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he was best known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
, "The California Terminator" Steve Strong. After retiring from wrestling to focus on his art career, he was selected to paint the official
Governor's Mansion and
Minnesota State Capitol portraits of former wrestler and
Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.
Early life
Cepello was raised in Arizona, where he began painting at age seven. He attended the
Kachina School of Art
Jay Datus (1914–1974) was an American artist known primarily for his mural painting in Arizona.
Early life
Jay Datus was born in Jackson, Michigan, March 24, 1914, to Jesse Datus Smith and Marguerite Wood Smith. His birth name was Jesse Dat ...
in Phoenix.
He attended college in Phoenix and played on the basketball team, earning an induction to the school's athletic hall of fame.
Professional wrestling career
Strong began wrestling in 1973, competing for
Stu Hart's
Stampede Wrestling promotion.
Much of his career was spent in Hawaii. He competed for
NWA Hawaii
50th State Big Time Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Hawaii or Mid-Pacific Promotions) was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii in the United States that promoted professional wrestling matches throughout Ha ...
as both a singles wrestler and as a member of several
tag teams. Several championships had been inactive due to the promotion itself being inactive from July 1974 until June 1977, and the promotion held tournaments to determine the new champions when the titles were revived in July 1977. Strong competed for the
NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship and advanced to the final round of the tournament before losing to
Bill Francis.
[ He also made it to the final round of a tournament for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship along with partner Steve Lawler but ultimately lost to ]Sam Steamboat
Samuel K. Mokuahi (May 4, 1934 – May 2, 2006) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sammy Steamboat.
Early life
Mokuahi grew up in Honolulu, attending President Theodore Roosevelt High School, where he pla ...
and Billy White Wolf. Strong was then paired with Jesse Ventura, as the promoter thought that their similar heights and muscular physiques made them a good match.[ In January 1978, Strong gained momentum in his rivalry with Francis, defeating him for the NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship and, with partner Chris Markoff, for the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship as well.][ Strong lost the heavyweight title to Tolos the following month but held the tag team belts until Bill and Russ Francis won the championship on April 26 that year. On June 14, Strong teamed with former rival Tolos to win the belts for the final time. They defeated Big John Studd and ]Buddy Rose
Paul Robert Perschmann (November 27, 1952 – April 28, 2009) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Playboy Buddy Rose. He wrestled primarily for the AWA, WWF, and for promoter Don Owen in Pacific Northwest ...
and held the title for two months before dropping it to Mr. Fuji and Karl Von Steiger on August 16.[
]
Art career
Cepello appeared in the music video for Michael Nesmith's "Cruisin'", which was included in the 1981 collection titled '' Elephant Parts''. Nesmith mistakenly stated in 1989 that Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
played the role, but he corrected his statement in 2003. He has also appeared in several movies. In 1981, he played Ivory King in ''Tarzan, The Ape Man''. That year, he also had a role in ''Looker'', which was directed by Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavily feature tech ...
. In 1985, Strong appeared in ''Grunt! The Wrestling Movie'', portraying a character known as The Mask.
Cepello has painted two portraits of former tag team partner and Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura. One, which was painted for the Governor's Mansion, shows Ventura riding a horse while holding an American flag.[ ]
He has also done commercial artwork, which has including the logo for Dave Draper's Bomber Blend whey protein.[ Cepello, whose work has included many portraits of animals, is also active in working to preserve marine wildlife.][
]
Championships and accomplishments
*50th State Big Time Wrestling
** NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time)
References
External links
Official website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cepello, Stephen
1949 births
20th-century American male artists
20th-century American painters
21st-century American painters
American male professional wrestlers
American male painters
Living people
Painters from Arizona
Professional wrestlers from Arizona