Bengaluru, August 28: The pro-wrestling industry mourns the death of WWE Hall of Famer "Bullet" Bob Armstrong who has passed away at age 80. His son Scott Armstrong confirmed the news on social media after which WWE also released a statement, addressing the demise.

Born as Joseph James in Marietta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 1939, Armstrong proved himself as one of the most tenacious grapplers on the planet during the territorial days of sports-entertainment. He earned the 'toughman’ reputation long before he ever set his foot inside a squared circle, courtesy of his tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, and his seven-year tenure as a member of the Fair Oaks (later Cobb County) Fire Department.

Bob Armstrong made his pro-wrestling debut in 1960. During his illustrious career, he held several titles across different promotions such as the NWA Columbus Heavyweight Championship, NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship, NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, USA Heavyweight Championship, NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, and SCW Heavyweight Championship.

His wrestling style became famous, thanks to the assortment of holds and moves, including his feared sleeper and Georgia Jawbreaker that he later passed on to his sons over the span of his career that lasted for more than six decades.

Armstrong was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 for his contributions to pro-wrestling although he was never a part of the active WWF/E roster or storylines. Rather he made one-off appearances on TV for WWE’s rival brands like Impact Wrestling promotion.



The old-school wrestler often credited his beloved wife, Gail, as the secret to his success. While getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011, the self-proclaimed “ol’ war horse” also mentioned that many of his triumphs were likely benefited from divine intervention, too.

“I think somebody up there likes me,” Armstrong said during his 2011 WWE Hall of Fame induction speech. “I got to live my dream.”

He wrestled his last match on May 11, 2019, for Continental Championship Wrestling in Dothan, Alabama, where he defeated The Assassin.

"Bullet" Bob Armstrong is also the father of Brad, Steve, Joseph aka Scott Armstrong (WWE official), and WWE Hall of Famer "Road Dogg" Jesse James. He had teamed up with each of his sons for wrestling purposes at various points in his career.