WWE Hall of Famer ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong passes away

WWE Hall of Famer “Bullet” Bob Armstrong dies at age 80

WWE Hall of Famer “Bullet” Bob Armstrong (real name Joseph Melton James), the patriarch of the Armstrong wrestling family, passed away on Aug. 27. He was 80.

Armstrong’s death was confirmed by his eldest son, WWE referee and producer Scott Armstrong, via social media.

“Equal parts strongman and showman, Armstrong…proved himself as one of the most tenacious grapplers on the planet during the territorial days of sports-entertainment,” WWE said in a statement. “He secured his toughman reputation long before he ever set foot in the ring, thanks to 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.”

“Bullet” Bob Armstrong, patriarch of Armstrong wrestling family, has died

Armstrong made his professional wrestling debut in 1960, becoming a full-time wrestler in 1970 after achieving a significant amount of popularity in the southeastern United States.

His “Bullet” nickname came from an incident in a gym in which a weight fell upon his face, causing severe damage and forcing Armstrong to undergo plastic surgery. As he healed from his injuries, Armstrong wore a mask to the ring and was billed as “The Bullet,” keeping the nickname even after he no longer wore the mask.

Armstrong went into semi-retirement in 1988 but trained all four of his sons — Joseph [Scott Armstrong], Robert Bradley, Steve and Brian [WWE Hall of Famer “Road Dogg” Jesse James]) and teamed up with each of them at some point in their careers.

Armstrong joined Smokey Mountain Wrestling between 1992 and the promotion’s folding in 1995, serving as both a wrestler and commissioner.

Armstrong also made several appearances for Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA; now Impact Wrestling), even serving as one of its first on-screen authority figures in 2002, when he feuded with Jeff Jarrett in a storyline that would introduce Brian to the promotion, billed as B.G. James.

Between 2005 and 2006, Armstrong was involved in a feud between the tag team of his son and Kip James (aka Billy Gunn) and The Latin American Exchange.

While Armstrong initially retired in full in 2009, he returned to the ring following year and continued to semi-compete until finally retiring for good in 2019, defeating The Assassin at a Continental Championship Wrestling event in Dothan, Alabama.