Bob Armstrong

**Joseph Melton James** (October 3, 1939 – August 27, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, **"Bullet" Bob Armstrong**. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States.

His four sons, Joseph Scott, Robert Bradley, Steve and Brian Girard, all became wrestlers. Brian (the Road Dogg) was the most successful as he became a WWE Hall of Famer, 1-time Hardcore and Intercontinental Champion, and a 5-time WWF Tag Team Champion with long time tag team partner Billy Gunn.

## Early life

He was born on October 3, 1939, in Marietta, Georgia. When he was a child, Joseph James's father took him to see Gorgeous George wrestle. The young James was impressed and intrigued by the flamboyant performer. As a young man, James served in the Marine Corps of the United States armed forces and was stationed in Korea.
During his recruit training in Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on Parris Island, South Carolina, James was named Honor Man. After leaving the military, he began working for the Marietta Fire Department as a firefighter in 1962.

## Professional wrestling career

He debuted as a wrestler in 1962, adopting the ring name "Bob Armstrong". By 1966, Armstrong had become a popular face in the Savannah, Georgia area, and in 1969 he ceased working as a firefighter and began focusing on his wrestling career.

Armstrong achieved considerable popularity in the Southeastern United States, particularly in Alabama and his home state of Georgia. He frequently wrestled for affiliates of the National Wrestling Alliance, and on October 9, 1974 in Miami Beach, Florida, Armstrong unsuccessfully challenged Jack Brisco for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

While bench pressing a dumbbell weighing upwards of 180 lb (82 kg) in a gym in Huntington, Georgia, the bench that Armstrong was lying upon broke, leading to the weight falling on his face. Armstrong's face was severely damaged and his nose was torn entirely off, and he required $38,000 USD worth of plastic surgery to repair it.

While undergoing surgery, Armstrong donned a wrestling mask to conceal his disfigured features and began using the ring name "The Bullet". As "The Bullet", Armstrong feuded with the Stud Stable in Continental Championship Wrestling. He eventually discarded the mask after his surgeries were complete, but retained the nickname "Bullet" for the remainder of his career. Armstrong trained each of his sons to wrestle, and formed tag teams with them in the 1980s and 1990s. In the course of his career, he toured both Japan and Korea.

Armstrong went into semi-retirement in the 1990s. In addition to making occasional appearance on the independent circuit in Georgia and Alabama, Armstrong acted as the commissioner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling and worked backstage with Southeast Championship Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Federation.

Armstrong appeared on the first weekly Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view on June 26, 2002 alongside fellow National Wrestling Alliance veterans Corsica Joe, Dory Funk, Jr., Harley Race, Jackie Fargo and Sarah Lee. His next appearance was on the August 14, 2002 pay-per-view, where he was introduced as an on-screen authority figure and informed Jeff Jarrett that he would face a mystery opponent one week later. The mystery opponent was revealed to be "The Masked Bullet", a masked wrestler who imitated Armstrong's mannerisms (although Armstrong himself came to ringside during the match, proving that he was not the Bullet). On the August 28, 2002 pay-per-view, Jarrett fought the Bullet to a no contest before striking Armstrong with a chair. On the September 18, 2002 pay-per-view, the Bullet unmasked, revealing himself to be Armstrong's son Brian.

On the December 3, 2005 episode of *TNA Impact!*, Armstrong returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, congratulating the newly formed Four Live Kru on their unity. However, at Turning Point on December 11, 2005, the Four Live Kru disintegrated, with Konnan betraying fellow members Kip James and B.G. James (the youngest son of Bob Armstrong). Armstrong declared that he would reunite the Kru and unsuccessfully petitioned the fourth former member, Ron Killings, to that effect on the December 24, episode of *Impact!*.

One week later, Armstrong tried once more to reform the group, this time approaching Konnan. Apparently willing to negotiate, Konnan led Armstrong backstage, only for Armstrong to be ambushed and beaten down by Konnan's newly formed stable, The Latin American Exchange (LAX). Footage from Armstrong's knee surgery from earlier that month aired on *iMPACT!* in January 2006, with the kayfabe explanation that the assault at the hands of the LAX had necessitated the surgical repair of Armstrong's knee.

At Against All Odds on February 12, 2006, Kip and B.G. James (the James Gang) faced the Latin American Exchange, with B.G. intent upon avenging the harm done to his "daddy". The James Gang were victorious, but were ambushed by the LAX after the match. They were saved when the returning Bob Armstrong entered the ring and chased the LAX away. The confrontation led to a six man bout between the LAX and Armstrong and the James Gang at Destination X on March 12, which was won by Kip James.

Despite the two consecutive victories of the James Gang, Armstrong remained hungry for revenge, and challenged Konnan to an arm wrestling contest, which was to be held on the April 8, episode of *Impact!*. The contest did not finish due to interference from Homicide and the newest LAX member, Hernandez, who had been sent to the locker room prior, as were the James Gang. The James Gang ran back out to the ring to help Armstrong, and later in the show a rematch was announced for *Lockdown* on April 23,. Armstrong went on to win the rematch in his final appearance with TNA. Recently Bob has wrestled for All Star Championship Wrestling with his son Brad, promoter Rock Parsons, and Ole Anderson.

On the January 17, 2008 episode of *Impact!*, B.G. announced that Bob would be his tag team partner when he used his Feast or Fired Tag Title shot. He and his son came up short at winning the championship.

A retirement show was held on May 29, 2009, at The Dothan Civic Center where many past stars came out to honor Armstrong before his match in the main event. In 2010, Bob returned to the ring at the "GOTJ 2010" event, where he defeated former rival "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr.. In 2011, it was announced that Bob Armstrong would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his sons Scott, Brad, and Brian.

From 2010 to 2015, Armstrong worked occasional matches around Georgia, mainly working for promotions such as All Pro Wrestling, Superstars Of Wrestling and Combat Sport Pro. Armstrong wrestled his last match on May 11, 2019, for Continental Championship Wrestling in Dothan, Alabama, where he defeated The Assassin.

## Death

In March 2020, Armstrong was diagnosed with bone cancer in his ribs, shoulder and prostate, and refused treatment as he knew the cancer was terminal. He died from complications of bone cancer on August 27, 2020, at the age of 80.