Bob Armstrong, who passed away Aug. 27 at the age of 80, was widely known as the patriarch of one of the most legendary families of Southern wrestling.
But he was so much more than that.
Born Joseph Melton James on Oct. 3, 1939, on a farm near Marietta, Ga., Bob Armstrong would leave his indelible mark on the wrestling business through a six-decade career in the ring and four sons who would carry on his legacy and family tradition.
The tough-as-nails grappler, taking the name Bob Armstrong because of his big arms, was the consummate hometown hero whose blue-collar work ethic and traditional Southern values made him one of the top babyfaces on Southeastern wrestling circuits during the territorial era.
An ex-Marine and firefighter, the charismatic Armstrong was a “superhero” to an audience that believed in him. He possessed that rare, God-given gift of grappling gab that could talk fans into the building.
Famed wrestling manager Jim Cornette, who appointed Armstrong as commissioner of his fledgling Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion after Armstrong’s in-ring career had wound down, called his friend the “complete package.”
“He looked like a million dollars,” Cornette said on his “Jim Cornette Experience” podcast. “He had the physique, but he also had the athleticism. He was jacked up, but he was lean. He could move. He had fire and body language. He could cut that promo … not just a drab babyface promo. One of the reasons he was such an over babyface in the South is because babyfaces in the South had to be able to talk. And he could talk to people just like somebody they knew.”
Armstrong was not only a great talent, said Cornette, but was someone who influenced him as a young wrestling fan and later as a business associate.
“Not only was Bob Armstrong a great wrestler and the head of a great wrestling family and a great person in general, but he was special to me in several different parts of my life, specifically in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he made the company. For whatever reason, because the business has changed, you can’t find guys like this anymore that have everything. That’s why Bob was always the standout member of the Armstrong family, and I don’t think any of the kids are going to be mad at me for saying this because he was.”
“I’m Southern-born and Southern-bred, and when I die, I’ll be Southern-dead,” was one of the many catchy phrases Armstrong would serve up as one the most prodigious promo men of that time. From Atlanta to Knoxville, Birmingham to Tampa, Armstrong regaled Southern audiences with his work in the ring and his gift of gab outside of it.
“Jackasses can’t run with racehorses,” Cornette reminisced regarding another favorite Armstrong line. Or, he added, “It’s a case of mind over matter. I don’t mind and you don’t matter.”
“People loved that,” Cornette said of Armstrong’s homespun expressions traced to his days on the family farm. “He could talk to the people. They believed in him. He looked the part. His work was immaculate. He worked exactly like you would have expected this guy to work. Ex-Marine, ex-fireman. Manly man. The big arms. Whether he was ‘The Bullet’ or ‘The Georgia Jawjacker,’” Armstrong was the right man for the job.
“He was just a person that the people could associate with,” said longtime Southeastern and Continental Wrestling commentator Charlie Platt, who visited Armstrong three weeks before his passing. “A Marine (Honor Man for his platoon at basic training on Parris Island) who turned into a fireman who turned into a professional wrestler from Marietta, Ga. An All-American-type guy whose personality came across in the interviews. He could talk like nobody else.”
Cornette scoffs at critics who point to Armstrong’s long runs mainly on the Southern circuit.
Bob Armstrong was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011. Provided/WWE
“He was of the generation where you could get over in your home area or in the adjacent territories and you could work a 15- or 20-year career and never have to work in Washington state or California. I’m sure if they had wanted him in New York for that money, he would have probably gone. But Bob, like the rest of the Armstrong family, all liked to be around home. And they were perfect talents for wrestling in the South because they knew exactly how to do it. They knew the tricks, they knew how to talk to the people.”
Although Armstrong never set foot in a WWE ring, he was inducted into that company’s Hall of Fame when Wrestlemania was held in Atlanta in 2011.
“I think somebody up there likes me,” Armstrong said during his induction speech. “I got to live my dream.”
Made fans believe
Armstrong, who helped define Southern wrestling from the 1960s through the 1980s, began his career in Georgia in 1961 and became a staple throughout the Southeast. Along the way he picked up dozens of individual and tag-team championships, including the Southern heavyweight championship, the Mid-America heavyweight title, the North American heavyweight title, and various regional tag titles with such partners as Robert Fuller, El Mongol, Roberto Soto, Dick Steinborn, Bill Dromo, Ken Lucas, and sons Brad and Steve Armstrong.
During the ‘60s it wasn’t uncommon to see the “Fighting Fireman” rush to the Channel 11 studio in Atlanta after finishing a shift as a Cobb County fireman, only to put out another fire, this time inside a wrestling ring during the weekly TV tapings.
That sort of work ethic quickly made him a favorite in the Atlanta territory. “When he first got over in Georgia, they really, really pushed that he was a fireman, like he was an everyday regular guy. I think the people really identified with that,” Davey Rich (David Haskins) related in the 2012 book “The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: Heroes & Icons.”
By the mid-‘70s, he was over not only in Georgia, but he became a favorite in Memphis, where he was a top-drawing babyface opponent for Jerry Lawler, and the Nashville territory, where he was used on top in a blazing feud with The Mongolian Stomper (Archie Gouldie).
Cornette vividly remembered photographing an Armstrong-Stomper match back in the mid-‘70s in Louisville, and even used one of his photos on the cover of “Tuesday Night at the Gardens” in 2015. It was a bloodbath that Cornette, as a young fan, said made him “believe again.”
“That night I’m there at ringside, I’m on the front row, I’ve got my Kodak Instamatic camera. I’d been going to the matches for over a year. I’d been watching on TV for three years or so. When I saw this and the last three or four minutes of this match, it made me believe wrestling was real again. I was starting to have doubts. I was just like a lot of the rest of the people in the Gardens. There was something going on, but we didn’t know what.
“When that boot came down on Bob’s head and he sat up and started gushing blood, I was like ‘Holy (crap), that’s real!’ And then when Bob starts getting up and making the comeback and he starts firing those right hands on The Stomper, and The Stomper starts bleeding … The people in the Gardens were literally not only standing up, but they were jumping up and down screaming, ‘Get him! Get him!’ It made me for that night again believe. I don’t care what anybody else does, wrestling has to be real. Wrestling is real. It was right in front of me.”
Smoky Mountain figurehead
When Armstrong retired full-time in 1988 and eventually settled in doing independents, Cornette called him about his new Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion in 1992. Cornette realized Armstrong would instantly give the promotion credibility as commissioner.
“I wanted Brad Armstrong (one of Bob’s four sons) as my first champion, and I didn’t get him because he was under contract,” said Cornette. “I never intended to use Bob Armstrong in any other fashion, and I never intended for Bob Armstrong’s spot to be taken by anybody else. From the time I started thinking Smoky Mountain Wrestling, that was the only spot I wanted for Bullet, and that’s the only person I wanted for that spot.”
Armstrong initially was more than happy to come in, but as a wrestler, Cornette laughs. But once he explained to Armstrong that he would be more valuable as the face of the promotion, a believable authority figure who still had the muscle to enforce the rules, Armstrong agreed. Cornette also had bigger plans for Armstrong down the road, and that would include putting on the tights again whenever needed to pop a big crowd in Knoxville, nearly 25 years after his main-event run in that territory. A main event pitting Armstrong against nemesis Cornette packed 3,000 fans into the town’s Civic Coliseum.
Armstrong would also play a lead authority figure in the early years of TNA where, at the age of 68, he teamed with son Brian, known then as B.G. James, in a 2008 TNA tag-team title match with A.J. Styles and Tyson Tomko.
No matter where he showed up, Bob Armstrong always seemed to be perfect for the time and the place. A pillar of the wrestling business, he could command the attention – and respect – of every locker room he ever shared.
“I just don’t know anybody in the history of the business that was more loved than Joseph James,” said Platt.
His talent and passion for the business was passed on to his four sons – “Road Dogg” Brian, Steve, Scott and the late Brad Armstrong, all stars in their own right.
“Egos the way they were, I heard a couple guys over the years make remarks that he was booking all his boys,” says Platt. “But that feud against the Fuller family drew money in this territory from 1978 through 1988. Ten years. You go with who you brought to the dance. Other than a couple young guys getting into the business complaining like that, never ever did anybody say anything bad about Bob.”
Bob Armstrong was one of the giants of Southern wrestling. In his early years he had one of the most impressive physiques in wrestling. Provided/Chris Swisher Collection
“Feuded for years but will love each other forever,” said “Tennessee Stud” Ron Fuller (Welch).
“I’ve loved the Armstrong family,” said Cornette. “I’ve enjoyed every interaction I’ve had with every member of the family. Bullet was the leader of the pack. They were hilarious to be around. They were great for the show, great in the locker room.”
Birth of ‘The Bullet’
Known as “Pep” to friends, family and old-timers, Armstrong first got hooked on pro wrestling as a youngster when his father took him to a show featuring the flamboyant heel Gorgeous George.
“I sat on my dad’s shoulders and thought this must be what an angel looks like,” he said in “Heroes and Icons.” “He was dressed in all gold with that platinum and it made such an impression on me.”
One of Armstrong’s few blunders came during a match in the mid-‘70s in Miami with the great Lou Thesz, Armstrong said in an interview with SLAM Wrestling.
“Thesz came in, he was about 55 years old and I was in my prime and I said, ‘Lou, do you want me to slow down a little bit?’ That was the biggest mistake I ever made. He made a pretzel out of me and just made me realize how great he really was. We went 45 minutes and I don’t think he drew a tired breath.”
Armstrong suffered severe injuries in a mid-‘80s weightlifting accident that nearly cut his wrestling career short.
He was at the gym doing pullovers when the bench, which wasn’t properly bolted down, came apart and broke, bringing down a 185-pound barbell on his face, breaking a number of bones and tearing off part of his nose
Armstrong’s face was severely damaged, and the resulting scars and plastic surgeries would lead to him wearing a mask as “The Bullet” to conceal his disfigured features. It would be a mat moniker that would stick the rest of his life.
The Bullet last stepped into the ring in 2019 when he was 79 – 58 years after his very first match.
‘True love story’
Even at age 80, with cancer having spread into his bones throughout much of his once chiseled body, Armstrong was battling like he had all those years inside a wrestling ring. He opted not to pursue treatment; he was going to be Bullet Bob Armstrong to the end.
“It’s hard to cry about Bullet because I looked at him like a Southern version of Lou Thesz,” says Cornette. “(I thought) Even with cancer, he’ll be the guy that beats it. Nothing can stop Bullet. Nothing can stop Thesz.”
Just how tough was he? It was “only” cancer, so he was still working out, said Cornette.
“Bullet was working out until a month or two ago. He was going over to Scott’s house to bench-press. He actually had nerve damage and lost control of one of his pinky fingers a while back and he couldn’t grip his barbells very good. So he went to the doctor and had him cut the finger off so he could get a better grip! That was Bullet.”
Bob and Gail Armstrong were married for nearly 60 years. Provided
Suffering from cancer in his ribs, shoulder and prostate, the final bell rang for Armstrong on Aug. 27. His beloved childhood sweetheart and wife of nearly 60 years, Gail, had passed away only weeks before.
“That 60-year marriage to one woman in the wrestling business says everything about who he was,” said one friend.
Armstrong, who had lived in the Pensacola area for years, had moved into an assisted living facility to be with his wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
“Bob went in there with her. This man took care of this woman and did everything for her the last two years of her life. He did it all. He did everything. And he had cancer for almost 2½ years,” said Platt.
But it was Vida Gail Adams James, as Armstrong often said, “that raised a total of five boys, including himself.”
The two would have been married 60 years this month, but instead celebrated their anniversary together in July since their health had been declining.
Their outdoor anniversary celebration included a parade of firetrucks circling around the assisted living facility, said Platt. Gail died just two days later, at the age of 80, on a Sunday morning as the two held hands while watching TV.
“She just nodded off,” said Platt. “Bob thought she had gone to sleep. But she had passed away. It was a true love story. Who could have written that finish? Only God in heaven wrote the finish to that.”
“From a Marine as a young man, a great athlete and legitimate tough guy, a role model for wrestlers, and an icon to fans and the common man, he will never be forgotten! May he rest in peace with his lovely bride!” Ron Fuller (Welch) posted on social media.
Following the death of Gail, Armstrong moved into the home of one of his sons, Brian, to spend his final days.
“He was always more concerned about everybody else. He was more concerned about me than him,” said Platt. “But that was just him.”
His son Brian shared a tribute on Twitter, writing, “Today I pray that I keep my head up, celebrating the life and legacy of my hero, my father. I also pray to remain thankful to my Heavenly Father for the gift of being born to my mom and dad!”
Platt said the funeral in Jay, Fla., was well attended despite the pandemic and Labor Day weekend.
“It was a heartwarming thing to see guys like Jeff Jarrett, Ron Fuller and even Downtown Bruno drive the distances that they drove to show their respect to the family. And listen … Jay, Fla., is not even on the map. That’s a testament of dedication and appreciation to a guy who never said no to helping anyone out.”
“I was honored to attend the celebration of life for maybe my best friend ever in wrestling, Bob Armstrong,” Ron Fuller posted on Facebook. “It was one of the most touching experiences of my life. Great to see his three wonderful sons, to remember his sweet wife Gail, and the star named Brad that still shines in our hearts as well as countless wrestlers that also came to honor him. He may no longer be with us in body but will never fade away in our minds and souls. God rest the great one!”
Remembering Bullet
The name Bob Armstrong was known far and wide throughout the South by not only wrestling fans, but many others in the entertainment business.
Platt, a longtime wrestling commentator who also served as the host of a popular morning show in Dothan, Ala., recalled a dinner meeting with close friend and renowned songwriter and producer Buddy Buie, and country and pop singer Billy Joe Royal, who had been in town promoting a concert.
“We took Billy Joe to the Redhouse Café. We were just having a good time listening to him tell all the old music stories, and I’m just sitting on the edge of my chair,” said Platt, a former disc jockey. “Buddy told Billy Joe that I had some road stories from the wrestling business. Billy Joe immediately asked, ‘You worked in the wrestling business? Why didn’t you say something?’ Well, it never came up.
“He asked me who I worked with, and I mentioned Bob Armstrong, Ron Fuller, and before I could get Fuller’s name out, he blurted out: ‘Joseph and Gail Adams James!’ Come to find out, he lived in the same neighborhood as Gail in Marietta, Ga. His family couldn’t afford a piano, but her family could. So he learned to play piano in Gail’s house. Years later at a dance, after he had become a regional artist, this guy tried to jump him because his girlfriend was taking a liking to Billy Joe. And one Joseph James entered the scene and beat the living stuffing out of this guy. You can’t make this stuff up.”
Platt, who underwent open heart surgery in 2012, also expressed the loyalty Armstrong displayed as a caring friend.
“I gave my son my cell phone when I was going to the emergency room. Bob just happened to call me the next day, and my son answered the phone and told him that they were waiting to take me in for surgery when my body got better. He asked my son to call him and let him know.
“Later that night I was dying. My son called Bob and let him know that it wasn’t good. They had done everything they could do, and they were told to go ahead and make the final arrangements because they didn’t think I would come off the ventilator. Gail was working as a volunteer secretary at a church, and Bob came home from the gym and said, ‘Gail, get in the car, we’re going to church!’ Gail, happy as everything, said, ‘What is it Pep?’
“Charlie’s dying! We’ve got to get him on every prayer list we can!” Armstrong replied.
“Bob put her out at the church to go in there and put me on the prayer list,” said Platt. “Now I’m one that believes in the power of prayer. Well I came through the other side after seven days on the ventilator. The TV station started sending me stacks of printouts of emails that were coming to me at the station. These churches from all these little towns were praying for me. Gosh … how did this happen? Joseph James!”
Platt shared the story at his friend’s service. “It was a humbling experience knowing I knew every side of him, and he was the real deal that never knew what the real deal actually was. And it was him. He was the most complete guy I’ve ever seen. Athletic-wise, physique-wise, doing interviews. He was well-rounded in all of it.”
‘Going out his way’
The wrestling community mourned the loss of one of its favorite sons.
“Bob Armstrong is a guy that should never have had even the one heel turn,” a fan wrote. “He’s the guy you run into at a Cracker Barrel and will talk to you for 10 minutes. You’ll never tire of him as a face because he was every single man out there. He won, he lost, he got beat down and he battled back. He was a superhero, but he was the superhero you bought every issue of the comic book to see what happens next."
Longtime friend Les Thatcher, mourning the loss of Armstrong on his Facebook page, said there was no doubt that he was always ‘Bad to the Bone,’ referring to the gritty guitar and saxophone of George Thorogood’s signature song, which served as The Bullet’s popular ring entrance theme.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Bullet Bob Armstrong … a true man’s man in this sport of thieves,” tweeted Chris Jericho. “When I broke my arm in Smoky Mountain Wrestling in ‘94, Bob was one of the only ones to call and check on me. I also learned the art of cutting a promo from him. Rest well Bullet!”
“So sorry to hear about the passing of WWE Hall of Famer ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong. He was truly a one of a kind competitor. Condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Much love,” tweeted Hulk Hogan who, as young Sterling Golden, once dropped the Southeastern title to Armstrong in a match in Knoxville. The Hulkster, incidentally, would never get the chance to even the score after leaving the territory for his first heel run for Vince McMahon Sr.
“If you couldn’t have a great match with the Bullet you might as well quit and do something else,” posted Ted DiBiase. “He was a great husband, father, grandfather and all-around nice guy. He will be greatly missed.”
“Bob Armstrong was a great worker and a good man. I was lucky enough to work with him. RIP Bob,” posted Buddy Colt, who traded the Southern heavyweight title back and forth with The Bullet in 1972 in Georgia and the North American title two years later in Florida.
A life well lived, Bob Armstrong left a legacy that will live forever.
Reach Mike Mooneyham at bymikemooneyham@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ByMikeMooneyham and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MikeMooneyham. His latest book — “Final Bell” — is now available at https://evepostbooks.com and on Amazon.com
