"Bullet" Bob Armstrong, the leader of the famed Armstrong wrestling family, has passed away at the age of 80.
The news was first announced
by his son, Scott, on Twitter Thursday night. In March, Scott tweeted that his dad came over for a workout despite bone cancer in his ribs, shoulder and prostate -- all of which he refused treatment for.
His wife, Vida Gail, died in late-June.
The U.S. Marine born Joseph James began his career in 1960 in Georgia and became an NWA mainstay in the southeastern U.S. before retiring in 1988. He would return to wrestling sporadically from 1992 through 2019, appearing for Smokey Mountain Wrestling, WCW, and TNA/Impact Wrestling as well as various indies. Incredibly, the Georgia-born powerhouse wrestled his last match in 2019, wrapping a career that spanned six decades.
All four of his sons also got into the business in lengthy careers. Brian gained fame as the Road Dogg in WWF/E and still works for the company; Brad (Robert) was a standout for both NWA and WCW, passing away in 2012; Steve wrestled for more than 10 years for several top organizations; and Joseph (known as Scott) has been in the business since 1983 for several top organizations including WWE.
Bob held a litany of titles in Mid-South, Southeastern Championship Wrestling, and various other NWA affiliates. He was named to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.
