"Bullet" Bob Armstrong Passes Away

"Bullet" Bob Armstrong, a top star of professional wrestling in the southeastern United States from the sixties onward, and father of four sons who eventually became wrestlers themselves, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 80, according to his son, WWE referee Scott Armstrong.

A decorated champion in territories and promotions such as Georgia, Florida, and Southeastern Championship Wrestling, Armstrong earned acclaim for his charismatic promos, endearing himself to audiences as a colorful yet gritty babyface star.

Armstrong debuted as a wrestler in 1960, working throughout numerous NWA affiliates before retiring as a full time performer in 1988. Since then, he still wrestled occasionally, while sometimes working in places as a babyface authority figure (including a notable run in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling in the nineties).

Despite his advancing age, Armstrong wrestled several times in the final years of his life, including a match in May of 2019, at the age of 79 in Dothan, AL.

In his career, Armstrong held the Florida version of the NWA Southern Heavyweight title twice, the NWA Alabama Heavyweight title on three occasions, and reigned numerous times as some form of Tag Team champion, occasionally with one of his sons.

Armstrong's nickname "Bullet" came into extra use following a training accident that severely disfigured his face. During his convalescence, Armstrong took to wearing a mask and dubbing himself "The Bullet", as a means of hiding the extent of his injuries. Even after he no longer required the mask, Armstrong would still delve into the role in the passing years.

Armstrong's four sons Scott, Brad, Steve, and Brian (Road Dogg) all followed him into the business. He is predeceased by Brad, who passed away in 2012. The previous year, Armstrong was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his children.

Cultaholic offers its condolences to the Armstrong family and their loved ones.