Bob Armstrong

For other people nicknamed "Bullet Bob", see Bullet Bob.
For other people named Bob Armstrong, see Bob Armstrong (disambiguation).
Bob Armstrong

Armstrong being interviewed.
Birth name Joseph Melton James
Born (1939-10-03) October 3, 1939
Marietta, Georgia[1]
Residence Pensacola, Florida
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Alabama Jaw Jacker
Bob Armstrong
Georgia Jaw Cracker
Jim Durango
Billed height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1]
Billed weight 227 lb (103 kg)[1]
Debut 1960
Retired June 4, 2016

Joseph Melton James (born October 3, 1939) is an American professional wrestler and Hall of Famer, 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, Robert, Steve and Brian, all became wrestlers, the elder three under "Armstrong" ringnames, and Brian as a "James".

Early life

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 Fair oaks (Later Cobb Co) fire Department as a firefighter in 1962.

He debuted as a wrestler in 1960, adopting the ring name "Bob Armstrong". By 1966, Armstrong had become a popular face in the Savannah, Georgia area, and in 1970 he ceased working as a firefighter and began focusing on his wrestling career.

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 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.

Semi-retirement

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 youngest son Brian Gerard James, who would subsequently go by "B.G. James" in TNA.

On December 5, 2005, Armstrong underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. Despite being advised to refrain from wrestling until March 2006, Armstrong resumed wrestling later that month.

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 and B.G. James. 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 Xchange (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 was victorious, but ambushed by the LAX after the match. They were saved when the returning Bob Armstrong entered the ring and chased LAX away. The confrontation led to a six-man bout between LAX and Armstrong and The James Gang at Destination X on March 12, which was won by Kip James. Despite the two consecutive victories, Armstrong remained hungry for revenge, and challenged Konnan to an arm wrestling contest on the April 8 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. The James Gang (also sent backstage) ran in to help Armstrong. This led to a rematch at Lockdown on April 23, in which Armstrong scored the pin.

On the January 18, 2008 Impact!, B.G. chose Armstrong as his tag team partner for his Feast or Fired Tag Title shot. The two lost the championship match. This was his final appearance with TNA.

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 main event 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..

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. In June 4, 2016 Armstrong wrestled his last match in a Gulf South Championship Wrestling card that took place in Chickasaw, Alabama.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

1Title was awarded to them sometime in 2005 though the records are unclear as to the exact date and which promotion they wrestled in at the time.

See also

List of oldest surviving professional wrestlers

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "WWE Hall of Fame Inductees". WWE. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  2. ↑ "OWOW profile".
  3. ↑ "Bullet Bob Theme (Bullets to Bones)". The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  4. ↑ NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida) history At wrestling-titles.com
  5. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/CombatSportPro/photos/a.609016015883147.1073741828.608227402628675/769573699827377/?type=1&theater
  6. ↑ Columbus Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  7. ↑ Columbus Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  8. ↑ NWA Georgia Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  9. ↑ NWA Georgia Television Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  10. ↑ Macon Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  11. ↑ Macon Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  12. ↑ NWA National Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  13. ↑ NWA Southern Heavyweight Title (Georgia) history At wrestling-titles.com
  14. ↑ NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title (Georgia) history At wrestling-titles.com
  15. ↑ NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  16. ↑ NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  17. ↑ North American Heavyweight Title (Mid-South) history At wrestling-titles.com
  18. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 - 1995". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  19. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  20. ↑ CWF Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  21. ↑ NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  22. ↑ NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  23. ↑ NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title (Southeastern/Continental) history At wrestling-titles.com
  24. ↑ NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Title (Southern Division) history At wrestling-titles.com
  25. ↑ NWA Southeastern 6-Man Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  26. ↑ NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  27. ↑ NWA Southeastern Tag Team Title (Southern Division) history At wrestling-titles.com
  28. ↑ NWA Southeastern Television Title (Southern Division) history At wrestling-titles.com
  29. 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  30. ↑ http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/inductees/bobarmstrong/

External links

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