August 31, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Death of Bob Armstrong, WWE ThunderDome debut
Bob Armstrong, one of the biggest stars in the history of pro wrestling throughout Georgia, Alabama, the Florida Gulf Coast and Tennessee, passed away on 8/27 at the age of 80.
He had been suffering from prostate cancer and it had spread to his bones. He had decided against treatment and it was known for some time that the cancer was terminal. His wife, Vida Gail James had passed away on 6/28. The two had been married about 60 years.
A perennial babyface with the gift of gab and an understanding of timing and firing up in the ring, Armstrong epitomized the type of babyface that was more your badass bar fighting neighbor than a larger-than-life superstar. He first got over as “The Fighting Fireman from Marietta, GA,” and as a former marine who learned martial arts and was a specialist in hand-to-hand fighting.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.