Kiwi Pro Wrestling wishes to acknowledge the passing of American professional wrestler Brad Armstrong, who died on November 1 2012, aged 51.
Brad Armstrong was born Robert Bradley James in Marietta, Georgia on June 15, 1961. A second-generation wrestler, he was the son of "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. Along with his brothers Steve, Scott and Brian, Brad followed his father into the professional wrestling business. Brad made his debut at 20 years of age, teaming with his father in October 1981 to win the NWA Thanksgiving National tag team tournament at the sold-out Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. That same year, Wrestling Observer Newsletter called Brad Armstrong the 'Rookie of the Year'.
Equally adept at singles and tag team competition, Brad was famed and feared for his signature Russian legsweep finisher. His accolades are too long to list here, but highlights include (but are not limited to) being two-time NWA National Heavyweight Champion and two-time NWA National Tag Team Championship (once with his father Bob Armstrong, once with long-time tag team parter Tim Horner) in Georgia Championship Wrestling, being Mid-South North American Champion and UWF World Tag Team Champion (with Tim Horner), being two-time Smoky Mountain Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, being WCW Light Heavyweight Champion and WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (with Michael "PS" Hayes and "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin). Brad remained active right up and into the "late" period of WCW (circa 1997-2001), meaning a new generation of young fans were exposed to his expertise.
WWE commentator Jim Ross has described Brad Armstrong as, "... one of the more talented in ring performers I've ever worked with...one of the most underrated, all time greats ever in the business". KPW CEO Rip Morgan certainly has fond memories of wrestling not only Brad Armstrong, but Brad's father "Bullet" Bob Armstrong and the tag team of Brad and Tim Horner "back in the day" in the NWA and WCW.
"Yeah, he was a great worker, a great worker. Him and his father, Bob Armstrong, too. I also wrestled Brad and Tim Horner when they were a tag team. Good team, too. He [Brad] came from a wrestling family, him and his brothers. Like the Harts. You wrestled him, you knew you were in for a fight."
Along with his father and brothers, Brad Armstrong is survived by his wife Lori and daughter Jillian.
KPW reporting staff