Brad Armstrong

Robert Bradley "Brad" James (June 15, 1962 – November 1, 2012) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Brad Armstrong.

Brad Armstrong started out at the age of 18 in the National Wrestling Alliance's Gulf Coast territory, Southeastern Championship Wrestling on July 4, 1980, against Jerry Roberts in Montgomery, Alabama.

He was a face, or good guy, due to his good looks and superb wrestling ability.

He feuded with Jerry Stubbs and Tom Prichard during his stay there and won the NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Championship there.

Armstrong moved to the NWA's Georgia territory, Georgia Championship Wrestling, in 1984, where he feuded with Tom McCartney, Dibiase">Ted Dibiase alongside his father Bob and then "White Lightning" Tim Horner, with whom he formed The Lightning Express.

Armstrong's in ring ability allowed him to take great advantage of a mix of technical wrestling and explosive speed in his style.

It was during this time that Armstrong was involved in an angle with Tommy Rich.

Rich was in a feud with Dibiase">Ted Dibiase.

They had a "loser leaves wrestling" match that Rich lost.

So, Rich put on a mask & came back as Mr. R. Dibiase insisted that Mr R. was really Rich.

Then, on a TV match for Dibiase's NWA National Title, Rich visited announcer Gordon Solie during the match.

Dibiase unmasked Mr R. to find that it was actually Armstrong.

In all of the confusion, Armstrong pinned Dibiase to become NWA National Champion for his first of two times holding that belt.

Armstrong held the NWA National Tag Team Championship twice that year, once with his father, and once with Horner.

All three returned to Southeastern Championship Wrestling in 1985, before eventually joining the NWA's Mid-Atlantic territory, Jim Crockett Promotions, in late 1986.

Armstrong feuded with Jimmy Garvin, locked horns with the Four Horsemen, and teamed with both his father and Horner at various times.

In 1986, Brad went on his first tour of Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling, to take part in a tournament to determine the first World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

Brad made it to finals, but lost the match and the title to Hiro Saito on July 31.

Armstrong then moved to Cowboy Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling / Universal Wrestling Federation, in 1986 where he won The North American Heavyweight Championship from Ernie Ladd in 1986 and losing it to Dibiase">Ted Dibiase a month later.

In early 1987, Brad reunited with Tim Horner forming a tag team known as "The Lightning Express, winning the UWF Tag Team Championship from future superstars Sting and Rick Steiner. They then feuded with the "Sheepherders," later known as The Bushwhackers, Butch Miller and Luke Williams, to whom they eventually lost their belts.

The Lightning Express then went back to Jim Crockett Promotions (which became World Championship Wrestling in November 1988) after the UWF was bought out by Crockett, but were not pushed, and Horner left for the WWF in late 1988.

Armstrong bounced between singles wrestling, temporary tag teams, and sorting out personal issues for much of the next few years.

He is best known for his appearances with the promotion World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.

He was the son of wrestler "Bullet Bob" Armstrong and brother to professional wrestlers Steve, Scott and Brian.

After teaming with a returning Tim Horner during the summer of 1990, Armstrong announced on the August 4, 1990, edition of WCW Saturday Night that he would be forming a new tandem with Doug Furnas, and that they planned on challenging for the United States Tag-Team Championship.

However Furnas would leave the company shortly thereafter, leaving Armstrong to continue his Lightning Express partnership with Tim Horner and to also occasionally team with David Sierra and Brad Anderson.

In September 1990 he was split off as a singles wrestler again and rebranded The Candyman.

Dressed in red and white tights and handing out candy to fans on his way to the ring, Armstrong began to receive his first significant singles push in the new WCW.

He went undefeated, pinning Dutch Mantell, Buddy Landell, and James Earl Wright over the next two weeks.

At the 1990 Halloween Havoc, Armstrong faced JW Storm (Jeff Warner), who was a recent addition to WCW and was also on an undefeated streak.

The Candyman pinned Storm in what Jim Ross stated was an upset.

The run finally ended on November 15, when The Iron Sheik upset The Candyman on a house show in Kansas City, Kansas.

On Clash of Champions XXIII on November 20, The Candyman was defeated by the debuting Big Cat after the referee stopped the match.

By the beginning of 1991, Armstrong had dropped the Candyman gimmick and had reunited with Tim Horner.

In January 1991, the Lightning Express faced The Fabulous Freebirds at a World Championship Wrestling TV taping, going to a double disqualification.

They would also face Arn Anderson and Barry Windham and The Royal Family during this period.

On February 24 at WrestleWar 91, Armstrong was defeated by Bobby Eaton.

In April 1991, The Fabulous Freebirds began speaking of a third member named Fantasia, who debuted at SuperBrawl I on May 19 to help the Freebirds capture the vacant WCW United States Tag Team Titles from the Young Pistols.

Armstrong, under a mask and covered in black feathers, would quickly have his name changed to Badstreet (the name was changed to prevent legal action from Disney).

The three Freebirds then won the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, while Hayes and Garvin held the WCW United States Tag Team Championship.