Two Wrestling Veterans, ‘Wildman’ Jack Armstrong & Jumbo Baretta, Pass Away
The wrestling world lost two veterans, “Wildman” Jack Armstrong and Jumbo Baretta, on October 25, 2026.
Bodybuilder Laura Creavalle announced “Wildman” Jack Armstrong’s death on Facebook. He was 79. She revealed in a previous post that his health was failing, which is why she returned to Los Angeles after 19 years to be by his side. She also mentioned Armstrong was best friends with late WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson and had known his son, The Rock, since he was a child.
Jack Armstrong wrestling career spanned over three decades across major U.S. territories, Japan, and Herb Abrams’ Universal Wrestling Federation, where he became the inaugural Junior Heavyweight Champion. Apart from his in-ring career, he worked steadily in Hollywood as a stuntman and actor, appearing in cult wrestling films like Body Slam and Grunt! The Wrestling Movie.
Jumbo Beretta, a former WWE and WCW wrestler, passed away at the age of 59. He made his in-ring debut in 1986 after being trained by Boris Malenko. Soon, he found his way into WCW around 1989 and competed against the likes of Sting and the Road Warriors. He also had a couple of matches in WWE in 1995. He retired from active competition in 2013.
The Cauliflower Alley Club, a non-profit fraternal organization for retired and active professional wrestlers, boxers, and actors, paid tribute to “Wildman” Jack Armstrong and Jumbo Baretta on X/Twitter.
“The Cauliflower Alley Club is saddened to learn of the passing of professional wrestler “Wild Man” Jack Armstrong at 79. In addition to his career inside the squared circle, Jack appeared in numerous movies and television shows throughout his career. Rest in peace,” the post read.
“Rest in Peace, My Friend Jumbo Beretta. This one truly hurts. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Jumbo, a good friend whom I was honored and privileged to know for nearly 40 years. I send my sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace old friend,” the post read.
