On July 11, 1987 Koloff faced Luger in a steel cage match and was defeated after being hit with a chair. Nikita Koloff was born in Minneapolis as Scott Simpson. What you expect to happen, happens. He played college football and was dreaming of an NFL career when injuries sidelined him. Please logout and login again. Thanks Nikita for hearing Gods heart. "He gives support to the Eblen Charities," said Murdock. Praise God for this podcast Its time to man up. Among the various Russian bad guys in the sport, one that fans should definitely know about is Nikita Koloff, who made his debut in WCW in the mid-1980s and ended up becoming a surprisingly popular babyface after a couple of years. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. When my minds made up, that's what I'm going to do. He debuted on June 5, 1984 and won his first match in thirteen seconds. The two fought to a double disqualification at StarrCade '86 on November 26. Nikita Koloff was a professional wrestler from 1984 to 1992. Dusty Rhodes booked Koloff to rebound quickly, winning the NWA World Television Championship from Tully Blanchard on August 27.[11]. The worked injury set up the pretext for dropping the US Title to Lex Luger. Simpson decided to go with wrestling and was told to shave his head bald and to show up. He debuted on June 5, 1984 and won his first match in thirteen seconds. Koloff now admits it was a character he was playing, but still has people expecting him. Capture your dreams and your life becomes full. No annual. Nikita and Robby bring us a wonderful Valentines special broadcast. He played college football and was dreaming of an NFL career when injuries sidelined him. www.cracked.com/article_20029_5-insane-true-tales-wrestlers-refusing-to-break-character.html. In front of his first pay-per-view audience, Nikita became the undisputed Television Champion by defeating Taylor on November 26. By Rex Ivanovic Mar 19, 2013, 2:57pm EDT. Koloff rebounded quickly and won the WCW World Television Championship from Tully Blanchard on August 27. Nikita Koloff has now retired from the wrestling ring and is perhaps best known for his time at Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid-to-late 1980s, where he wrestled alongside high talents including Ric Nikita Koloff A Real & True Hero It's Time to Man Up! Nikita Katsalapov - Nikita Gennadyevich Katsalapov (Russian: ; born 10 July 1991) is a Russian ice dancer. Expecting it to happen energizes your goal and actually gives it momentum. During television promos, Nikita stood behind Ivan and Kernodle with his arms folded while they took interviews. ~~~Later that night, The Russians competed in a "Tag Team Battle Royal", which was won by Sgt. During one bout, Koloff sustained a cut to the arm when an audience member threw a spark plug at him.[8]. After StarrCade, Koloff was firmly established as one of the NWA's most popular stars. During this time, it became notable that Nikita stayed constantly in character, even speaking with a thick Russian accent when in public. He enrolled in Golden Valley Lutheran College where he played college football alongside fellow future wrestler Joe "Animal" Laurinaitis. In March, as part of his ongoing feud with Ivan andDick Murdoch, Koloff's neck was "injured" by a Murdochbrainbusteron the concrete floor. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Professional Wrestler. (*then he changed his name legally, which makes his new life as a preacher pretty awkward, I'm sure*) He's the best (or at least most dedicated to kayfabe) fake-Russian wrestler of all time, at least until they tried to say HANDSOME RUSEV was Russian and not Bulgarian. Statistics and information about the 1283 matches fought by Nikita Koloff in our events database. Being the culmination of a heated feud, the match was inside a steel cage at . He returned with Ivan Koloff in 1986 and faced Invader I and Invader III at a big house show at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon. Welcome to Nikita Koloff's personal website. Every day we present the best quotes! The Bible in a Year (with Fr. The two were then booked in a best-of-seven series, which took place during The Great American Bash 1986 tour. Theworkedinjury set up the pretext for dropping the U.S. He attended Robbinsdale High School where he played for the Robbinsdale Robins football team as a defensive lineman and on offense[3] was an all-conference wide receiver. The Andersons, NWA Television Title (First Blood Match): Dusty Rhodes vs. Tully Blanchard, United States Tag Team Title Match (No DQ Match): Krusher Khruschev and Ivan Koloff vs. His improvement negated the need for Kernodle to continue teaming with Ivan and, shortly thereafter, the Russians turned on the American turncoat. This ended Koloff's reign of nearly 11 months, which still stands today as the fifth longest U.S. title reign in the more than 33-year history of the title. Then came Wrestling with Success: Developing a Championship Mentality in 2004, a self-help book that uses Koloffs wrestling career as a springboard for more generalized advice about success. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x NWA National Heavyweight Champion, a 1x NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, an NWA (Mid-Atlantic) 6-Man Tag Team Champion, a 2x NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Champion and a 1x NWA World Television Champion. Shows Commentated. When Nelson Scott Simpson first broke into the wrestling business in 1984, he was told that his new character was going to be named "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, because by the mid-'80s hating Russians was at a career-making high. Dusty Rhodes needed a partner to take onOle AndersonandJames J. Dillonin a cage match. During a TBS World Championship Wrestling (WCW) broadcast leading up to what would be Jim Crockett's first foray into pay-per-view, Taylor and Gilbert jumped Koloff again, beating him unconscious, and draping his version of the TV title across his limp body. Immediately after his face turn, Koloff resumed his quest for Ric Flair's NWA World Title and came very close to winning it on several occasions. Nikita Koloff made a major impact on the professional wrestling scene when promoter Jim Crockett brought him into Charlotte in 1984. With Kernodle out of the picture, Uncle Ivan Koloff introduced a new comrade namedKrusher Khruschev. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Koloff would battle Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, and was seriously considered to be the man to take the title. Following an incident where Magnum hit on-screen WCW PresidentBob Geigelfor demanding an apology after T.A. The historic moment took place on October 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Nikita Koloff WELDED It's Time to Man Up! Nikita Koloff (born Nelson Scott Simpson on March 9, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. Ivan and Krusher lost the titles to The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) on July 9. The tour began and ended with two revolutionary matches known asWarGames: The Match Beyond. November 22, 1984 - NWA Starrcade: The Russians (Ivan and Nikita Koloff) defeated Ole Anderson and Keith Larson. 1 Koloff defeated Wahoo McDaniel to unify the title with the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Wrestling/NikitaKoloff. Koloff made a comeback with World Championship Wrestling and began targeting some of his old rivals like Sting and Lex Luger. to win the title. After Ivan himself turned face when manager Paul Jones went against him, Koloff helped Ivan briefly against Jones' henchmen, the masked Russian Assassins, and then he took a sabbatical on November 27. Or, you can follow us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages. It's a weekly challenge for men It's Time TO MAN UP! Nikita Koloff Is Confident He Could Have Had WWF Run With Hulk Hogan. Koloff continued wrestling in the NWA and the AWA for the remainder of the year and the first half of 1990, headlining numerous television broadcasts and Twin Wars '90, the last major event with the AWA under Gagne. He played college football and was dreaming of an NFL career when injuries sidelined him. A booked showdown at StarrCade '88 in December was to pit Ivan and Koloff against the Russian Assassins. And it was at that time, at that moment, that I told WCW that I was going to step away, take a sabbatical if you will. Koloff's departure resulted in the Junkyard Dog substituting for him as Ivan's partner. 4:21. He then lost to Barry Windham in the finals of the tournament for the vacant NWA United States Championship, before beginning a feud with Al Perez and teaming with Sting to feud with the Four Horsemen. Koloff wrestled briefly in Puerto Rico for World Wrestling Council (WWC) and engaged in some bouts with Hercules Ayala. Flair's Four Horsemen comrades bailed him out almost every time. Further education would come from other greats that he shared a ring with, including Ricky Steamboat, Baron Von Raschke, and even Ric Flair. Koloff went to great lengths to keep the "Evil Russian" gimmick as realistic as possible. Koloff was originally billed as being a Russian. Despite being billed as being from Russia, Ivan was actually born and raised near Montreal Canada. As you browse, we hope you'll learn more about the man, his mission and his ministry. The full audio and video from part one his interview can be found below. Koloff returned to WCW on February 24, 1991 at WrestleWar. MACW - Event @ Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California, USA. The Eblen Charities is a not-for-profit business that helps families that are battlilng illnesses and disabilities. Continuing to improve, Koloff became a big enough heel to get a match against NWA World Champion Ric Flair at The Great American Bash 1985 on July 6. LLBD. During television promos, Nikita stood behind Ivan and Kernodle with his arms folded while they took interviews. That's the main reason why I stepped away for a season of time there at WCW.". Prior to committing themselves with Jim Crocket Promotions, The Koloffs feuded with then AWA World tag team champions the Road Warriors in both the AWA and the NWA in a brutal series during 1985. Nikita Koloff was born in Minneapolis as Scott Simpson. Read The Return of Edge by with a free trial. was stripped of his title. While speaking about his eventual retirement from professional wrestling in 1992, which he had already been planning for, Koloff was asked if he would have stayed in the business had Vince McMahon come calling with an offer. NWA United States Heavyweight Title: Nikita Koloff (c) vs. Magnum TA - Double Count Out. Despite being pretty much as green as one could possibly be in pro wrestling, Nikita Koloff certainly had people around him to ensure his success. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. I'm in the main event. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor, World Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1992, where he was billed from Russia (and, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Lithuania). Koloff also wrestled briefly in Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, in no way affiliated with the original UWF of Bill Watts, where he reignited a feud with 'Uncle' Ivan. As a result, long-term plans for Magnum to capture the World Title were dashed, as were plans for Nikita Koloff to rekindle their rivalry with even bigger stakes. [1] Eventually, he went from villain to hero, teaming with Dusty Rhodes, "The American Dream," to become a super patriot and a super star. The pair would battle the Horsemen in War Games and also win the Crockett Cup. Rotunda and Williams were disqualified for attacking Koloff, and later stripped of the titles. 80. You might say [like] a Wayne Gretzky, theres only a few guys who walked away at the top of their career, and retired. Throughout the early months of 1987, Koloff continued to defend the United States Title against members of the Four Horsemen andPaul Jones' Army, which now included "Uncle" Ivan. The Russians would win the NWA World Tag Team Championship, but more importantly, they would terrorize every babyface in the promotion. [19] His finishing move was the "Russian Sickle", a clothesline.[4]. On 1987, Krusher, who left the NWA for the World Wrestling Federation, asked Koloff to join him. Unable to fulfill that dream, he turned again to weights and became an obsessive trainer, putting in extremely long hours at the gym. He also runs his own small wrestling promotion, the Universal Wrestling Alliance UWA as an outreach of his ministry. After Ivan Koloff turned face when manager Paul Jones went against him, Koloff helped Ivan briefly against Jones' henchmen, the masked Russian Assassins, and then he took a sabbatical on November 27. Koloff defeated Flair by disqualification so the title was retained by Flair. Love this podcast. In December 1984, Jim Crockett rewarded the Russians with theWCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Koloff stated that even though he and Magnum T.A. The plan called for T.A. Koloff has written three books. After graduating high school, Koloff -- continued his football career in college, playing for Golden Valley Lutheran College in St. Paul, Minnesota. "He has provided help in building churches and other worthwhile organizations. Second of a two-part series. The winner of the series would be declared champion. Nikita Koloff was born in Minneapolis as Scott Simpson. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place. 81. "My wife had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24. Lets take a look at the life and career of Nikita Koloff. On a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Koloff addressed the possibility of wrestling one last match in the same way Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat both did. MACW TV-Taping - Event @ Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. THANK YOU NIKITA for making my friend's . Continuing to improve, Koloff became a big enough heel to get a match against WCW World ChampionRic FlairatThe Great American Bash 1985on July 6. However, Koloffs in-ring career lasted less than a decade and involved zero time spent in WWE, so its likely many modern fans don't know much about him if they know of him at all. I think he would have done well in the WWF in the 80's had he made the decision to jump. [18][16], Koloff had an "evil" appearance with a black singlet, shaved head, and goatee. 6 Nikita Koloff Koloff was a big name in the 80s who eventually spent a few years at WCW in the early years of the company. 4:39. Koloff debuted in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1984 as the Russian Nightmare, and teamed with "uncle"Ivan KoloffandDon Kernodle, a turncoat American. The promotion was in its twilight and given Nikita's stature, Gagne positioned Nikita to challenge then AWA World Heavyweight Champion Larry Zbyszko almost immediately. Koloff, born Scott Simpson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, broke into professional wrestling portraying a bald-headed menace from the then-Soviet Union. [9] As of the beginning of October, Rhodes had not decided whether to give Koloff the title at some point during the feud. What came next was one of the most epic babyface turns in professional wrestling history. Please click this line if you do not care and want to view it anyway. Nikita defeated T.A. His improvement negated the need for Kernodle to continue teaming with Ivan and, shortly thereafter, the Russians turned on the American turncoat. In the fall of 1987, a feud began between Koloff and Terry Taylor when Taylor, alongside his fellow members of Hot Stuff International, Inc. -Eddie GilbertandRick Steiner- attacked Koloff and stole his championship belt. Choose to believe something good can happen. , 2:57pm EDT became notable that nikita stayed constantly in character, speaking... Click this line if you do not care and want to view it anyway clothesline. [ 11.. 'S departure resulted in the 80 's had he made the decision to.... 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