He played college football and was dreaming of an NFL career when injuries sidelined him. "His outreach is worldwide, he does charitable work in Africa and other countries. The man who once pursued championships longed for more in his life. And the legendary Nikita Koloff was right there, in the middle of it all. It's by taking chances that you'll learn how to be brave. Now a babyface and comrade of Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff found himself feuding with the top heel group and Dustys greatest enemies, the Four Horsemen. 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). was involved in a career-ending car accident. [18][16], Koloff had an "evil" appearance with a black singlet, shaved head, and goatee. 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. His wife Mandy was suffering from Hodgkin's disease and died in the summer of 1989. It's a weekly challenge for men It's Time TO MAN UP! If you expect to succeed, you'll succeed, Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. 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. had earned his respect, and that Nikita would work to earn the respect of the American people. I think he would have done well in the WWF in the 80's had he made the decision to jump. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on March 9, 1959. Koloff said, I probably could. Koloff defeated Flair by disqualification so the title was retained by Flair. With Kernodle out of the picture, Uncle Ivan Koloff introduced a new comrade namedKrusher Khruschev. She passed away in 1989. Of course, part of that story was, 'We're gonna take all the . Rotunda & Williams were disqualified for attacking Koloff, and later stripped of the titles. On top of that, he had several classmates in Robbinsdale High that would also become pro wrestlers who werent necessarily on the football team, including Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, and Barry Darsow, a.k.a. The right side of his body was paralyzed for months, ending his in-ring career. Koloff has written two books: Breaking the Chains (ISBN 1-57090-107-4) in 2000, which is a Christian Living guide and Wrestling with Success (ISBN -471-48732-5) in 2004 along with Jeffrey Gitomer, which is a guide to positive thinking in life situations. In late 1992, he began feuding withBig Van Vader, with the two men facing one other atHalloween Havocon October 25. As you browse, we hope you'll learn more about the man, his mission and his ministry. Koloff On His Meteoric Rise To The Top Of The Pro Wrestling World: I didn't have any background in wrestling of any kind and within 13 months, I'd become the World Tag Team Champion, The World Six Man Champion, and now I'm wrestling Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Title. Finally, 2011 brought Nikita: A Tale of the Ring and Redemption, which covers the story of his life, from his wrestling days to his ministry work. And I look back, of course back in the days with magazines before the internet and all that, they were touting the Hulk Hogan vs. Nikita Koloff WrestleMania, 'what would happen if?' Sting vs Nikita Koloff - WCW Magazine [November 1991], We have the NWA Hall of Famer and former WCW Star Nikita Koloff for this week's. Choose to believe something good can happen. When Koloff was 10, his family relocated to the suburb of Robbinsdale. He stepped away from active competition in 1992 to become an ordained minister. FEB 6, 2023; Q&A With Koloff- Episode #107 Q&A With Koloff- Episode #107 Today, Nikita sits down with Ed Snaidecki & John Boneck for another great . Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The dreams you choose to believe in come to be. The Koloffs went on to regain the NWA World Tag Team title from the Rock 'N Roll Express three months later, on October 13, but lost it to the same opponents on November 28 at StarrCade 1985 in a steel cage match. "Nikita is as much a champion in the service of other as he was in the ring," said Bill Murdock, a museum board member who is executive director of Eblen Charities in Asheville, NC. His improvement negated the need for Kernodle to continue teaming with Ivan and, shortly thereafter, the Russians turned on the American turncoat. His freindship with wrestler Road Warrior Animal took him to Atlanta, where he was introduced to professional wrestling. On Popular Bio, He is one of the successful Professional Wrestler. While he learned more about the sport on the road with Ivan and Kernodle, Koloff was booked in very short matches until his skills developed. Rhodes decided to strike while the iron was hot, booking Koloff to become a face and his greatest ally against The Four Horsemen. [20] At her funeral he met Mandys longtime friend and his future wife, Victoria. From a hard-scrabble beginning to rings around the world, Nikita Koloff filled arenas, thrilled .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $9.99 Amazon Stores Kindle Edition, 253 pages Koloff returned to WCW in February 1992, saving Sting from an attack byThe Dangerous Alliance. What you expect to happen, happens. When he was two years old, his father left the family, leaving his mother as a single parent. You might say [like] a Wayne Gretzky, theres only a few guys who walked away at the top of their career, and retired. One of the greats that really helped the NWA get over the loss of Magnum T.A.. Got admire someone that dedicated. Losing Allen as a wrestler prompted NWA booker Dusty Rhodes to turn Nikita Koloff, Allen's last rival prior to his wreck, into a babyface. The rare air is I'm probably . [15][16] Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Koloff was billed from Lithuania. In spring of 1986, Koloff started one of the biggest, most anticipated feuds in the history of Jim Crockett Promotions when he attacked NWA United States Heavyweight Champion Magnum T. A. Koloff was born on March 9, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of four children born to Paige and Olive Simpson. Statistics and information about the 1283 matches fought by Nikita Koloff in our events database. In December 1984, Jim Crockett rewarded the Russians with the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Ivan invoked the Freebird rule which dictated that any two of the three could defend the titles. 4:39. Nikita Koloff Pray Together, Stay Together It's Time to Man Up! The full audio and video from part one his interview can be found below. February 24, 1985 - NWA/AWA Star Wars: The Russians (Ivan and Nikita) defeated Steve Keirn and Jimmy Valiant. Despite being billed as being from Russia, Ivan was actually born and raised near Montreal Canada. 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. 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. This persisted even when "Asshole" became a common Crowd Chant. He would compete primarily for National Wrestling Alliance promoter Jim Crockett in the Carolinas and for WCW, with side trips in "Cowboy" Bill Watts' Mid-South/UWF promotion and in the AWA until he retired in late 1992. A booked showdown at StarrCade '88 in December was to pit Ivan and Koloff against the Russian Assassins. Several months ago, Koloff was a call-in guest. Nikita Koloff (born Nelson Scott Simpson on March 9, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. Nikita Koloff was born in Minneapolis as Scott Simpson. 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. Nikita Koloff (born Nelson Scott Simpson on March 9, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place. He attacked Lex Luger, claiming he had "stolen" the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship from him in 1987 and that he wanted it back. 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 Email: info@nwhof.org, 303 Jefferson St. Koloff debuted in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1984 as the Russian Nightmare, and teamed with "uncle"Ivan KoloffandDon Kernodle, a turncoat American. He entered the NWA and became a star, then moved over to the WCW and became an even bigger star. 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. The tour began and ended with two revolutionary matches known asWarGames: The Match Beyond. The powerfully built "Russian Nightmare" made short work of his opponents with his Russian sickle maneuver and formed one of the most hated teams in the . I told them I'd be back, but she was a priority. 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. The pair would battle the Horsemen in War Games and also win the Crockett Cup. was stripped of his title. On November 26, Koloff and Taylor battledinChicago. Nikita Koloff's dedication to his gimmick! She had Hodgkin's and she went through a series of chemotherapy and radiation but it ended up coming back with more vengeance. Nikita Koloffs stated motivation was out of a newfound respect for Magnum TA. This text is hidden because it is only available in German language. Not that Im at their level, but at the same time, some have thrown me in the same category with guys like that. Koloff made a comeback with World Championship Wrestling and began targeting some of his old rivals like Sting and Lex Luger. Koloff lost to Flair and was even attacked by a fan during the match, but he established himself as a superstar in the wrestling business. His first title would come in the summer of 1984 when he, Ivan Koloff and Don Kernodle captured the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. The title was also won after Georgia Championship Wrestling was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions. Lots of guests who tell their personal stories of faith. During this time, it became notable that Nikita stayed constantly in character, even speaking with a thick Russian accent when in public. Nikita Koloff WELDED It's Time to Man Up! [6], In 1984, Simpson was going to try out for the USFL when Road Warrior Animal, a professional wrestler from the Minnesota area, called him to ask him to become a professional wrestler. Asshole & quot ; Asshole & quot ; Asshole & quot ; became a common Crowd Chant life. List of those famous people who were born on March 9, 1959 is. 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