 |
 |
|
|
|
Ivan Koloff Real Name: Jim Perris Stats: 5' 11" 260 lbs. Born: August 25, 1942 |
 |
|
"The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff is one of the greatest "heel" personas in the history of wrestling...and he was known throughout his 30-year long career as being one of the toughest, meanest, and best wrestlers ever. His endurance inside the ring was legendary...and his bone-crushing power was feared everywhere he wrestled. A veteran of virtually every promotion you can think of, the well-traveled Koloff was one of wrestling's biggest superstars in the 1960's, the 1970's, the 1980's, and until his retirement in the mid-1990's. Wrestling has had many brawling foreigners, but perhaps no one as influential and successful as the mighty "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff...
He was born Jim Perris on August 25, 1942 in Russia, but immigrated to Canada at the age of 6. His wrestling career began in 1965, after being trained by former British Empire champion Jake Wentworth. After a few years of wrestling off-and-on in Canada, Koloff headed to the U.S., were he would achieve his greatest fame...
However, Koloff's victory, impressive as it was, would be short-lived. 3 weeks later, the same MSG crowd that had been so silent when Koloff was announced as the new champion erupted in an overwhelming roar as Pedro Morales defeated Ivan Koloff on February 8, 1971 for the W.W.W.F. title. Ivan would never be able to regain his title from Morales, or during his 2nd WWWF reign, Bruno Sammartino. But Ivan still had dozens of championships in his future...
Search Google for more info on Ivan Koloff RETURN TO:
|
|
Koloff
was one of wrestling's elite during his career, and he won the titles to
prove it! In addition to his W.W.W.F World Heavyweight title, he won five
N.W.A. World Tag Team championships (w/ Ray Stevens, Don Kernodle, two
with his "nephew" Nikita Koloff, and Manny Fernandez), two N.W.A. 6-Man
World Tag Team championship's (#1 w/Nikita& Krusher Krushchev, #2 w/The
Powers Of Pain), the W.W.C. (Puerto Rico) Heavyweight title, the Canadian
Heavyweight championship, the International Tag Team title (w/Mad Dog Vachon),
the Florida Tag Team championship (w/Mr. Saito), the Georgia Tag Team championship
(w/ Alexis Smirnoff), the Mid Alantic Heavyweight title, and many others.
No doubt about it, the massive Russian was a true winner and one of the
greatest ever...
He
feuded with nearly every fan favorite of the last 30 years...Andre the
Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Bruno, Bob Backlund, Tommy Rich, Mil Mascaras, Jack
Brisco, Jimmy Valiant, Verne Gagne, Ric Flair, Dick The Bruiser, Angelo
"King Kong" Mosca, Pat Patterson, Eduard Carpentier, and numerous others
-- always pushing them to the limit, and infuriating the fans...
