IVAN KOLOFF

'"The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff' (born 'Oreal Perras' on August 25, 1942 in Montreal, Quebec), is a former Canadian professional wrestler . He was and raised on a dairy farm in Canada. He came from a family of seven boys and three girls, with Jim being a middle child.

Contents

Early Career

The Russian Bear is born

Retirement

Wrestling facts

Championships and accomplishments

Sources

External links

Early Career

After watching professional wrestling on TV since he was eight years old, Perras so wanted to become a pro wrestler that he wrestled with his chores on the dairy farms well as with his brothers. At age 18 he left school and joined Jack Wentworth's wrestling school in Hamilton, Ontario, with his training including weightlifting and wrestling holds. He then debuted as an Irish rogue heel character named Red McNulty, claiming to be from Dublin, Ireland, with a patch over one eye.
For the next three years Perras wrestled around the Toronto area, eventually quitting his regular job to wrestle in the Northwest area. It was there Perras acquired his wrestling experience and afterwards made his first trip to Japan.

The Russian Bear is born

In 1967, "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff was born and debuted with the International Wrestling Association in Montreal, Québec, becoming the International Heavyweight Champion. The next 31 years consisted of traveling to Europe, Japan, Australia, West Indies, and Puerto Rico, as well as the United States. He soon got his debut match against Bruno Sammartino on TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1971 Perras, wrestling as "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, defeated Sammartino for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship with a Russian Sickle (Jumping lariat), ending Sammartino's seven year reign. He would lose the title a short time later to Pedro Morales, essentially being used as a "transitional" champion, much like Stan Stasiak and the Iron Sheik would be in later years.
In the 1980s, Ivan had great success in the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions. He won the NWA World Tag Team Championship and the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship while there. He was also instrumental in the success of his "nephew" Nikita Koloff, helping to train him and make him a star. His regular partners during his NWA stay were Ray Stevens, Don Kernodle, Nikita Koloff and Krusher Khruschev. When Nikita turned on him to join his enemy Dusty Rhodes in 1986, he teamed with Vladimir Petrov and Dick Murdoch to get revenge. His biggest feuds were against Rhodes, the Road Warriors, the Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) and Magnum T.A..
Perras spent time in Paul Jones' Army in 1988 and he was a "coach" of sorts for the Powers of Pain, The Barbarian and The Warlord. He later split with Jones, reuniting with nephew Nikita, and feuded with Jones' team of the Russian Assassins before leaving Jim Crockett Promotions in January 1989.
On the independent circuit, in which he is still very active to this day, he had notable feuds with Chief Wahoo McDaniel and Jimmy Valiant.
"The Russian Bear" was immortalized in the Ramones song "The Crusher" from their last album, "Adios Amigos."

Retirement

Currently, Perras lives in Winterville, North Carolina with his wife, Renae and has four adult children. He remains active in various charities (he was known away from the ring as a nice easygoing person despite his vicious bad guy image). He is currently writing a book called ''Is That Wrestling Fake? The Bare Facts'' which is scheduled for an October release.
Perras became a born again Christian in 1996. He travels to churches to share his testimony.

Wrestling facts

★ 'Finishing and signature moves'

★
★ '''Russian Bearhug''' (Bear hug)

★
★ '''Russian Sickle''' (Jumping lariat)

★
★ Cobra Clutch

★
★ ''Inverted Backbreaker'' (Backbreaker)

★
★ Knee drop

★ 'Nicknames'

★
★ The Russian Bear

★ 'Managers'

★
★ Bert Prentice

★
★ Freddie Blassie

★
★ Gary Hart

★
★ Gene Anderson

★
★ Johnny Valiant

★
★ Karl Kovac

★
★ Kevin Case

★
★ Lou Albano

★
★ Oliver Humperdink

★
★ Paul Jones

★
★ The Saint

★
★ Tony Angelo

★ 'Wrestlers mangaged by Koloff'

★
★ Kid Kash

Championships and accomplishments

★ 'Championship Wrestling from Florida'

★
★ NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★
★ NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Pat Patterson (1), Masa Saito (3), and Nikolai Volkoff (1)

★ 'Georgia Championship Wrestling'

★
★ NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (7 times) - with Ole Anderson (5) and Alexis Smirnoff (2)

★ 'Maple Leaf Wrestling'

★
★ NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship ''(Toronto version)'' (1 time)

★ 'Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling'

★
★ NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (4 times)

★
★ NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Don Kernodle

★
★ NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship (2 times)

★
★ NWA Television Championship (3 times)

★
★ NWA United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Krusher Khruschev (1) and Dick Murdoch (1)

★
★ NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Nikita Koloff & Krusher Khruschev (& Baron Von Raschke with Krusher injured) (1) and The Barbarian & The Warlord (1)

★
★ NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'' (4 times) - with Nikita Koloff (1), Nikita Koloff and Krusher Khruschev (1), Ray Stevens (1), and Don Kernodle (1)

★ 'Pro Wrestling Illustrated'

★
★ PWI ranked him # '212' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

★
★ PWI ranked him # '60' of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Gene Anderson.

★
★ PWI ranked him # '64' of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Nikita Koloff.

★
★ PWI ranked him # '85' of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Ray Stevens.

★ 'World Wide Wrestling Federation'

★
★ WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★ 'World Wrestling Association'

★
★ WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★ 'World Wrestling Council'

★
★ WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★ 'Other Titles'

★
★ ACW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Vladimir Koloff

★
★ CREW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★
★ Great Lakes Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★
★ IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with "Mad Dog" Maurice Vachon

★
★ IWA (Montreal) International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

★
★ VWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Sources

★ ''Wrestling With God'' by Chad Bonham, 2001, ISBN 1-58919-935-9, pp.179-197.

★ Profile at OWW

External links

★ IvanKoloff.com (Official Website)