>>Eric Gargiulo: Did you ever think a wrestler
such as Jesse "The Body" Ventura would ever
wind up being Governor?
>>Nikita Koloff: Well I think whatís amazing
is that most people think that wrestlers canít
even read, let alone write and become Governors.
But, he certainly put the wrestlers on the
map.
>>Eric: How did you get started in the wrestling
business?
>>Nikita: Well itís quite a unique story
you know.
I hailed from the ghettos of Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
I was spending many hours in the gym working
out, like many guys do, and training for a
pro football tryout with the old United States
Football League, and a very close, good friend
of mine by the name of Road Warrior Animal
had broke into the wrestling business and
he was wrestling for about a year and a half
and Jim Crockett Promotions, they kind of
put a word out they were looking for some
new athletes and some new life to the business
and asked if they knew any big guys, and Animal
said "I think I might have a guy in mind,"
and he called me one morning and said "what
do you think about wrestling"?
I said "I think youíre doing great."
He said "no, what do YOU think about wrestling"?
I said "you, as in me getting in the ring"?
He says "yeah."
I said, "I havenít thought much about it.
What do I got to do"?
He said, "You just call this promoter Jim
Crockett down in the Carolinas."
I said, "Do they know that I have never been
in a wrestling ring?
Do they know I have never hit a ring rope?"
He said" oh yeah, they know all of that."
I called Jim Crockett.
Itís kind of interesting, you know the old
saying "timing is everything" is what they
say.
I called Jim Crockett Promotions, and talked
to Jim Crockett and told him upfront "I have
never been in the ring."
Sight unseen, he said "be in my office on
such and such a date, with your head shaved
bald."
I thought, "So far this is a piece of cake."
I thought, "I got nothing to lose here, Iíll
give it a shot and if Animal can do it, I
certainly can, and if it doesnít work out
I still have the tryout with the USFL."
So I showed up in his office, 285 pounds,
8% body fat, 34" waist, and he took a double
and triple take and said "wait right here."
He walked back in with Uncle Ivan and Don
Kernodle, who was at the time the NWA World
Tag Team Champions, and said "take a look
at your new partner," and I had never even
hit a ring rope, and they were cutting interviews
that day, put me right on the interviews with
them and said "stand behind them and look
mean."
I thought, "So far so good, I could do that
to you know"?
When that was done they said "youíll wrestle
tomorrow night, huge television taping four
hours in Raleigh, NC at the Dalton Arena.
I said, "Ok."
He said, "Get here early and these guys will
work out with you a little bit," and we got
there late and I had about 5 minutes in the
ring.
The funniest part of the story is, Crockett
was really hot that we got there late and
he wasnít going to let me wrestle, but Uncle
Ivan talked him into it and came back and
said whatever you do "donít trip on the ropes
getting in the ring or your history.
Youíre out of here."
I said, "I think I can handle that one too."
Well, we had the match, 13 seconds later I
had my first victory and the rest as the saying
goes is history.
>>Eric: Did you watch wrestling growing up
and how familiar were you with the sport?
>>Nikita: I watched it some.
I wasnít what youíd call an avid fan.
Cause I was so focused on my sights of playing
pro football, although Iíd flip through the
channels sometimes and catching it, and then
I got to know Jesse, back in college.
He had a gym, an old gym in Minneapolis, called
Venturaís Gym, and there were about 20 of
us gym mullets, that started working out at
his club, and we got to know him.
So every now and then theyíd wrestle at the
St. Paul Civic Center, we may pop in there,
18,000 fans, and they loved the other guy
and we loved Jesse you know?
That was probably my biggest exposure to the
wrestling business, and if he were on Iíd
watch it.
If he wasnít on, maybe I would, maybe I wouldnít.
>>Eric: What were your first impressions of
the wrestling business?
>>Nikita: Well, it was somewhat, or quite
overwhelming initially, early on you know
cause I didnít have the experience that the
other guys had or gone through a camp or something
of that nature.
I was fortunate and blessed to have the ability
to adjust to it quickly, and what we did for
the next couple months is, weíd get to the
towns and Iíd have on the job training.
Uncle Ivan and Don Kernodle would work out
with me and then Iíd have a single match
that would last about 13 seconds again and
theyíd have a world tag title match and Iíd
sit in their corner and Iíd sit in my corner
and thatís just how it evolved.
Of course the whole story, that most people
know or they donít know.
In 1984 the Russians boycotted the Olympics
in La.
So that was perfect timing.
You know I didnít speak any English back
then, which is why Iíve mastered the English
language so well you understand?
Actually, I even studied Russian.
Which I did it all on my own?
Nobody told me to do it, didnít have to do
it.
Like anything Iíve ever done, I put 110%
into it, and I thought, "if Iím going to
do it, Iím going to do it right."
So that was how it began.
>>Eric: What was it like working for Jim Crockett,
Jr.?
>>Nikita: Overall, I donít have a bad thing
to say about Jim for the most part.
He treated me well.
Of course, I made him lots of money.
Which is reason I guess to treat him well?
I made him millions of dollars.
But, I had Jimís respect I believe from how
I conducted myself in the wrestling business.
When I broke in, there was no ego involved
for me; it was a business for me.
Again, I feel honored that I had the opportunity,
but I made the most of it, and I think he
respected that, and I respected him.
Did I agree with everything he did?
No, not necessarily.
But as far as how he treated me for the bulk
of my career, I just have good things to say
about Jim Crockett.
>>Eric: How did you evolve from thirteen-second
matches to one-hour matches?
How hard was it?
>>Nikita: Well, I was very fortunate to have
Uncle Ivan as a mentor of the business and
being an old school wrestler he taught me
a lot of great ring psychology for the business,
and I worked with a lot of great guys, as
you know.
Whoo, Nature Boy Ric Flair was one.
Of course, he is one of the masters of the
business.
He brought me around.
The Rock and Roll Express, Magnum T.A., of
course he was an up and coming star of his
own.
There was a natural chemistry with him and
I.
The Golden Boy of America, just as good looking
a kid as you can get and the Russian Nightmare,
you know which was real natural.
I had some great talent to work with which
really catapulted me to the level of reaching
a world champion in a very, very short time.
>>Eric: First impressions of wrestling the
Road Warriors, and what were the matches like?
>>Nikita: The matches were pretty awesome.
They were pretty powerful guys.
A couple guys who didnít even really know
their own strength, if you know what Iím
saying?
Iíll tell you a funny story about the Road
Warriors.
They were infamous for one of the innovators
of the press slam.
They were one of the first to really bring
that to the business.
There was an ongoing joke within the business.
They had never press slammed me throughout
the career right?
Well, one particular evening I guess I let
my guard down and Animal snatched me up before
I knew it, and had me up there press slammed
right?
I said, "Okay.
Yo, big man you want to really show what you
can do?"
I just put the arms out you know, like I was
the 747, I said "letís really show them how
strong you are," you know?
He had me out there flying and laid me down,
you know pressed me down and when it was all
said and done I said "never again, you caught
me one time.
Never again buddy."
That was it that was the one time.
That was one of the memories from the matches.
We had some great matches though.
Ivan and I had some fantastic matches, you
know?
Great guys to work with, just a natural you
know?
The people really loved those guys.
You could feel the electricity in the buildings
you know, and the thing is you know at that
point in the career, course they were very
intense in hating me as well you know, at
that particular time.
>>Eric: Memories of headlining the first ever
Great American Bash against Ric Flair?
>>Nikita: In fact, you know we toured the
whole country.
RFK Stadium in Washington, the stadium here
in Philadelphia, PA, the Vet, we toured all
over.
We were putting thousands of people in those
stadiums.
Of course, you know a whole different era.
That particular match again, I feel pretty
privileged to have been in it.
I was only 13 months into the business, and
here Iím wrestling in front of 30,000 plus
people for the World Heavyweight Title, and
needless to say I was pumped and ready brother.
I was pumped, and I just look back on that
match and feel thankful that I had an opportunity
to partake in that.
>>Eric: How was Ric Flair to work with, under
that pressure and being that young in the
business?
>>Nikita: Ric was phenomenal.
As I alluded to earlier, heís a master of
the wrestling business.
I think he could take a broomstick and make
it look good you know?
I think thatís the truth of the matter you
know?
But he was phenomenal.
I think back to some of the matches.
I sometimes joke, I read the USA Today and
they say, "In a two hour show, thereís 34
minutes of wrestling."
I think to myself, my average match lasted
34 minutes against Flair, you know?
I think of some of them 1 hour draws and I
sometimes wonder how I got through it you
know?
Being 285 pounds, how my tongue wasnít dragging
on the mat, but I guess just through Godís
grace I made it through.
But we had phenomenal matches, again I feel
fortunate the hour matches were fantastic
to be in with him.
It was a privilege.
>>Eric: Are you surprised at Ric Flairís
longevity?
>>Nikita: Just speaks loudly for his ability
doesnít it?
Iím not amazed at all.
Iím really not.
Better him than me.
You know Iíve been home about seven years,
enjoying life to itís fullest with my family,
traveling all over the world.
Itís just been fantastic.
That works for him, thatís good.
It works for him and thatís good.
>>Eric: Memories of the angle in which he
sickled David Crockett?
>>Nikita: Of course heís got a unique attitude
anyway.
I donít know.
I think heís always dreamed of being in the
business anyway.
I think he really got a thrill that he was
part of it I think.
Interesting angle you know because, Ric and
I never had a confrontation or nothing.
I did some dungeon scenes leading up to that
and up to that point.
Actually no confrontation what so ever until
I leveled David Crockett.
All the boys in the dressing room popped,
because nobody knew it was happening.
Oh, nobody.
This was a different era you understand?
Nobody knew anything back then, for the most
part.
Itís not like the business now where you
can actually tell me what Iím going to do
before I do it.
But back then nobody knew.
Oh, the boys actually thought it was a shoot
you know?
They thought "Geez, Nikita went off the deep
end man, and nailed this guy," and when you
see it on video itís just devastating looking,
and you know what?
I didnít hold back.
I did not hold back.
I said "ok brother you want to be part of
this deal, then letís see how much you want
to be part of this deal."
Flair and I did a little ditty right after
that, and that was our only contact prior
to stepping into the ring, on that night before
thirty- something thousand people.
Very unique angle, to never have touched each
other for the most part, and draw that kind
of crowd was a privilege.
>>Eric: Memories of working for, and against
Bill Watts briefly in the UWF?
>>Nikita: Well, we just came in for a couple
shots to boost his territory down there.
Ivan and I, you know we had a tremendous amount
of heat on us, and Bill was over pretty strong
in the Louisiana territory, the old Mid South.
So we came in kind of, I think Jim Crockett
as a favor to Bill Watts to try and help him
out, again, just natural heat.
The six man matches.
I donít know that I was ever in my career
in too many bad matches.
Because one of my goals when I broke into
the business was for them (fans) to say, "Well,
I donít know about any of the other matches,
but we got a hundred percent, we got our moneyís
worth from Nikita Koloff and his match."
So we had great matches with Watts, great
matches.
>>Eric: How do you feel about the comparisons
between yourself and Bill Goldberg?
>>Nikita: Iíve had many who have said, "Boy,
this guy must have studied your films."
I joke with people and say, "Often imitated,
but never duplicated."
You know what Iím saying, although Iíve
never met Bill as of yet.
Iíve heard much about his career, and heís
done tremendously well, obviously.
Itís interesting, everything works in cycles
and itís like people have said, "Heís the
Nikita Koloff of this era," if you will.
Itís been interesting to see what he has
done.
>>Eric: What was Dusty Rhodes like as a booker?
>>Nikita: (Imitating Dustyís voice) Super
Powers baby, Dusty Rhodes the America Dream,
tower of power, too sweet to be sour baby,
yeah.
Nikitaís my man, yeah.
I sleep with the bulls baby, I sleep with
the bulls, going to get funky like a monkey
yeah.
(In normal voice again) Dusty was a great
guy.
Personally, I got to know him very well.
We drove up and down the road for a good year
and a half together as the Super Powers, and
personally I donít have a cross word to say
about Dusty at all.
He treated me well, respected me, and I respected
Dusty.
Part of it was, unlike some of the guys in
the business.
I didnít elevate him to an untouchable level.
I didnít feel he was any different than I
was, even though heís the booker.
Because of that I think he respected me more
for that which is why he allowed me to become
close to him, and personal friends with he
and his family.
To this day, every year I get the Christmas
card, with an updated picture of the kids.
Heís got great looking kids you know?
I had a great time traveling up and down the
road with Dusty.
>>Eric: How different was it headlining Starrcade
against Flair a year after the Bash?
>>Nikita: Well, of course the Bash was in
85.
Starrcade 86 was a major change, because both
of us were now on opposite ends of the tracks.
I made the turn to become the Super Powers.
He turned with the Horseman and what not,
really two different dimensions now.
So, I came into it with a whole different
perspective in the wrestling fans eyes, as
well as he.
You know I think back to that match, although,
I donít remember specifics.
Iíve had hundreds of matches against Ric
Flair.
I do remember Starrcade 86.
I just remember it was a very intense match,
and the people were really into it, if Iím
not mistaken there was also a scaffold match
that was part of that.
Probably one of the things that I remember
most was when he and I pulling the scaffold
into the match by ourselves utilizing it as
some kind of a battering ram if you will.
But it was a great match.
>>Eric: I talk about the influence that he
and the rest of the NWA crew had on Philadelphia
and putting it on the map and making it a
capital of wrestling.
Nikita: Youíre giving me goose bumps here.
Youíre literally giving me chill bumps.
You know why?
Because I remember Philadelphia, there were
two towns that stand out in my mind as having
the greatest wrestling fans in the world.
One was Baltimore and the other was Philadelphia.
And I remember when we first came to Philly,
they were used to the five-minute cartoon,
Iím not naming and donít you name any names
either.
Iím not speaking of any competition or anything.
All Iím saying is we came into the building
and we started wrestling for 30-45 minutes
and we heard a lot of borings.
BORING!
But you know about 6 months later we had 10-12,000
people in the seats.
But I say in the seats, they were actually
on their feet.
They were wrestling 45 minutes.
No more boring brother, theyíre into it.
I loved it.
I saw the transformation of the Philadelphia
fan, and we brought something new to the marketplace
and it was phenomenal.
Iím flattered to be part of that era.
(I point out how WWF and NWA would go head
to head on the same night, 20 minutes apart
here)
>>Eric: Dusty Rhodes recently stated that
the feud between you and Magnum T.A. was a
shoot.
Can you elaborate on that?
>>Nikita: Well, like I said there was a natural
chemistry, a natural competitiveness to that
whole angle if you will?
You know, I didnít know Magnum that well;
he didnít know me that well.
I think most of the fans walked out of there,
pretty much every night saying, "Man that
was quite a match."
In fact, Iíve actually heard comments that
said, "Well they might say wrestling is fake,
but I know that match wasnít."
As far as elaborating on it, I would just
say there was a natural competitiveness there
from two athletes, which is what really made
it the intensity that it was.
As I travel, probably what I hear more than
anything from the wrestling fan is the best
of seven series.
Never before was that ever done, you know
there were two out of three falls and that
sort of thing, but never a best of seven series.
The world series of wrestling if you will,
it just didnít happen.
I think back in the way we had to strategize,
how to plot it out; the fact that it went
up one-nothing, two-nothing, and three-nothing.
The fans were, I think they were wondering,
"Can Magnum even win a match against this
powerhouse."
All the sudden, he won that first one, by
the skin of his teeth if you will.
They were like "thereís hope, thereís hope."
Then he came back and won number two and now
its 3-2, and of course their hope built, and
the momentum built, and all the sudden he
slipped by in the third one, it is 3-3, which
really just peaked for that final match, that
seventh match, which again was in Charlotte,
NC.
Some phenomenal matches in Charlotte, I want
to tell you, it was a real Mecca for wrestling
there.
As we pulled that seventh match together,
which was televised, we pulled Krusher Kruschev
into the thing.
I donít think it could have worked out any
better, when you watch the old footage of
it; you know how we use the Russian Chain,
and when the chain was kind of thrown down.
Even the camera angle, all of it was so unplanned.
There the camera was perfectly placed, where
the chain, just like a snake, slithered out
of the ring.
So the referee never saw what was used.
It couldnít have worked out any better, and
the fans.
Oh my gosh, it was just incredible.
>>Eric: Who was your favorite Horseman to
work with and why?
>>Nikita: I donít know necessarily that I
had a favorite overall from the standpoint
that I had great matches with Arn Anderson,
with Tully Blanchard, with Lex Luger, with
Ric Flair, and so when I think about that
era.
Whether it was a single, a tag, a six man,
or an eight man, they were all great matches.
If I had to try and isolate one match, I would
say the first time we went into Landover,
Maryland.
You know the Cap Center?
It was right around the July 4, era.
Nobody thought weíd do any business, because
it was the holidays, weíd never been in the
Cap Center before.
Weíd finally been able to negotiate and get
in.
Vince said, "Yeah sure, they can get in."
Because he didnít figure weíd do any business
around the holidays.
Yet, we put 23,000 people in there that night.
We had an eight-man tag against the Horseman.
The Super Powers and The Road Warriors against
the Horseman, and Iím going to tell you something.
The entire time we really milked it to where
I never even got in the ring for the first
15 minutes, and the people were chanting for
the entire 15 minutes "Nikita, Nikita, Nikita."
When I came in, just a tremendous roar, a
pop from the crowd and 23 minutes they were
on their feet watching that match, and that
was probably one of the most memorable with
the Horseman.
>>Eric: Memories of the original War Games?
>>Nikita: Depending on whom you would talk
to.
Some would say I had one of the easiest jobs
in the world next to Road Warrior Hawk.
I tell you one of the guys I compliment the
most is Arn Anderson.
He was always the first one in the ring.
Youíre going to pull the first load, which
meant he was in there for thirty-plus minutes
you know?
It was a brutal match, believe it or not.
Innovative, unique, wire on the top, and it
was just non-stop action, just on and on and
on, and but the level of excitement for the
fans.
Every two minutes the bell was ringing, here
comes another guy, whatís going to happen?
So, you know it was great.
It was great to be part of that.
To lay the foundation for what is now a tremendous
marketing for them.
People werenít really sure whatís going
to happen, especially, early on because you
had Paul Ellering in there and J.J. Dillon.
They were hopeful that J.J. would be the weak
link.
But they werenít too sure about Paul anymore.
He had trimmed down to good shape.
They were just uncertain, the wrestling fan.
To what the end result would be.
>>Eric: What are your memories of your feud
with Lex Luger?
>>Nikita: You know what?
Like I said, I canít remember having too
many bad matches.
I really canít no matter who I was in the
ring with, because of my commitment to the
business and giving it the best that I could
give.
Again, I think about my matches with Lex Luger
and we had some great matches together.
He was great to work with.
No complaints about Lex.
Iím probably one of the few perhaps, from
the feedback I get, that could actually tolerate
Lex.
But I enjoyed those matches.
>>Eric: Why did you grow your hair in?
>>Nikita: I flipped out.
I flipped out.
Iíve always been a radical from youth and
I said, "Iím going to do something different
this time around."
If I had to do all over again would I have?
Well, no, I wouldnít have.
In fact Dusty would always say (in Dustyís
voice) "baby youíre rebel baby, youíre tearing
me up, youíre a rebel baby, youíre a rebel
man, youíre making my job hard man, youíre
making it hard."
So, it was just something I tried.
>>Eric: What happened to the Vladimir Petrov
angle?
>>Nikita: You know I truthfully donít know
the whole entire story on that.
I really donít.
Itís hard to comment on that.
As with the wrestling promotion, they try
different things.
Some work and some donít.
I guess thatís the best way I can summarize
that.
>>Eric: What lead to your comeback with WCW
in the early nineties?
>>Nikita: They called me and I said "well,
ok letís give it a shot."
So I presented him with the U.S. belt and
left an impression upon his face with it you
know, and half the crowd popped, and I thought,
"Wait a minute."
Lex was one of the top babies in the business.
I said "ok."
We ran with that for a few months, and half
the crowd was for him, and half was for me.
So they said "well ok, weíll hereís what
weíll do, weíll put you with Sting."
So we did the deal.
They were against the Steiners in a tag match
in St. Pete, and I made a lunge for Luger,
and he ducked and I hit Sting.
Of Course we had a brawl, Sting and I had
a brawl in the parking lot, and that lead
to the thing with Sting.
That was a little bit better.
It was maybe about 75/25.
Then it finally dawned on them "maybe he does
know what heís talking about."
So I took again, a minor hiatus and came back
on the other side, kissed and made up with
Sting.
Brought the little Stinger out, which by the
way on that show in Atlanta was one of my
daughters.
Then you know, finish out the career on the
good side of the tracks.
>>Eric: Where are you at as far as a comeback?
>>Nikita: Well you know the old expression,
ìNever say neverî So I wouldnít rule out
anything of course.
If it was the right situation, you never 
know what could happen.
We do have a couple things coming up in the
Pennsylvania area, that I am going to participate
in with my good friend Afa the Wild Samoan.
The Wild Samoan, in fact in July weíre doing
a couple of big shows.
Iím actually going to be involved.
>>Eric: What is your current physical state?
>>Nikita: Iím pretty fortunate.
You know, I was only 33 when I retired, so
really at that point I could have wrestled
another 17 more years according to some of
the statistics that I have seen.
I try to keep myself in shape, working out
not everyday, but enough to maintain, home
with my beautiful family.
I have four beautiful children and a beautiful
wife, so Iím around the family quite a bit.
Iím involved in some business ventures.
Afa has teamed up with us, as well as some
of the other guys.
The fans may see down the road The Rock and
Rikishi team up with us on some business ventures,
and we may give people the opportunity to
get in business with their favorite wrestler,
with a company called Pre Paid Legal Services,
and weíll talk more about that down the road.
So we got some things going on there.
Very involved too Eric, many know, many donít
in ministry now, in fact a good friend of
mine, The Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.
You know we had a parallel career in wrestling,
him with the WWF, and me with the WCW.
Now we are having similar parallel careers
if you will, in the evangelism field.
He is out speaking, as well as I. Motivational
talks in schools, and then weíre traveling
around all over the globe now, sharing the
gospel quite frankly which 
is 
a whole other story for another time.
Life is good brother.
Life is good.
Let me say if I could, how we even came together.
It was through my father in law of course.
Iím negotiating right now for a Legends Of
Wrestling doll.
Which will be 
a classic, you know why?
We could never come to an agreement during
my career.
They always wanted 99% and wanted to give
me 1%.
I just donít understand that math.
So 
this will be a true collectable.
We are in negotiations, and nearing completion
of that as well, for the wrestling doll.
>>Eric: Would you cut your hair again for
a comeback?
>>Nikita: Right now youíve got people going
"hair, heís got hair."
Rogaine, in fact when I walk into different
churches, or wherever Iím at.
They go "whoís this guy, the bodyguard."
You know I give them 
the accent.
As soon as I start talking, then they go,
"Oh my gosh that 
is Nikita."
But you know Iím under camouflage, I can
actually go out 
with my family and eat in peace.
I can actually do that.
You know what?
It 
just ties into the story of Nikita Koloff.
Yes, I 
got hair, and lots of it.
Thatís another story 
for another time.
