If you spoke the name Jim Perras in wrestling circles most people would not know who was being talked about. If you said Red McNulty a scant few would say "I kind of remember that guy" but if you speak the name "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff everyone would open their ears and listen, maybe offer an anecdote or two and have more than once story about how Koloff made a match against his opponent.
Though Jim Perras and Ivan Koloff are the same man, the dichotomy between the two is almost as large as life ad the man himself. From humble beginnings being raised on a dairy farm in Canada with his six brothers and three sisters, Koloff had a dream. From a young age Koloff knew he wanted to be a professional wrestler and at the age of 18 he began a long journey into becoming Ivan Koloff, a hall of fame worthy, decades long performer who could talk, who could work and who was a star every territory he worked.
Ivan struggled, like many stars passed and many stars today, with the effects of what the road can do to you and have you become. Ivan battled alcohol and drugs, loneliness, and the difficulty of being a good husband and father while still trying to keep his career going and stay on top. As his career began to wind down, Ivan found a new tag team partner who would show him a new way to be a success as Ivan Koloff. As strong and tough as "The Russian Bear" was, he was humbled and honored to have the light shine upon him and offer him a second chance at being a loving husband and father and to spend his retirement sharing with others how important it is to find peace and happiness within yourself, not in a bottle or pill.
I spoke for hours with Ivan Koloff and was in awe of his presence, even over the phone. Ivan was very gracious, patient, honest, forthright and thankful for a great career as a professional wrestler and making his mark in history. He made it clear that his life now is being a loving husband, father and grandfather and helping those who have lost their way by offering the word of God if they are willing to listen.
Ivan has a book about his life called "Is that wrestling fake, the bear facts" available at www.1wrestlinglegends.com and also through his website at www.ivankoloff.com where you can also learn about his ministry, inquire about Ivan preforming your wedding, his life, his career and much more. I encourage everyone to visit both sites and if you are a true fan who would like to know what the reality of being a professional wrestler entails, buying the book would be an invaluable investment for the true fan or the casual fan that needs to get a better understanding of the business
The following is my interview with Ivan Koloff, a true giant in wrestling, one of the few workers who truly belong in the pro wrestling hall of fame and one of the most interesting people I have ever had the pleasure to speak with.
Q. Your career took off in a flash, going from Red McNulty from Ireland to the Russian Bear and winning the WWWF title from Bruno Sammartino and being one of the most hated villains in wrestling...how special was it to become so successful in such a short time?
A. Man, it was a joy to say the least. I'm not a big guy, I'm 5'10" with my shoes on but I'm a 300# guy and I got noticed in Canada when I caught the eye of Lou Albano and Tony Altamore. they went to New York and told Vince and there I was. Bruno was my hero and just to wrestle him was a joy and to wrestle him in MSG and for the belt, it really made my career and I'm thankful to Bruno. I was just overjoyed to have all this happen at once, it was something else for a simple farm boy.
Q. Even though you were a transitional champion, how did it feel knowing you just ended the long reign of a popular champion?
A. In a way I was like, he was my hero; he was my idol so in a sense it was kind of bittersweet winning the belt from the guy I idolized. The reality was, I just beat my own hero.
Q. You lasted a few more years in the WWWF before moving to the Mid-Atlantic and the NWA, would you say your time in the Mid-Atlantic and the NWA was the highlight of your career?
A. Well, the highlight of my WWWF time was winning the belt from Bruno but I spent a lot of time in the Mid-Atlantic and made a lot of money there, especially with Nikita (Koloff). I enjoyed both and did well in both.
Q. You won a lot of titles in your career, both singles and tag team. Even though they are only gimmicks, what title was the most special to you?
A. It is hard to say really but probably the WWWF title because I won it from Bruno and it was in MSG. It was a world title on the world's biggest stage where wrestling is concerned. It was also worldwide (the title change was covered across the globe) and again, winning the title from my hero. But wrestling a lot of the people I have been in the ring with is probably more special that any of the titles.
Q. What was it like working for Dick the Bruiser in Indianapolis and Chicago?
A. Dick was easier to wrestle with and work for than I thought he would be. I knew when he brought me in he wanted me to help put butts in seats and i was kind of a rebel like Bruiser, we tended to do our own thing. I got along well with him and he realized that when I was in the ring with him that I wasn't there to hurt him or discredit him but to help make the match. We would work a gimmick where I had a hard stomach and his finish was the stomach claw and he couldn't get the claw to work on me and we went back and forth until we had a cage match where I came off the top and Bruiser moved and I landed on my stomach and "softened" up my stomach so he could use the claw.
Q. Who did you never get to wrestle that you wish you had?
A. Oh probably a lot of guys. I think that during the height of my career I could have come back to the WWF and been a good opponent for Hulk Hogan. I could have come back and worked "Superstar" Billy Graham and turned him baby and probably made a lot of money. There are just so many people looking back at history but I got to work some tough guys like Verne Gagne, Danny Hodge, Billy Robinson, Roddy Piper and Ronnie Garvin, all great people to work. But then I could adjust to anyone and have a great match.
Q. Why do you think playing the part of a Russian villain continued to work even after the cold war ended?
A. I really think the people never believed the cold was was over, even with the wall down in Berlin and Russia was changing to a democracy, people don't really believe Russia can be trusted.
Q. Who are some of the people you most liked to wrestle against?
A. I wrestled so many guys with so many different styles like Jimmy Valiant. He was a silly, showy guy and I was the serious Russian but we would have a great match. I always enjoyed wrestling the technical guys like Ric Flair and Billy Robinson too. I like to work the guys who would go a little stiff at times too like Wahoo McDaniel and Ronnie Garvin because it made the match look more real. If you had to pick someone I liked to work with who was box office it would be Ricky Steamboat, we never had a bad match. Wrestling started to change in the 80s because of PPV, it became more action oriented instead of story line because there were a lot more high spots and fewer rest holds to help build your match. I ended up having to cut weight so I could keep up with the younger guys but I always loved working with Jimmy Valiant, it was like taking the night off he was so much fun and easy to have a match with.
Q. What is the one thing about Ivan Koloff that not many people know?
A. Back in the day it would have been that I wasn't really from Russia and the other thing is I became a Christian and was born again. I was a shy introvert but I got involved in a lot of stuff, people are realizing now that the old Ivan Koloff is a new man delivered from drugs and alcohol. I'm not a mean old Russian, just a simple guy from Canada who loves the Lord.
Q. Tully Blanchard, Ted DiBiase, Nikita Koloff and yourself all renewed your faith in God, why do you feel so many wrestlers are finding their spirituality after their career is over?
A. I think what it is, we come to realization that we are getting older and we are wasting our life in a sense. We've accomplished a lot but what have we done? We won a title in a business that is predetermined. For me, I searched my heart and soul and 15 years ago I was a father who couldn't father or discipline his kids because of alcohol and drugs. I wasn't nice to my wife and I wasn't happy with life in general and when you aren't happy you can't make other people happy and now I've come to realize that what I was doing was looking for happiness but not knowing why. Now with The Father and His Son to show us the way, I know happiness. Some people think they are too tough to be a Christian or that it makes you a weakling and if that's so, then I would rather be a weakling than a tough guy. there is a God and he is a good God and he loves us and there is an enemy and he is the devil. It is sad when a person thinks they are so educated or have so much money that they can't believe the truth. A lot of the boys come to Christ to see if there is hope and to find happiness.
Q. Tell me a little about your book "Is that wrestling fake, the bear facts."
A. I was asked by Scott Teal to write a book with him and we just did it on faith, dedicated it to the Lord. It is the true story of my life, I just talk about myself and the challenges I went through, getting into trouble with the law, the drugs and booze, getting into fights on airplanes. I don't tell stories about the boys really, no gossip or anything bad like you see in a lot of books. The stories I tell about the boys are just good, fun stories, nothing knocking them or who they are. I did the book with the intention of sharing my life and wanting people to know that if it can happen to me, a guy from a family of 10 kids who became successful and finally went down the right road, I'm happy now. I'm married to my beautiful with Renae, my daughter and grandkids live close by and I love being a husband, father, and grandfather.
Q. One last question, in the annals of wrestling, what should it say about Ivan Koloff?
A. That he was a humble person that had a big dream at a young age and was fortunate enough to accomplish that dream. And now I am at the point in my life that I'm not only successful as far as accomplishing his dream but I'm happy in my life and my endeavors. I have my ministry and my family and I know that I wasn't always perfect but I always tried hard and finally got on the right track and I took on the best tag team partner I could ever have in life, Christ.
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