Nikita in his prime was a force to be reckoned with, he was such an intimidating looking guy back in the 80s!

Koloff was a class act. Looked great in Starrcade 86. Legend.

@bigfootaintreal5454

3 жыл бұрын

I've heard on other shoot interviews that when he was on top and they said ( Arn Anderson &Jim Corrnete) he was a DICK when he was on the juice .

@chrishonegger7180

3 жыл бұрын

Ditto I wish nikita stayed in wrestling longer he was awesome

I still have my copy of Ringmasters Great American Bash VHS from 1985 with Ric vs Nikita and Tully vs Dusty cage match.

Weird to hear Nikita speaking perfect English. I sure didn't know back in the 80's. He played a Russian very well

Nikita was at his best in 85 and 86.

@lesschoenberger3070

5 жыл бұрын

Steve Smith Yes he was a monster heel back then with Ivan, then later 80's teaming with Dusty and the Road Warriors still tough and mean but after that he wasn't quite the same but who is after years? Still my all time favorite wrestler, loved him and Ivan and Krusher Krushev from the time period that you said!

@kilog1kg

5 жыл бұрын

Definitely at his most monstrous. Really green though.

@MrSmitty1074

5 жыл бұрын

The heel Nikita was better! lol I miss those days! Barry Darsow is a super guy.

@DeeEllEff

4 жыл бұрын

Steve Smith Thanks for mentioning Darsow (Krusher Kruschev); I looked him up and ... how did I not know he was also the Smash half of Demolition? I learn something new every day browsing YT.

@petermckay2435

3 жыл бұрын

His series with Magnum TA was awesome

Wow, I never knew that about him turning the title down! And I know Nik is always praising Flair but I think he still underestimates his own in ring talent, he got better as time when on, he had more moves than the "sickle" and "hammer". And kudos to him taking care of his wife, so sad to pass so young.

@Sargebri

3 жыл бұрын

After his wife died he did return briefly to Crockett but left a short while later. He also worked in the AWA until they folded. His last run was in WCW but he left a short time later.

Ugh bringing back the childhood memories. I feel like I missed the best of Nikita tho. Started watching in like 89. Probably before but just can't remember. But was a fan of both him and Flair. For Flair, my favorite match was at the 1990 Great American Bash. Even he lost to Sting, I loved the match. Plus it was in Baltimore, my hometown.

@WTNall

3 жыл бұрын

Watch his best of seven series against Magnum TA for the US Heavyweight title. One of the classics of the sport.

Ric Flair as the world's champion would beat a jobber with his feet on the ropes. One of the most unselfish guys in wrestling, ever.

When he turned he and Dusty were so over. In the mid 80s those guys were rock stars.

I always like nikita

I remember seeing Ric and Nikita wrestle in a pay per view main event. Don't remember which. Maybe Starcade? Growing up most of my life in Southern California, sadly I didn't get to see much of the NWA. it was mainly WWF stuff, but what I would do is go to the video rental stores and rent all their wrestling stuff. Even as a young kid, I felt NWA had superior work rate to the WWF.

@jposton18

4 жыл бұрын

You probably was watching starcade ‘86

@Sargebri

3 жыл бұрын

Yep. We here in So Cal didn't get Crockett until 1985 just as Nikita was starting his rise up the card. Unfortunately, channel 56 stopped showing it until around March of 86 when Nikita was firmly established as a monster.

Man, that almost got me teary-eyed. There was a tv taping years back and the camera shoots a really great shot of his wife (probably before they were married?). It was interesting to make the connection years later when I saw her on one of the magazine covers with him. Funny how some faces can stay with you through the years.

The NWA was on one the "infamous" west coast tours and ran a house show in Reno, NV. This was when The Road Warriors were in a feud with The Powers of Pain where Animal was wearing the hockey mask. Anyway, I was able to get the autographs of Sting, Lex Luger and The Road Warriors. I had asked, "where is Nikita?" Hawk replied, "with his wife". Looking back, we as fans had no idea that Nikita was dealing with his wife being sick. So, watching this clip puts into context of what Hawk had said have more meaning.

Nikita is a breath of fresh air compared to 95% of wrestlers who didnt know when to hang up the boots or let the fast life get the best of them.

Damn that must have been some tough times not to come back for you, dad said even tho you were fairly new to the sport that you were vary popular.

Dude is right, I remember Luna Vachan saying the same. According to her family's philosophy, Doesn't matter if it's another person, a broom, a mop or whatever, your job for the night is put them over. The better you make them look, the better you look

Nikita Koloff with his russian sickel moves was good.

Nikita should have been world champion at least once.

@cybrnathan

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, it would have been a great angle. It would have been where Ivan Koloff interferes in the match and Nikita wins by cheating of course, but the follow-up match where Flair would win it back in a cage would have been great.

Agreed. Same with Randy Savage and Bret Hart. They could wrestle ANYONE and the match was entertaining

@DeMan59

Ай бұрын

Brett Heart was the master of making it look real. He sold everything.

Love when Nikita turned baby with Dusty. Seems like a great guy.

I SAW RIC FLAIR IN ST. LOUIS AT THE KIEL AUDITORIUM... AGANIST DICK THE BRUISER... AT TAIL END OF BRUISER AMAZING CAREER... AND HAD SELL OUT...

Made me for of a fan. Of, to be the man. You got to beat the Man,woooo!❤

Sad story about Nikita's wife. However, Flair may have said something to that effect, but I don't believe he would have ended up putting the title on Nikita. Even if Flair wanted to, he wasn't the boss and I don't think the people in charge would have saw Nikita as world championship material.

@Djaxthebountyhunter

2 жыл бұрын

Ric was the booker at the time, so yes he could have put the belt on Nikita

I'm starting to think this cat faked his Russian accent.

I understand bruh.

MAJOR CURIOSITY? When was the offer, when this title change would have taken place.

@wpreston86

5 жыл бұрын

I am assuming at Starrcade '86. Plans were to put the title on Magnum T.A. and for him to have a huge babyface run. The title run would have been a tribute to Magnum.

@lesschoenberger3070

4 жыл бұрын

@@wpreston86 Nikita said that was talked about when he came back after his wife died, she died in 1989 so it would've been after then.

@DeeEllEff

4 жыл бұрын

Les Schoenberger Didn’t she die in the same year as T.A.’s car accident (1986)?

@lesschoenberger3070

4 жыл бұрын

@@DeeEllEff She died 6/14/1989, Google it and you'll see.

For the record, Ric called Nikita a roided tadpole with no talent. Like recently.

@AaronLesterMedia

5 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@greedyd5524

5 жыл бұрын

Well.. booze has really pickled Ric’s mind so there’s that

@lesschoenberger3070

5 жыл бұрын

Ric Flair and Jim Cornette DESTROY Nikita Koloff or something like that. According to Flair Nikita was "bullying" Cornette and he stood up for him. Or so he says....

@dinobrya2

5 жыл бұрын

Ric Flair is my favorite wrestler but Nikita Koloff is the bigger man here.

Flair and Michaels the GOAT wrestlers.

@daw162

5 жыл бұрын

Both good, but it's interesting that Hogan and Austin drew more. I know everyone has different opinions, but I missed the Michaels era, because it wasn't believable to me - to have a little guy running around winning titles from big guys. I got enough guys flying around from Savage and Snooka. It's interesting at first, but then not believable when it's just going on all the time and nobody puts a boot up in the are so that the jumper runs his face into it. The post-steroid era in the '90s was bad, and I didn't have much love for austin and didn't watch much wrestling then. Bret hart caught my eye, though. Less high flying, more solid wrestling. I'd put bret above Flair and Michaels. On the side of drawing, Andre, hogan, austin, and I hate to say it, but I don't know if anyone ever got a bigger pop than a young ultimate warrior. When he press slammed heenan, I was in heaven.

@daw162

5 жыл бұрын

Guys from the south will probably have a different opinion about draws (maybe dusty, flair, etc), but those guys didn't draw much up here. I know Ric is mad that vince always put hogan above him, but vince knew that ratings would go down if ric had the belt for long.

@LittleBigKid707b

5 жыл бұрын

David W You cant mention drawing and not talk about The Rock. Surprised you didn't.

@liquidgeorge

5 жыл бұрын

lewis morrison That’s funny; I’ve just read it back and I definitely wrote GOAT.

I guess HHH never learned this lesson.

Why did Ric call Nikita the gassed up tadpole?

@lesschoenberger3070

Жыл бұрын

Because he was on steroids and Flair didn't think that he was a legit tough guy, thought it was all from the roids, that's why.

@ronthompson95

Жыл бұрын

@@lesschoenberger3070 thanks Les. I kind of figured, but wasn’t sure with the word tadpole. It’s hard to picture Nikita not being a tough guy, but maybe Flair knows.

@lesschoenberger3070

Жыл бұрын

@@ronthompson95 I think he was tough!

@ronthompson95

Жыл бұрын

@@lesschoenberger3070 he was a beast. I would imagine he is, but who knows. Obviously Flair has an itch about him.

@lesschoenberger3070

Жыл бұрын

@@ronthompson95 I think Flair and Arn Anderson were a bit put off by the big push that Nikita got, he never wrestled before and they had done so for years so maybe there was a bit of jealousy or it was tough for them to swallow seeing him come right in there without paying his dues like they did and be a huge success, just my thoughts on that.

Tell that to Scott Steiner lol 🤣 completely buried him and made him look bad. So apparently him making people look good only applied if he liked you.

Why is nikita talking in a fake American accent…….. ? Hes 🇷🇺 russian. 👋🤪

Flair never won clean. Or win at all (i.e. got DQ'ed or counted out) so what's the point?