Everything about Ivan Koloff totally explained
"The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff (born
James Parris on
August 25,
1942), is a former Canadian
professional wrestler who is a former
WWF World Heavyweight Champion.
Early life
He was raised on a dairy farm in
Canada. He came from a family of seven boys and three girls, with him being a middle child.
After watching
professional wrestling on TV since he was eight years old, Parris so wanted to become a pro wrestler that he wrestled with his chores on the dairy farms as 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.
Professional wrestling career
Early career
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, Parris wrestled around the
Toronto area, eventually quitting his regular job to wrestle in the Northwest area. It was there Parris 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 Parris, wrestling as "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, defeated Sammartino for the
WWWF Heavyweight Championship with a kneedrop from the top rope, 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..
Parris 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. He also spent time in
Eastern Championship Wrestling, appearing on the very first ECW card in 1992.
On the independent circuit, in which he's still very active to this day, he'd 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, Parris 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). His book, titled
Is That Wrestling Fake? The Bare Facts, has been recently released.
Parris became a
born again Christian in 1995. He travels to churches to share his testimony.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
Nicknames
Managers
Wrestlers mangaged by Koloff
Championships and accomplishments
Championship Wrestling from Florida
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling | Jim Crockett Promotions
World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Council
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)
Video Games
Koloff has featured in:
Legends of Wrestling
Legends of Wrestling II
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ivan Koloff'.
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