Nelson Simpson

Nikita Koloff was a professional wrestler in the 1980's known as the "Russian Nightmare". He was billed from Moscow in the Soviet Union and then from Lithuania after the fall of the Soviet Union.

In reality, he was born Nelson Scott Simpson in the projects of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 9, 1959. He grew up without knowing his father and had a goal to play professonal football. He started lifting weights in Junior High School and built up a massive body weighing 275 pounds on a 6'2" frame.

Profile

• Height: 6'2"
• Weight: 275 lbs.
• Birthday: March 9, 1959
• Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Trained by: Ivan Koloff and Don Kernodle
• Professional Debut: 1984
• Previous Manager(s): Ivan Koloff
• Finishing/Signature Moves: Russian Sickle (a running clothesline)

Career

He suffered an injury playing football but rehabbed to play for Moorhead State University where he suffered another career ending injury.

In 1984, Nikita was going to try out for the USFL when Road Warrior Animal, a professional wrestler from the Minnesota area, called him to ask him to become a professinal wrestler. Nikita decided to go with wrestling and was told to shave his head bald and to show up. Jim Crockett, Jr., the promoter of the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, renamed him Nikita Koloff, the Russian Nightmare, and teamed him with "uncle" Ivan Koloff and Don Kernodle, a turncoat American.

He learned on the road with Ivan and Don how to wrestle and was booked in very short matches until he learned some skills and would stand behind them with his massive arms folded while they did interviews. His wrestling ability and interview skills developed and he started wrestling longer matches and doing interviews. Nikita determined to keep the gimmick as real as possible and learned some Russian and would not come out of character even when away from the ring.

Nikita and Ivan won the NWA World Tag Team Titles on March 18, 1985 from Dusty Rhodes and Manny Fernandez. They were also named the NWA World Six Man Tag Team Title holders along with Krusher Khruschev in December 1984. Ivan dictated that any two of the three of them could defend the Tag Team Titles. Ivan and Krusher lost the titles to the Rock 'N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) on July 9, 1985.

Nikita got good enough and was tremedously hated to get a match against NWA World Champion Ric Flair at The Great American Bash on July 6, 1985. 32,000 fans packed Charlotte Memorial Stadium to witness this special card. Nikita ended up losing to Flair and was even attacked by a fan during the match, but he established himself as a superstar in the wrestling business.

Nikita & Ivan won the NWA World Tag Team Titles back on October 13, 1985 from the Rock 'N Roll Express but lost them back on November 28, 1985 at StarrCade '85 in a cage match.

In spring of 1986, Nikita started one of his best feuds ever when he attacked NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, Magnum T.A. Jim Crockett, Jr. stripped Magnum of the title and put it up in a best of 7 matches between the two. They wrestled all summer and ended up tied when the final match on August 17, 1986 arrived. In a hard fought match, Krusher and Ivan helped Nikita to win the title in typical "heel" fashion. The fans went nuts as the US Title was in the hands of a "Russian"!

Nikita went on to feud with Wahoo McDaniel and unify his US Title with Wahoo's NWA National Title on September 28, 1986. He also feuded briefly with Ron Garvin.

In October 1986, Magnum T.A. was in a horrible car wreck that left him paralyzed and ended his career. The NWA needed a top name to team with Dusty Rhodes, the American Dream, against the dreaded Four Horsemen. Dusty was supposed to team with Magnum against Tully Blanchard and Ole Anderson in a cage on October 24, 1986. Tully ended up being replaced by James J. Dillon due to a knee injury. Jim Crockett Jr. chose Nikita to replace Magnum. The fans went nuts when Nikita entered the cage to help Dusty and instantly made him a top "baby face".

Nikita went after Ric Flair's NWA World Title and came very close to winning it on several occasions. Flair's Four Horsemen comrades bailed him out almost every time.

Nikita and Dusty won the annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament on April 11, 1987.

Ivan had recruited Vladimir Petrov and Dick Murdoch to end Nikita's career. He feuded with them for several months and had his neck "injured" by a Murdoch piledriver. He lost the US Title to Lex Luger in a cage on July 11, 1987. He quickly avenged his loss to Horsemen member Luger by winning the NWA World Television Title from Tully Blanchard on August 27, 1987.

Nikita unified the NWA TV Title with the UWF Television Title by defeating Terry Taylor on November 26, 1987. He still has this belt today as a trophy of sorts.

Nikita lost the NWA TV Title to Mike Rotunda of the Varsity Club on January 30, 1988. He feuded with Al Perez and teamed with Sting to feud with the Four Horsemen, but he was quickly losing interest in pro wrestling. His wife, Mandy Smithson, was dying of Hodgkins Disease, and he wanted to be home with her. Nikita helped Ivan briefly against the Russian Assassins and then disappeared. Mandy died in 1989 and Nikita stayed away from wrestling except for a couple of one shot deals wrestling AWA World Champion Larry Zbysko for his title.

The NWA was bought by Ted Turner's WCW around this time, and they offered Nikita the WCW World Title if he would return. He did not. He was not ready so soon after his wife's death.

Nikita finally gave in and returned to WCW on February 24, 1991 at Wrestlewar in Phoenix, Arizona to attack Lex Luger. He claimed that Luger stole the title from him in 1987 and he wanted it back. Luger did steal the title (he was a heel then), but now Nikita was the heel. He went after Luger for the next couple of months and at Super Brawl on May 19, 1991, accidentally hit Sting with a chain starting his next feud. Nikita battled Sting through August and then disappeared again to run his gyms, which were called "Nikita's Fortess of Fitness" in North Carolina.

Nikita returned in April 1992 to save Sting from an attack by the Dangerous Alliance. He helped Sting against them in the War Games on May 7, 1992. He feuded with Rick Rude for the WCW US Title but could not defeat him. Late 1992 found him feuding with another big man, Vader, who ended up ending Nikita's career with a hernia.

Nikita became a born-again Christian in 1993 and started to travel world wide with his ministry. He legally changed his name to Nikita Koloff to play off the name recognition. He is currently involved in some business ventures with Ted DiBiase, another born-again Christian. Nikita married a born-again Christian named Victoria in 1990.

Nikita made a few appearances for NWA:TNA in 2003 as a masked man called "Mr. Wrestling IV" who attacked Dusty Rhodes. He finally unmasked but ended up helping Rhodes against the Vince Russo run stable known as S.E.X. Sports Entertainment Xtreme.

Championships/Accomplishments

• 1-Time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time NWA World Television Champion
• 2-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Ivan Koloff)
• 1-Time NWA National Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Ivan Koloff and Krusher Khruschev )(& Baron Von Raschke when Krusher injured)
• 1-Time UWF Television Champion

• Won the 1987 NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament with Dusty Rhodes.

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 113 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. PWI also ranked him # 64 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Ivan Koloff.

• Nikita also won two PWI Awards in 1987. He won Most Inspirational and was part of the Feud of the Year, The Super Powers (Nikita & Dusty Rhodes) & Road Warriors vs. the Four Horsemen.

Books

• Nikita has written two books: Breaking the Chains in 2000, which is a Christian Living guide and Wrestling With Success in 2004 along with Jeffrey Gitomer, which is a guide to positive thinking in life situations.
• Book about Christian Wrestlers: Wrestling With God, 2001, by Chad Bonham.

External Links

• Official Website http://www.nikitakoloff.com