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Even though he
didn't have an ounce of wrestling experience, Nikita decided to give
the profession a stab, thinking that if it didn't work out he still
had a tryout with the Tampa Bay Bandits. So Nikita called Crockett
and told him he was interested in slamming bodies as a wrestler. True
to form, Nikita also told Crockett he had never been in a ring. Sight
unseen, Crocket's only instructions were for Nikita to be in his office
with his head shaved bald. When the time came Nikita traveled to Charlotte
and opened the door to Crockett's office.
Looking at Nikita's skimpy waist (34 inches) and colossal muscles
Crockett was shocked at his size. His eyeballs bugged out even more
when he instructed Nikita to take off his size 54 sport jacket and
removed his shirt. Each muscle was ripped to near perfection. Crockett
immediately fetched Ivan
Koloff, and Don Kernodle. Both men were among Crockett's top-of-the-line
wrestlers. Ivan played the role of a mean wrestler from the Soviet
Union while Kernodle's character was that of an American defector
who sided with the Russians. The two men formed the championship team
in the wrestling enterprise. As soon as Ivan and Kernodle saw Nikita
they knew they found the "nephew".
Kissing a chance at playing football good-bye, Nikita signed up as
a wrestler with the NWA. He was told that he would play the character
of a Soviet wrestler, looking mean and wearing a chain. He was immediately
put on the set for interviews, instructed to stand silent with folded
arms and a scowling face, behind Kernodle and Ivan. He played his
part well. Afterwards, he was told he would be wrestling the next
night in Raleigh, N.C., before a huge audience, and taping a special
four hour television event with the who's who of wrestling. Arriving
late, Crockett made the decision not to let Nikita wrestle. Ivan convinced
Crockett to give Nikita a chance. In his first match Nikita defeated
his opponent in 10 seconds - a record time. Because of his association
with Ivan and Don, Nikita gained an immediate disliking from the fans.
From that night on, Nikita's career was launched. For the next two
months experienced on the job training, sometimes battling two or
three opponents at one time throughout the Mid-Atlantic. His rise
to stardom came quickly. Playing the part of a Russian during the
cold war was about as evil as it got. It was a role that Nikita took
seriously, extremely seriously. Fans booed him like no other wrestler
and death threats against him were common because fans believed he
was a threat to America.
Nikita developed the character as a Soviet wrestler who was suppose
to compete in the 1984 summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles which
was boycotted by the Soviets. The character was suppose to be a superstar
athlete who was gunning to win medals in track, field and wrestling.
A unique feature to Nikita's character was that he spoke no English
- he even studied the Russian language and learned to speak and write
Russian.
Nikita also came close to landing a movie role in Rocky IV with Sylvester
Stallone. In the movie Stallone's boxing character was training to
fight the no good Russian boxer, Ivan Drago. A casting call went out
for someone to play the bad Russian and Nikita was on that short list
- one of three finalists. He was flown out to Los Angeles and performed
in a screen test with Stallone. Another character, a smooth looking
blond, won the part.
During 1986 Nikita reached the top for those playing the bad guy.
He was voted by fans as the No.1 most-hated wrestler. While on tour
in Japan, Nikita's nemesis, Magnum TA was paralyzed in a car wreck
in Charlotte, NC. Being groomed to one day replace Ric Fair, the promotion
was devastated by the accident, and now wondered who could replace
such a void. Upon Nikita's return from Japan, he was informed of Magnum's
accident. Crockett had an idea: typical to the wrestling business,
when a wrestler gets to be that good, or bad depending on your point
of view, it's time for a switch to the other side - and they promoters
suggested to Nikita that it was time for him to wear the white hat.
Before his accident, Magnum's tag team partner was wrestling legend
"The
American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. Magnum's accident now left
Dusty without a partner in his feud against the Four Horsemen. After
thinking over Crockett's suggestion, Nikita decided to accept the
new challenge.
So Nikita changed from the ugly Russian who hated Americans to one
who fell in love with the country and became as loveable as hot dogs
and apple pie. A top wrestling magazine ran a cover photo of Nikita's
face with a tear trailing down his cheeks.
The caption said he was crying for his friend Magnum TA. That sealed
his new image.
Nikita the fan-favorite was born.
Title
Summary:
NWA World Tag
Team Champion w/ Ivan Koloff (2)
NWA World 6-Man Tag Team Champion (2) NWA/UWF Unified World Television
Championship NWA United States Heavy Weight Championship NWA 1987
Crockett Cup - w/ Dusty Rhodes
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