Q&A with Koloff - #13

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This is the Truth Network call for questions and answers Q&A would fall off the devil's nightmare. Welcome back to Q&A with falloff questions and answers in today. Mary Jo Jenny submitted some great questions for me to discuss with you. Unfortunately she's not available to call. She's a schoolteacher downing the Columbia South Carolina area recently actually had the opportunity though Etta and Ed at a book giveaway in Aiken, South Carolina Brian and Jamie Johnson down there at their their dealership with was fortunate to to meet Mary Jo. She's a huge huge wrestling fan in a big mechanical wall fan. Imagine that in. She made the trip down from Columbia down to a Canon and she submitted these questions that I thought I would take the time to share with you on Q&A with Cole. Also, Mary Jo, thank you for submitting these questions in here we go in question number one. She asked which wrestler had the biggest impact on your career. That's a great question when I ponder that question I can think back to a number of guys who actually had an impact on my career, starting with probably no surprise you, uncle, uncle, role should do it to my precious uncle Ivan writing and certainly him and his his partner Don Kerr nodal who who Don and Sgt. slaughter get the credit for the whole concept of a nephew for Ivan Cole off Don and Ivan both were instrumental in my the early part of my career and and catapulting myself to you, to a level of main event wrestling. I mean, these guys made sacrifices now if you not familiar with my whole story. You just have to buy the book.

Okay I'm sorry I don't have time to to go over all about Nikita. A tale of the ring redemption glycol ALT.NET go to my store by the book. You can hear the whole story. That said, I break into wrestling with no experience like none like zero and meaning I didn't even not only did I not have an amateur background. I had no professional training, the night I walked into Raleigh North Carolina stepped into the ring in the Dorton arena and thankfully Ivan and Don took me under their wing and and what we did. I mean, they shall be some basic things in the dresser room that night and then for the next 23 months we will get to town's early like to three hours early and I had what you might call on-the-job training. In fact what these guys are do is they bump and thump all over the break before before the matches and in teaching the mechanics of wrestling and then I go out that night and have a very brief match. A very short match and and sitting Ivan to Don.

They were the world tagteam champions for the NWA and I would watch their match focused on their match uncle uncle Ivan would sit in my corner and watch my match, you know, his protégé nephew and then on the way home we would discuss what was once called the psychology of wrestling and so I learn the mechanics before the matches on the drive home. The psychology of old-school rustling and so by far. I would say Don and Ivan had one of the biggest impacts on my career and that I be amiss if I invited throwing names like Duffy Road. The American dream that I will of power to sweep to be a howler if you wheel Dusty had a tremendous impact the nature boy Ric flair.

All right, let me do it for you because you're already doing it. That guy yeah I know I know I just had to be there for you, the listener Ric flair certainly had any back with so many guys Ricky the Dragon steamboat. I learned from some of the best of the best of the best Dory Funk Junior I could go on I let me move on. Those are just some of the guys it had a big impact on my career. Mary Jo, your next question which wrestler had the biggest impact on the walk with Christ, not the great question two because back in the day. There weren't too many. As far as I was familiar with are aware of too many Christ followers back in my wrestling days.

There's in fact there's only one man that comes to mind, and it wasn't so much that he witnessed to me and shared his story or anything like that but you always leave what was called these these tracks to be put familiar with these tracks. I always do.

George South was in the building or on the wrestling card because in every bathroom stall or by the bathroom sink. There was a track telling that the plan of salvation and not that I ever read one per se but but III at least knew enough to know what they were. And so I would say George. Kudos to you for having the boldness to leave those tracks in every building you are at it every wrestling card that you were on his one day Jesus is going to reveal to you all. All the wrestlers whose lives you impacted by leaving those tracks line around it all the dresser rooms and all the bathrooms in all the buildings that we were and so George South question number three.

Mary Jo asked where was your favorite place to rest soul and why now there were a lot I mean I have so many great memories of so many wonderful towns now say this about Charlotte, North Carolina.

Some of the greatest matches starting with the Great American Bash in 1985 against the nature boy Ric flair first ever Great American Bash first ever or the largest crowd ever wrestle in front of it estimated I don't 25, 30, 35,000 only 13 months into the business there at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte and then Independence arena now called Bojangles Arena on Independence Boulevard to major matches. I can remember the best-of-seven against Megan TA where I one match number seven.

It took the US title as the Russian nightmare.

People were not thrilled about that fact. They love to hate me back in those days he was the good all-American boy right, Megan TA, but also that's where my turn took place in a cage against Oleander Sinn and JJ Dillon where I came to the aid of the American dream. Dusty rolled and we I switched from the most hated guy wrestling to eventually becoming one of the most well-liked and fan favorites of wrestling there in Charlotte as well. So, certainly, Charlotte Pat has my heart, Greensboro, North Carolina, home of Starr cade but also I'll mention Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland.

The Baltimore arena because in 1987. It was there that once again the American dream.the roads and the Russian nightmare won the Crockett cup tagteam tournament, a two day tournament in Baltimore so that certainly brings back a lot of great memories there in Baltimore and what other limiting one another that had to do with Baltimore.

Crockett had to Crockett Junior had the brilliant idea that Ric flair, and I would wrestle to matches in the same night in two different towns Richmond, Virginia for the world heavyweight title in Baltimore, Maryland, and he's all I'll just stagger the start of the show and will throw you guys on a private plane get you in the Baltimore employee at time wasn't quite work out that way. Effect of the fans in Richmond were not happy because the main event world title match was before intermission fans were not happy about that. We rush out to the to the airport fly to Baltimore. I can remember getting into the ring looking up at the clock in the arena and it was 12 midnight.

The show started at 8 PM the fans probably got there at six or seven but to the credit of the Baltimore fans. We wrestled that night in Baltimore 55 minutes after wrestling 35 or 40 minutes in Richmond and I got out of the ring at 1255 in the morning and I don't think the fans ever sat down the entire 55 minutes and that's where Baltimore just got it captured my heart so Baltimore you rank right up there at the top as well. She asked what your greatest match boy Mary Jo hard to pinpoint that one. There were so many and I've already mentioned a number of of of great matches that I felt the best-of-seven against Magnum wargames.

The very first wargames brings back lots of memories and so just to throw us up. What were your what were the reactions you got.

When people realize you were not Russian that's a great question. People are still figure that one out all these years later we the key that you're really not from Russia I'm really not so I don't speak such great English because of good English tutoring I speak and I don't even know that I speak that great of English but it's not because of English tutoring I speak English because I'm actually from the great state of Minnesota for the Minnesota home of the sweeties Minnesota how are you right. I still back there. Sometimes I have family back there. I've no desire to look back there no fence Minnesota. However, I saw family back there and I know I'm home because how are you I hear the people by the upcoming Minnesota but it was a shocker for some day. One quick story Lex Luther and I were doing autograph signing in Virginia and in Austin.

I hear that. I hear this like fluent Russian from this woman and I'm like oh dear Lord, because I don't know any Russian army. I know a few words I could count to 10 in Russian but I can't speak Russian fluently… Rob Russia and up. Think about maybe I can order shall go away, will she not going anywhere.

She says something else fluently Russian and eye makeup. I look up and make eye contact. She's glowing like glowing like she just repeat the Russian nightmare, and I look at her and and and I just pause I go like this ago ma'am I go I'm not really from Russia and she went from aglow to an absolute scowl likes to step back your little girl that she was sure not really from Russia.you know she got a broken action of her own, but I go Mama goes just a character that I portray. I drove three hours here to meet you.

I cope so sorry is that my good buddy Luxist or the Paco don't go pollution from Rosa McKay. I got this Luger stop stop it it at anyway.

She was so mad she never did get an autograph for little daughter with her. She drove for six hours in the car to meter hero of the Russian nightmare is not from Russia. So it is been a shocker for people to find out that an offer much last question from Mary Jo Columbia, South Carolina tell about a downfall. Good question. Tell about a downfall and how Christ picked you up wool man that's a good one.

You know were all broken and were all flawed and and so when I think about that question a downfall and how God picked me up. You know I can look back in my life journey. The 27+ years of the walking would Jesus and it hasn't been smooth sailing.

I like to say it's been a journey of highs and lows of twists and turns of ups and downs and there was. Maybe I'll do a show on this sometime, but there was a tie work where I went through a divorce and and it was not pleasant. In fact, is the really the honestly the hardest thing I have ever gone through and you have four beautiful children and unfortunately you know I heard the words I just love you anymore don't want to be married to you anymore as much as I was open to reconciliation because I believed God can and does do that that he can reconcile things that it was hard. It was really really hard. However, were some you know shaker for cicada. How can you let this happen or you maybe go the opposite way and become promiscuous and sleep with everybody and anybody did not do that. What I chose to do was press into my relationship with Jesus to run that much even run harder after him and just trust him and I felt him say pursue the path and the call have on your life phenomena take care of you. You're going to be okay and you can make it through this so that was the decision I made was to do even run harder after him, even though that was a really difficult time in my life and because of that I believe the relationship I have with him now is even stronger than before that happened at a very thankful and grateful that I have out just a great relationship with all my children, my my oldest daughter's 30s 730 AA lose track of thought. But anyway I mean she calls me daddy she's in her late 30s and she calls me daddy and one calls me popliteal calls me pops in the other calls me. You know calls me – so anyway, I'm just grateful for the relation how the Mary Jo. Thank you and what what great questions you submitted today on Q&A with Cole off hate dilated tune in next time for more great questions from you. The wrestling fan submit those questions Cole off.net. I want to hear from you. And if you're available. I'll give you a personal phone call and we did to discuss it in person. God bless you have a wonderful day. This is the Truth Network