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Post by jameslofton on Jun 17, 2006 2:17:07 GMT -5
Am I the only person that thinks they are the most underrated team in wrestling history? I never understood the lack of interest in these guys. A great heel team. Could really get the crowd going, and they were involved in some classic matches/feuds. When people get nostalgic and wish for a classic wrestler/tag team to come back, the Russians are never mentioned. Why is that? Is it because the end of the cold war really dated this team? I vividly remember how when all these guys vanished from the NWA/WCW, nobody but me seemed to care.
The sad thing is that the only member of this team that went on to have success after their split with NWA/WCW was Kruschev(in Demolition).
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Post by RowdyRoddy on Jun 17, 2006 11:46:30 GMT -5
I know that Nikita Koloff's wife got sick. He jumped too much from babyface to heel back to babyface (like Paul Orndorff and Lex Luger). Ivan was getting up there in years by the mid to late 1980s. Krusher sought out the WWF in 1987 and moved on to Demolition.
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Post by bobbyryates on Jun 17, 2006 14:38:07 GMT -5
they were great. either variataion as a team, or as a six-man, they were great. i've witnessed many matches with them live and i do believe they were a hated team to the crowd.
singles...not as impressive. except maybe nikita against TA or flair. other wise, the single bouts were so-so. but as a team..LOOK OUT!!!!
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Post by acezappa on Jun 17, 2006 14:40:09 GMT -5
NIkita has always been one of my favorites. I agree he flip flopped too much from heel to face, but I just enjoyed him no matter what. I think any combination of the three or all three together made a fantastic teams. I'm not entirely sure why they're not held in higher regard/esteem, but I would think that the Russian angle probably does have something to do with that since it does date them considerably. They were so dirty and vicious. I saw Ivan wrestle not too long ago in Spindale. He's definitely getting up there, but he still looked great in the ring. I haven't seen either Nikita or Krusher since back in the day, I reckon.
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Post by Baltimore Jack on Jun 17, 2006 19:36:44 GMT -5
 Photo by Eddie Cheslock at TheGloryDays.netI really think Dusty killed the whole aura of that combination when he turned Nikita babyface after Magnum's accident. Up until that point they really did seem white hot. |
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Post by jameslofton on Jun 17, 2006 20:08:04 GMT -5
Thats a great pic. When I was a kid, I had a load of magazines, and had these guys pinups and posters on my bedroom wall. Damn, that was such a great time. I loved it when they used the russian chain to clothesline people. There is one moment I will never forget. It was on saturday's TBS program, and Nikita was wrestling one of the Mulkeys. He did the most awesome russian sickle I have ever seen. The Mulkey dude did a complete 360. I dont know if that was intentional or not, but it looked awesome. I am shocked it never made it on to any highlight shows. I have never seen a clothesline look so devastating.
These guys may be gone forever as a team, but I will never forget them. Do you guys have any recent pics of them?
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Post by acezappa on Jun 18, 2006 14:50:45 GMT -5
I remember the Mulkey sickle! I used to catch a lot of heat when I would wear my yellow Nikita shirt to school, lol. Some of it because it was yellow, but mostly they didn't like me pulling for the bad guy. I usually told them to shut up or I would sickle them, hehe.
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Post by bobbyryates on Jun 18, 2006 15:46:06 GMT -5
that yellow nikita t-shirt with the cycle...i wore it once in asheboro. as i was on the street, the Ku Klux Klan walked by during a march, i didn't know was happening. one came up and gave me a membership application. i thought it was funny as they hate communism, too.
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Post by flairfan on Jun 18, 2006 19:06:34 GMT -5
i got to see nikita sickle someone last october in waynesboro and he got one of the largest pops of the night. it sent chills down my spine, he looks as good today as he did in 1985.
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mtd
Rookie
Posts: 21
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Post by mtd on Jun 19, 2006 15:09:28 GMT -5
I have never seen a clothesline look so devastating. Nikita's Russian sickle was incredible. I clearly remember one of his World Wide Wrestling TV 1986 squash matches lasted less than five seconds (was that squash guy Mulkey?)... Nikita had the jobber come over to him and pointing to the crowd saying something like "look what's over there"-type gesture. And with the jobber looking up, Nikita literally Russian sickled him right there and pinned him. |
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Post by acezappa on Jun 20, 2006 18:52:18 GMT -5
that yellow nikita t-shirt with the cycle...i wore it once in asheboro. as i was on the street, the Ku Klux Klan walked by during a march, i didn't know was happening. one came up and gave me a membership application. i thought it was funny as they hate communism, too. LMAO!! So a klan march snuck up on ya and they tried to recruit ya while wearing your Nikita shirt?!  That is pretty dang funny! |
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Post by bobbyryates on Jun 20, 2006 20:22:29 GMT -5
yeah, that's exactly right. i thought it was funny, too.
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Post by ironanderson on Jun 21, 2006 17:01:59 GMT -5
Photo by Eddie Cheslock at TheGloryDays.netI really think Dusty killed the whole aura of that combination when he turned Nikita babyface after Magnum's accident. Up until that point they really did seem white hot. Couldn't say it better myself. I tend to think waht coulda' been had Rhodes selected the original "Magnum" Barry Windham to fill the void left by TA. Instead of the hotshot spot. I know Kruschev was more then likely going to head for Northern Exposure but I always armchaired/entertained the idea of the Warlord with "Uncle" Ivan and "Nephew" Nikita. Nikita never received the payback from the outcome of the "Best of Seven Series". That payback was money in the bank, no doubt with TA, and coulda' elevated TA's replacement. |
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Post by Baltimore Jack on Jun 21, 2006 17:57:16 GMT -5
Excellent point. I've always wondered why Windham wasn't selected to fill the void Magnum left rather than turning Nikita. Windham came in only months later anyway. Windham could have begun challenging Nikita right away for the US title, which could have lead to a huge chase for the title to culminate the summer of 1987 at the Bash events. Would have kept Nikita hot as a heel, would have been terrific with Windham in the chase role, as he always was.
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Post by jameslofton on Jun 21, 2006 19:27:59 GMT -5
Its sad how there are so many "What If's" in concern to that great time in wrestling. How could things have went so horribly wrong? It cant be mostly Dusty's fault, can it?
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That is pretty dang funny!